Neil Young

Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968 (Reprise)

Prefacing a stark rendition of “Mr. Soul,” Neil Young likens himself to a radio station, a mere conduit to the songs pouring out of him. Such is the charm of Sugar Mountain, documenting a 22-year-old songsmith tangled up in transition. More relaxed and personable than in his previous archive installment, Live at Massey Hall 1971, Young guides the audience with endearing sincerity through his recent past with Buffalo Springfield (“On the Way Home,” “Expecting to Fly”) and tentatively approaches his future through the twisted narrative “The Last Trip to Tulsa” and the reflective, long-prized title track. The stripped-down acoustic setting heightens the fragile longing found in “The Loner,” “If I Could Have Her Tonight,” and “I’ve Been Waiting for You,” especially in comparison to the studio versions on Young’s eponymous solo debut. The accompanying DVD offers only a higher fidelity version of the audio performance, but Sugar Mountain remains a magical and rare portrait of a budding genius.

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This article appears in December 19 • 2008.

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