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Eddie Vedder and Stephen Marley have shared new covers of two Neil Young classics from Harvest for an upcoming tribute album benefitting the Bridge School.
While “Rockin’ in the Free World” has become a Pearl Jam live staple, for his contribution, Vedder covered “The Needle and The Damage Done,” Young’s devastating 1972 song about heroin addiction. The Pearl Jam frontman plays the cover pretty straight (not that that’s a bad thing), with just acoustic guitar accompaniment and a vocal performance that’s distinctly reminiscent of Young’s soft, quivering tenor.
Marley, meanwhile, has turned in a reggae-infused rendition of “Old Man,” injecting Young’s ode to the caretaker of the Northern California ranch he purchased in the early Seventies with an atmospheric rocksteady energy.
Vedder’s “The Needle and the Damage Done” and Marley’s “Old Man” mark the third and fourth offerings from from Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, following, Courtney Barnett’s rendition of “Lotta Love” and Chris Pierce’s interpretation of “Southern Man.” Heart of Gold arrives April 25, and it’s set to be the first volume of a two-album project.
The upcoming compilation will also feature contributions from Fiona Apple, Mumford & Sons, Brandi Carlile, Sharon Van Etten, Lumineers, Steve Earle, and the Doobie Brothers with Allison Russell. Artists for volume two haven’t been announced yet.
Proceeds from Heart of Gold will benefit the Bridge School, which Young’s late ex-wife Pegi co-founded to help individuals with severe speech and physical impairments. Between 1986 and 2016, Young held an annual benefit concert benefiting the Bridge School.
