Songs for Judy

Released 42 years after that November jaunt, Songs for Judy collects 23 highlights curated by journalist Cameron Crowe and photographer Joel Bernstein, who tagged along on the tour. Bernstein recorded the concerts for his own pleasure and that provides the source material for Songs for Judy. What's striking about these performances is how loose and relaxed -- even happy -- Young seems. A far cry from the haunted, hazy Hitchhiker, Songs for Judy is spry and sly, the songs sounding charged and muscular even when they're sung with no greater support than an acoustic guitar (and, on occasion, an organ). Young cracks jokes and sings with vigor, alternating between staples from his songbooks and test-driving new tunes. Among the latter is "White Line," which later showed up on 1990's Ragged Glory, and "No One Seems to Know," which sees its first official release on this album. That alone makes Songs for Judy of interest for Young diehards, but what really makes this collection worthwhile is how these robust performances put the lie to the notion that acoustic Neil is sad, sensitive Neil.