Comment of the Moment: "Homefires": 2nd New Track from Neil Young Archives Vol. II
"Homefires", the second new track from Neil Young Archives Vol. II began streaming yesterday on NYA.
The Comment of the Moment on "Homefires": 2nd New Track from Neil Young Archives Vol. II by Alan In Seattle:
What a fantastic song! We are being rewarded for our undying love and appreciation for the life’s work of our musical Hero, an Eco Warrior too!
Thanks Neil! I also will enjoy it on NYA for years to come. But I also want to own the physical copy. I want it on Blu Ray! Anyone at the Record Company listening?! I want to buy this on Blu Ray! I bought my surround system for Archives 1. I own a lot of great high resolution music to enjoy on that system. But now it looks like a long shot to even get it on CD, and I am broke. This pandemic is not kind to the wallet. So how about selling a CD version with no book? How about selling just the unreleased music discs separately for those who want them?!
I own all of the discs out thus far except Tuscaloosa. So now I must re-buy all the same CD’s and get a nice book even though I cannot afford it. If NYA 2 comes out on Blu Ray, I will buy it. BUT the way it looks I’d be lucky to get the CD’s. I have faith that Reprise will come to its senses and realize that they must sell this product and multiply the quantities by 10 or 20, at least!
But I get to sit back and enjoy (&) Keep the Home Fires Burning & all the rest. Still waiting for the Eldorado EP to come to life on NYA. I bought the Cocaine Eyes CD single back in the day; that’s as close as I got. So much treasure to enjoy. I SO appreciate the artist who dreamed all of this up! One day Neil will be wielding 0ld Black in Valhalla! And I will join him there at the Great Gig in the Sky.
But for now, I will listen here on Earth, our dying planet. NYA is a salve for weary souls.
Don’t forget to vote! The Oligarchy depends on the people believing in fair elections and Democracy. The 1% will be fine either way. Good job, DNC, picking the less popular sellout candidate with the horrible record, a guy who promises he won’t ban fracking and wonders why the Cops don’t just “shoot ‘em in the leg.” Ya, the DNC could only beat 1 politician... they chose Bernie.Alan In Seattle
Thanks Alan! Great to see you're able to comment again here on TW. Sorry about all the logon troubles. This seems to be a mobile glitch where sometoken is stored requiring reset. About the only solution we've found is to crash browser app, logout and re-login. We know that's a pain, sorry.
More on Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976): Pre-Order Updates via The "Greedy Hand" Store + Unboxing & Preview Videos . Also, see Comment of the Moment: Pre-Order - Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976).
See SOLD OUT: Neil Young Archives Volume II Blows Out in 48 Hours.
And be sure to check Neil Young: An Apology Behind the Scenes of NYA Volume II Sell Out; ‘Come to Jesus’ Meeting, Again.
Also, Neil Young Archives: The Next 10 Years (2010-2020) – A Retrospective by Lone Red Rider.
Labels: archives, neil young, nya
by thrasher@PermaLink: 10/22/2020 01:43:00 PM
10 comments
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10 Comments:
Great to have Alan back with us here on Thrashers; and I would like to echo his desire for BluRay. The only reason we got into the BluRay universe was because of NYA Volume One. My wife and I are big fans of this technology as it provides a huge upgrade in sound quality over DVD, as well as a higher resolution picture, so we are very grateful to Neil for introducing us to the ultimate experience. Why he has resisted this amazing technology now is strange due to his insistence on giving us “quality whether we want it or not”. This is the best quality out there for home entertainment and 4K has even raised the bar from standard BluRay. Yes, it’s more expensive to manufacture and purchase, but the quality in sound and picture is extraordinary.
I understand, not everyone is willing to upgrade to a more expensive option, but many of us did; specifically because Neil chose to go that route. So for him to backtrack on the format now feels like a betrayal of sorts. He said jump, and many of us did. We made the financial commitment because Neil said it was the best choice, but now he’s only offering us CD quality, which he himself has said is second rate to BluRay.
