Tips On Using The Neil Young Archives Timeline

 

Timeline - Neil Young Archives

(click to enlarge)

 

Using the Neil Young Archives Timeline feature can sometimes be a bit of a head sratcher -- even for those of us well acquainted with the "Shakey Style" approach.

But as  they say, this is a good problem that we have here due the flood of upcoming future releases, as well as, the vast wealth of a musical archive that now spans over 50 years. 

Earlier, we asked on the posting Is The Neil Young Archives Timeline Half-Full ? Or Half-Empty ? , why Homegrown isn't shown on the Timeline in 2020 but instead it shows in 1975.

OK, then, why is Rust Bucket showing in 2020 instead of 1990?

Or likewise, Return to Greendale in 2020 instead of 2003?

Or likewise, Young Shakespeare in 2021 instead of 1972?

There's something more going on in terms of defining where something shows up beyond just recording date, creation date, assembling date and release date.

Timeline | Neil Young Archives

The NYA Timeline logic goes as follows:

1. An existing release uses the *creation* date -- NOT *release* date. 
2. A future planned, upcoming release is posted at their anticipated *release* date. 

So once an album is actually released, it then will be moved back on the timeline to the *creation* date.

Got that?

So the confusion has been that albums actually move back and forth on the NYA Timeline.

While there has been no official comment by NYA which gives this detailed understanding, this is the observation of hard core rusties. (Thanks LRR!)

The timeline started off as Original Releases placed on their release date and Special/Performance Series on their creation date. Even now their is an exception to the Timeline logic described above. Compilations such as Decade, Greatest Hits, Buffalo Springfield Boxes are at their release dates as well.

Maybe someday, some sort of toggle/sort feature between creation and release dates?   

Oceanside-Countryside
"The hand written title seen above is found on the timeline in March 1977, where it will soon be replaced by original album art."
via Neil Young's Archives (NYA) Times-Contrarian

More on Oceanside-Countryside

 

Also, see A Comprehensive Review of Neil Young's Online Archives. 

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