Neil Young - Archives Vol. 1: 8 CD's, 2 DVD's

My thoughts exactly. Although, the box is to cover 1964-1971, and my favorite stuff is 70s.. so the contents of the box will determine if I buy it or not. I have about 20-21 Neil albums. Actually, I really don't know what exists from Neil from 64-66.

 

If the chronology continues in roughly equal timespans, the second box is the one I will be most interested in - the On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, Time Fades Away, Rust era. There has been talk of including a complete live show from the TTN tour, and then there's things like the unreleased Homegrown album, and plenty more never released, frequently booted material.

I am also surprised and disappointed that the box is set to include the recently released, and about to be released, archive concerts... if indeed it turns out that way. Money over any sense of integrity or respect for the keenest fans, once again. :thumbsdn:

Stevie

 

This has a Fall 2007 tentative release date and we're already bemoaning what's on the the set, price point, whether 38 previously unreleased songs is in addition to alternate, live and demo versions of released material and whether the DVDs will be different from the one released and the one coming out in March??? Knowing Neil, he could change the setlist at a whim; adding or deleting material. It's a bit unusual to have a set of this size compiled, mastered and ready to go, some 9 months in advance. Things could, and probably will, change. At this point, we don't know if the live DVDs will be a free 'fan' bonus or if it will add another $20-25 to the price of the set. How about we wait until more details come forth before jumping into the "on no" fray? Ron

 

Ron, Ron -- you're right, of course, but you're not actually suprised at the hand-wringing, are you? Several things make this different from your average archival box set. First, unlike most similar projects, this was announced something like 15 years ago, giving fans an unprecedented amount of time to dream, ponder, fantasize, hallucinate, etc. Think about it -- somewhere out there, there could be a teenage Neil newbie who's getting excited about a box set that was announced before he was born!

Second, for what it's worth, I remember Neil saying in an interview YEARS ago that the first volume (all 8 discs) was FINISHED -- mastered and sitting on the shelf, awaiting (presumably) the final details and packaging. Neil being Neil, of course, he could very well change things about it ... but it is possible that Volume One is (and has been) ready.

Third, if the published reports prove true, Neil just slipped out one of the Volume One discs out to the public, and got thousands of his fans -- nervous that the Archives boxes may never happen at ALL -- to buy it without telling them they'd be buying it again in November. And he's doing it again in March -- also without clearly indicating whether the Massey Hall show is going to be part of the box.

So we have a flighty, unpredictable artist, and a passionate but wary fan base -- a combustible situation! I think fans should be allowed a little leeway in their skeptical murmuring.

 

I agree with you completely Sean. BUT, you have to admit the focus on archival material on the forum has turned more rancorous as of late, especially since ICE folded up. We all want details NOW, price point NOW, the actual street date (some 9 months in advance!) it borders on folly really. We have no idea if this is the same compilation Neil had in mind 15 years ago, 5, or last year. Neil is Neil. Surely he will release what HE deems worthy, not what we may desire. My only hope this far in advance is to keep the price reasonable and NR to a bare minimum, if used at all. Knowing Neil, he probably will have some theme going on, so expecting each CD to be maxed out to 79 minutes may not be HIS intent. I would certainly hope a 43 minute CD to be the anomaly of the set. Nothing wrong with discussing, or speculating about the contents, but the rest of it... can't we wait until some details are unveiled? Ron

 

It sure would be nice if the box includedthe first 3-4 albums with add ons, his early catalog sounds lousy esp. s/t 1st.what his he waiting for,were all getting older & his early work IMO is his best.

 

Like I said before, let's just wait and see. I'll probably buy it as soon as I can scape whatever cash is necessary. By the way, "38 previously unreleased songs" probably means just that. *Song's* he's never released before. The set is all going to be unrelased performances, no?

L.

