Neil Young's new/old live album A Treasure, which pairs tracks from his underrated '80s albums with unreleased material, is due out next week, and today the Canadian rock god dropped the first new/old music video for its first single, "Amber Jean." As evidenced by Young's fantastic honky-tonk outfit, this clip dates back a few decades and focuses on his more country-influenced output. The performance comes from the September 20, 1984 episode of Nashville Now and marks one of the few times this unreleased track - which shares its name with Young's then-recently born daughter -- was ever performed live. This unearthed "Amber Jean" will probably also feature on the Blu-ray that's accompanying some formats of A Treasure.
Young's backing band, the International Harvesters, play a starring role here, and the real highlight is watching the heavy-set fiddler over Young's left shoulder when he isn't playing his fiddle; the way he awkwardly taps his leg with the beat is a lost art. The guitarist also breaks the unwritten law of wearing the T-shirt with the name of the band you're in on it. Musically, there's some gorgeous work on the pedal steel guitar, an under-appreciated instrument that doesn't get enough love in this digital era. Fans of Young's punk glory days might want to skip this live collection, but for those who loved the country-tinged Harvest and Old Ways, A Treasure lives up to its name.