Also, Davy takes head on some of the "complaints" on NYA#3. Nice balanced job on that difficult task Davy! We know that we have a great deal of difficulty in criticizing an artist's lifetime capstone project. While we all expect perfection in all things, the impossibility is the reality. Reasonable expectations, as always.
REVIEW: Neil Young's Latest Trifecta - Somewhere Under The Rainbow, High Flyin' & Molina, Talbot, Lofgren All Roads Lead Home
More on Neil Young’s Archives Vol. III:
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More of Davy's reviews @ REVIEW: Neil Young's Latest Trifecta - Somewhere Under The Rainbow, High Flyin' & Molina, Talbot, Lofgren All Roads Lead Home
REVIEW: Neil Young's Latest Trifecta - Somewhere Under The Rainbow, High Flyin' & Molina, Talbot, Lofgren All Roads Lead Home 
Neil Young: Archives Vol. III - 17 CD BOX SET
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
- 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)
Typically thorough and interesting review from Davy - look forward to his thoughts on the films too. I found myself agreeing with much of what he said, and a lot of his favourites are the same as mine (maybe we should start a campaign for Sad Movies).
ReplyDeleteI also very much enjoyed @Dan's comments as he worked his way through the CDs and the films. I still have a couple of CDs to listen to myself and as I am listening on NYA and haven't purchased the box I therefore can't see the films.
It's going to take a long time to really get my head around everything, but so far I have found much to enjoy and interest me. I am wondering which CDs I will revisit first - probably Boarding House or maybe Oceanside/Countryside or then again maybe Neil with Linda and Nicolette. So much to choose from.
Apropos of nothing, except maybe 1987- I was in Chapel Hill my last year of graduate school, 1989, and on October 3 I bought Freedom and was totally blown off the couch and into the street. I had heard El Dorado but I love those tunes with Linda R. I also think "Don't Cry" benefited from a bit of restraint (although I love the blood bath version as well). For those of you who were not Neil fans back then, this was a great moment. I recall having to defend Neil from some trendy friends who were arguing that he was done: "had a great run, but now he is toast." Don't underestimate this guy. He will rise from the dead with great songs.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter how many neil Young shows you have seen or how many ROIOs you own: The real fan proudly stands with at least one episode in his life when she or he defended Neil Young against all those superficial sceptics who believed to be experts after the CSNY phase, the RNS phase, the "Evolution" phase and all these other twists and turns. It's this experience to have been right and knowing it inspite of all the others that won Neil Young this hard core fan base. Almost all the others in his age with the exception of his Bobness sooner or later become nostalgia acts. Even the surviving Rolling Stones are mere aged and perfect imitations of the Rolling Stones than the the unsurpassed band of decades past.
ReplyDeleteWell, Dionys I stood my ground fiercely in the 8o's. I even defended Landing on Water. But mainly I defended Neil. I knew he would rise from the ashes of his experiments.
ReplyDeleteI loved each and every experiment Neil ever released. But I know I’m in the minority on this. His adventures outside his fans expectations were remarkable, and I still enjoy them to this day.
ReplyDeletePeace to all 🙏
I’ve found myself out on a limb a few times… enthusing Neil + The Real (The Visitor, Noise & Flowers), not to mention the fully fledged orchestra-big band Storytone (it’s as much about the tone as the story). Are you Passionate? has continued to fascinate me, jagged edges and all. I recently had an “epiphany” of sorts on the title track of “AYP?”, in that it expresses the depths of human pain, longing, and endurance.
ReplyDeleteThe key is the middle eight—the parts that start with “Once I was a soldier…” and “Once I was a prisoner…” These images speak to the most extreme, literally torturous environments the human spirit has endured: active combat in a war zone, prisoner of war and internment camps. Musicians, writers, and artists—in trying to ensure these experiences are remembered—have to tap into a bit of the emotional conditions of those situations. For most of us, it’s more than enough to see flashes of it on the nightly news.
It’s simultaneously overwhelming, scary and comforting, to realize we can all connect to a tiny part of the suffering and sacrifice through art. Comforting because that human connection can grow compassion. Without gilding the lily, it’s fair to say there’s a certain degree of emotional labor for the artist, whose craft is to embody or somehow represent a full range of our human experience.
Nicely said Meta.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if anyone else noticed this, but the next Original Release Series Volume 6 box set is pictured on NYA. Harvest Moon (2 discs), Unplugged (2 discs), Sleeps With Angels (2 discs), and Mirror Ball (2 discs). This will be re-mastered back to analog, as the original releases were recorded in analog and then mastered in digital. Can’t wait for this set, as it represents a real high water mark in Neil’s illustrious career.
Peace to all 🙏