Neil Young has unearthed a rare gem from his Analog Original Series (AOS), the first-time release of what he and his team consider one of the artist’s “great ‘lost’ albums,” Oceanside Countryside, slated for release on Feb. 14, 2025.
The set was tracked during Young’s prolific late-‘70s era following the release and widespread success of the Young and Stephen Still’s duos LP, Long May You Run (1976), and 1977’s Crazy Horse-featured American Stars n’ Bars. Oceanside Countryside was recorded on tape from May to December 1977. The forthcoming collection presents the original mixes created at the time of production.
“This analog original album, recorded in 1977, was unreleased at the time,” Young reflected via press release. “These songs are the original mixes done at the time of the recordings.”
The tracklist includes 10 numbers that will range in familiarity for keen-eared Young fans, including Side One: Oceanside features; “Sail Away” (Rust Never Sleeps), “Lost In Space,” “Captain Kennedy” (Hawks & Doves), “Going Back,” “Human Highway” (Comes a Time). While Side Two: Countryside pulls in “Field of Opportunity” (Comes a Time), “Dance Dance Dance” (Crazy Horse), “The Old Homestead” (Hawks & Doves), “Pocahontas” (Rust Never Sleeps), and “It Might Have Been.”
“I sang the vocals and played the instruments on Oceanside, in Florida at Triad studios, and Malibu, at Indigo studio. I sang the vocals and recorded with my great band of friends at Crazy Mama’s in Nashville on Countryside. I hope you enjoy this treasure of an Analog Original recording as much as I do,” imparted the Canadian musician.
Motifs inform the song placements, either falling into the category of water-adjacent and or evoking lines, like Oceanside’s “Lost In Space”: “Your buildings if they rise again/ Would do much better on the ocean floor.” Or touching arable land mentions via Countryside, in line with “Field of Opportunities”: “It’s plowin’ time again.”
Oceanside Countryside will be available on black vinyl and limited edition clear vinyl via Greedy Hand/Indie Store exclusive clear vinyl. All Greedy Hand Store purchases come with free hi-res digital audio downloads from the NYA Download Store.
For more information, visit neilyoung.warnerrecords.com.
Side One: Oceanside
1 Sail Away
2 Lost In Space
3 Captain Kennedy
4 Goin’ Back
5 Human Highway
Side Two: Countryside
1 Field Of Opportunity
2 Dance Dance Dance
3 The Old Homestead
4 It Might Have Been
5 Pocahontas