Neil Young Expands ‘Tonight’s the Night’ for its 50th Anniversary

Neil Young has added a half dozen tracks to create a new 50th anniversary reissue of 1975’s classic Tonight’s the Night. All six songs, including “Raised on Robbery” featuring Joni Mitchell, were recorded during sessions for the original album.

The reissue is set for release on Nov. 28 in digital, compact disc and vinyl formats, including a special clear vinyl edition. Pre-ordering is already underway. Check out the complete track listing below.

Other highlights include a previously unreleased version of “Lookout Joe” and a different rendition of “Walk On,” which was later re-recorded for 1974’s On the Beach at Young’s Broken Arrow Ranch.

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Tonight’s the Night was the third entry in Young’s so-called “ditch trilogy,” a series of explorative albums following the multiplatinum success of 1972’s Harvest that also included and 1973’s Time Fades Away and On the Beach. Most of Tonight’s the Night was recorded in 1973 at S.I.R. Studios in Los Angeles alongside guitarist Nils Lofgren, pedal steel player Ben Keith, and longtime Crazy Horse bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina, with additional material from Broken Arrow.

This Neil Young Classic Was Defined by Loss

All of the upcoming 50th anniversary reissue’s bonus tracks were from the S.I.R. recordings, as Young dealt with the overdose deaths of Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten and the group’s longtime roadie Bruce Berry. Berry is mentioned by name in the title track, also heard here in a rare alternate take. Other bonus songs were previously available on Young’s website or on Archives Vol. II.

Young began working with Talbot and Molina on 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Lofgren earlier appeared on 1970’s After the Gold Rush, while Keith was on Harvest. Lofgren would later join a reformed version of Crazy Horse with Molina and Talbot.

Neil Young, Tonight’s the Night: 50th Anniversary Edition Track Listing
“Tonight’s the Night”
“Speakin’ Out”
“World on a String”
“Borrowed Tune”
“Come on Baby Let’s Go Downtown”
“Mellow My Mind”
“Roll Another Number (For the Road)”
“Albuquerque”
“New Mama”
“Lookout Joe [1973 version]”
“Tired Eyes”
“Tonight’s the Night (Part II)”

Bonus tracks:
“Walk On”
“Wonderin'”
“Everybody’s Alone”
“Raised on Robbery” [feat. Joni Mitchell]
“Speakin’ Out Jam”
“Tonight’s the Night (Take 3)”