I don’t have any illusions of Neil changing his position on this, but I thought it was important to voice my opinion on the matter and let Alan know that he’s not alone on the subject.
Peace 🙏
In fairness, the technological/home media market has changed a lot in the last decade - Pono has been and gone since Vol 1 and internet connections are now able to cope with the kind of bandwidth that wasn’t possible back then.
I love the BluRay format, I love the big box and the book and the secret compartment but the shift to streaming makes sense. Platforms like Bandcamp allow you to get uncompressed audio for pennies, and interacting with the archive’s navigation system is far easier on a computer or phone compared to using a remote control or a PlayStation controller.
Was the world ready for Trans or Greendale when it came out? No, but it caught it up. Are we ready for replacing our collections with streaming now? No, but we will catch up again. And I say that as someone who still buys new music on cassette tapes!
Though as an addendum to this comment, I would say that making NYA available as an option on Sonos would be amazing.
Its an honor to have one's writing posted on this tremendous blog, a site where the truly obsessed fans can dig as deep as they want (and perhaps even down the rabbit hole). I have enjoyed reading what the biggest fans have to say about these topics through the years. Thrasher and Thrashette have resisted Entropy and prevailed, as they have taken us along on this journey through the past, present, & into the future. Thanks for well wishes and Tech Support.
I may have finally thought of a few worthy questions to ask Neil on NYA:
The song Carnival, which I dream of seeing performed live one day, in person or in video form, is such a unique song, there is literally none other like it in the history of the Neil Universe, or the musical Universe at large. I listened to it over and over again
It takes us on a journey in a disorienting place (barkers, colored balloons?) character who falls in love quickly and sincerely, but in a fleeting moment. The imagery swirls.
Is Donald Trump Evil Knieval's great grandfather (not literally, of course)? Is our vile hateful Prez the one who is all ready to be shot out of the cannon? . Is "the greatest show on Earth this twisted reality show we find ourselves living in,, Trump's reality show? Was the girl with the sugar in her eyes, who he loved dearly, at the time" just another one of the women in Trump's path as he cut a wide swath through society, taking liberties and grabbing what he wanted with no moral compass to lead the way?
Nothing was right, and "Nothing was wrong" at the Trump rally with all of these racist fools unmasked. More likely to be a pointy white hood.
Is Carnival an analogy of Trump's exuberant annihilation of all that is decent and good in the American moral character, which is entirely independent of Religion, although there may be some overlap.
Have I tried to describe my interpretational hallucination to a room full of puzzled Neil fans who are all living in the real world? Or have I somehow caught a glimpse & seen the intention of our immensely interesting songwriter. The song is great fun and it is in my top 50 favorite Neil songs, which says a lot. It might even be in my top 20, but I don't need to nail it down. I'd rather just invent a new category!
We the hardcore Neil fans really CAN have it all. You might not be able to hold it in your hand, but you can listen to it all.
I have been a rabid musicologist from way back. At age 12 I bought a Jerry Lee Lewis record, and hit the jackpot. Musicology was more difficult back then, but everyone had high resolution music, even if they didn't know how good they had it.
So glad I can comment once again on this blog. Thank you SO MUCH Thrasher and Neil for the delivery of the goods. Come Along and Say You Will.... one day soon sell NYA2 on Blu ray! Or some singles discs for the desperate penny-pinching segment of the Rusty Fan Base? We are still carrying the torch. We want it ALL. Such fascinating Art. I find no other so consistently rewarding. And classic songs being released 46 years later for the 1st time! Alan in Seattle
@ Dan - clearly, there is a "music video" for each track on NYA#2, just like NYA1.
The Homefires video is a delightful gem with a cabin on the ranch and smoke wafting from the chimney.
Maybe another marketing shift to drive traffic to NYA? A BluRay in the future?
