Neil Young Shares 1971 Performance Of 'Helpless'

Bruce Henne | 03-30-2021

(hennemusic) Neil Young is sharing video of a performance of "Helpless" from his newly-released 1971 solo concert recording and film, "Young Shakespeare."

Written by the rocker and originally recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 1970 album, "Déjà Vu", the tune is among a dozen songs Young delivered at the Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, CT while on tour in support of "After The Gold Rush."

The event took place just three days after a legendary show at Toronto's Massey Hall (released officially in 2007).

"[Producer] John Hanlon and I both feel Shakespeare is superior to our beloved Massey Hall," explains Young. "A more calm performance, without the celebratory atmosphere of Massey Hall, captured live on 16mm film. Young Shakespeare is a very special event. To my fans, I say this is the best ever. Young Shakespeare is the performance of that era. Personal and emotional, for me, it defines that time."

Recorded for broadcast on German TV, the footage has not been made publicly available until now. Watch the video and read more here.

hennemusic is an official news provider for antiMusic.com. Copyright hennemusic - Excerpted here with permission.