Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976)
If ever there was a truly good news/bad news situation for Neil Young fans, this past weekend was definitely a topper. (See 100+ comments of rustie drama on Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976): Pre-Order Updates via The "Greedy Hand" Store + Unboxing & Preview Videos.)
The good news is that the long awaited Neil Young Archives Volume II Limited Edition Boxset of 3,000 units (@ $249 USD each) sold out in less than 48 hours, demonstrating a huge pentup demand for physical Neil Young product.
The bad news is that the total sell out has left many, many Neil Young fans rightfully upset, frustrated and somewhat disgusted by the whole debacle.
Who to blame/credit?
- The WBR/Reprise record company clowns and their poor forecasts?
- The fact that Neil's Manager Elliot Roberts and his steady guiding wisdom left the building in 2019?
- The Artist and his Muse have simply gone tone deaf?
- Neil fans themselves and their incessant, entitled attitude of unrealistic demands for artistic purity, personal integrity and business perfection in all arenas of his life and career?
- Or simply did "The Shakey Deal" finally bite "The Greedy Hand" that feeds it, a bit too hard?
All of the above? None of the above? A combination of a perfect storm that no one could have possibly seen coming?
Neil himself says simply that everyone is "surprised" and they're re-thinking "tangible NYA".
Greedy Hand Store: NYA #2 - SOLD OUT
This is how Rusted Moon saw the chaos and confusion unfold last Friday:
Friday afternoon German time, two advertising trailers went online on Neil Young's YouTube channel that contained a link to the pre-sale page in the US webstore.
At the same time, numerous online music portals and magazines such as UNCUT reported on the start of advance sales - and also published the link to the US webstore. On the other hand, there was nothing to be seen on Neil Young's archive page, which was supposed to be the pre-purchase. The announced web stores in Canada and Great Britain were also not online, although they were supposed to go online a day in advance.
The pre-orders via the prematurely published link were apparently so extensive that Neil Young's team pulled the rip cord and unceremoniously took the US pre-sale site offline. Only after several hours, around midnight German time, did she go online again. A short time later, the two new web stores were finally online.
European customers who had already bought in the US store and accepted almost 16 dollars in shipping costs plus customs and taxes were amazed: Shipping via the new EU webstore should not cost six euros, taxes and customs do not even apply on.
Here is a somewhat atypical comment on the TW post "Comment of the Moment: Pre-Order - Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976) by the ever faithful and fearless Lone Red Rider:
Well, after watching the sale for the last couple of days, my mind isn't on the format or the content or the price of Vol 2. It's on something else pretty specific that irks me.
This box set has literally been marketed for the last 10 years by Neil and his management. For those who have been paying attention, there have been 10 years of anticipation. And how did Reprise address their long waiting fans after 10 years of hype? 3000 copies sold over 24 hours. That's just plain wrong. A gross misjudgement. And there is no hint as to how the rest of die hard fans will get a physical copy now. I hope they won't be forced to go onto the secondary market. Why did Reprise/NYA decide to press 3K copes at $250 per box instead of 10K at $200 per box? I didn't buy this thing so that I could have a limited edition. I could care less about that. I wanted the content. But what's done is done. What we need is a quick pivot on the part of Reprise and NYA to get the second edition out there, in larger volumes, at lower prices. I know that we always have NYA at $20/month for streaming, so anyone who wants the music can hear it at a reasonable prices. But the fact that the Box sold out so quickly tells me that the demand/supply planning was way off.
Think about it again. 10 years, 3000 copies, 250 dollars, 24 hours.
Thanks as always LRR. And again, many thanks for your tireless rustie dedication -- which was demonstrated yet again this weekend -- with your detailed research on Neil Young Archives: The Next 10 Years (2010-2020) – A Retrospective.
So, will Neil Young have another ‘Come to Jesus’ meeting" similar to the 2018/9 fiasco over the Bob Dylan & Neil Young Hyde Park, London gig?
Will the jailbird take the rap?
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).
Debate all you would like below, please.
Neil right away said that “a second edition is being planned”. I was a little thrown when he said it would be unique... but willing to let it play out.
ReplyDeleteAlso surprised they didn’t go the Kickstarter-type route ... give people a month to sign up and pay their $250. At the end of the month, that’s how many boxes you need to publish.
As of right now, the Canadian store has copies for sale. Was sold out and no longer is! Free international shipping code too.
ReplyDeletehttps://store.warnermusic.ca/products/archives-ii?variant=32820609089621
I'm with LRR: I bought this box for the music, not the number that is etched into the side. Although I do have to say it'll look nicely alongside the volume 1 box. And wouldn't really want to live without the book, which was a real treat in volume 1. Also very excited about volume 3 being announced, I wonder what that will contain, I expect at least Hitchiker, Songs for Judy, Chrome Dreams, Oceanside Countryside and Boarding House. But how far will it go? Island in the Sun, Old Ways 1, Solo Trans? How prolific was Neil beyond 1976? From 1979 to 1981 he hardly seems to have recorded any music. So much to look forward to, being aged 35.
