Album: Neil Young, Dreamin' Man Live '92 (Reprise)

"It's just the feeling behind this song," murmurs Neil Young, introducing "Dreamin' Man", "there's nothing literal in here".

But the whole album has the aspect of a dream – specifically, a wistful reverie about times past and friends forgotten. Recorded at various solo performances in 1992, these 10 songs would later that year comprise Neil's cosy country-rock comeback album Harvest Moon. But 17 years on it's like a double-flashback, looking fondly back at songs which look fondly back: in "Unknown Legend", ageing hippies yearn for the freedom of their youth; in "From Hank To Hendrix", a man facing divorce reflects upon a fading relationship; and in "You And Me", a reference to an "old man" short-circuits the mind back to that song on Harvest, as Young ponders "how lifetime flies". There's even a song in which Neil apologises to old musician chums summarily abandoned as he flitted from style to style: "I never tried to burn any bridges, but I know I let some good things go," he acknowledges. Delivered to gentle strummage and occasional gusts of organ or harmonica, it's all pleasant enough – but if Neil's going to do an 11-minute number called "Natural Beauty", I'd much prefer it if Crazy Horse were saddled up alongside, quite frankly.

Download this Harvest Moon; From Hank To Hendrix; Unknown Legend