From First Impressions: Archives Vol. III Takes by Neil Young | The Old Grey Cat:
Neil Young’s Archives Vol. III, features several unreleased albums, including the album he shelved in favor of Trans, Island in the Sun (renamed here Johnny’s Island) and Summer Songs, unreleased tracks, alternate versions and previously released gems.
It’s geared toward fellow travelers, in other words, not casual fans. If you’ve never purchased a Neil Young bootleg or traded tapes/CDRs on the Rust List or Human Highway, it’s not for you. If you have, though there’s sure to be some overlap with past purchases (both official and illicit), it looks to be an essential listen.
Archives Vol. III Takes, billed as Neil’s favorite tracks from the project, is essentially a 16-song sampler that’s being sent to folks who buy either version of the collection. It’s also available to stream via the Neil Young Archives website (and perhaps elsewhere). For those thirsting for vinyl, it can be purchased as a double-LP set. My freebie CD arrived on Saturday, less than a week after ordering the deluxe edition—a big surprise, given that past purchases from Neil’s Greedy Hand store have taken weeks to land on my doorstep.
Full review @ First Impressions: Archives Vol. III Takes by Neil Young | The Old Grey Cat.
Neil Young - Winter Winds (From Archives Vol. III "Takes") - (Official Audio)
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (from Hawks & Doves sessions)- NEIL YOUNG ARCHIVES VOL. III (1976-1987)
More on Neil Young’s Archives Vol. III @
- TRACKLIST: Neil Young Archives Vol. III + Comment of the Moment
- Neil Young Archives Vol. III - 17 CD BOX SET - Pre-Order + Promo Video
- Neil Young Archives Volume #3: September Release Planned.
- WHAT IS NEIL YOUNG GOING TO PUT IN NEIL YOUNG ARCHIVES VOL. 4? | NYU
Great write-up by OGC on the Takes sampler, along with an exclusive peek at the back cover detailed tracklisting and a link to the Winter Winds clip which is only available on a YouTube playlist. Post of the month!
ReplyDeleteFirst I wonder who's singing on hey hey my my.Then I don't think these tracks are not for common listeners. Everybody can listen to these version, bootlegs work in progress easily. Its not like we re listening to Steve Reich for the first time ha . Cheers
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ReplyDeleteTakes is definitely a great collection of songs, and I really enjoy the sequencing. It does cover a lot of ground, but it certainly makes for a nice listening experience. Definitely excited for the vinyl edition, not to mention the big box of gold coming in September
ReplyDeleteI can’t even imagine Neil attempting to put all the remaining years into a single box set. Either he would need to omit a huge amount of great material, or it would be so huge that it would cost a fortune that none of us could afford . I definitely hope he reconsiders the notion of Volume 4 being the end of the Archive sets. Especially since he continues to produce new music every year or so.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.
Peace 🙏
i ordered the deluxe box set a week ok and got the Takes CD in the mail 2 days ago along with the pin - i am a happy Neil Young fan lol - i just listened to Winters Winds and was blown away - like usual - Neil never fails to surprise me lol
ReplyDeleteWinter Winds would have fit beautifully on World Record, Barn, or the even one the PotR projects. It sounds (to me) like Neil’s take (style and tone-wise) on Let it Snow. “We can watch the turbine…” is a characteristic twist, in that I wouldn’t expect it from someone other than NY.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, looks like two more tracks will be online later this month. In case anyone wants to be surprised, I won’t post info here. I’m not yet in a position to comment on the Tracks sampler. However, I’m always wary of categorizing some recordings as being Essential and others for devotees only. You just never know what’s going to appeal (or not) to someone else. In discovering deep cuts or obscure music, half the battle is finding and trying them. Streaming has drawbacks, but can be useful for sampling variety.
If you only knew Heart of Gold and Into the Black, you could get a somewhat misleading impression of NY. “Better to burn out than fade away”, in particular, has been susceptible unfortunate, decontextualized interpretations. Same for Free World—it’s often a risk with anthems and slogans.
Many of his lesser-known songs, while maybe not radio-friendly, are more rewarding (imho).
How right you are! Even John Lennon TOTALLY misunderstood Into the Black. His interpretation of the song was backwards and ridiculous.
DeleteI’m kind of surprised that my favorite track on this disc is the Comes a Time outtake. I was so looking forward to popping the disc in just to hear a quality cut of Lady Wingshot and the Devo cut of HeyHey, MyMy….. but the stripped down take of Comes a Time with Nicolette on backing vocals almost brings a tear to my eye! Maybe it’s because I’m so used to hearing the original with the whole ensemble, who knows. It reminds me though of why I love Neil’s Muse so much in the first place. To hear it stripped down its simplest form is priceless……can’t wait to hear the rest of Oceanside/Countryside
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