Being a classic rock fan, I sometimes have these nostalgic pity parties for myself, as we all do every now and then, where I think about how sad it is that a lot of the artists I love will never have any more new material, or if they do, it’s often evolved from its previous state of pure 70’s rock. But then sometimes, old recordings from these periods that were originally put aside will be released to the public, and it’s like unearthing buried treasure.
Hitchhiker is just that. On August 11, 1976 in Malibu under a full moon, Neil Young sat down with his producer David Briggs and recorded these ten songs in a single session, taking breaks only for, according to Young, “weed, beer or coke.” Two of the songs, including “Hawaii” and “Give Me Strength”, were previously unreleased, but others like “Pocahontas” are stripped down versions of ones that were released later on with Young’s backing band Crazy Horse.
What makes Hitchhiker so unique is its intimacy. This session comes from a time when Young was cranking out some of his best work, between American Stars ‘N Bars and Tonight’s the Night. According to Briggs, Young was so creatively productive during this time that he would “pick up a guitar, sittin’ there and lookin’ me in the face and in twenty minutes – ‘Pocahontas..’”
This quality, plus the side effects of the weed, beer, and coke enhance the transience of the lyrics, making the half hour of Young’s ramblings float by in a calming meditation. Truth be told, this makes the album a bit sloppy, but the missed notes, mumbled words, and fades are easy to forgive because they all help to expose the bare bones of Young’s creative process.
At the same time though, Young can still be a bit inaccessible. All of his songs are written in the first person, but he takes on different characters, and spins stories that are sometimes whimsical and folksy in that quintessential Laurel Canyon style. In “Powderfinger,” which was originally released with Crazy Horse, Young tells broken bits of a lost tale of American country life, singing “Daddy’s gone, my brother’s out hunting in the mountains / Big John’s been drinking since the river took Emmy-Lou.”
Overall, the complete session can seem incoherent when comparing individual songs with others. “Pocahontas” references Marlon Brando, Pocahontas, and Young sitting around a fire, and “Give Me Strength” describes that poignant, post-breakup wisdom that is all too familiar. But when played altogether, this record is a half hour of uninterrupted time with Young’s vocals and guitar, with the occasional piano. It is a window into a past of pure music and the common tragedies of life that Young sings about, and being included in his stoned journey through these songs brings a sense of comfort and nostalgia for acoustic rock around a late August campfire.
