Neil Young has had quite the month as he finally released his long lost album Homegrown. The masterpiece was recorded after On the Beach in 1974, but upon finishing the beauty he decided to scrap it. 46 years later Young finally unearthed the unicorn record on June 19th and we all got to enjoy the raw, stripped-back love songs he wrote and recorded during his artistic zenith.
Today, July 1st, Young released another installment of his quarantine Fireside Sessions, called the "Porch Episode." This special session features a setlist for the times.
The 6th Fireside Session, filmed by his wife Daryl Hannah, was catered for the current movement the country is leading. Young is not new to protesting or performing protest songs, but he took the extra step by performing a set of mostly protest songs on his handy acoustic guitar.
Sitting out on his porch, Young led the session with his song "Alabama" followed by "Campaigner." Next he moved into a Tipi out on his property with a call to action to donate to the Navajo Water Project. In the Tipi he performed for the first time ever a cover of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'". The only other time he performed the song was when he sat in on guitar with Dylan himself in 1988.
Heading back to the porch, Young performed his rare 2006 track "Lookin' for a Leader," wildly relevant for today and even more so as he changed up the lyrics to speak to what's going on right now:
“America has a leader building walls around our house. Don’t all Black lives matter? and we’ve got to vote him out.”
He continued with the theme of advocacy as he performed "Southern Man," but then ended the set in front of a gorgeous and picturesque sunset with Homegrown track "Little Wing." It's reflective to say the least.
Check out the setlist below then head over to the Neil Young Archives website to watch the empowering performance by the our favorite music legend.
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With the current state of the world, it's important to raise awareness and encourage our readers to take action in support of the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement. We compiled a list or resources to help guide you in the right direction to begin helping today - check it out HERE.
