Journey Through the Past

Content

The album draws from television broadcasts with Buffalo Springfield, live recordings with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, rehearsal outtakes from the Harvest sessions with the Stray Gators, and recordings by the Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation Orchestra and Chorus. It functions partly as a retrospective of Young's work. Side one opens with two Buffalo Springfield tracks: a medley including an alternate version of "Mr. Soul" mimed for The Hollywood Palace, and "Rock and Roll Woman" from the television special Popendipity.

Side one tracks three and four, and side two track one, are live CSNY recordings from the Fillmore East on June 5, 1970. Harvest outtakes occupy side two tracks two and four and all of side three, recorded at Young's ranch in La Honda, California, on September 26 and 27, 1971, with interspersed conversations from later vocal overdub sessions. Side four includes an excerpt from Handel's Messiah and Miklós Rózsa's theme from King of Kings, performed by the Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation Orchestra and Chorus, recorded on February 10, 1972.

The only new Young song, "Soldier", was recorded in a sawmill with a roaring fire from a sawdust burner. The album closes with the Beach Boys' instrumental "Let's Go Away for Awhile" from Pet Sounds.

Track listing and personnel

All songs written by Neil Young except where noted. "For What It's Worth/Mr. Soul" (Stephen Stills/Young) – 3:48: Neil Young – electric guitar, vocal; Stephen Stills – electric guitar, vocal; Richie Furay – electric guitar, vocal; Bruce Palmer – bass; Dewey Martin – drums; Tony Martin – introduction. "Rock & Roll Woman" (Stills) – 2:53: Stills – electric guitar, vocal; Young – electric guitar, vocal; Furay – electric guitar, vocal; Palmer – bass; Martin – drums; Flip Wilson – introduction.

"Find the Cost of Freedom" (Stills) – 1:59: Stephen Stills, Neil Young – guitar, vocal; David Crosby, Graham Nash – vocals. "Ohio" – 4:28: Young – electric guitar, vocal; Stills – electric guitar, vocal; Crosby – electric guitar, vocal; Nash – vocal; Calvin Samuels – bass; Johnny Barbata – drums. "Southern Man" – 7:00: Young – electric guitar, vocal; Stills – electric guitar, vocal; Crosby – electric guitar, vocal; Nash – Hammond organ, vocal; Samuels – bass; Barbata – drums.

"Are You Ready for the Country?" – 2:00: Young – piano, vocal; Ben Keith – pedal steel guitar; Jack Nitzsche – lap steel guitar; Tim Drummond – bass; Kenny Buttrey – drums; Crosby, Nash – backing vocals. "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" (Leo Friedman, Beth Slater Whitson) – 0:58: unknown announcer and female chorus. "Alabama" – 6:29: Young – electric guitar, vocal; Keith – pedal steel guitar; Nitzsche – piano; Drummond – bass; Buttrey – drums; Stills, Crosby – backing vocals; includes studio dialogue, a political statement by David Crosby, and an excerpt from Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" performed by an unnamed choir.

"Words" – 15:51: Young – electric guitar, vocal; Keith – pedal steel guitar; Nitzsche – piano; Drummond – bass; Buttrey – drums; includes studio dialogue. "Relativity Invitation" (dialogue from the film) – 1:15. "Handel's Messiah" (George Frideric Handel) – 2:43; "King of Kings" (Miklós Rózsa) – 5:12; tracks 2–3 performed by The Tony & Susan Alamo Christian Foundation Orchestra & Chorus. "Soldier" – 3:58: Young – piano, vocal.