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy for all who missed out that a second run of the volume 2 box is being sorted out, but the cynic in me can't help but feel that the comment from Neil about the second edition being "unique" (I take that to mean a little different) is a ploy to get the completists to buy that box too. I don't mean for that comment to sound judgmental as arguably it could apply to me as someone who owns 2 versions of Greendale and has the new one on order, and who owns Living with war and Living with war in the beginning! I also feel that the best thing Neil could have done in this situation is to just get more boxes out there quickly and keep the fans happy. I imagine the people who missed out will just want exactly what the lucky ones will be getting? Altering the product will mean inevitable delays to it being available when compared to just instructing the production facility to make more of what they've already made. But Neil wouldn't be Neil if he wasn't tinkering with things....
ReplyDeleteThe issue of the underestimation by Neil / reprise / whoever of the desire of the public to own a physical copy of the box is interesting. I can't help but think that the current situation which we all find ourselves living in might possibly have given people the desire to feel, touch, and connect with a tangible thing. After all, we can't hug anyone can we? Just a thought...
Also, the comment about volume 3 being well into production....how many times have we been down that road before? Don't make me laugh!!
Stay well everyone, virtual hugs from the UK xx
I would have gone with more than 3000 for the initial run, but I'm not surprised that they kept it limited. Manufacturing something like this ain't cheap, and nobody buys physical media anymore. And this isn't just any physical media, but a massive, expensive, luxury item aimed at collectors and superfans. This was never going to be a million seller. Or even a hundred thousand.
ReplyDeleteIts plain that Neil considered both the bluray box of volume 1 and Pono to be failed experiments. The online archive is the real archive now in his mind, and this box set is just a trinket for collectors. Hopefully the next physical edition is large enough that everyone who wants it has a chance to get it, but if you miss out, you aren't going to miss out on the music. It will all be available to stream on the archives website, and I can just about guarantee you the hi-res digital downloads will eventually be made available seperately as well (you can already buy digital downloads of existing content on the NYA site, even if you aren't a member, and members get a discount). There's not reason for him not to do that, unless he just doesn't like printing money.
I think that after the Pono debacle, people wanted hard copies because never is forever with Neil...also while the mass media narrative has been to kick dirt of physical product (especially CDs) the demand on new releases on CD has been limited by supply and production quantities , rather than the other way around...but I agree, there should be a lighter package version readily accessible and available.
DeleteWell, today Neil did explain the situation a bit more. The second run of boxes will be identical to the first run with a minor exception that the "coloring" of the box exterior will be a bit different to distinguish the second run from he first run. That's not enough to drive this fanatic to buy it again. Especially if the color is a bit "off". I want to color to look nice against Volume One. :-).
ReplyDeleteHey, Joe, Moe.....keep the presses running! Just turn off the yellow for a little while!
Gosh, I really liked my idea of an 8 CD box with a little booklet to fill the space you will have when Tuscaloosa and Homegrown are removed. That's such a smart Idea. Where did it even come from?
I didn't even know there was a hubbub about this release. I was reminded, from the email my membership generated, that today (yesterday) was the day it could be ordered, and since it was a LIMITED TO 3000 release, I wanted to have it for my collection for sure. I don't bitch about price or whine about buying CDs before that are included, because each decision is it's own decision, and I chose to have it for what it was and what it was offered. I logged on to the NY Archives, clicked the store link and selected the Archives II preorder, but it in my cart, and paid and was done. Looks like I missed a lot of action, and can't say that I am not grateful for that.
ReplyDeleteIt is a real quandry they now face because of the leak, and underestimation of demand. But it a horrible and dishonest misrepresentation of the product to now make it virtually unlimited with a second edition of virtually the same exact thing. I care about the content, and really, I would have bought it however it is offered, and if I missed out on the limited edition box set, so be it. The CD set like Archives Vol 1 would be a better option. I understand that many are upset and didn't get one. I understand the same thing when I sit in Row M at a concert and I see some nimrod in the front row that I didn't get because THEY BOUGHT IT BEFORE I DID AND THERE WAS A LIMITED AMOUNT. I don't want a refund. I want what I bought. I apparently was a lucky one, and after following Neil since 1970, I guess Karma was on my side for this one. But then, as this washes out, maybe not as much.
I am now trapped in an extremely ambivelent internal dialogue about this. I have empathy for Neil, fans that didn't get one (who now will be able to), and to those like me, that just saw their purchase be devalued and were ultimately unintentionally lied to. But in the end, it's just another "thing", and what the hell, we're all gonna die someday anyway, regardless of what we have or don't have.
Hey Neil,
ReplyDeleteForget about changing the color and all that stuff on the 2nd run of the boxset. Just get your sharpie out and start signing the 1st batch and let the 2nd batch (and any other future batches)go out unsigned. Everyone gets the exact same product then and those that didn't hesitate to pull the trigger on buying the box get the extra "bonus" of a signed unit. Problem solved!
