At long last, NYA #2 boxes are starting to arrive in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe where shipments from The Greedy Hand have been seriously delayed.
So it looks like many U.K. rusties will have a delightful Christmas after all given some of the anxiety and grief which they have experienced. Certainly not the most pressing global problem, but in these times, it's the little things that matter nearly as much as the big ticket items.
All of which brings us to our Comment of the Moment: REVIEW - Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976) Boxset | Everybody’s Dummy by tomatron:
Feeling a kinship with so many who appreciate the artistry of Neil’s oeuvre, I hate to downplay the disappointment, frustration, and even betrayal people are feeling with their physical product in limbo.
We
have waited a long time for this moment, after all. I can relate too,
my impatience more directed toward the incomplete Vol 2 video collection
as well as the destruction of carefully curated Archives playlists and
really the entire playlist feature. For a lot of fans, the box which
contains a complete era of music is paid for and missing, and that
sucks.
But we are here for the music. This thread was created to
highlight our thoughts on the music. And we have the music. Even if you
never got your download codes, a monthly subscription goes for $1.99.
And now it’s free. Why not set aside your frets about the deluxe
packaging for a moment or three, hop on the web, and have a listen? Are
we here for the cardboard and paper, or for the songs? The juxtaposition
of chronological sequence and creative presentation within the set is
fascinating. Compare the track listing of each “disc” with the running
order available by playing the tracks through the file cabinet, and then
with the original albums. Consider a song’s impact right in context of
the time and place it was recorded, who was there, how they played, and
what might have happened in Neil Young’s life the night before!
Marvel
at the impact Ben Keith had on the music during this period. He is all
over this set, right there through it all, the ups, the downs, and the
further downs. He was even a member of Crazy Horse for like two songs.
Then have a listen to Frank Sampedro join the band and hear Neil’s
writing gel with his mates in a very new way.
There is so much
appreciation to be found in the different versions of songs we know. The
Dume Powderfinger is slower and more tentative than the Rust and Weld
editions we revere, but its relative tenderness speaks to the youth and
apprehension of the doomed narrator. Homegrown Kansas was interesting
and sensitive, especially following the nightmare of Florida, but it
turns out that song was truly meant for Crazy Horse 2.1 to rip through
at least once and let Neil swagger through the verses he’d barely
warbled just a few weeks earlier.
You can play some of this
stuff for your friends who didn’t know what they were missing. Disc 1,
Everybody’s Alone, is an excellent introduction to Neil Young for anyone
who has yet to have taken the time with his work. What better place to
jump in than right into the ditch? They’d be hard pressed to find any
more compelling rock n roll from the era, and much of it was unheard
until mere weeks ago. Or throw on the Look Out For My Love compilation
and dive headlong into the mid 70s with a killer run of Horsey album
tracks that jut into a beguiling set of tunes done justice by an
all-star Stills-Young band, and realize that Neil Young may actually
have invented yacht rock, but also grunge a decade and a half early.
If
it’s the images you are missing out on, the good news is that the Vol 2
file cards are loaded with them, and about half of the songs (with the
rest presumably to come) have video/visualizations available featuring
vintage gear and tableaux arranged with ingenuity exploring the
photography and cover art of the era in motion.
Now let me be
frank (Poncho?). By continuing the gripe, contributors are taking for
granted the venue which thrasher has provided here and drowning out
those of us who came to discuss the music we love.
The second
installment of the Archives was worth the wait. The box itself can keep
waiting.
The treasure inside it has already arrived.
Thanks so much tomatron. "yacht rock"?! who knew?! You've been on a roll lately and we much appreciate your sharing thoughts on NYA here. More on Comment of the Moment: REVIEW - Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976) Boxset | Everybody’s Dummy.
Also, see ROUNDUP: Neil Young Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976) Boxset.
Labels: archives, neil young, neil young archives, nya
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