Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ At 50: Live Covers Of All 10 Of The Landmark Album’s Tracks

Rock ‘n’ roll legend Neil Young today released a 50th-anniversary deluxe edition of his fourth solo album, Harvest. Described as “one of the most beloved” of Young’s albums and featuring “songs that have long-permeated radio waves,” the 10-song album was originally released on February 1, 1972.

Recorded by Young at sessions held at his barn in Northern California, along with additional tracking in Nashville and London, the album presented such now-classic songs as “Out On The Weekend,” “Heart Of Gold,” “Old Man,” “Are You Ready for the Country?,” “The Needle and the Damage Done” and the title track. Young was backed by a group dubbed The Stray Gators – pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, keyboardist Jack Nitzsche, bassist Tim Drummond and drummer Kenny Buttrey.

The sessions also saw drop-ins from the likes of Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor who added backing vocals to “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man” (that’s also Taylor on banjo on “Old Man”) as well as Young’s one-time CSNY cohorts David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash (“Alabama” features Crosby & Stills, “Words” features Stills & Nash and “Are You Ready For The Country?” features Crosby & Nash).

Young enlisted the London Symphony Orchestra on “A Man Needs a Maid” and “There’s a World,” the pair of songs often cited as the lone weak spots of an otherwise outstanding record. Each memorable for different reasons yet collectively creating a sum as great as its parts, the 10 songs named above created a revered piece of rock history that will no doubt continue to stand the test of time for another 50 years and beyond.

A half-century later, Harvest remains a pillar of Young’s career – that at age 77 shows no signs of slowing down. While the veteran singer-songwriter continues to churn out new studio albums (Barn and World Record with Crazy Horse plus a “lost” album over the past two years alone), Young’s desire to return to touring in the wake of the pandemic appears faint at best.

While Young’s live performances may be reserved for recordings from his current barn, the songs on Harvest are still likely to be heard on live stages around the world. One of the rare albums in which each of its songs is regularly covered by other musicians of all calibers and genres, Harvest can be heard not only on the newly packaged 50th-anniversary reissue but through the many reinterpretations of its songs that have been performed over the years since its release.

Whether or not Young returns to touring, the songs of Harvest will be played by others as generations continue to be introduced to its splendor. Scroll on for a collection of live covers of each of the 10 songs that make up Harvest. Featured musicians performing Young’s songs include Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Charles Bradley with Dinosaur Jr., Andrew Bird & Alan Hampton, Deer Tick‘s John McCauley, Blitzen Trapper, and Diana Krall:

The Harvest 50th-anniversay expanded reiusse that’s out now comes with three outtakes recorded during the sessions for the original 1972 release. The trio of bonus recordings includes “Bad Fog of Loneliness,” “Journey Through The Past,” and “Dance Dance Dance.” Though left off the original LP, the three songs have been performed live by Young many times, each debuting in concert prior to the initial Harvest release.

As a bonus in step with the 50th-anniversary reissue, below are live covers of “Bad Fog Of Loneliness” by the band formerly known as The Morning Benders (POP ETC.), “Journey Through The Past” by Widespread Panic and “Dance, Dance, Dance” by Marcus Mumford:

---