- Summary: The latest Original Bootleg Series release from Neil Young features the recording of his performance at London's Rainbow Theater in November 1973 with The Santa Monica Flyers (Ben Keith, Ralph Molina, Nils Lofgren, and Billy Talbot).
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- Record Label: Reprise
- Genre(s): Singer/Songwriter, Folk-Rock, Pop/Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Album Rock, Country-Rock, Psychedelic/Garage
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Score distribution:
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Positive: 5 out of 7
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Mixed: 2 out of 7
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Negative: 0 out of 7
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May 25, 2023A 12-minute version of the album’s title track is more séance than song. ... Elsewhere, the audience’s enthusiastic response to the first few bars of Helpless is rewarded with a despairing deconstruction of the CSNY favourite, Nils Lofgren’s funereal accordion aiding the communal catharsis taking place onstage.
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Apr 18, 2023Somewhere Under the Rainbow manages to feel intimate and hushed even when it's rocking hard and spilling out messily. All of the Official Bootleg Series releases are valuable documents of various phases of Neil's career, but this one has a personality that sets it apart.
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Apr 18, 2023The recording of Somewhere Under The Rainbow (by Pete Long who also contributes an essay on the four-page insert) radiates palpable resolve and despair in almost equal measure, plus an air of genuine catharsis, all this despite the murky audio quality remaining in the wake of mixing and mastering by the artist himself and long-time technical collaborator Niko Bolas.
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UncutApr 18, 2023The music is spectacular, of course. But if you want to know how the deal really went down, you'll still have to go under the counter. [Jun 2023, p.48]
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Classic Rock MagazineMay 3, 2023Young's voice is plaintive and cracked, the guitars whip up a veritable thunderstorm, nd the mood is stormy and reflective. Another treasure. [Jun 2023, p.82]
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MojoApr 18, 2023Rainbow is bleak. [Jun 2023, p.105]
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Apr 19, 2023The sound is of bootleg quality, with audience comments and an occasional cough evident in the mix. Nevertheless, given the set list that’s spread out over the two discs, it does make for a worthy archival addition.