A bootleg from the 1986 North American 'Live in a Rusted-Out Garage' tour, where Neil Young billed Crazy Horse as 'the third best garage band in the world' (I think he said the Stones were best, but didn't disclose who was second). This is a triple album on tie-dye coloured vinyl. It's a professional quality recording, and I also have a bootleg video of what is probably the same gig — presumably it was broadcast in the US. In fact, the back cover of the record says it was licensed from Reprise Records, so maybe this is a legitimate bootleg?
The gig is at Cow Palace, San Francisco, the same venue where the Live Rust album and Rust Never Sleeps film were recorded. Like Rust Never Sleeps, it's one of Neil's grand concept stagings, with lots of theatre between and within the songs. The road-eyes from Rust Never Sleeps are still there, but there's a garage door, and everything is still super-size: an enormous telephone on which Neil's mom rings to enquire about the strange incense smell, big cockroaches scuttling across the stage (and the bug men come to de-infest them at one point). Richard saw this tour in Denver, and I'm very jealous because, when it finally came to Europe the following year all the theatre props had been dropped, presumably to save on freight.
There are three official Neil Young & Crazy Horse live albums, with overlapping tracklisting, so who needs another one, which also has Cortez the Killer and Like a Hurricane, right? Well, you could argue that the live versions here of mid-eighties songs like Violent Side are better than the horrible mid-eighties production on the studio versions. But that's a detail that can't disguise the fact that, no, no one needs it, and I don't play it often (partly because I heard that coloured vinyl wears faster than normal black vinyl — is that true?), but it still, literally, makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at some points. There's something about Crazy Horse: always the same; never the same.
MusicBrainz entry for Disc 1 of CD version of this album
Disc 2
Hello,
I was doing a bit of mindless surfing and
gave a shot to finding the video you mentioned having a copy of. I had one but got lost a long time ago. My interest in getting a copy is because I was one of the mice on the tour and the video. I worked for the sound company on the tour. But during the show I could do anything as long as it was rodent-like. If it's possible, please let me know.
Thank you in advance!
Posted by: Russell | 02 March 2010 at 11:00 PM
Hi Russell,
Congratulations on your starring role as a mouse -- you were great!
Unfortunately I've moved house since I wrote this post, and we no longer have ready access to a video player, let alone the means of making a copy. All our videos are in the loft... The time and expense involved in tracking it down, finding somewhere with the equipment to make a copy, and shipping it transatlantically (I'm assuming you're in the States) -- well, I think it might be quicker and cheaper to wait until Neil releases it officially on Archives Box 3 in 2015. (Also my copy was grainy, probably because it had been converted from NTSC to VHS, and if you wanted it converted back...)
Sorry not to be more help,
David
Posted by: David | 02 March 2010 at 11:48 PM
Well thanks for the reply. My copy wasn't very good either. We weren't given official
copies. The regular show was pretty good and had all the crew playing various roles. We took awhile to figure out how to act and towards the end of the tour, it worked. The video was different though. Neil replaced a few of the crew with real actors, Sam Kinneson was one. They couldn't and didn't try to fit in with us on stage. So the vibe of the show wasn't there. I had a great time as a mouse. Neil gave me carte blanc to do as I pleased whenever as long as it was rodent-like. I haven't been over to your side of the pond for a while. Take care,
The Mouse
Posted by: Russell Emery | 10 March 2010 at 07:37 PM
Do you still need a copy? As I have a digital copy
Posted by: Hugh | 25 July 2010 at 03:34 AM
Hello Hugh,
My 18 year old son has trouble believing
what I did on stage. A copy of the show would be more than fantastic. How would you get a copy to me and if there are any costs,
I would be happy to bear them. Sorry for the delay in my response and many thanks for yours,
Russell
Posted by: Russell Emery | 10 August 2010 at 02:06 PM
Just got this album. The F side is unbelievable. Does anyone know where I can find a digital copy of the video?
Posted by: justin | 20 September 2010 at 03:21 AM