A Treasure

A Treasure
A Treasure
Live album by Neil Young
Released	June 14, 2011
Recorded	September 20 – October 26, 1984; September 1 – 10, 1985
Venue	Various
Genre	Country; rock;
Length	52:43
Label	Reprise
Producer	Neil Young; Ben Keith;
Neil Young chronology
Archives Performance Series chronology
Singles from A Treasure
	"Grey Riders"; Released: May 20, 2011;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Robert Christgau	A−^[2]
Pitchfork	7.3/10^[3]
Rolling Stone	^[4]

A Treasure is a live album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released on June 14, 2011, featuring performances from his 1984–1985 U.S. tour with the International Harvesters. The album is volume nine in Young's Archives Performance Series and the sixth to be released.^[5]

Background

The album results from a tour following Young's recording what he later called the first Old Ways, an album of country music that his record company refused to release since they claimed it wasn't commercial enough. In this period, the early to mid-eighties, Young played music in many different genres.^[6] His backing band, the "International Harvesters", consisted of professional country musicians from Nashville some of whom had also played (as "The Shocking Pinks") on his rock and roll album Everybody's Rockin'. The album contains old Young songs and newer songs from Old Ways.^[4] It contains five previously unreleased songs (tracks 1, 5, 8, 11, and 12).

According to Young, the album's name comes from Ben Keith. "I hadn't heard these takes in 25 years, but when we unearthed them co-producer Ben Keith said, 'This is a treasure.'" ^[7]

Track listing

All songs written by Neil Young except where indicated.

"Amber Jean" – 3:17
- Recorded for Nashville Now TV, Nashville, 9/20/1984.
"Are You Ready for the Country?" – 3:39
- Recorded at Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, 9/21/1984.
"It Might Have Been" (Ronnie Green, Harriet Kane) – 2:43
- Recorded for Austin City Limits TV, Austin, 9/25/1984.
"Bound for Glory" – 5:59
- Recorded at Gilleys Rodeo Arena, Pasadena, TX, 9/29/1984.
"Let Your Fingers Do the Walking" – 3:03
- Recorded at Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, CA, 10/22/1984.
"Flying on the Ground Is Wrong" – 4:48
- Recorded at Greek Theater, Berkeley, CA, 10/26/1984.
"Motor City" – 3:22
- Recorded at Greek Theater, Berkeley, CA, 10/26/1984.
"Soul of a Woman" – 4:28
- Recorded at Greek Theater, Berkeley, CA, 10/26/1984.
"Get Back to the Country" – 2:31
- Recorded at Greek Theater, Berkeley, CA, 10/26/1984.
"Southern Pacific" – 7:53
- Recorded at Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, 9/1/1985.
"Nothing Is Perfect" – 5:02
- Recorded at Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, 9/1/1985.
"Grey Riders" – 5:58
- Recorded at Pier 84, New York, 9/10/1985.

Personnel

Neil Young – guitar, vocals
Ben "Long Grain" Keith – pedal steel guitar, lap slide guitar, stringman, vocals
Anthony Crawford – guitar, banjo, vocals
Rufus Thibodeaux – fiddle
Spooner Oldham – piano
Tim Drummond – bass
Karl T. Himmel – drums
Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano (on tracks 10, 11, 12)
Joe Allen – bass (on tracks 10, 11, 12)
Matraca Berg & Tracy Nelson – background vocals (on track 11)

Additional roles

Tim Mulligan – recording, mixing, mastering
Terry Farris – recording, mixing (track 1)
Jeff Peterson – recording, mixing (track 3)
John Nowland, Joel Bernstein – archives research

Blu-ray production

Bernard Shakey (Neil Young) – direction
Will Mitchell – production
Elliot Rabinowitz – executive production
Atticus Culver-Rease – editing
Kris Kunz – graphics
Hannah Johnson, Mark Faulkner – production assistance
Marcy Gensic – licensing
Anthony Crawford, Mark Golley – research
Jan Flanzraich, Robert Sampimon – concert film
Pegi Young, Steve Cross – photography

Chart performance

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[8]	39
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[9]	39
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[10]	89
Canadian Albums Chart	18
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)^[11]	21
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[12]	22
French Albums (SNEP)^[13]	116
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[14]	28
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[15]	56
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[16]	37
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[17]	9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)^[18]	43
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[19]	19
UK Albums (OCC)^[20]	38
US Billboard 200^[21]	29
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[22]	7
US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)^[23]	25
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)^[24]	2