The latest news from Neil Young is that there will NOT be 2nd Edition run of the sold out NYA Volume II, contrary to previous reports.
"We don’t feel that offering more of a product sold as a limited edition is a good thing to do. Thank you to all who purchased this set."
As noted earlier in an apology to fans, the fallout continues over the most recent "trick of disaster" regarding the launch of the long awaited Neil Young Archives Volume II Limited Edition Boxset.
Beginning last Friday (Oct. 16) and into the weekend, all 3,000 units (@ $249 USD each) sold out in less than 48 hours -- somehow inexplicably and unpredictably -- demonstrating a huge pentup demand for physical Neil Young product by a global hardcore fan base. (See SOLD OUT: Neil Young Archives Volume II Blows Out in 48 Hours.)
So even after yet another ‘Come to Jesus’ meeting" (similar to the 2018/9 fiasco over the Bob Dylan & Neil Young Hyde Park, London gig), it looks like Neil Young fans will have to wait until 2021 (?) for a CD only set. (Thanks Lone Red Rider!)
The Late, Great Elliot Roberts on The "Peace Trail"
It's
not nice to fool the rusties ... #BeTheRain, RED october, #StayCalm,
hunters become hunted. #NoFear, rusted moon, #disCERNment, son is
rising, #BigShift, WHITE squall, #WT1sWBW4, BLUE ocean, 1:4:3/1:0:7.
"I guess I'll call it sickness gone
It's hard to say the meaning of this song.
An ambulance can only go so fast
It's easy to get buried in the past
When you try to make a good thing last."
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.
Debate all you would like below, please. Or see The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young (and a Neil Young Fan).
Frame from A Day At The Gallery
At 10/23/2020 03:03:00 PM, Blogger Lone Red Rider said...
ReplyDeleteNeil posted on the NYA T-C today that WB will not be printing more of the LE Box afterall. They thought it was unfriendly to call something a LE and print more of it. Instead, the world will have to wait until next year when a CD only set will be issued (sans the big box). Oh, and supposedly the Book will be available as a stand-alone purchase. That CD only set should look like the Vol 1 CD set with a small Booklet. I hope they have the sense to omit Tuscaloosa and Homegrown and make it an 8 CD set to manage the price.
***
Thanks LRR!
Do you think we're being to harsh on WBR/Reprise? Or too easy?
We believe in apologies and forgiveness but it seems that the record company clowns at fault who leaked the pre-order code are not apologizing or trying to make this right, whatsoever.
Afterall, there is only so much neil can do, but it seems the suits are sitting back laughing at us.
Most important message to me seems to be that a regular version of the archives will be released in 2021. They could've let us know that before. A lot of people wouldn't have felt so bad on missing out, as they really won't. Maybe even individual discs will be for sale?
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ReplyDeleteI think the harshness for Warner depends on how many orders were placed “too early”. 25? 250? 1500? I’d be more upset there wasn’t a clear on-sale time. You wouldn’t out concert tickets on sale without a date AND time ... why no time listed?
ReplyDeleteBecause most if not all would have been sooked up by those in the know
DeleteBasically they're releasing the CD-only version a la the cheapest version of V1. Which is fine. That's how I got that one. The music will live on the website and the app.
ReplyDeleteBut, if Elliot was around, heads would've rolled.
Where is Elliott Roberts when we need him?
DeleteIssuing a slightly different version of the NYA Vol.2 box seemed a bad idea to me. The mess was down to the 3,000 print run. Putting out a CD box, or even individual discs is a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteHope they've fixed the packaging issues that were inherent in the Vol.1 box. I eventually had to rip out all the internal cardboard as it became so hard to remove the contents.
Hmm interesting.
ReplyDeleteI’m starting to wonder if I really want the big box now! Yes there’s a book, but if I’m honest I never look at the Volume I book. That Vol I box set has additional value (compared to the CD version) by having DVDs which were only available in that set. Since Vol II is only CDs anyway, the huge box feels a little redundant. Maybe there will be a little notepad to increase its value....
If the upcoming Vol 2 CD box matches the vol 1 CD version I'll be very pleased.
ReplyDeleteI've just cancelled my order for the big box, the customs charges on top would have been too crazy. I'll wait and buy one that hopefully matches the smaller version of vol 1 that I've got from years back at hopefully half the price and from the UK store.
“We don’t feel…” No Mr Young. We are not in the field of “feelings”. The number of copies is not a question of feeling but of mathematical calculation! Apparently WB can’t count and that’s it…
ReplyDeleteThanks for your fans’ respect!
