Neil Young's 'Homegrown' finally sees the light of day, 45 years after heartache delayed it
Rocker Neil Young's latest album has been a long time coming. Forty-five years to be exact.
"Homegrown," released Friday, is "the one that got away", Young, 74, writes on the Neil Young Archives.
"Homegrown" features songs recorded in 1974 and 1975 and was initially set to be released in 1975, serving as the "unheard bridge" between "Harvest" and "Comes A Time." Emmylou Harris was among the contributors. But Young pulled the plug. His relationship with girlfriend Carrie Snodgress was ending and, as he later revealed, the music was too personal, too painful to release.
“I apologize," he wrote in a letter to fans last year. "It’s the sad side of a love affair. The damage done. The heartache. I just couldn’t listen to it. I wanted to move on. So I kept it to myself, hidden away in the vault, on the shelf, in the back of my mind."
Looking back, Young said he regrets the decision.
"It’s actually beautiful," he said. "That’s why I made it in the first place. Sometimes life hurts. You know what I mean."
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"Homegrown" was initially set to drop April 18, but was one of many anticipated albums delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are 12 tracks. Seven were never released before: “Separate Ways,” “Try,” “Mexico,” “Kansas,” “We Don’t Smoke It No More,” “Vacancy” and “Florida.” They're largely acoustic, with Young on guitar and harmonica.
The other five tracks — “Love Is A Rose,” “Homegrown,” “White Line,” “Little Wing” and “Star Of Bethlehem” — were part of other Young albums.
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The heartache Young said delayed the original release is palpable in many of the songs' lyrics. Take "Separate Ways," for instance: "I won't apologize // The light shone from in your eyes // It isn't gone // It will soon come back again.
"Though we go our separate ways // Lookin' for better days // Sharin' our little boy // Who grew from joy back then."
Others, such as "Try," have a glimpse of optimism: "Darlin', the door is open // To my heart and I've been hopin' // That you won't be the one // To struggle with the key // We got lots of time // To get together if we try."
The tracks were recorded in analog and have been "restored with love and care" using the original master tapes, Young says.
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Active since the 1960s, Young is one of the most prolific rockers in the music business today, having recorded more than 40 albums on his own or with others, including his band Crazy Horse and even Pearl Jam.
Follow Gary Dinges on Twitter @gdinges
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Homegrown': Neil Young's sorrowful album drops 45 years later