It is obviously a constantly shifting strategy. We do applaud neil & NYA crew for their tireless efforts in bringing the music to the fans. But it clearly challenges the aging financially strapped fan base.
Do the boomers really want a vinyl Archive boxset? At what price? It could exceed $1K for something deluxe w/ book, poster, Bluray, CDs, etc
@ John - Was the world ready for Trans or Greendale when it came out? good question for discussion which has been endlessly entertained around here.
btw, as you may know, the whole concept of a digitized, interactive file cabinet system was envisioned way back in the 80's. a prototype system on DVD was created around 1990. all long before the internet exploded onto the scene in the ~~mid-90's.
neil -- the original brother from another planet ...
@ Alan - again, nice to see you back here @ TW w/ comments working for you at long last.
Did you get a new phone? :)
Anyways, the honor is all ours to host the thoughts of some of the most knowledgeable and passionate music fans that probably any artist could only dream of.
btw, in case you missed, here's an example of the goodness of rustie EARTH ...
Kevin D. has left a new comment on your post ""Homefires": 2nd New Track from Neil Young Archive...":
@Alan - I have copy of Eldorado EP on CD I was about to trade into my local record store. Contact me privately at at kevindriver190@gmail.com and I will arrange to send your way. Much rather it has a good home then resold at some high price. Kevin D. Morro Bay
---
Thanks Kevin for your kindness!
the thrashers are proud to be part of this community.
peace & love
Kevin! Thrasher! Neil! Thanks SO much! Of all the released media, that is the elusive Holy Grail! I spotted it in. Tower Records for a moment and then it was gone. I will be in touch right away! Again, thanks SO much for bringing my audio fantasies to life! Long Live Neil Young! And the same to all you good people. We will rock on! And in the end, Good WILL defeat evil. Pure air, water, and land will return someday. Let’s make it sooner. Be the ones to change the meaning of the writing on the wall! Us and the people, the kids. Greta Thunberg. Light a Candle. Good advice for me. Instead of cursing at the darkness, light a candle for where we’re going! Alan in Seattle
Alan in seattle
Alas, not being a current paying member of NYA, I cannot send Neil Young a question. But I am glad he and his peeps ( & Promise of the Real!) read and pay attention to what we talk about. Maybe we will find out someday. I will never enter the rent of the strange Elephant of Enlightenment, who feels overwhelmed at the endless amount of “Good” he is doing (Trump, delusional and mad with power). Am I right?! I think so. 😂
Neil used to hate bloggers and the Internet. What with Thrasher’s Wheat readers finding out almost in real time a set list (Thanks Sugar Mtn), tour, live stream event, or other Neil- related piece of news. But the reality is, we are part of a larger fan base. We drive interest because we are bloody interested and others are too! Maybe some of use never post or comment. Maybe most of the readers never post or comment?! But we like to buy physical product. It’s an old habit! (Blu Ray! 🙏). But at least one of us is donating an actual authentic Eldorado CD to yours truly! Angels, Falling from above! But I digress.
We are respectful and quiet at the shows. We buy EVERYTHING (except NYA2, so far..😢.). We might have snuck into a few shows, OPL funny wristband. Bite the Bullet with Crazy Horse! A few years later, walked thru 40’ wide open “invisible gate” @ Outlaw Field, Boise Botanical Garden, Cops doing security. Grumpy Sound check with inept local crew. I walked right in and drank a large Elysian bottle of Pumpkin Porter during the sound check pre- show show, lolling on the grass (in every way)! Sitting alone by the VIP section, 150’ from stage. Yes, I alone saw you play Surfer Joe with PotR, around 6 songs in totall, 4 from Peace Trail. You ripped open the Heavens playing Grunge Blues Harp through your pedal system! Old Black, gone for a moment, as Valhalla RATTLED & SHOOK! The Gods got curious and came down to see what the Ruckus was about! This is why we care so much! Because Neil Young is a Triple Threat! He can write, sing, play acoustic electric, lead, invent Grunge... Did I say Triple! The Quadrilogy is expanding. It’s all one song, and a bloody good one, at that! I disagree of course, that it’s all one song. This is the point. This is why we keep following your every move, Artwise, etc. Thank you Neil (& PotR)! And the far-sighted Angel bouncer at OPL, & the Boise Cops?! 😂 My shaved head made me fit right in I guess! 😂
Alan in Seattle #Black Lives Matter!
