1629 Views The arrival of this previously unheard recording, which catches the founding father of Greenwich Village’s 60s folk-rock movement on top form in a loose but pivotal jam, can only be awarded monumental historical significance. Unlike Dylan, who Neil gave his first break in 1961 by paying him a dollar to play harmonica at his shows, Fred’s catalogue consists of little beyond four studio albums he recorded between 1964-68 (one a collaboration), plus 1971’s Other Side Of This Life live/alternative take grab-bag, before Harry Nilsson’s smash version of his song Everybody’s Talkin’ enabled early retirement. Arriving in New York from Florida via Memphis in 1961, Neil initially composed Brill Building specials, including Crying B-side Candy Man for Roy Orbison, before hitting Greenwich Village, where he opened for Lenny Bruce. His mesmerising baritone and commanding presence propelled him to local prominence, mentoring upstarts like David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Paul Kantner. John Sebastian described him as “pretty much the wellspring, as far as Greenwich Village goes in the beginning.” As Holy Modal Rounder Pete Stampfel put it, “Everybody wanted to be Fred Neil.”