Neil Young Announces 'Road Of Plenty' Archive Album Of 1980s Rarities

Neil Young has detailed the forthcoming 2021 release of a new album, Road of Plenty, comprised of rare recordings from the mid-to-late 1980s.

The album project announced via his Neil Young Archives website earlier this week will feature material captured to tape with Crazy Horse during a 1986 U.S. tour, along with recordings with bassist Charley Drayton, guitarist Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, and drummer Steve Jordan which were tracked at The Hit Factory in New York City ahead of the band’s appearance on Saturday Night Live in September 1989.

The album’s title track is that of an early take of what would end up as the song “Eldorado”, which appeared on Young’s 1989 Freedom studio LP. Young admitted in the announcement that he first tried the song out with Buffalo Springfield during private rehearsals in 1986, but never captured those performances on tape.

The album will also feature rare recordings of “60-0” and the original studio take of “Fuckin Up” with the above-mentioned backing trio. Watch that same group perform “Rockin’ In The Free World” on Saturday Night Live below.

Neil Young – “Rockin’ In The Free World” – Saturday Night Live [9/30/89]

[Video: Greg LaPointe]

The album’s announcement comes a little over a month after Young was forced to halt the ticket sales to his scheduled 2020 BARN Tour with Crazy Horse due to COVID-19. Since the live events and concert industry shutdown last month, Young has hosted pre-recorded acoustic “Fireside Session” performances from his Colorado home.

Head to the Neil Young Archives website for more info on the 2021 release.