As mentioned here last week, the Neil Young Archives Volume #3 is now streaming on NYA.com.
Our Comment of the Moment is on Neil Young Archives Vol #3 Now Live on NYA by Dionys:
Collecting material and immaterial things is an expression of human nature.Even the non-materialistic aborigines of Australia collect(ed) dreamings as narratives and assembled their painted representations on rocks.
Another perspective: They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” So collecting things and thoughts ultimately is an expression of identity.
I sometimes imagine all these Neil Young fans and collectors of other things (including myself) building towers "to make a name of themselves" by passing their shrines and pyramids on to the next generation and meanwhile we are enjoying good music.That's why i switched back to vinyl, because these files and CDs need a ton of sophisticated and ever-changing technology. Somewhere I have data files on diskettes but the technology to read them is long time gone. Those LPs from the 50's that I inherited from my dad still play fine. Still I could not resist buying the large CD edition.
I am convinced that there are NY towers and pyramids in Europe that are far taller then mine, but hey - it's part of my headstone that I am interested in, so I added another brick in my wall of sound.
In these parts of the world the normal citizen by now had eight decades to accumulate possessions. During these years one could have done far worse than heaping up books, music and art.
Thanks much for Our Comment of the Moment Dionys! Always appreciate your insights and perspective. This really resonates for those trying to remove attachments while seeking a simpler, slower life style.
More on Neil Young’s Archives Vol. III @ Unboxing Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976–1987)
- Today's The Day! Neil Young Archives Volume #3 Drops
- Neil Young Archives Vol #3 Now Live on NYA
- Comment of the Moment: Neil Young Archives Vol #3 "Takes" Compilation
- Neil Young Patron ZOOM Call Update: Discusses NYA#3 & More
- Exclusive First Look: Neil Young - Archives Vol. III | Qobuz
- 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
- Neil Young Archives Volume #4 Creation Begins
Unboxing Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976–1987)
Glad to see a spotlight for this comment. Though I didn't have time/energy to write anything at the time, it had captured my notice. There *is* an aspect of monumentalism about the NY Archives as box sets, of scale or size as a marker of prestige. Yet the handmade, bricolage quality of the artwork (which is often Neil's style) belies the sense of grandiosity.
ReplyDeleteThere's a certain irony in enormous packaging for something as intangible as music. As much as music is produced by human bodies singing and playing instruments, this era of digital streaming reminds one more than ever that we can't touch the sounds. It was Kant (I think) who talked about art as a conduit between the physical and spiritual. Maybe the tendency of aesthetic experiences to transcend, or cross between, the embodied and the intangible is what he was getting at. (The intangibility is also what makes music and art "resistant" to commodification.)
I have a (ridiculously) large collection of physical media, and it literally surrounds me throughout my humble 699 square foot condominium. I have been collecting music and movies for decades because I grew up during a time when that was what one did. Back then you went to your local record store at least once a week. It was a place where you were together with like minded people who loved music as much as you did.
ReplyDeleteI still frequent my local record store here in Boise, as it is a refuge for people who can communicate with each other without fear (in Idaho) about pretty much anything.
My collection is definitely a reflection of who I am, but unfortunately I don’t have that many friends to share it with. Which is one of the reasons why I visit here. I have a connection with like minded music fans who can understand my appreciation for Neil Young.
Most people would find it difficult to understand why I have such an extensive collection, while they carry their entire music collection on their smartphones. But I have a love of the ‘art’ of physical media. There once was a time when there was an entire industry devoted solely to the ‘art’ that accompanied the music. And I continue to support those artists that still see the value in it. The artwork allows for a deeper understanding of what the musician intended to convey with their music. Compact Discs certainly devalued the artistic aspect of music, but at least it was still incorporated in the release. The resurgence of vinyl has definitely been a return to the old days for artistic expression on recorded music, and especially with these huge box sets. The John Lennon Mind Games Super Deluxe Edition was way too expensive for me, but it truly was a work of ‘art’. I did purchase the George Harrison Uber Set, so I wouldn’t have had room for the Mind Games set anyway.
Thankfully, Neil is creating a work of art with his Archive collections as they slowly get released. Each box is a separate piece of a larger work, which I think is really creative….But, back to my collection…..the only way I can explain why it matters so much to me is……..it makes me happy. That’s it.
