The mid 70s were an interesting period for Neil Young. Hot off the success of his instant classics Harvest and After the Gold Rush, the legendary singer took a turn down a darker path on the Ditch Trilogy that at the time was met with criticism, but is now viewed as some of his finest achievements. Between his country/folk-rock and his raw and powerful rock, Neil scrapped a lot of work that would become infamous amongst his fans. He shelved Tonight's The Night for a bit and recorded On the Beach after regrettably releasing the live album Time Fades Away (his words, not mine). He was losing friends and falling into drugs, but somewhere in between he also found a path back to the acoustic tendencies of his earlier work and recorded what would become Hitchhiker and Homegrown (amongst many other "lost" records, I'm sure). Recorded in 1974, Homegrown was shelved and deemed "too personal" by Neil in an interview to Cameron Crowe for Rolling Stone. However, much like many of Neil's other shelved albums and live recordings, Homegrown finally appears ready to see the light of day and along with announcing a release date, he's also shared "Try." A shuffling drum rhythm pushes the song along as Young strums along before being accompanied by piano, confirming backing vocals courtesy of Emmylou Harris, and a subtle twang to brighten the melody. It's another fine example of Young in his prime and one that was nearly lost to the vaults. No one needed more proof of just how prolific Young was during this time, but fans are ready to welcome this record with open arms and even those who are casual listeners are sure to find enjoyment from this well-crafted tune.
Homegrown is out June 19.
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