This is the fifth 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 December 22, 2021 to January 29, 2022 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
– Neil has finally decided to prepare and release the ‘lost’ album Chrome Dreams from 1975-76: “I am working on the original. All the original songs and versions. It will be vinyl. It will be available in hi res at the Greedy Hand and here at NYA. We have collected some art – although the original cover (drawn by Briggs) was burned in my house fire in 78 – lost forever.” (2022-01-28)
In previous replies, Neil said he had not been quite sure how to handle the project [possibly because many of the recordings which are believed to have been planned for the album have since been released on later albums.] Neil also mentioned that he had possessed a test pressing of the original album, but that it was destroyed in the same fire at his Malibu home. (2022-01-06)
– The film of the Honour The Treaties tour involving four solo dates in Canada in January 2014 is “nearing completion now at Lost Planet [film production company]” and “coming soon to a theatre near your living room.” (2022-01-28)
– Neil confirmed that, although several of the ten performances at the Boarding House, San Francisco in May 1978 were filmed, the movie would be taken from one night only, the same night as the video of Shots which has already been shown in Hearse Theater on NYA. The album on the other hand, he said, would include a selection of the best performances and is curated by Joel Bernstein. (2022-01-20)
– In answer to a request to put together a compilation vinyl album release of “the outtakes that didn’t make the original run of Archive box sets”, Neil said that was a good idea. “It’s been on our list for a while. We can do it as soon as time allows. We will try to get this idea out soon.” [Neil may have announced this project back in April 2019 as “studio tracks, finished records that did not become part of an album.” At one point it was given the provisional title Greatest Misses]. (2022-01-20)
– Asked if video from the 1973 Time Fades Away tour or, for example, “the early 90’s tour featuring Such a Woman” might be available on NYA, Neil replies: “Neither video seemingly exists or is available to NYA at this time.” [It seems likely that the 1990’s video mentioned may be the PBS Live in Chicago recording made at WTTW Studios on 17 Nov 1992 and broadcast on VH1.] (2022-01-20)
– Referring to the recordings of the Ducks tour from summer 1977, Neil says “The Ducks are coming in 22… [and] have a section in the Vol3 archives, although not as long as the [album in the forthcoming] bootleg series.” (2022-01-20)
– Somewhere Under The Rainbow, the Official Bootleg of the 1973 London show, will be issued mid-2022 “or sooner”. (2022-01-12)
– Asked about the latest forecasts on release dates for forthcoming projects, Neil replies: “We will be announcing some releases around a month from now.” (2022-01-12)
– Neil was asked about “Neil TV” [a free-ranging 55 minute interview with Jeanne Beker in front of a live studio audience, with audience questions, model train set, sofas etc., originally broadcast live on CityTV, Toronto, on 1 Nov 1996]. Neil says they are working on getting hold of it for NYA. [It seems they have been successful but it has not been uploaded to NYA yet.] (2022-01-12)
– Asked for more information about the mysterious announcement by NYA in August about the apparent existence of a different version of the album Barn, Neil replies: “The Counterfeit version came to be heard before the actual version and has not yet been heard by others. It will show.” [The original article said “The order was completely different from the album we made. It had edits not on the original and different lyrics on one of the songs! If you see this album anywhere, please let us know as NYA immediately. We still cannot explain it.”] (2022-01-12)
– Neil gives a “mid 22” date for the release of the Official Bootleg Series album Bottom Line/Citizen Kane Jr. Blues. “Because of uncertain times it’s hard to nail down any more than that.” He said it will be available on vinyl which is “the hardest thing to get made these days.” (2022-01-06)
– Neil has no recordings of his own of the 1969 CSNY Woodstock performance. (2022-01-06)
– The film Mountaintop from the Colorado album sessions “might get a physical release… just not sure.” (2022-12-30)
– The movie of Bridge School 1994 with debut live performances of songs from Sleeps With Angels, performed acoustic with Crazy Horse, is in preparation for release on Movietone “maybe with hi res sound”. (2022-12-30)
– The film of Neil Young in Berlin from 1983 is going to be re-released on NYA in high resolution and will be included with Archives Vol. 3. (2022-12-29)
– “I am thinking of releasing the soundtrack to Return To Greendale with parts of Vicar Street as an audio tale.” (2022-12-29)
– The triple vinyl reissue of Ragged Glory with several extra tracks is “coming in 22.” [He also mentions Freedom in the same breath, so are we talking Original Release Series #5 here?] (2022-12-22)
– Neil “believes” that his next album project will again be with Crazy Horse, “but the future is a big place you now!” (2022-12-29)
Songs
