"Sugar Mountain - Live at Canterbury House," Neil Young

After Neil Young left Buffalo Springfield, but just before he released his debut solo album, he played two shows at the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Mich. Forty years later, Reprise Records has released the recordings of the show.

The album is comprised of four tracks from his debut album, one which later appeared on After the Gold Rush, six old Buffalo Springfield songs and the unreleased “Sugar Mountain.” The other tracks are Young interacting with the audience. He tells jokes and anecdotes and explains to the crowd what he personally gets out of writing music, aside from the residuals of course.

Sugar Mountain - Live at Canterbury House 1968
Neil Young

Reprise Records

You’ll never hear Young more candid and honest. There is no accompanying band; it’s just him and his guitar. He didn’t yet know if his sound would resonate with audiences, and you can sense that uncertainty in his voice.

By far the most powerful track is “Birds,” later recorded on After the Gold Rush. The version is raw, and Young’s vulnerability is transparent.

DOWNLOAD: “Sugar Mountain”