Photo by Bill Kelly

Neil Young shared “Standing in the Light of Love,” the first single off his never-released album with Crazy Horse, Toast, which was written and recorded in 2000 and 2001. Along with the release of the single Neil Young & Crazy Horse shared that Toast will be released in its entirety on July 8.

The full project was recorded at the Toast Studio in San Francisco and ultimately was shelved making space for 2002’s Are You Passionate? which features the duo along with Booker T. & the M.G. Alternate recordings from the Toast sessions are found on Are You Passionate? including “Quit, “Goin’ Home,” and “Gateway Of Love.” “Standing in the Light of Love” was performed live back in 2014.

On March 5, 2021, Young wrote on his website about the project and why he decided to shelf it. “Toast is an album that stands on its own in my collection. Unlike any other, Toast was so sad that I couldn’t put it out. I just skipped it and went on to do another album in its place. I couldn’t handle it at that time. 2001.” He continued to say, “The music of Toast is about a relationship. There is a time in many relationships that go bad, a time long before the break up, where it dawns on one of the people, maybe both, that it’s over. This was that time.”

The songs “How Ya Doin’?” and “Boom Boom Boom” listed on the project’s tracklist are thought to have never been heard or played live.

Listen to “Standing in the Light of Love” below.

Toast Track List

Quit

Standing In The Light Of Love

Goin’ Home

Timberline

Gateway Of Love

How Ya Doin’?

Boom Boom Boom