Toast (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album)

Last updated

Toast
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Toast.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 8, 2022 (2022-07-08)
RecordedNovember 8 – December 15, 2000
February 6 – 9, 2001
StudioToast Recording Studios, San Francisco
Genre Rock
Length51:59
Label Reprise
Producer
Neil Young chronology
Barn
(2021)
Toast
(2022)
Noise & Flowers
(2022)
Crazy Horse chronology
Barn
(2021)
Toast
(2022)
World Record
(2022)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Pitchfork 6.3/10 [3]
The Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [4]

Toast is the 44th studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young and Crazy Horse. [4] One of Young's several "lost" albums, it was recorded in 2000-2001 but shelved in favor of Are You Passionate? , and was finally released on July 8, 2022. [3] [2] It is Volume 09 of Neil Young Archives' Special Release Series.

Contents

Background

The album was recorded in late 2000 and early 2001 at Toast Recording Studios (a facility that previously housed the venerable Coast Recorders, utilized by the likes of Nat King Cole, John Coltrane and Creedence Clearwater Revival) in San Francisco. At that time, Young had trouble writing songs amid a difficult period in his marriage to then-wife Pegi, which largely influenced the somber mood of the material that ensued. [5] According to guitarist Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, "It felt like there was something wrong."

In the middle of the tumultuous sessions, the group took a break to play their first shows in Brazil and Argentina; Sampedro claimed that when the reinvigorated band came back to the studio, everything "had a Latin feel." [6] However, Young said he wasn't satisfied with the results and ultimately decided to abandon the sessions: "The songs of Toast were so sad at the time that I couldn't put it out. I just skipped it and went on to do another album in its place". [5] According to Young, Rick Rubin often sat in on the Toast sessions as a guest in the control room, although it remains unclear if he made any substantive production contributions.

Instead, Young made the critically maligned Are You Passionate? with Sampedro and Booker T. & the M.G.'s, re-recording "Quit", "How Ya Doin'?" (as "Mr. Disappointment") and "Boom Boom Boom" (as "She's a Healer") from scratch; "Goin' Home" was the only Crazy Horse recording from the Toast sessions to be included in its original form. The title "Gateway of Love" also appeared on Are You Passionate?' sleeve, but the song itself wasn't included.

Over the next years, Young reappraised the album. In April 2008, Toast was announced for an imminent release as the first installment of the new Special Release Series of Neil Young Archives, with Young comparing it to "a down-played Tonight's The Night " due to its "ambient atmosphere, foggy, blue and desolate." [7] The release failed to materialize, but in the following years Young would periodically talk about Toast in interviews and articles on his website, as well as in his memoir Special Deluxe. It was finally released on July 8, 2022, via Reprise Records on vinyl, CD and digitally.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Neil Young

Toast track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Quit" (Neil Young, Frank Sampedro)5:24
2."Standing in the Light of Love"4:18
3."Goin' Home"7:52
4."Timberline"4:10
5."Gateway of Love"10:10
6."How Ya Doin'?"7:00
7."Boom Boom Boom"13:05

Personnel

Engineering and production

Charts

Chart performance for Toast
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [8] 7
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [9] 11
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [10] 17
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [11] 18
French Albums (SNEP) [12] 77
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [13] 4
Irish Albums (IRMA) [14] 76
Italian Albums (FIMI) [15] 97
Scottish Albums (OCC) [16] 4
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [17] 37
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [18] 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [19] 8
UK Albums (OCC) [20] 23
US Billboard 200 [21] 198
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [22] 5
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [23] 6

Related Research Articles

<i>Greendale</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Greendale is the 27th studio album by Neil Young. Young and Crazy Horse's Greendale is a 10-song musical novel set in a fictional California seaside town of the same name. Based on the saga of the Green family, Greendale combines numerous themes on corruption, observation of the passing of time, environmentalism and mass media consolidation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy Horse (band)</span> American rock band

Crazy Horse is an American rock band best known for their association with the musician Neil Young. Since 1969, fifteen studio albums and eight live albums have been billed as being by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. They have also released six studio albums of their own between 1971 and 2009.

