Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Toast (2022) [Hi-Res]

A 7-song unreleased album from Neil Young and Crazy Horse, recorded at Toast studio in San Francisco in late 2000 and early 2001. It was shelved at the time and Are You Passionate was the next album Neil released. Different versions of 4 songs appeared on Are You Passionate, but the other 3 songs are completely unreleased (“Timberline”, “Gateway of Love” and “Standing In The Light). This is one of the legendary “lost” albums in Neil’s catalog.

"Toast" is named after the San Francisco studio where the record was recorded. Neil made the announcement on his blog, the Neil Young Archives, last week, but the post has already been deleted. The post said, "Like no other album, 'Toast' was so sad that I couldn't put it out. I just skipped it and made another album. I couldn't handle it at the time. 2001." However, he now looks back on the record fondly. Neil added, "I had forgotten about those songs, put them out of my mind and moved on with my life. It must be said that Crazy Horse shows a depth here that has never been seen or heard before. The greatest group I've ever met. This is a high point."

Neil went on to explain that the album was about a relationship, saying, "There's a time in a lot of relationships that go bad, a time long before the breakup, when it dawns on one of the people, maybe both, that it's over. That was then. The sound is gloomy and dark, but not in a bad way. From the first note, you can feel the sadness that permeates the recording. These songs paint a landscape where time doesn't matter - because everything is going south. A lady is lost in her car. The dark city surrounds her - past, present and future. It's a scary place. Judge it for yourself."