On 8 September this year Neil Young will release a previously unheard album of acoustic songs. Recorded in one session in Malibu, Hitchiker was made in 1976 with producer David Brings and post-production from John Hanlon. Many of the tracks were early versions of songs that would later appear on albums decades later such as ‘Captain Kennedy’ and on Comes A Time and Rust Never Sleeps. However, two tracks on the record have never been heard before titled ‘Hawaii’ and ‘Give Me Strength’.
The title track, ‘Hitchhiker’, tells the story of Young’s troubled rambling where he moves from Chicago to California and then to the country to try and find peace but inevitably cannot as he passes through drug addiction, paranoia, lost love, having a child, writing and making music.
It’s a real confessional number that I’ve always craved as I thought it was something Dylan always had over him. The song ends with a wistful desire to create some kind of idyl from the past that could never really be achieved. Inevitably, the Young of the song is alone and must continue travelling.
Claiming that he did not see the album as finished when he was done recording Young made some minor adjustments to it in 2010 so that it was releasable and is now ready to be heard.
You can listen to the title track here:
Here is the track listing.
Hitchhiker:
01 Pocahontas
02 Powderfinger
03 Captain Kennedy
04 Hawaii
05 Give Me Strength
06 Ride My Llama
07 Hitchhiker
08 Campaigner
09 Human Highway
10 The Old Country Waltz
