Neil Young - Hitchhiker (LP)

Product specifications

Details

Album

Hitchhiker

Artist

Neil Young

LP release year

2017

Album release date

8 sep 2017

Label

Reprise Records

EAN

093624912347

Available

Yes

Product information

Format

LP

Quantity

1 piece(s)

Type

Test Pressing

Mono or stereo

Stereo

Duration

33 min

Tracks

10 tracks

EAN

EAN

093624912347

Other

Limited Edition

No

Country

Netherlands

Genre

Classic rock

Box set

No

Remastered

No

Reissue

No

• Vinyl Revelation

  5 out of 5 stars
  Ptaguyeier_Mvuxb20 November 2025United States🇺🇸

  This album and its pressing are absolutely incredible! While some of these tracks have been circulating on bootlegs for ages (particularly the stunning acoustic rendition of "Powderfinger"), experiencing them here with such crystal-clear sound quality is a revelation. And for under $20, it's a steal—one of the best bargains around for a flawless, all-analog pressing. The vinyl is perfectly flat, silent, and packs a powerful dynamic punch. Plus, the gatefold packaging is simply gorgeous. Don't miss out—grab a copy while you still can!

• Neil Young's Timeless Treasure

  5 out of 5 stars
  zoikbidoc17 October 2025United States🇺🇸

  this is neil young at his absolute best. each track is a treasure. even the familiar ones shine with their unique soundscapes. clocking in at 33 minutes, it's a pretty brief album, but it's so delightful it'll melt your heart. makes you think why hitchhiker wasn't out there when it was made? anyways, the pressing is top-notch. the vinyl is super quiet and almost perfect. what a stunning release." --- Original review: "this is neil young during his peak period. every song is a goldmine. even the already known ones impress again with their different sound signatures. with 33 minutes it is an pretty short album, but its so sweet it turns your heart to gold. makes me wonder why hitchhiker wasnt released back in the day? anyway, pressing quality is excellent. vinyl is dead silent and nearly flawless.This is one impressive release." Rewritten review: "this is neil young at his prime. each song is a gem. even the well-known ones leave you amazed with their distinct sound profiles. at 33 minutes, it's a pretty brief album, but it's so lovely it'll warm your heart. makes you wonder why hitchhiker didn't see the light of day back then? anyways, the pressing quality is fantastic. the vinyl is dead quiet and almost perfect. this is one remarkable release.

• Timeless Album Missed Era

  5 out of 5 stars
  VuqpmigGnoputd26 August 2025United States🇺🇸

  Absolutely perfect album, it's a shame whoever was in charge didn't put this out back in 1976

• Incredible Raw Vinyl Revelation

  5 out of 5 stars
  MegDiathak8 June 2025United States🇺🇸

  Grabbed a copy from a seller on this site. The audio is fantastic. The vinyl quality is way more than just good. This is an amazing sounding LP and the tracks are like a revelation, raw and still evolving. Damn, what an incredible record!

• Neil Young's Incomplete Sketchbook

  2 out of 5 stars
  psseotraoba22 March 2025United Kingdom🇬🇧

  Neil Young, as usual, keeps us on our toes with his unpredictable nature, and I'm torn between admiring this trait and finding it frustrating. Just when he wows us with a masterpiece like Psychedelic Pill, he surprises us with something that leaves me baffled, as most tracks here don't even come close to the incredible work he produced in the late 60s and early 70’s, particularly with Crazy Horse. On Hitchhiker, Young delves into his vast musical archives, presenting songs recorded back-to-back in a single afternoon, admittedly very high, at Indigo Studios in Malibu on August 11th, 1976—a peculiar summer for those who didn't experience it, a month after America's bicentennial, an event that fizzled out like a damp squib. Out of the ten tracks here, eight resurfaced later on other albums, some much later. The opener, “Pocahontas,” appeared on Rust Never Sleeps in '79, then there was American Stars ’n Bars, an album I struggled to connect with, featuring “The Old Country Waltz” in ’77, and the title track that took nearly thirty-five years to see the light of day on Le Noise, by which time I had grown weary of Mr. Young, his outbursts, his sermons, and his endless social and societal rantings. It's crucial to recognize that nearly all of Neil Young’s work is pieced together from various sessions, including his brilliant After The Gold Rush, which was also subjectively assembled from diverse recordings featuring different artists. Releasing material recorded within a year or two of its creation, like After The Gold Rush, can be exhilarating, but Hitchhiker is a different beast altogether. These songs feel like rough drafts, some better than others, offering a glimpse into Neil Young’s mind during a time when he was becoming increasingly erratic and, in my opinion, a bit unhinged. Some argue that this raw approach provides a new perspective, especially with tracks like “Hawaii” and “Give Me Strength,” both new to this album but not to those familiar with Young’s catalog. All of this makes me question why I should care or what Young is trying to convey. With the intense scrutiny of the Pink Floyd catalog, where a single note change is debated for its nuances, I wonder if Neil is simply inundating us with material because he knows it will sell, or if he’s inviting us into his world and fragile mind. One thing’s for sure, songs like “Powderfinger” and “Hitchhiker” have been altered to their core. To say Hitchhiker is unpolished is an understatement; it feels incomplete. Some will initially praise this release, but ultimately, it will gather dust, like most of Neil Young’s material, as we reach for the polished perfection of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Harvest, and After The Gold Rush. I’m not saying anything here needs justification, but this feels like a sketchbook, often out of focus, complete with smudges. Hitchhiker is archival material for the die-hard fans only, a moody jam that doesn’t quite settle or resonate emotionally. It’s not a collection of unfinished puzzle pieces; rather, it’s a series of footnotes in an ongoing conversation of unanswered questions about Neil Young. If forced to explain or justify this release, I’d say Neil Young was clearly dissatisfied with his performance in the summer of 1976, though not with the material itself, as eighty percent of these tracks found their way onto other recordings. So here [laughing], you’ve been given the chance to buy and hear something that even Neil Young didn’t like. The vinyl pressing is excellent, warm, and wasted in that eloquent way Neil demands.