<i>Weld</i> (album) 1991 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Weld is a live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse released in 1991, comprising performances recorded on the tour to promote the Ragged Glory album. It was initially released as a limited edition three-disc set entitled Arc-Weld, with the Arc portion being a single disc consisting in its entirety of a sound collage of guitar noise and feedback. Arc has since been released separately.

<i>Sleeps with Angels</i> 1994 studio album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Sleeps with Angels is the 22nd studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, released on August 16, 1994, on Reprise as a double LP and as a single CD. The album is Young's seventh with Crazy Horse. Co-produced by David Briggs, the album is Young's last with his long-time producer, who died the following year. The title track was written and recorded as a tribute to Kurt Cobain in wake of his suicide. Although the rest of the album was recorded before that event, the album takes on a somber, subdued tone throughout. Musician and author Ken Viola described the album as one of Young's "top five records. It examines the nature of dreams — both the light and dark side — and how they fuel reality in the nineties. Dreams are the only thing that we've got left to hang on to."

<i>Live Rust</i> 1979 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Live Rust is a live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, recorded during their fall 1978 Rust Never Sleeps tour.

<i>Ragged Glory</i> 1990 studio album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Ragged Glory is the 20th studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, and his sixth album with the band Crazy Horse. It was released by Reprise Records on September 10, 1990. Ragged Glory was voted the 36th best grunge album of all time by Rolling Stone in 2019. A live recording of the album from November 2023 was released as Fuckin' Up in April 2024.

<i>Are You Passionate?</i> 2002 studio album by Neil Young and Booker T. & the M.G.s

Are You Passionate? is the 26th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, his only album to feature Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and his 9th with Crazy Horse, released on April 9, 2002 as a double LP and as a single CD. The album represents Young's foray into soul music, one of many explorations into different genres during his career. Exceptions are rocker "Goin' Home", recorded with Crazy Horse, and the brooding "Let's Roll", a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The album ends with "She's a Healer", an extended jam.

<i>Broken Arrow</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Neil Young with Crazy Horse

Broken Arrow is the 24th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, and his 8th with Crazy Horse, released in 1996.

<i>Life</i> (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album) 1987 studio album with live recordings by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Life is the 17th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young and his American backing band Crazy Horse, and it is Young's last release on the Geffen label. As with their 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps, most of the songs were recorded live with later studio overdubs. The album was released on June 30, 1987.

<i>This Notes for You</i> 1988 studio album by Neil Young & The Bluenotes

This Note's for You is the 18th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, released April 11, 1988 on Reprise. The album marked Young's return to the recently reactivated Reprise Records after a rocky tenure with Geffen Records.

<i>Homegrown</i> (Neil Young album) 2020 studio album by Neil Young

Homegrown is the 42nd studio album by Canadian-American Neil Young. It was released on June 19, 2020, by Reprise Records. The album consists of material recorded between June 1974 and January 1975. The album was recorded after the release of On the Beach and before the sessions for Zuma. Like those two albums, much of the material was inspired by Young's relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress, which was deteriorating in 1974. The album was compiled and prepared for release in 1975. Instead, Tonight's the Night was released, and Homegrown remained unreleased for 45 years. It was finally set for release as part of Record Store Day 2020, amid Neil Young's ongoing Archives campaign. Its release was again delayed by Record Store Day's postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before finally seeing release on June 19.

<i>Chrome Dreams</i> 2023 studio album by Neil Young

Chrome Dreams is the 46th studio album by Neil Young. It was first compiled as an acetate for consideration as an album for release in 1977. A copy of the acetate widely circulated as a bootleg in the decades prior to its release. The album was officially released on August 11, 2023, to universal acclaim from critics.

