VOLUME THREE // J0HNNY’S ISLAND
Hi Neil, i’m still digging Archives Vol. 3 and I was wondering if there’s any chance to get an actual album release of Johnny’s Island including Little Thing Called Love and Like An Inca. I’d love that.
Also congratulations for your show in Berlin, it was amazing!!!ink yours sincerely
Yan Ficker Ruiz
Yes I think we will be doing a vinyl release of that album soon!
Thanks
LOVE
JOHN WILL BE WITH US FOREVER
Hi NYA,
Just wanted to follow up here with a note of thanks because I’m feeling a bit adrift. John Degnan, our friend who I mentioned in my message from August 2, passed away Wednesday after a battle with cancer. John was a member of a Neil Young fan club (not sure the name) that allowed him to purchase good seats for shows. He travelled all over the country in recent years to see Neil Young.
Nine of his friends were planning to fly to Denver to see the show at Fiddler’s Green, Sept. 1. When he passed away this week, we decided to travel to Denver anyway as a celebration of John’s life. He had four of those club seats in one of the first few rows and we’re going to leave one empty for him.
Which brings me back to the thanks: thank you for all you do to support Neil Young and his many fans. We always love his shows and this show will bring comfort to a very tight-knit group of friends who will be seeing Neil Young this weekend for the first time in 38 years without our dear friend John. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Thank you,
Tim Kiefer
Well thanks! Tim and friends!
John will be with us forever.
PEAC
Thanks
LOVE neil
AMBULANCE TRUMPET
Hey Neil,
This is Jude. I’m a student at NC State University and was lucky enough to see you on tour this past year in Charlotte and Richmond. I love your music and was wondering if I could show you a video of me playing Ambulance Blues on trumpet. I understand you won’t be using Instagram anymore but I did publish the video there under the account “judesmusic421.” Maybe you could check it out?
Thanks, Jude
Thanks Jude!
I will check it out
Cool!
Thanks
LOVE
ORS 6
Shakey,
Is there any update on the release of ORS #6? I know a few months back in the letters section you mentioned a September 20-something release date—I assume things may have gotten pushed back since we have not heard officially from NYA.
Any projected release date?
Thanks!
Aaron
Aaron. I think it will be on that date. MAYBE OCTOBER BUT IT IS COMNG….
Thanks for asking
LOVE neil
BIG CRIME
Big Crime! Bravo you and the Chrome Hearts for speakin’ out, ongoing, as you’ve been doing all along. No time to be shy right about now. Great to see/hear the origin of the song on NYA.
Roll on!
Sandy
Lake of Bays,
Ontarioe children
Sandy
Thanks man!
LOVE
ACOUSTIC SOUTHERN MAN
Neil, it’s me again. Love sending these messages knowing that you actually do read them.
Anyways, saw the video for Downtown recently and it reminded me of the first time I saw the video. It was the summer where my parents were taking me to see you for the first time on the HORDE festival, I was nine, lying on the floor watching MTV before falling asleep. I remember seeing a person crowdsurfing in the video and thought to myself, is this how the Neil Young show is going to be? That HORDE show was great because I remember you doing an acoustic version of Southern Man. Highlight of the night.
Thanks for being there!
LOVE
ROCK AND ROLL END DATE?
I was thinking about the lyrics to your song, My My Hey Hey—specifically this ‘rock n roll will never die.’ Sadly it will, not because all the great artists like you have passed on; it will be because all the fans like me have left this earth. A musical artist will leave his music behind in the form of either vinyl, CD, cassette or the dreaded MP3. But fans won’t be there to listen to all the great rock n roll music. So in some ways it has already died because so many great fans are gone. It was a good run.
WOW!
What about their kids!
I think Rock and Roll will always be here. it is part of our human history
Thanks
LOVE
BIG CRIME
Thanks for the new song “Big Crime.” It needed said. We saw you at Blossom near Cleveland & it was the best. Been listening to you since On the Beach, keep after it Neil!
Bill
Thanks Bill
LOVE neil
BLOSSOM
Hi Neil I was at your show at Blossom it was an awesome show. I hope you come back, I hope it won’t be the last time you come to Ohio. It was best show ever. It would be my 4th time seeing you.
Thanks or being there
LOVE neil
BETHEL
I was at your concert on August 25 in Bethel, New York. You are fantastic. Keep it up. I’ve been following you for years. I’m 68 years old and I just think you’re one of the best.👍🏻
Thanks so much!
LOVE neil
MY MECHANICAL ENGINEER FRIEND
A Note from a 71-Year-Old Engineer in Chicago
Hi Neil,
I was at Northerly Island yesterday—it was a wonderful concert. Thank you for coming to Chicago. I’m 71 now, and over the years, listening to your incredible catalog of music has been a true delight. The sounds, the thoughtful and heartfelt lyrics—they’ve always felt special. Many thanks for all of it.
Years ago, I remember thinking, I wish I could do what Neil does—give so much to so many. I’m a mechanical engineer, so it’s a different kind of path. But your music has been a companion through it all.
Neil, long may you run.
Love, Steve Kras
Thanks!
AND LOVE
neil
BIG CRIME
Hello! My name is also Neil Young. As a fellow recording artist, a bit under 10 years ago I started performing under the name Big Crime Young to establish my own unique identity. In regards to the upcoming release of Neil Young’s song “Big Crime,” I have two things to say:
1. Incredibly funny
2. I’m ruined
Have a wonderful day,
Neil A. Young
YER GONNA MAKE IT NEIL
Thanks
LOVE neil
THE GOOD
Neil Young!
