Neil Young is dusting off the ghosts. To mark the 50th anniversary of Tonight’s the Night, his most haunted and emotionally raw album, Young is releasing a newly expanded edition featuring six unreleased or rarely heard tracks from the original 1973 sessions. The reissue, set for release on November 28, 2025, offers fans a deeper look into the dark heart of one of rock’s most legendary cult albums.
Excavating the Vault
The reissue includes six tracks that never made the final cut — most recorded at Studio Instrument Rentals (S.I.R.) in Los Angeles during the grief-stricken sessions that birthed Tonight’s the Night. Among the gems:
A rawer, previously unheard original version of “Lookout Joe”
A stripped-down early take of “Walk On”, later reimagined for On the Beach
“Tonight’s the Night (Take 3)”, a looser, more chaotic version of the title track
“Wonderin’”, once only available on Neil Young Archives, now making its vinyl debut
“Everybody’s Alone”, “Raised on Robbery” (with Joni Mitchell), and “Speakin’ Out Jam”, previously scattered across archival releases, now finally unified
For longtime fans, this is the first time all six tracks are collected and presented in a way that aligns with the original Tonight’s the Night vision.
The Album That Was Never Supposed to Be
Originally recorded in 1973 but shelved for two years by a nervous label, Tonight’s the Night was Young’s raw response to the deaths of Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten and roadie Bruce Berry. It’s lo-fi, loose, and emotionally jagged — a complete left turn after the commercial high of Harvest. Released in 1975, it quickly became a cult favorite and a cornerstone of Young’s so-called “Ditch Trilogy.”
Now, five decades later, Young is finally showing us more of what was left on the cutting room floor — not just alternate takes, but the emotional scaffolding behind the original album.
New Looks, Old Wounds
The 50th anniversary edition will be available on clear vinyl, CD, and digital, with reimagined cover art and a restored tracklist that better reflects the original S.I.R. sessions. It's a project years in the making — and another example of Young’s ongoing mission to reclaim his own musical legacy, one analog tape at a time.
This isn’t just a reissue. It’s a resurrection.
If Tonight’s the Night was a wake, the 50th anniversary edition feels like the after-afterparty — where the lights are low, the tape’s still rolling, and Neil Young is still howling into the void.