 

He DID say this. At the time he still didn't like the media formats available so he was waiting. As far as I know, he first mentioned the project in 1988 but referred to it as "Decade II". It morphed into Archives later, and then that title was used on Lucky 13. So, we on year 18 by my count. At any rate, knowing how much Neil tinkers with things, and given that we haven't heard anything "specific" in several years, the Archives could be almost anything at this point.

The Archives have probably reached Smile-like proportions in terms of expectations, rumors, an unfulfilled wishes. Sometimes I think that we really will have world peace if the Archives are released. If you say that with a smile you'll see what I mean.

 

No, not if it still takes the form that Neil last described - previously released material alongside unreleased material. Its supposed to form some type of narrative of Neil's career.

 

Worth some speculation, for sure, and even a little bit of jumping up and down. You never know who might be listening in.

 

Someone asked what could be in 64-66 - the Elektra solo demo tape, Mynah Birds material, Buffalo Springfield demos and alternates not included in the box set are some of what could represent that era. I'm hoping for home recordings that have never been booted or described previously.

 

No, Neil has said that the box would include all his released songs, and unreleased, so you would get all the songs from his first four solo albums in addition to unreleased songs presented
cronologically, and that it would include three live shows, the Fillmore, Toronto '71 and a acoustic '69 Riverboat show.

(Neil has said that Vol.1 cronologically would go up to and end with the '72 War Song single).

 

I don't think that is being done. There is a new phenomenon here at the boards where specualation is now illegal. I thought that's one of the funnest parts of this place. Wondering about sets like these and talking with your fellow fan.

That's all that's happening now. We are discussing and speculating on the contents.

 

See? I didn't know this! And if I didn't ask about the thing in the article containing 38 or so previously unreleased songs and what could possibly fill up the rest of the disc, I wouldn't have this answer! Thanks TWZ.

 

I think most of the fretting has been pretty reasonable, considering how much advance knowledge we have of what he HAD planned, and considering that we all know Neil could change his mind at any minute. I agree, it's too early to even speculate on street date and price, but I think everything else related to content is fair game.

 

neilyoung.com has it in the archives section as "March 6 & 7, 1970."
i'm not sure which one it is.

 

I have no problem with people speculating and discussing. Youre quite right to say that one of the funnest parts of this site is all the discussion with fellow fans. What I personally dont like is when it goes too far. Case in point the thread created to discuss how much we were all going to hate the remastering on the upcoming-not released-or-even-heard Beatles remasters. THAT kind of thing seems to me to be remarkably negative and pointless. By all means discuss content. Speculate on what it could be etc. Try and discover who will remaster or compile stuff. Suggest what should be etc. However some people speculate, then treat it as if the speculation is confirmed reality and start ranting about it. That to me defeats the enjoyment of being here. It seems to be a very negative thing. Im not aiming this at anything in this thread in particular, just a general comment. I dont mean I think everything should be sweetness-and-light-and-extra-nice either. But ranting in the sort of circumstance I mention seems spectacularly pointless and irritating. Wait till theres something concrete and then rant away if you must
Cheers

Steve

 

"How about we wait until more details come forth before jumping into the "on no" fray?"

Except that pretty soon folks are going to have to decide whether to purchase a new CD that may or may not be on a box-set that may or may not be released this fall. Doesn't seem unreasonable to try to ascertain for certain whether that will be the case.

 

Here is one of the most recent interviews where Neil talks about the box (page 2).
(Rolling Stone July 2006)

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11035118/in_the_van_with_neil_young_an_exclusive_interview/1

and a short article from september 2005

http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/neilyoung/articles/story/7664819/neil_young_opens_vaults

 

Well said Steve, but I think you know why I would be a bit wary when people start speculating about things that there is no answer for at this time. And to my friend Pawnmower, no it's not illegal or wrong to speculate and discuss the merits of upcoming releases... but when it often gets bogged down with a negative slant, then it bothers me. Just as it does with most every Beatles remasters thread, the recent Bee Gees/Monkees thread and others; the discussion often reverts to thinking the worst or complaining or asking questions that very few are privvy to know (i.e why Andrew Sandoval can't/refuses/chooses not to answer questions posed to him).