Throw Your Hatred Down. Throw out Trump & the Oligarchy! Save Earth and her creatures, forests, and humans... Outlaw Pollution! Fight Racism! Fight Injustice! Stand up for workers and human rights! Feed & House the homeless! Truly Protect the people, not by killing them! Medicare and health coverage for ALL. I am a hospital worker. Wear a mask! I do all day. You can do it for an hour or around people! Peace out, y’all.
Not “Rent”... I will never enter the TENT of the strange Elephant of Enlightenment, of course! People, animals, plants, not walls! Peace, not War!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqJ1TCj90kI I'm not sure if anyone has spotted this retrospective with Spooner Oldham on the Stray Gators and some old footage. It may be of interest to folks (apologies if this was already posted and I missed it).
Simultaneously, Come Along and Homefire have been added to the drip of NYA videos uploaded on Youtube. Fun songs and great vintage photos and video sprinkled in--it occurs to me that we're essentially looking at Neil's old home movies in some of these clips. Super fun!
I still have not made a final decision on the incoming second edition of NYA#2, but the free NYA digital subscription offers considerable added value, imho. Do we know if the subscription is for a limited time, and which potential tier(s) of access will it cover?
Nonetheless, I'm glad to see Neil seems to be about as personally involved in managing the release as any one person can be with a project of this magnitude and scope. There have been--and perhaps continue to be--bumps (and forks) in the road for sure. My understanding of the Archives at this point is that, in fact, this represents Neil's ultimate effort to organize and curate his massive body of work, hence the preponderance of previously released material. There may have been some misunderstanding on this over the years, but I don't think the project has ever been simply about getting unreleased songs out there--that's just a bonus or corollary to the comprehensive assemblage of Neil's output.
NYA, digital or box set, is all about presentation. Way back in '77, Decade was Neil's first pass at the Archives concept, and all iterations since then have followed the same basic template: a retrospective of Neil's catalogue for a given period of time, with a clutch of rarities and previously unpublished recordings interspersed with the highlights.
Know what you're getting with any form of NYA: access to a Neil Young media universe, arranged into solar systems and constellations as Neil sees fit. The unheard songs and alternate versions are presented chronologically among the familiar recordings, illuminating their original place within the history of Neil's recordings and artistic career. The 'Doves' (side 1) selections of Hawks and Doves are a perfect example, now appearing on Homegrown and Hitchhiker to show both when they were recorded and how Neil originally intended to release them. Presumably, Old Homestead and Lost in Space will receive similar treatment as the Archives roll on--possibly in Vol. III, which I think we must now assume covers the rest of the '70s, possibly to the dawn of the Geffen period.
All of this should illustrate, if nothing else, the expanse and complexity of the NYA undertaking. How much money, time, and energy a fan wishes to invest in this undertaking is purely a personal decision. Yet I hope I have helped to give a little context on what I think Neil is trying to do, and that my thoughts here can help other Neil Nuts and music lovers and to make sense of the magnificent, unwieldy construct that is The Neil Young Archives.
~Om-Shanti.
Homefires was one of the very first Neil bootsongs I ever knew of.
My friend Dan Provost, who was the first Neilhead I ever met, also
had a tape of one of his own gigs playing Homefires. Love that song. I
recall a joke he mentioned about Jay Leno saying that "Neil went back
stage to change flannels for his second song", that still cracks me up.
Peace and love...
SONY
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