Peace to all 🙏
While listening to the Union Hall disc I come to think of these recordings and sounds as being a time machine, a metaphor NY has been using a while ago. It became a time machine for me too, starting with Live Rust and the memories of times with my friends back then. Quite a few of them are dead now and so are a lot of these musicians on these records. Music transports feelings and images of your own making which were not part of the music in the first place. When I was attending the 2008-09 tours (Chrome Dreams & Electric Band) there were moments, small movements in split seconds by Neil Young acting on stage when I had the impression to see a much younger man. So These collections are not only the soundtracks to our lives, but infact they are a means "to give me back my youth" and if it's just for ultra-short moments. Today in my lsietning to the NYA Vol. iii discs I want to make it to the early 80's, diving into a time-span when the life ahead of me was wide open and everything still possible.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow I am going to see The Pretenders in a relatively small venue (audience of 1500) and find out whether this Fountain of youth idea holds true with other music not as close to me as Neil Young. Chrissie Hynde turned 73 a couple of weeks ago. (I abhorr the way back by public transit though, the subways will be full of Oktoberfest drunks).
I too am surrounded by physical media, which I adore to be honest. Looking at the photo at the top of this thread, the photo with the 3 boxes with books at either end has got me wondering though.....when box 4 comes out people will be able to stand them as in the photo and spell out "Neil Young" in the big letters that run around each box. Great, but what happens when box 5 comes out? Has anyone at Neil's end considered this I wonder? I also wonder if 4 boxes and no more was the original plan for the archive series of boxes? Maybe Neil could open this up to the public and consider ideas. Mine would be to just have the word "Archives" running vertically on all 4 sides, enabling people to assemble the full collection with some sense of aesthetic happiness and not have an odd box skewing the image. Definitely a first world problem though! Excuse my rambling......
ReplyDeleteWhile going through the stacks I found out I had the same thoughts and "problems". Pat Q. (see photo above) will have the same issue: There's room for the fourth box, but not for the last one. And of course everybody who has them shelved in a row has his or her idea what to put on the last one. I rather go for the vertical NYA logo as represented by the pin that came with the last order.
ReplyDeleteGood call Dionys, much better than my idea!
ReplyDelete@Dionys : That was the first thought I had when I placed #3 on the rack with the other two. I just naturally assumed it would be the N Y A from top to bottom. Makes sense to me that this was always the plan.
ReplyDeletePeace to all 🙏
P. S. To all of you living in the USA…. VOTE!!! I’m not interested in who you vote for………. Just VOTE!!! If everyone who can, votes, then we will get the government we deserve.
I have not commented on the new Archives because I cannot keep up and because I no longer "collect" the physical thing. Neil Young is the musician I admire the most and I have a long memory for his work. My physical media are books and art. I never learned enough about music and I am sorry that I did not. When I sold many of my vinyl or gave them away to our sons I really had no regrets or sorrow. On the other hand, I do understand Dionys. I continue to collect books. MR- I don't think you have Kant right.
ReplyDeleteAbner- Even before I saw your reply, I was thinking my comment could do with clarification. I didn't properly delineate where Kant's thoughts ended and mine began-- probably stitching together too many discrete points, making ambiguity in the process. I was being fairly speculative with the phrase "getting at"--not limiting myself to Kant's *intentions*, or even what he was and wasn't consciously aware of.
ReplyDeleteRather than art, I should have referred to aesthetics. Or maybe "The Aesthetic." And instead of commodification, it would have been more straightforward to say commercialization. (The second one, incidentally, has nothing directly to do with Kant. Again, I was trying to fit too many thoughts into one paragraph.)
To be clear about my thoughts on art and commerce... In a capitalist society, there's a tendency to evaluate the worth or significance of an object based on how much you can get someone to pay for it (the corollary: we assume that any broadly beneficial endeavor can also be financially profitable, to someone).
ReplyDeleteIt's relatively easy to put a price on materials, physical objects. How much does it cost to manufacture and distribute the NYA box sets? What kind of money is needed to stage a big concert? Instruments, amplifiers, catering, transportation costs add up... but for those of us who've enjoyed live music (Neil's or anyone else's), can you really put a price on your experience? I'd argue not.
Anything that can't be easily or clearly valued in monetary terms shows the limitations of the "cash nexus" (term picked up from Edward Carpenter), as a way to organize society, distribute resources, and meet human needs. Making music, poetry, art is labor, but it's also a labor of love. And you can't put a price on love.
So although we've found ways to monetize artwork, art (and love) doesn't always fit easily into a culture built on the assumption that everything has a price.