OK, I can live with NYA vol 2 on CD. No harsh feelings for the Artist in this situation. I am just grateful to hear the unreleased and alternate material. To me, that is the highlight of the Archives anyway. I've been digesting the individual albums like a pro. But to hear my 5.1 surround sound system with the Blu ray from Vol 1 is a great experience. And I have all my other Neil Young Blu rays to enjoy. I have some great Blu ray audio / video releases that I will continue to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI met Jimi's sister Janie Hendrix at the Experience Hendrix concert in Seattle last fall. It was Epic. I got in the 10th row for $40 to see so many talented musicians and guitarists. I got super lucky. It was sold out. I happened to ask a promoter's husband at the will call window if he had an extra ticket. I asked Janie if Experience Hendrix would be releasing albums on Blu ray. Sure enough, the Deluxe Electric Ladyland album has the music on Blu ray. The Beatles Sergeant Peppers 50 year Deluxe release: Blu ray audio. There is a pattern here. The very best Rock music gets "the treatment" and is released on Blu ray. Tech trends aside, it is becoming more standard to release Blu ray audio, not less.
I am not buying a new stereo at this point. I will try to look into the smartest, cheapest way to access the high resolution music. I may really get it going. So far I am just enjoying NYA.com on my phone with headphones. But I already own the physical product for most of the music I love. Yes, moving from one house to another requires 30 boxes, but its a labor of love.
Limited edition fiasco aside, this is a wonderful time to be a Neil Young fan. Thanks for letting us listen an access NYA.com in the meantime. The songs coming out are such a pleasure to hear. I have listened to each at least 20 x so far.
Peace. Alan in Seattle
Hey, not to be a "wet blanket" but every Neil Young vinyl album I have bought in the modern era has begun to fall apart. So I won't be buying any more of them. Yes, the quality control is not so good. The design and material for packaging may be compostable, but that was not my intention when I bought them. I was hoping for LPs that didn't separate at the seams with zero mistreatment.
ReplyDeleteSo I don't buy Neil Young vinyl anymore. I have the Ditch Trilogy on vinyl. I have some other cool Neil Young vinyl from the past, like Trans with misprinted song list.
After that experience with the packaging coming apart even in a cool dry place, my tendency to buy the albums on CD gets less annoying. I would buy all of the Blu ray that Reprise WB can bring itself to offer, but it looks like the "high resolution medium" of CD wins out. This is a strange conclusion. We're going back! Way back! 1987! The CD listeners today, on average, get 10x the sound resolution "everyone else" gets. This is the bare minimum, for me. So, NYA 2 on CD, ok. WB.R could have made big money selling all of those Blu rays, but whatever. I guess they don't like to make money anymore. Alan in Seattle
Not “every”... -only half.
Delete@ Alan: I’m very surprised to hear about your Neil Young vinyl records coming apart at the seams. I too have purchased every single vinyl release from Neil, and I have had absolutely no issues with the packaging whatsoever. Granted, Neil has backed off on using 200 gram vinyl recently, but I have always been extremely impressed with the quality of his vinyl releases. The album jackets in particular have always been of the highest quality including all the box sets.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the BluRay Audio you mention : There are several big names in music releasing BluRay Audio discs, and I have purchased many of them, and it is a truly remarkable listening experience. Especially the releases that have been mixed in 5.1 surround. Artists like : XTC, The Beatles, King Crimson, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix have all gotten this treatment recently. Without question, this is the most immersive listening experience anyone can get today, and why Neil Young of all people hasn’t jumped on board is a real head scratcher. A man so devoted to the highest quality sound, yet not taking advantage of this technology is confusing at best.
And not to belabor the point, but Neil did post an article on the Times Contrarian recently about vinyl outselling CD’s this year for the first time since the 80’s. So it’s not like he doesn’t know what’s happening with music. Sure, I know the trends are leading the masses to streaming their music, but for those of us who still appreciate physical media, it’s going to be vinyl and BluRay Audio. I hope Neil doesn’t allow this opportunity to pass him by, as his music is some of the most important of any generation, and it deserves better than being stored in cyberspace.
Peace 🙏
Ya, my On the Beach broke open with no cause. And TTN. At least the vinyl is in good shape. I will Reggie the albums eventually. They are not going on the compost! Or the recycling bin! Or the Good Will. These are some of my most prized possessions. 😄.
DeleteRe-glue...
DeleteIn the field of opportunities it's ploughing time again.fan since 68.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they just release all the CD's separately? Some of them are already out there; let the fans buy the releases they fancy most one at a time, the hardcore fans have their big box set. Neil and the record co sell more CD's. Everyone gets happy.
ReplyDeletei agree with Unknown. Roxy, Tuscaloosa, Homegrown alreaady released minus a track or two. Release all of the CDs seperately so listeners can decide whether or which to purchase..
ReplyDeleteNot that I would have bought one (too much $ for the unemployed), but if WB were to create another, say, 5000 copies, it would still be a limited edition. At least folks would have a chance to get it. Saying that it's not a limited edition if anymore are made sounds like WB spin/BS. Surprised Neil bought it.
PS I have an Archives I blue ray for sale if there's any interest. Contact me through TW.
To make my previous comments a little more succinct, I suspect Reprise feels it would be devaluing its product by backtracking on the limited edition. A limited edition obviously has higher market value due to scarcity, and from a business perspective, why would you ever do anything that would make what you're selling decrease in market value? Although they're not going to sell any more units of the box set (because it's sold out and they're not making anymore), I'm sure they don't want cancelled orders, as Neil had mentioned the option to cancel your order of the limited edition and reorder the non-limited (and therefore less valuable in raw market terms) second run.
