Neil Young: New Album "A Letter Home"

It'll be interesting to listen to the "direct feed", I'm assuming it'll be a cleaner, more hi-fi sound.
So while the "old" recording will be an interesting peek into the sound of yesteryear, I think the small gem here will be the speculated "clean" recording if it has a more up-to-date sound.

 

Man, wish I knew about this audiophile box-set BEFORE ordering the "inferior" standard LP.

Love Neil, Love Jack, but this $120 box set kinda pisses me off. Then again, I shouldn't have expected any different from two of the smartest businessmen in rock today.

 

When did sense ever get in the way of hate on this site?

 

If I had to guess, the regular 12" will be the same as the single LP release and capture the sound of the old-timey recording method. And the “DIRECT FEED FROM THE BOOTH” AUDIOPHILE OMFG LP will be cleaned up and more modern sounding? For the price, I'll be happy just to have the regular 12" I ordered.

 

It's the Jamming with Edward of the day. Or an entire album of John Lennon singing and recording an entire album of songs like My Mummy's Dead (which would have been very cool ).

 

I wish the 'direct feed' version was available outside of the $120 box set!

 

I'll buy the single LP edition for collection's sake but I don't like at all what Neil is doing with this release.

 

Here's an official video for "Needle of Death":

 

My guess is that it won't sound much different or more 'modern' - the 'sound' of this record is surely that of the single microphone in the booth, capturing both vocal and guitar. The direct feed to analogue tape externally will eliminate the pops & crackles of the recording direct-to-disc in the booth & will be cleaner but I think it will sound pretty much the same otherwise.

Neil has always said (since it was announced) that this was a 'lo-fi' recording, and has characterised it as almost being an 'art project'. We need to recognise that this was the spirit in which it was recorded. (Personally, I would like to see additional releases of the versions of some of these tracks that he has been doing live on his recent acoustic dates - maybe from the Pono store when it opens later in the year).

On a side note, I wonder how Jack White's piano contribution to 2 tracks was recorded/added to Neil's booth recording?

 

Money Grab

 

jumpinjulian said:

I would think it will be available from the Pono store after October.

 

CD right here: http://www.amazon.com/Letter-Home-N...=1398349566&sr=1-3&keywords=neil+young+letter

Not sure why it's $22.55, though.

 

I just want the LP.

Why must every release, no matter how insignificant, be an over-the-top immersion gift set, taking up too much space and costing too much money? Did we need a $100 "This Notes For You" set? No. It's just another record. I don't need all this extra crap.

 

So don't buy it! Neil Young and the record company are offering you a choice. Keep your money in your pocket - no-one's coming along to beat you up and take your wallet.

I hate it when things are 'exclusive' to the box set and you can't get them outside of it but in this case I don't think there's too much that I'm pining for - the regular edition will do me fine. This set really does seem to be aimed purely at collectors.

 

News Release with shot of the boxed set.

http://www.metal-rules.com/metalnews/2014/04/24/neil-young-to-release-box-set-of-a-letter-home/

 

If you know anything about Jack White and Third Man Records, this package has Third Man written all over it. This is what they do. It seems like a double Vault package to me.

 

Yeah, maybe you're right. Birds of a feather flock together.

 

I guess people are missing the point here, so i'm going to clarify: Neil Young is releasing a new album, that's it! Let's just enjoy this blessing for now...

 

Just because you don't think its signifigant, don't have the space or money for it, means the artist shouldn't put it out?
I'd say you'd have a leg to stand on here if the "immersion gift set" was the only option available. But its not.

FWIW, I think this appears to be something very important to Neil, as exhibited by the audio "letter home" that starts the album.
But that's just my take.

 

Yep. Too bad you can't have it on CD.

 

Also, exclusive in the boxed set:

One of the 6 inch discs have "Blowin' In The Wind" and a alternative take on "Crazy"

 

Another important point: Neil Young has not only released a new album, look how short the time frame was. This could be a major Neil breakthrough. Now if only we could get Jack involved in the Archives project, we might get volume 2 released. As a huge fan of both, I love seeing them work together.

 

Well, you have the option. And in reality there are very few big sets like that. In terms of the Pink Floyd sets, I agree they were an over the top waste. But as a collector, I get it. I go for the McCartney overblown sets but at least we have choices..

 

Now that is annoying. Have to hope those will be available via the Pono site.

http://www.uncut.co.uk/neil-young-announces-cd-and-download-release-details-for-a-letter-home-news