Cheers,
Dee
Fantastic suggestion, Dee! Exactly what Neil should do to reward his most diehard fans so they don’t feel shortchanged...
ReplyDeleteIt is a good idea Dee, but for goodness sake get some perspective people!
ReplyDeleteWould we have got this treasure trove of unreleased Neil young music even if it wasn’t limited to 3000 copies?
Of course we would!
So let’s not piss and moan that it won’t be ‘limited edition’ any more and celebrate the fact that our artist has listened to his fans to get his music out there for everyone.
Would love a signed copy though!!
Hi TW,
ReplyDeleteYou have forgotten all those people who don't give a damn about Neil Young but who as usual speculate on a rarity whose price will very quickly increase to peaks (remember the prices reached by The Official Release Series 1-4 & 5-8… Or even Decade special Record Store Day…)
I would be curious to know how many of these boxes will be opened and listened to by these first buyers?
Angry Bruno from eastern France…
Where has this myth about box sets making a loss come from anyway?
ReplyDeleteIn the last few years I have bought a number of expensive box sets from the Beatles and Bob Dylan to name a few. The record companies are not charities, they will be making a profit!
No one else has mentioned something that irks me to no end: if I'd known Homegrown, Roxy, etc were going to be part of an Archives Vol 2, I wouldn't have already purchased them individually. And given 10+ years had passed I don't think it was unrealistic to expect Vol 2 would never materialize. Why would I want to shell out nearly $300 Cdn for music I already have? Isn't anyone else pissed about this?
ReplyDeleteGreedy hand indeed. I ended up buying a used copy of NYA Vol 1 and will do the same for this release.
DeleteConsidering the number of times I've bought the same title on different media, vinyl, cassette, CD...Neil has made plenty of money from me
Who wants CDs in 2020? Not me. I didn't want them 10 years ago either, and Neil has long complained about the format. Live vinyl or die, I say.
ReplyDeleteGive me cds anyday instead of vinyl and its pops and ticks and distortion and wow and flutter and records still wear out
DeleteVinyl sounds great but isn’t so useful in the car...
ReplyDeleteThe other day Oh Boy Records sent out an email at 4:36 am to let fans know an LTD run of 1000, numbered, purple vinyl of John Prine Live was on sale. It was gone by the time I checked email at 9:00.
ReplyDeleteAm I bitching? No. That's how it goes now. If you want LTD run stuff, you have to keep an eye on email.
I'm one of those people who does appreciate LTD run vinyl or boxsets. Not because I sell them on eBay. Because I love art and I love music. And, I'm not a fan of streaming. Streaming doesn't work in the car, or in my garage. I was an early NYA subscriber.
I agree with the LTD run of 3000. I was a little bummed when I read Neil was going to issue more. But I'm happy for fans, who'd, given the comments here, would probably never give a shit about me.
Hopefully Neil does something special for us that bought the 1st run. I think signing them would be great. But given Neil's carpal tunnel, I doubt he's going to do that.
Again perspective SpinBackwards.
ReplyDeleteThis isn’t a cool, but ultimately unnecessary, bonus, like a picture disc or coloured vinyl version of a record.
This was intended as the only way to physically own archives Volume II!
Again, I’m delighted he has listened and is producing more. I say this as someone who has reserved one of the 3000 boxes; I am thinking of everyone who hasn’t.
Thos,
ReplyDeleteMy zoomed out view is that it’s great people want to hold something. Last year vinyl sales were highest ever. Record stores such as Grimeys, Twist & Shout, and the Music Coop are doing well. All positive signs for humanity.
BTW. Oh Boy just released an Indie exclusive John Prine Live on yellow vinyl. I scored a copy. Love it.
Long may you run,
I'm done. Having 2 vinyl copies of each of his lps,box sets included. And all his cd releases this is just wrong. I'm done Neil
ReplyDeleteGreat idea by Dee.
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ReplyDeleteNate42 says: "nobody buys physical media anymore."
Nate, mate, in future, please stick to speaking only for yourself....
Hey Eddie, speaking for myself I love physical media. The nobodies I'm referring to are the general public.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWell Nate 42, you're wrong.
What has just happened and what this thread is about proves that!
Volume 1 Archives was released as cd, dvd,& finally BluRay. I purchased all 3 and left the BluRay unopened.I still have the cd slim box to listen to. I do not have a BluRay attached to my stereo. The DVD version I sold on eBay. So, I waited. Now only a regular CD version is planned, has sold out, and now commands nearly $800 or more where it is available. Now I find out that they, Neil + Reprise, apparently decided that streaming high def audio was the way to make more money. Neil, this sucks. A flimsy poster is what you get for waiting. Neil, himself said BluRay was the closest that he had heard to the original masters. Now it no longer matters; money speaks. Neil, you are listening to the devil. Steven Pettinga - Indianapolis
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