ReplyDeleteNo way Reprise and WB want to eat the cost of that-- on top of manufacturing who-knows- how-many-more box sets. One way or another, the message is that they don't find it profitable to make more big boxes.
I still want my big box. For me, the box is art. Archives 1 sits on a shelf which I made myself to hold a lot of media, mostly CDs & Box sets, DVDs, & Blu Rays. If I could get a NYA2 big box Blu Ray set, I’d enter heaven on Earth. I don’t buy it that they can’t turn a profit on Blu Ray boxes. I think they are squandering a real opportunity to sell a lot more units @ a higher price (than CD price). I am still not bitter with the Artist, obviously. He can’t push record company clowns around to that extent, perhaps. Maybe Neil is afraid that NYA might suffer if the physical Blu Ray sets are sold. I would still be a member, even with Blu rays in hand, especially with video access or ticket presages! Alan in Seattle
DeleteVideo access to live music or exclusive stuff that a free pass could not access. Letters to Neil is an example of this. It ain’t free. And PRESALES for shows?! Of COURSE I will be a NYA member! And later in life as well.
DeleteI think this is the best decision. I will also be buying the smaller CD set in 2021.
ReplyDeleteArt prints, and other items, such as this box set, are often created and sold in limited editions. Many are numbered. I have been involved in creating limited edition lithographic prints for several artists, and it is critical for the limited editions to not be compromised. If one sold Limited Edition prints, and they sold out immediately, and then the seller just created more, and sold them too, it would be total misrepresentation and fraudulent. I devalues the product sold. This Box Set is art. It should not be compromised.
I also like complete sets. I hope the smaller CD set is not compromised, and is sold as a complete set. This is not a piecemeal offering. It is a set, like an LP is a set of songs. I am also happy that I bought and received the ones that will be included in advance, and have them as a single offering. I knew what the product was when it was offered, and I chose to have it unconditionally and unrelated to what may or may not happen in the future.
There is always the NYA site, too. I can't believe the value it is for a mere $20/year. If dedicated fans want this music, and it is only the music you want, I am sure, especially in this digital age, you will find a source and get it. We did it with cassette tapes and Cd trading for years and years and years, (much of what is now coming out on these Archives released) and I have never not been able to get the music I needed and desired. It seemed even more special then.
Now....... isn't it about time for Achives Vol III?
Would have been nice had Neil released these major "Archives" compilations on vinyl. He could have packaged them in 3-LP increments like he did with Decade, which we all grew up and are familiar. Neil had already established a solid, accepted brand. He didn't need to over-think this project.
ReplyDeleteThe limited edition status is only profitable to those who sell it for inflated prices on EBay after it completely sells out. Neither the record company nor the artist benefit financially from these sales. This is what I dislike most about making something limited, as it only encourages these profiteers to grab the goods and then turn a profit at the expensive of the actual fans that got the shaft at the outset.
ReplyDeleteToday is the third Record Store Day drop this year, and already there are sellers making a profit off fans who don’t live closer to an independent record store who actually want some of these special releases. Music is meant to be shared, not coveted. The record company needs to make everything available to anyone who is willing to buy it. It’s their job to provide music for fans, not limit access to it. Limited editions simply limit the number of fans who get to own it, and force those who can afford it, to pay inflated prices for something the record company should have been able to offer at a reasonable price.
I don’t blame Neil, but I wish he had better information on how his own music is being marketed to his fan base.
Peace 🙏
I missed out,oh well,at the moment (maybe as a wee compensation) neil.might relent & give us a stand alone 'time fades away'( jewel case cd)not that cruddy cardboard we've been offloaded with these last few years.its not a lot to ask as its on the second box set from a few years back anyway.its the scenario with a lot of people here.i don't want to a cd box set for discs i already own.please Neil release it thank you.x
ReplyDelete@Unknown, I hope the individual discs can be offered as was done with Vol I. However, and just as a trivial note, I don’t understand the tribulations some (many) people have cardboard sleeves on CDs. If stored and handled properly, I’ve had no complaints and actually have had more problems with plastic jewel cases cracking, broken prongs in the disc tray, etc. Also, the digibook sleeves look and feel a lot like LP packaging scaled down, which one would think might carry some nostalgic appeal. So I’ve never understood the vehemence with which some folks object to the packaging change. Talk about first world issues! But I digress.
ReplyDeleteHope everyone gets the music they want in some form. I agree the box is art, but how much is one willing to pay for that art? I guess Reprise/WB have made the decision for us, and the lack of choice is what rubs this consumer the wrong way. Dan Swan is correct in his analysis, but I continue to suspect WB is more invested in traditional business wisdom and than common sense. However, if they really felt it would be a profitable venture, I doubt these scruples about the limited edition would apply, so they must truly be convinced there isn’t demand to match the cost of production and possible recall of original orders.
☮️ Om
Cant I just pay extra on NYA site add enjoy. Who own a Record CD DVD BluRay Pono player any more?? I know I dont and never will again. Let me pay and then play any where any time
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