Revisiting Neil Young’s Journey Through the Past

In 1973 Neil Young released the movie Journey Through the Past, a compilation of live concerts, backstage footage and appropriately strange self indulgent extra scenes shot, in the main on 16mm film. The film, unsurprisingly was not well received by the critics. Rock artists of the period seemed to regard making avant garde films as a rite of passage when what everyone really wanted was a live performance, an interview and a glimpse into their private lives, not a self-indulgent drug-fuelled fantasy which is what we were invariably served.

The album released to accompany the movie makes up for the film’s shortcomings however, a double album featuring tracks by Young, Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, it featured some of Young’s best work to that date including Southern Man, Ohio, For What it’s Worth and Mr Soul.

The album design should give those who haven’t seen the film an idea, a cut-out gatefold sleeve with stills from the film, it’s a nice addition to the Young collection.

I like these photographs, as self-indulgent as the film may have been there is no escaping the sense of happy freedom which came with it. They were cool without trying, the collection of photographs have little cohesion but it’s the better for it.

Apparently Young was against the release of the album, this is not a Neil Young compilation album, it is a movie soundtrack with one previously unreleased Neil Young song, Soldier and the aforementioned hits are a mix of recorded live television and concert performances. Unlike most of Young’s catalogue this album never made it to reissue although Young made the film available again via his archives box set.

This was released early on in his solo career but on the back of the massive success of Harvest from the previous year so why anyone thought this was a suitable follow-up is anyone’s guess but if nothing else it serves as a reminder of Young’s stout refusal to toe the corporate line in making the film.

The album also features performances by The Stray Gators and The Tony & Susan Alamo Christian Foundation Orchestra and Chorus which may have benefited from a shorter band name!