<i>Chrome Dreams II</i> 2007 studio album by Neil Young

Chrome Dreams II is the 30th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young. The album was released on October 23, 2007 as a double LP and as a single CD. The album name references Chrome Dreams, a legendary Neil Young album from 1977 that had originally been scheduled for release but was shelved in favor of American Stars 'N Bars.

<i>Americana</i> (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album) 2012 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Americana is the 33rd studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released on June 5, 2012. The album was Young's first collaboration with backing band Crazy Horse since their 2003 album, Greendale, and its associated tour.

<i>Psychedelic Pill</i> 2012 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Psychedelic Pill is the 34th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released on October 30, 2012. It is the second collaboration between Young and Crazy Horse released in 2012 and their first original work together since the Greendale album and tour in 2003 and 2004. The album was streamed on Young's website on October 24, 2012, and leaked onto the Internet the same day.

<i>Colorado</i> (Neil Young album) 2019 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Colorado is the 41st studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on October 25, 2019, by Reprise Records. The album was preceded by the singles "Milky Way" and "Rainbow of Colors" and is dedicated to Elliot Roberts, Young's manager since 1967, who died aged 76 on June 21, 2019. It was also the first album to feature Nils Lofgren as a member of Crazy Horse since 1971.

<i>Return to Greendale</i> 2020 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Return to Greendale is a live album from American-Canadian folk rock musician Neil Young and American rock band Crazy Horse recorded in 2003 while touring to promote the album Greendale.

<i>Neil Young Archives Volume II: 1972–1976</i> 2020 box set by Neil Young

Neil Young Archives Volume II: 1972–1976 is a 10-CD box set from American-Canadian folk rock musician Neil Young that was initially released in a limited deluxe box set on November 20, 2020. The release is the second box set in his Neil Young Archives series, following 2009's The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972, and covers a three-and-a-half-year period from 1972 to 1976. The track list was officially announced on the Neil Young Archives site on September 20, 2020, with the first single, "Come Along and Say You Will", being posted to the site as the Song of the Day on October 14. The set then went up for pre-order on October 16, 2020, as an exclusive release to his online store, with only 3,000 copies being initially made available worldwide. After selling out the following day, Young announced several weeks later that a general retail version, as well as a second pressing of the deluxe box set, is expected to be released to market on March 5, 2021. This was followed by the release of a second single, "Homefires", on October 21, and a third, an alternate version of "Powderfinger", on November 3.

<i>Way Down in the Rust Bucket</i> 2021 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Way Down in the Rust Bucket is a live album and concert film from Canadian-American rock musician Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse, released on February 26, 2021. It is Volume 11.5 in the Performance Series of Neil Young Archives.

<i>Year of the Horse</i> (album) 1997 live album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Year of the Horse is a live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, following the band on their 1996 tour. It accompanies the film of the same name, but has a different track listing from the film.

References

  1. "Neil Young Archives".
  2. 1 2 Empire, Kitty (July 10, 2022). "Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Toast review – brooding 'lost' set from 2001". The Observer . Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Cush, Andy (July 7, 2022). "Neil Young / Crazy Horse: Toast". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  4. 1 2 McCormick, Neil (July 8, 2022). "Neil Young revisits marital woe, James Righton creates a lockdown alter ego – the week's best albums". The Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "TOAST - THE STORY". Neil Young Archives. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  6. Greene, Andy. "Neil Young and Crazy Horse's Frank 'Poncho' Sampedro on New Live LP, Why He Left the Band". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  7. "Neil Young set to release new album". NME. Archived from the original on April 4, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  8. "Austriancharts.at – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  9. "Ultratop.be – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  10. "Ultratop.be – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  12. "Lescharts.com – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  14. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Neil Young". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  15. "Italiancharts.com – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  16. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  17. "Spanishcharts.com – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  18. "Swedishcharts.com – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  19. "Swisscharts.com – Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Toast". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  20. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  21. "Neil Young Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  22. "Neil Young Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  23. "Neil Young Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2024.