Briggs was in the control room, mixing live on his favorite console." Many of the songs would appear on future Young albums: "Pocahontas" is the same take used on Rust Never Sleeps sans overdubs "Captain Kennedy" remains virtually unchanged from Hawks & Doves "Campaigner" is presented in its unedited length with an additional verse as it appeared on the test pressings and the first German pressing of Decade but is otherwise unchanged whereas the others appeared on American Stars 'n Bars, Comes a Time, Rust Never Sleeps, and Le Noise, albeit from different sessions and performances. I laid down all the songs in a row, pausing only for weed, beer, or coke. In his memoir Special Deluxe, Young described the session, "It was a complete piece, although I was pretty stony on it, and you can hear it in my performances. The songs on the album were recorded in a single night. I'm not talkin' about sittin' down with a pen and paper, I'm talkin' about pickin' up a guitar, sittin' there and lookin' me in the face and in twenty minutes-'Pocahontas.'" These sessions took place during a particularly productive period for Young and yielded such songs as " Will to Love" and "Stringman." Briggs said of the time, "He'd turn to me and go, 'Guess I’ll turn on the tap'-and then out came ' Powderfinger,' ' Pocahontas,' ' Out of the Blue,' 'Ride My Llama.' Two days, a day.
Rust never sleeps song full#
Two of the songs ("Hawaii" and "Give Me Strength") were previously unreleased in any form prior to this album.īetween 19, Young and producer David Briggs periodically conducted recording sessions at Indigo Ranch on nights of the full moon. Three songs from the session ("Captain Kennedy", "Pocahontas" and "Campaigner") were released in nearly the same form as they are found on Hitchhiker. Young intended to release the album shortly after it was recorded, but executives at Reprise felt that it "wasn't a real record, but a collection of demos," with the musician saying that he "was advised to record the songs with a band." Įight of the ten songs found on Hitchhiker were released on various Neil Young studio albums over the next three decades, though mostly as versions from different live or studio recordings.
Rust never sleeps song series#
It is the ninth release in Young's ongoing archival release series and the first of the Special Release series.Ĭo-produced by Young and David Briggs with post-production from John Hanlon, the album was originally recorded on Augat Indigo Ranch Recording Studio in Malibu, California. Hitchhiker is the 37th studio album by Canadian / American singer-songwriter Neil Young, issued Septemon Reprise Records.