This is the fourth in a series of summaries of Neil’s most interesting answers to Letters to the Editor in the NYA Times-Contrarian. These replies date from October 27 to December 17, 2021, and are, as always, collated and curated by the “Neil Young Unreleased” Facebook group. Editorial comments are generally marked in [square brackets] and dates refer to the date of publication.
Albums / Films / Timeline Concerts
– On plans to make Trans and other Geffen years albums available in high resolution audio on NYA: “We have finalized our agreement with Universal regarding the Geffen albums. And those albums and tracks will be available on NYA right after the new year.” Also: “Management tells me we will soon have [Where The] Buffalo Roam too.” (2021-12-17)
– “Ragged Glory is done and in line for release 22.” (2021-12-17)
– On a suggestion to take binding, pre-paid, pre-orders of Archive Volume box sets in the future to avoid the problems and shortages associated with Vol. 2 and help Reprise to know how many copies (minimum) they need to produce: “We had considered that option but some elements of the box set have very long lead times and it’s just not practical to take pre-orders that far in advance.” On limited edition releases generally: “We’ve discussed this with our team at Reprise following the Vol 2 problems, and have decided that we will no longer be releasing limited editions. We will be more prepared in ordering enough box sets to cover everyone who would like to buy it.” (2021-12-17)
– “Mirror Ball is in V 4”, meaning Archives Vol. 4. (2021-12-17). Elsewhere Neil says the Mirror Ball Live Dublin film from the1995 tour with Pearl Jam could be coming in Archives Vol. 4 “or earlier”. (2021-12-06)
– In future, access to hi-res downloads, when included in a new album sale, will be made available “early in the morning on release day [Eastern Time]”. It is apparently not possible for them to be made available earlier, although no explanation is given. [Presumably to prevent them getting into the wrong hands and being widely distributed before official release?] (2021-12-17)
– Neil is already thinking about a new album. [This has also been mentioned in several recent interviews. Several songs are almost ready and may include the songs Chevrolet and Break The Chain. Neil played an excerpt of the latter during the Howard Stern interview from 15 Dec 2021.] (2021-12-06)
– Neil says he will check if Sleeps With Angels is going to be re-released on vinyl. [Presumably he means prior to the eventual re-release in the Original Release Series.] (2021-12-01)
– Neil thinks that Johnny ‘s Island may be made available as a separate standalone album in addition to its inclusion on Archives Vol. 3. (2021-12-01)
– Neil is asked why some films shot in high definition appear on NYA in “poor quality”. “I will ask” says Neil. (2021-11-22)
– The soundtrack of the Jonathan Demme film Heart Of Gold is not and will not be made available as an audio release. (2021-11-22)
– High Flyin’ – The Ducks from the Official Bootleg Series is currently scheduled for the first half of 2022. (2021-11-21)
– Neil is asked to include his own recordings which are still missing on NYA from the Journey Through The Past soundtrack album, even if the rights to songs by other artists are not yet cleared. His answer: “This should be up really soon! Maybe even as early as next week.” [They are not there yet!] (2021-11-21)
– Asked about songs from the same 1974 era which were not included on Homegrown but possibly planned for inclusion on a so-far-unreleased Homefires album, Neil does not now mention the Homefires project, but simply says: “They will be added [to NYA] in other ways.” (2021-11-21)
– Asked about the 1987 concept album Meadow Dusk with “synthesizer and New Age instrumentals”, Neil says: “Lost in the shuffle. Never completed.” (2021-11-21)
– “Landing On Water has been remastered by the Volume Dealers in hi res from the original analog masters. Best ever!”. [Presumably this work is for the planned Original Release Series edition of the Geffen albums rather than for Archives Vol. 3, but who knows for sure?] (2021-11-21)
– Neil is not planning on making Timeline Concerts available in the hi-res store as purchasable downloads. (2021-11-21)
– Asked if the Trunk Show, the live performance film recorded in December 2007 by Jonathan Demme, will be released on DVD, Neil replies: “Trunk will come out. Just working some details out.” (2021-11-10)
– “Toast, if all holds, is coming in 22.” (2021-11-03)
– A fan asked about unreleased footage from the Journey Through The Past movie with “LA Johnson, and maybe you, interviewing an older black man.” Neil: “I will find that Journey footage. I remember it well.” (2021-11-03)
– If and when Dume is released as a standalone album, will it have any extra material not already on the Archives Vol. 3 disc? Neil: “It will have something in it that is extra I think. Not sure though. We did this last year and couldn’t get it out because of the hassles with delivery.” (2021-10-27)
– The cause of the problem that led to Neil recalling the very first release of Comes A Time for quality reasons was that the master got damaged on its way to the mastering facility. The reissue was based on a direct copy of the original master. (2021-10-27)
– Neil says he has no recording of the jam session with Jimmy Page, John Bonham, and others after the 1974 CSNY Wembley show. Nor does he think the 16 Mar 1974 shows with the Eagles in San Luis Obispo were recorded either. (2021-10-27)
Songs
– Yours truly wrote to Neil to question the 27 Nov 1975 date of the recording of Like A Hurricane as shown on the NYA file card. [It’s a long and complicated story, so I suggest you go read the original letters as well as Neil’s very interesting response.] Neil seems to have taken up the challenge and says his team will research the case soon. (2021-12-17)
