Washington DC's Cellar Door was a small venue accommodating 200 people in December 1970. Following his arrival from his native Canada in 1966, Neil Young had already enjoyed success as a founding member of Buffalo Springfield, and then with Crosby, Stills and Nash, arguably America's first supergroup.
He had also just released his groundbreaking album After the Goldrush and was working on new material for what would become one of his biggest sellers, Harvest.
So Live at the Cellar Door is one of his gigs in late 1970 where Young embarked on solo work in an acoustic mode. It's a remarkable showcase of an artist who is well on his way to becoming one of the rock genre's superstar talents, yet it's unpretentious, with Young's high tenor voice confident and strong, backed only by his acoustic guitar, and on some tracks with him on piano.
For example, Cinnamon Girl is fresh and awe-inspiring with piano accompaniment. We get to hear an early version of what was to become a Neil Young classic, Old Man. Other highlights include tracks from both his Buffalo Springfield days and from After the Goldrush, including the title track, Tell Me Why and Only Love Can Break Your Heart.
Young was 25 when Live at the Cellar Door was recorded and part of its special charm is that we get to hear him at an important period in his development. This is a must for any Young fan giving us an intimate insight in a way that even the two hugely popular solo albums from that era cannot match.Tony Nielsen
