Neil Young
Oceanside Countryside
REPRISE
Oceanside Countryside is a country and acoustic folk album for the Neil Young faithful who argue online over the recording quality of bootlegs and hangdog archival releases that didn’t get their fair shake. Originally recorded in 1977 between Florida and Malibu, all the hallmarks of the songwriter’s ’70s period are here: acoustic guitars, harmonica, fiddles, theremin, and even children’s choirs. These tracks feel more like old favorite working shirts than the gussied-up productions on American Stars ’n Bars, or the more carefree folksiness of the reshuffled track list eventually heard on Comes a Time. Longtime Young aficionados will recognize the new release’s cover art—featuring Young in cowboy duds and sunglasses—as the bootleg cover previously used for Chrome Dreams, another unofficial compilation spanning the era from 1974 up through spring 1977 which saw an official archival release back in 2023.
Many returning 1970s staples are slightly different from their original versions here: “Captain Kennedy”—inspired by Young’s 1971 encounter with the title’s figure, whose ship was felled by a German U-boat 30 years prior—becomes a bluegrass-style yarn, while the children’s choir on “Lost in Space” works moderately better here than some of the oddly placed production elements of his ’70s period and what was ultimately recorded for 1980’s Hawks and Doves. The majority of these 10 tracks were featured on Young’s LPs over the years with the only brand new song being “It Might Have Been,” which probably could’ve served as the title of this “lost album.” It’s the highlight by default, and sees the band tossing in a fiddle solo with relish.
The surreal, time-traveling folk song “Pocahontas” is still a stone-cold classic, even in this jaunty form. The alternate take of “The Old Homestead” is a twilit experience when compared to its Hawks and Doves version, its druggy and otherworldly feel invoking what the Ditch Trilogy encapsulated so well as its theremin floats through the recording like a spectre. Elsewhere, Young’s mood shifts: The intimate folk tracks “Human Highway” and “Field of Opportunity” are unadorned and rangy in the mix, which fits quite well for those classic prairie folk songs.
An album full of Neil Young's alternative versions of existing songs isn’t quite as magical for archival enthusiasts. Homegrown and Chrome Dreams scratched that itch a lot better, whereas Oceanside Countryside is a pleasant and easygoing afternoon listen but not entirely essential for casual Young fans. There are no concrete reasons given by Young as to why it was put on the shelf while Comes a Time and other albums were released. Many of the same songs are still present, but the configuration, sequencing, and recording techniques are slightly askew. It’s still a lovely blend of folk sunshine and country earthiness and a reminder of Young’s fastidiousness as a songwriter.
