That's because the concert film was shot in 2007 at two shows at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby - particularly great shows, even by Young's no-holds-barred standards.
Trunk Show takes a nearly opposite approach from the beautifully becalmed Heart of Gold, filmed in Nashville in 2005, a short time after Young had suffered a brain aneurysm.
Heart of Gold had the feel of a family gathering, a warm, deeply felt country sing-along in simple celebration of how good it felt to still be alive.
Trunk Show is a different deal. It's a half-acoustic, half-electric rock-and-roll carnival that's a fanciful survey of Young's prodigious career. It comes at Young with a spontaneous feel, and from odd angles. Demme's cameras capture Young from the balcony and behind the drum kit. On a stage cluttered with oddities - a red telephone, a guy painting as the band plays - Demme wisely resists the urge to dazzle us with rapid-fire cutting, instead lingering on Young's expressive 62-year-old face.
Backed by a knockout band that includes multi-instrumentalist Ben Keith, bass player Rick Rosas, and Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina, Young largely avoids warhorses - though, never fear, you do get "Cinnamon Girl" and "Like a Hurricane."
Neither a pure Crazy Horse rawk fest nor a contemplative guitar pull, Trunk Show instead blends the two. "We can do a lot of different things," Young confidently tells Demme in the one short backstage interview segment.
There are acoustic rarities like "Ambulance Blues" and banjo-plucked larks like "The Believer," plus the six-string maelstroms "Spirit Road" and the 23-minute "No Hidden Path." On the latter, Young lets rip with an epic solo that's extraordinary for its duration. You'll have time to get popcorn, go on a bathroom break, and make a few phone calls. Rest assured that when you return, Young, as always, will still be rocking.
Contact music critic Dan DeLuca
at 215-854-5628 or ddeluca@phillynews.com. Read his blog, "In the Mix," at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/
inthemix.
