Cow Palace 1986

Recording information: Cow Palace, Brisbane, California (11/21/1986). Recorded in San Francisco toward the end of his much-maligned mid-'80s Geffen period, Cow Palace 1986 shows that Neil Young was still a force to be reckoned with on the stage, if not in the studio. A bootleg of the final date of his Live in a Rusted Out Garage tour, this 25-track collection features the whole two-hour spectacle in all its glory, alongside a few less illustrious moments (the "comedy" skit "Neil's Mom Calls" and controversial standup Sam Kinison's expletive rant feel entirely out of place). Despite the obstacles of the rather rowdy sell-out crowd and the KLOS FM-recorded quality, the iconic Canadian, alongside his regular backing band Crazy Horse, sounds in fine form, whether it's rattling through the Rolling Stones pastiche "Mr. Soul" and the widely quoted "Hey Hey, My My," showcasing his harmonica skills on signature hits "Heart of Gold" and "After the Goldrush," or venturing into prog territory on the 12-minute live staple "Like a Hurricane." The set list wouldn't be many concertgoers' ideal choice, with seven performances of tracks from his then forthcoming 1987 effort, Life (the lowest-selling album of his career) including the politically charged "Mideast Vacation," the record company-baiting "Prisoners of Rock 'n' Roll," and the acoustic balladry of "Long Walk Home." But with material spanning from 1969's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere ("Down by the River") right up to 1986's Landing on Water ("Violent Side"), Cow Palace 1986 is still a surprisingly listenable bootleg which combines familiar fan favorites with a couple of underrated classics worth re-investigating. ~ Jon O'Brien