– Neil was “not happy” with some officially unreleased CSNY recordings made in 1969 – in particular Everybody’s Alone and Sea Of Madness – which found their way onto bootlegs. ”It’s the shits that they got ripped off and sold.” (2022-01-28)
– Neil says he has film of Crazy Horse at the Catalyst in 1984 playing Your Love is Good To Me and So Tired. [Film/audio from these shows may just appear in Archives Vol. 3 since the unreleased So Tired was only ever played there, as far as we know, and two other unreleased songs Your Love Is Good To Me and Rock, Rock, Rock also had premieres and very rare performances there.] (2022-01-20)
– There is apparently no studio recording of Live To Ride, only the version from the Finsbury Park Timeline Concert and “maybe another live one from the tour with Booker T.” (2022-01-12)
– Neil was asked about an old film of him playing Like A Hurricane which had been aired on TV. Neil replied that he has been looking for that and now has a clue where to look. [Most assume this was the 1976 Hammersmith Odeon performance which was included on a DVD reissue of American Stars ‘N Bars and which is likely to show up in Archives Vol. 3.] (2022-01-12)
– The original version of Interstate will appear on a new version of A Treasure that will be part of Archives Vol. 3. (2022-01-06)
– Neil says he is researching if there are any solo versions of the songs which he contributed to the CSNY album Looking Forward. [3 of the 4 songs, all except Queen Of The Mall, are available in solo versions on the Silver And Gold concert film recorded at Bass Concert Hall, Austin, Texas, 29 May 1999.] (2022-01-06)
– If You Got Love [unreleased but originally planned to appear on Trans] and the unreleased Love Hotel will be included in Archives Vol. 3. (2022-01-06 and 2022-12-30)
– The Charlie Drayton/Steve Jordan/Frank Sampedro Saturday Night Live rehearsal recordings from 1989 will be included in Archives Vol. 4. (2022-01-06)
– Shots will be included in both the film and audio versions of the Boarding House disc of Archives Vol. 3. (2022-01-05)
– A fan asked about the outtakes of “Last Dance (Stray Gators, studio ’72), New Mama (same Stray Gators session at ranch), and I think the version of Sedan Delivery from around the time of Zuma/Dume”. Neil’s answer: “Those songs are coming… they are part of about 60 other outtakes.” (2022-12-29)
Archives Volumes
– There are no plans to release the individual Blu-ray albums from Archives Vol. 3 as individual releases. [Only Blu-ray was mentioned in Neil’s answer, but I assume the same applies to the CD version as well.] (2022-01-28)
– There will be no interactive Blu-ray extras with Archives Vol. 3, such as the ‘Blu-ray Live’ feature which came with Vol. 1. (2022-01-28)
– Neil confirms that hi-res downloads will be included with both the Blu-ray and the CD versions of Archives Vol. 3. Movie soundtracks will not be separately available as audio releases unless specifically announced. (2022-01-20)
– “Movies in [Archives Vol. 3] will eventually be streaming from NYA, added while we are working on V4.” (2022-01-20)
– “There are many full capacity CDs in Volume 3… Each has its own cover. I like to make all archives CDs in volume 3 be like records on their own.” (2022-01-06)
NYA Stuff
– NYA has prepared a new Android app update after various reports of problems. (2022-01-28)
– NYA is working to upgrade the quality of some of the live video recordings available on NYA. [The letter writer was referring to HD video quality but the letter was given the title “Hearse Movietone Hi Res Audio”, so there may be some confusion here]: “We are doing them one at a time as we move forward. Some will benefit more than others. More on the way!” (2022-12-30)
Miscellaneous
– Neil says he will try to get his music up on Bandcamp, but Warner does not currently have an agreement with them. (2022-01-28)
– Neil is planning on using an electric driven tour bus exclusively in future, and will wait until it is ready before touring again: “No more dirty powered tours.” He also says: “I am buying electric trucks, using lincvolt or bio-diesel cars from now on. Do not want fossil burners on my land. I will pick up visitors and bring them in. Workers too is the plan.” (2022-01-28)
– A fan talked about Neil apparently selling original manuscripts to a university in Canada for “an archive”. Neil replied: “There was never an idea to sell…”. [Note that Neil does not refute the idea that a university is organising an archive. It should be noted that both York University and Trent University In Canada have an archive of Neil’s father Scott Young’s documents.] (2022-12-29)
– Neil does not know the brand of his upright piano, which he first used on After The Gold Rush. He says he “rented it in 1970.” (2022-12-29)
Fan Requests For…
– The two “missing” livestreams from Bakersfield 5-6 May 2018 and Detroit 3 Jul 2018 to be made available on NYA. [There were no Bakersfield livestreams, just a full length(?) fan video which did the rounds.] Neil: “I have noted your request for the group.” (2022-12-29)
– Performances from MusiCares Galas with the Horse: “We will check that.” [Neil performed I Saw Her Standing There with the Horse at the Paul McCartney Gala in 2012 and Born In The USA at the Springsteen Gala 2013.] (2022-12-29)