If we want to discuss whether a low-fidelity live show from Buffalo Springfield is a worthy addition... then hell yea, let's do it... or which particular show has the best version of Sugar Mountain.... but wondering whether each CD will be 43 minutes, or how many unreleased VERSIONS of songs will be included is practically unanswerable at this time. Really, due to the very nature of the man (and how long this project has been in the rumour muill) and how he wants this release to preserve his legacy. Ron

 

I hope that part of what constitutes the 6 cd's we don't know about (except for the "Riverboat" show), are his regular/officially released songs. Additional takes and demos are fine, but I like the idea of him releasing all the songs from his first 4 solo albums in chronologically remastered form. We would be getting both unreleased stuff, as well as an over-hauled catalog, at the same time. That way, we wouldn't have to worry about buying the catalog again. It would essentially be the last "old" thing of Neil's we'd ever have to buy again. We could just burn cdr's of the songs that comprise the original albums, and swap out the old cd's. Maybe not the purist's ideal, but a possible great value for the money for those of us who just want the old music remastered (and don't particularly care about updated versions of the original album booklets, etc...besides, presumably the box's new booklet would be more interesting). In fact, it's possible that the inclusion of the two previously released cd's is just a "bonus" for those who might not have gotten them before then. The actual "meat" being 6 long cd's worth of all his unreleased, and previously released (now in remastered form), songs. Afterwords, he could start to release his old catalog in remastered form (maybe just the first 4, until Vol.#2 is ready) for folks not interested in anything outside the official releases, or the individually released "performance series" cd's....

 

I originally rebelled against the idea of the Archive set having any of the officially released material at all, but the more I think about it, it would be fascinating to have Young's work re-presented the way that Sony has re-presented much of Miles Davis' work for Columbia. Session by session, rather than album by album. Alternative performances and mixes and unreleased songs along with the album masters in order rather than in the album configurations. I think it could be even more revealing than it is for a jazz musician like Davis. It might finally allow me to make sense of Young's development as a recording artist, not just as a creator of albums out of raw materials composed and recorded at different times. Some of the already released materials would also get fresh digitial masterings that might improve on what's presently available (the recent rereleases in HDCD are encouraging in this light), some of it would probably sound close to what we have, but the context could be very cool. Especially if there are good liner notes.

L.

 

I agree with this plan also. For me, the most rewarding thing about being a fan (aside from the enjoying the actual music) is following the growth of the artist, watching the development -- and this is what makes outtakes and alternate versions so important. It's not that they're necessarily better than what was officially released, but it fills in the gaps and allows the artist's work to flow freely, rather than just jumping from album to album.

Maybe it's just me, but context is very important to my enjoyment of music. For example, I never really "got" Pet Sounds on its own; it was only after I heard side 2 of "Today!" and the key tracks of "Summer Days" that the "story" of Pet Sounds made sense to me and the album spoke to me. (Similarly, I thought "Smiley Smile" was the most horrendous thing I had ever heard, until I heard the "Smile" material and knew the story behind it.) Artists who take extraordinarily long breaks between albums (paging Randy Newman) or who record tons of stuff that just gets scrapped (paging Bruce Springsteen) have no sense of flow to their careers -- they plant a fence post every so often, but there's no actual fence connecting them.

For Neil, throwing everything together and presenting it chronologically could be especially rewarding. For the more casual fans, there will be a continuity to the material as its placed in it's original context; for hardcore fans, it will be like a DaVinci Code game, playing "spot the track" and discovering where everything came from.

 

As Randy Newman's archivist, I can confirm that HIS archivist (who we know) has been pushing this along for a very long time.

And like Randy, Neil can be "capricious in attitude" and "interesting to deal with" at times.

If this sells well for Reprise and Neil, you never know what gems you may hear in the coming years from the Randy Vaults (and believe me, they exist...)

Jeff

 

If the rumor is true that Neil was very impressed by the Band "box" (book), then comprehensive liner notes might be a reality.