– Asked [also by me!] about a number of studio recordings which have been released on singles or on promo releases but which are not (yet) on NYA, Neil replies: “Most of these are volume 4 and will be on that release… some will be added to the Archives [NYA].” (2021-12-06)
– Asked if he has any other ‘home recordings’ (i.e., like the basic track of Will To Love which was done in front of the fire for example), Neil says: “I don’t have any demos from home on old tape recorders!”. [I am sure we are all hoping that he has and has just forgotten about them for now!] (2021-12-06)
– Neil is asked to put a film version of When You Dance on Hearse Theater and replies: “There is no film version other than in Year Of The Horse.” [Now that is not really true. There are versions in both of the movies Rust Never Sleeps and In A Rusted Out Garage.] (2021-12-06)
– Neil confirms that they have a studio version of Hawaii which was recorded with the Stills-Young Band in 1976. (2021-12-06)
– Neil liked a suggestion of adding the ‘Crazy Harvesters’ live version of Misfits from the 1985 tour to Archives Vol. 3. (2021-12-01)
– Neil implies that the studio version of You Never Call, seen on the Le Noise video but not included on the album, may make it onto NYA as an audio track. (2021-12-01)
– The shorter edit of Like An Inca to be found on the LP release was shortened to “maintain quality listening volume levels” on the vinyl album. (2021-12-01)
– Neil is asked if he could make a live version of Sad Movies from the 1976 European tour available on NYA as an outtake: “Sounds possible. I am checking.” (2021-12-01)
– Neil was asked about a list of studio recordings, particularly from the 1972 to 1975 period, which are known to exist but which have not been included on Archives releases so far. Neil’s answer: “Many of those songs are on the way. We have not forgotten them.” (2021-11-21)
– Neil believes, but did not definitely confirm, that the very first recording of Razor Love, made at Broken Arrow Ranch in January 1984 (solo on Synclavier synthesizer), will be included in Archives Vol. 3.
– Neil says that the original LP album version of Sample And Hold from Trans (5:09) will “soon” replace the longer CD version (8:06) which is currently playing on NYA. (2021-11-17)
– Neil defines Fresh Tracks, his new category of recordings for inclusion on NYA, as mostly “originals, meaning the first master from any studio”. (2021-11-10)
– Neil confirms he has the recordings of two suggestions for Fresh Tracks: Alabama with the Stray Gators, recorded at Quadrafonic in Nashville in April 1971, and a 1966 Buffalo Springfield version of Sell Out without the overdubs. (2021-11-17)
– Neil says he is delighted to have re-discovered the first ever recordings of Hard Luck Stories, Horseshoe Man, and Modern World, all recorded with Crazy Horse at Ocean Way in 1997 with Rick Rubin producing, following an enquiry from Omar Zia. In another reply, Neil concurs that an accident with a knife and a ham sandwich may just have been the reason that the sessions were not continued at the time! (2021-11-10)
– Neil says he is thinking of releasing the original live version of Inca Queen [from the November 1986 Universal Amphitheater show] on NYA as an extra recording but without the later overdubs which were included on the Life album release. (2021-11-10)
– Neil is thinking of releasing the very first recording of Song Of The Seasons, which was made [presumably solo] at Coronation Hall, Omemee, during 2020. (2021-11-10)
– Neil says that the film documentary “Honour The Treaties… is coming in 22, documenting what we did to help.” (2021-11-03)
Archives Volumes
– Vol. 3 will now be 13 discs, including Summer Songs and Johnny’s Island, all due mid-2022. (2021-12-01 / 2021-11-03)
– Vol. 3 will definitely be released on Blu-ray, not on DVD. [A CD edition will also be available.] (2021-11-17)
– A re-release of Archives Vol. 1 “is coming in ’22 for sure”. (2021-11-17)
– Films which are included in the Blu-ray version of the Archives Vol. 3 box set will not be available as digital downloads, either for free or for purchase. (2021-11-03)
NYA Stuff
– Neil is asked if he can create file cards on NYA, with lyrics and other details, for songs which are so far unreleased on audio media but which are already available on NYA in films or Timeline Concerts. Neil says: “We will look into this for you.“ (2021-11-21)
– Neil confirms that the announcement of his Zoom calls for Patron-level subscribers will always be at very short notice and only announced by e-mail to members. “We do not want the media to get it and spread it around the world. It’s just for NYA users who happen to be there.” (2021-10-27)
– There will be more Zoom calls for Patron members, says Neil. “A EuroZoom is coming”. (2021-10-27)
Miscellaneous
– When asked about the “oldest active piece of sound equipment” which Neil still uses, “and don’t say Billy.” Neil replies: “Ralph”. (!) (2021-12-06)
– A fan has photographs of the classic hand-painted billboards on Sunset Boulevard in the 1960s and 70s which were promoting albums such as Time Fades Away, Zuma, Decade, and more. Neil asked him to send them in to NYA. (2021-12-01)
– Neil says he likes Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne! (2021-11-10)
– Neil’s sci-fi novel Canary “is done except for the art (paintings). That’s next… I’m sure it will come out someday!!” (2021-11-10)
– Neil says music “cassettes are coming back. They sound better than most digital files”. (2021-11-10)
– Asked again about producing an illustrated book of his complete lyrics, Neil answers: “I have been thinking about that. Trying to find the time and concept to do it.” (2021-11-10)
– In response to a request to provide audio download files of the soundtrack songs with DVD film releases, an NYA team discussion decided against it. Audio downloads will only be available with audio albums. (2021-11-03)
– Talking about the Bridge School, Neil says: “Bridge may have a big announcement coming soon in 22.” (2021-11-03)
– The promised Greedy Hand European Store is currently scheduled to open in March 2022. (2021-10-27)