It’s always felt like a travesty to me that no one cares about “MTV Unplugged” anymore (yes, MTV still does “Unplugged.”) There’s something special about hearing your favorite artists perform with all the bells and whistles ripped away from them, their hits stripped down to just guitar and vocals. To me, it feels like a chance for the artist to prove themselves: Can you perform your songs alone on that stage, without a backing track, without your band? Some can’t hack it, but others thrive in that kind of environment. For some older, more classic artists—the ones your dad probably loves—this performing style comes as easily to them as breathing. Though “MTV Unplugged” wouldn’t be around for another 20 or so years, Neil Young’s “Live at the Cellar Door” captures that same kind of feeling: a star was yanked down to Earth for a moment.
“Live at the Cellar Door” showcases the legendary folk artist at his most authentic. In a 45-minute solo acoustic set at The Cellar Door in Washington D.C., Young strips his already simple tracks down even further, transforming archetypal folk tunes into haunting, contemplative ballads. Containing only 163 seats, The Cellar Door offers a calm and intimate concert experience, allowing Young to reach the audience more directly. In a venue that small, every word sung by the artist is aimed right at your heart and will ricochet around in your ribcage for hours after you leave. Many of the songs featured in this set would go on to become some of Young’s enduring hits, including “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” “Old Man” and “After the Gold Rush.” But at the Cellar Door, they weren’t hits yet—some hadn’t even been released.
Despite being recorded in 1970, “Live at the Cellar Door” wasn’t released until 2013 as part of Young’s Archive Performance Series. This delayed release turns a simple live album into a window to the past and captures Young at a turning point: at the tail-end of the 1960s and mere weeks before sustaining a back injury that would lead to a painkiller addiction. Young was only 25 years old and was already turning heads following the release of his third solo album, “After the Gold Rush,” and his recent tour with Crosby, Stills & Nash. His most successful album to date, “Harvest,” was still being written. In fact, Young debuted a few “Harvest” tracks during this six-show stint at The Cellar Door.
With only an acoustic guitar and a piano, Young performs his soon-to-be hits in a somber and wistful manner. With his signature falsetto singing voice, he delivers his songs just as he does in his studio recordings. If not for the raucous applause from the crowd between songs, you might not have known this album was recorded live at all. By 1970, Young wasn’t shiny and green anymore by any means, but he was still towards the beginning of his long career; by the time “Live at the Cellar Door” was recorded, Young had just begun taking his first steps to become a legend.
Standout Track: “Tell Me Why – Live at the Cellar Door”
Young opens his set with a solo rendition of “Tell Me Why,” which, without the choir that comes in to support him in the studio version, takes on a new meaning. Young is alone on the stage, dejectedly repeating, “Tell me why.” He’s at a crossroads: both young enough to give up and move on, yet too old to make any real change in his life—and on top of it all, he has to weather it alone. His haggard, unpolished voice quivers over the few lines in the song, and the extra simplicity makes everything feel even more visceral than the studio recording.
