Forgive me if this has been discussed (I hope not to death) but here goes... In 1968 I bought Neils's first LP in a small brick building's upstairs underground record shop in mu small midwestern hometown. It has been one of my treasure's ever since. Unbeknownst to me that fine LP release mix was withdrawn within a couple months by Neil because he was unhappy with the audio technology used, and proceeded to remix the whole LP into what I have never liked. and will never listen to (spoiled by the first mix)...I have two vinyl copies of that great original mix and one of the remix...all with the wonderful cover artwork WITHOUT Neil's name emblazoned on the front cover. I actually didn't find out about the remixed LP until about 40 years on... When Neil reissued (FINALLY) that debut album on CD, I had hoped it would be the withdrawn mix, but no...it was the remix. The original mix may possibly be lost...so you unlucky fans who don't have the now valuable LP (or are unable to fund the withdrawn mix in bootleg form) may never know the simple beauty of that original mix. I never agreed about the degraded audio (see below) that Neil was so unhappy with (sounds great to me), and Neil has said recently that he regrets ever remixing that wonderful original mix... Personnel Neil Young – vocals, guitars, piano, synthesizer, harpsichord, pipe organ, production Ry Cooder – guitar, production Jack Nitzsche – electric piano, production Jim Messina, Carol Kaye – bass George Grantham, Earl Palmer – drums Merry Clayton, Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Gloria Richetta Jones, Sherlie Matthews, Gracia Nitzsche – backing vocals Production David Briggs – production Dale Batchelor, Donn Landee, Mark Richardson, Henry Saskowski – engineering Rik Pekkonen – arrangements, engineering Danny Kelly – photography Ed Thrasher – album art direction Roland Deihl – cover painting
Here We Are In The Years..the piano and strings are much more upfront and the (to my ears) annoying remix repeated guitar refrain is almost gone in the background...not here at all thankfully! And the final fade-out and heartbeat is completely gone in the remixed version! Why? It's so beautiful on the original! Listen...
What Did You Do To My Life...withdrawn mix, without th awful reverb added to the remix. Straight folk rendition...just beautiful
The remix has an "R" in the trail off number for "reissue"/ Listen to the above samples and you will know instantly if yours is the withdrawn mix. Very valuable today with near mint copies going for $100++
It is : http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-sterling-hulko-complete.240666/#post-6204774 I just cataloged my entire collection. 2100 pieces, has sold before for $52,000.00. One album doesn't excite me. In doing the search, I was reminded that @Cassius has also had one side original mix, other side remix. .
Does anybody now if the UK first pressing on the 'steamboat' Reprise label has the original mix or the remix? I have one but it's been at my parents house for 10 years so it's not at hand. I'll get it back sometime next week.
This says 4 tracks have the original mix : https://www.discogs.com/Neil-Young-Neil-Young/release/2239167
I have it -RSLP 6317 A *T Yellow steamboat -Pop Series - 1968. I thought it was the original US mix myself.
I had a topic about this somewhere here a few years back as I had also experienced both album versions in 1969 itself. At the time, I had just been going through Buffalo Springfield withdrawal, having been a fan, going to see their shows, and experiencing their split less than a year earlier just between MLK's assassination and RFK's assassination. I special-ordered Neil's album once I knew it was coming out. Stores where I was didn't stock it at first. I believe I knew it was coming via a Hit Parader or something interview with Neil where he talked about it being finished. My daily drive to the record store than began for a search of all the Schwann updates until it appeared as shipping. I also remember the interview article having a discussion of the album having been hard to do and just as Neil was winding down, he was at home at Topanga (Bruce Palmer was there that day) when two guys knocked at his door, asking if he and Bruce wanted to join a band. Neil.. ever in his winding way with interviews even before he was known (check out the Teenset interview in 67), goes on about how he and Bruce didn't know the guys and just politely said no........ That's the sum total of the discussion of the first album. Once I received it, of course, the liner notes.... the lack of liner notes... didn't add useful info. I loved the album except didn't like Tulsa. I didn't really like the sound of the lead guitar layers by plugging direct into line ins on the console, but hey... at least another Springfield member had managed to rise from the ashes and get an album out. Richie would be next later on. It was on a trip into the record store later in the year where I noticed the album was now being stocked and his name was typed on the front. So I bought that one too as a spare. On listening to it later that day, I immediately noticed all the mix changes and preferred the first mix. Can you believe it? ZERO information was out there as to what was up. I didn't even know George played drums on the thing until the 80s. I bet knocking on Neil's door in 1969 and specifically asking what was going on with the mixes wouldn't have produced a straight answer. One more reason I love the internet.
I really like this album, especially If I Could Have Her Tonight, I'll Been Waiting For You and of course, The Loner. There is a definite mood to the album and I can still listen to this album and enjoy it after many years of owning it. I have a UK LP of this and a US gatefold, w7 two-tone label pressing also. Scott
Every once and a while, there is an album remixed because the artist thinks the first attempt sucked. Pretty good bet that the artist was correct. Perplexing that fans naturally "expect" that the artist will decide to subject to fans to the same "mistake" as a special release almost 40 years later. Somewhere P.T. Barnum is having a good laugh.
I have multiple copies with one side remix, one side original. One stamper wore out and was replaced with the "new" one. Stuff happens. IIRC, they are all in covers with the "Neil Young" title. It could be that they all ended up in distribution in my area because I found them all at the same "recycling" place over a few years. An oddity for sure, but more like getting a copy of Pink a Floyd album with one side of Helen Reddy tracks than a holy grail.... I would really prefer finding a copy of Comes A Time with the original track order. That would be a keeper.