Neil Young ‘Harvest’ Documentary to Feature Never-Before-Seen Footage

“This is a big album for me,” Neil Young said of 1972’s Harvest in a statement. “50 years ago, I was 24, maybe 23, and this album made a big difference in my life. I played with some great friends and it’s really cool that this album has lasted so long. I had a great time and now, when I listen to it, I think I was really just lucky to be there.”

Now, fans will get to be there too. A new documentary, Neil Young: Harvest Time, will chronicle the era in which the folk-rock legend created his fourth studio album. Featuring never-before-seen footage filmed between northern California, London, and Nashville for most of 1971, the documentary is being released in celebration of Harvest’s 50th anniversary.

A synopsis for Harvest Time reads: “This docu-film takes us on an intimate journey to Young’s farm in Northern California for the ‘Harvest Barn’ sessions, to London for an iconic performance with the London Symphony Orchestra and to Nashville where the then 20-something Neil Young worked on various tracks of this signature album. The feature is a fan piece that has never been seen before.”

Footage of rehearsals and performances from the era that birthed classics like “Heart of Gold,” “A Man Needs a Maid,” “Alabama” and “Old Man” intertwine for a journey behind-the-scenes and into the mind of Young.

Set to be screened in theaters on Dec. 1, Neil Young: Harvest Time coincides with the 50th-anniversary reissue of the iconic album on Dec. 2. The re-release features live and outtake versions of songs in the mix with the original tracks. Available in box sets of multiple formats, the anniversary reissues will include two DVDs, a recorded performance of BBC In Concert, and the soon-be-released documentary.

Watch the trailer for Neil Young: Harvest Time below.

Photo: Gary Burden/Warner Records