I so appreciate your new song!! I am in Milwaukee, with my husband, and we are excited to see you tonight. Thank you once again for all that you do. I find myself being hopeful. There are good people willing to stand for what is right. We all must keep on fighting the GOOD fight, and at the same time, remembering to LOVE. I believe that good will win out over evil. Eventually?? I don’t know, but I want to be on the side of truth and love, no matter what happens. Sending this to all of you, with so much LOVE!
Auntie Jean
TRUTH AND LOVE
YES AUNTIE JEAN
Thanks
LOVE
MUSIC $$$
Dear Neil
I recently had the pleasure of attending your show in Chicago. It brought back fine memories of the power of your voice and the beautiful music. I did want to make mention that my tickets were $250 for a folding chair and people standing most of the night. A round of beers for six people was $150. For many fans, ticket pricing and beverages are high for the common man to attend
That being said, I am grateful for the chance to see you perform live.
If you ever needed a break and want to spent some time at our cabin the Wisconsin River in Spring Green Wi. let me know.
With gratitude and admiration
John Finn
Thanks John
Sorry about the rising costs…..
Thanks
LOVE neil
PINE KNOB
Neil, I just wanted to say thank you to you and the band for the most amazing night of my life on August 13 at Pine Knob this year. I saw you last May 2024 too @ Pine Knob and it was incredible as well, but I was able to sit right up in the front Center in the pit and felt like I was just on cloud nine and I have Crohn’s disease and I’ve had several spine surgeries and I’ve been quite sick lately and I also just recently tragically lost my only brother in a freak accident at his work so I’ve been pretty down lately and not just the concert but listening to your music sharing things with you on the Neil Young Archives has been absolutely amazing and it gets me through some days where I’m just suffering terribly and it makes the day go by so much easier listening to your life‘s work. It means the world to me. I love you! There’s so many people out there with negative and nasty comments and I just wanted to let you know that I truly from the bottom of my heart think you are the greatest musician that’s ever lived. I just love you Neil and I wanted to say thank you!
Love you,
Rebecca in Michigan
Hi Rebecca
I love you too! Your kind words are uplifting.
Thanks
LOVE and be well
neil
LA CAVE TO BLOSSOM
Hi Neil,
Just wanted to thank you for playing Blossom Music Center, which is surrounded by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park … I flew in from Alaska to take my 95-year-old mom to the concert. She loved your songs and performance as we were in the 9th row. Mom first took me to see you at the La Cave in 1969 and then every time you came to Cleveland over the last 55 years. She never missed a performance whether CSNY, SY, or yourself. She’s 95 years old and still rocking … Also, caught your new song,BIG CRIME … Love it…
Tell your mom I love her. What a great memory to have this letter…….
I remember La Cave
The first Crazy Horse gig!!!!!!!
BIG LOVE and THANKS
Neil
3 SHOWS!
BIG CRIME
BLACKOUT THE SYSTEM
Hey Neil! Just home from a three-show road trip. Jones Beach, Bethel and Chicago! What can I say but OMG you guys rock!!!!
I too was sad you couldn’t see my happy face in the pit at Jones Beach, spent the evening dancing by the water. Bethel was an experience, spiritual I would say. Lastly there was Chicago. We were hanging outside the venue and heard unfamiliar notes coming from soundcheck, could it be a new song. Closer so we can hear … loving the beat and the words. “There’s Big Crime in DC at the White House.” Thank you Neil for speaking out and thank Rev. Billy for me too! See you in Denver—my 100th show!
Blackout the system!
Cathy Dx3
BIG LOVE TO YOU CATHY!
So glad you were there!
Neil
BETHEL WOODS
Neil, just a quick note to thank you for a great show at Bethel Woods. These days music is powerful medicine for me. I had a triple bypass in March—Music, friends & family have really helped me to recover and get stronger—and at 68, that can be a big deal.
Starting off with Ambulance Blues brought several tears to my eyes—I still play the hell out of that On The Beach record—one of my favorites. I’ve seen you perform off and on for the past 50 years. each one has brought me great joy no matter what life was throwing at me at the time.
I hope the rest of your tour goes well and that happiness and good health follow you always.
Thanks for many fond memories,
Gooney
Hey Gooney
Yer still here man!!!!
LOVE neil
BIG CRIME
Thanks for Big Crime. We can count on you Neil to step up when times call for it.
God bless you and all involved for writing and recording this song. It’s a message that must be repeated until we do something to force change.
When will the ball caps and tee shirts be available?
Bob Chitwood
Columbus GA
SOON I HOPE
Thanks
LOVE neil
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
Hi Daryl and Neil,
It is cool autumnal Friday evening here in my little Saint Paul community, listening to the early home recordings of Sandy Denny (60 year old recordings of just her expressive young voice and her guitar on a home recorder) for what must be the 10th time in just a few days as I unpack the week’s events here in the Twin Cities and around the diverse communities our Pale Blue Dot.
This is the joyous time of the Minnesota State Fair, a stone’s throw (or at least a 10-minute bicycle ride) from my home, which boasts 2 million visitors in 12 days time … One of the great outdoor music festivals … So much variety of great live music outside of the Grandstand, where Dan Patch broke the Harness Track Record and Teddy Roosevelt gave his speak softly / big stick speech (and where I saw Rush on their Time Machine tour on Alex’s birthday back in 2010)—But everywhere you turn there is music: Punk, Indie, Country, Jazz, Soul, Classical, Marching Band, heck even a Prog-Metal-Reggae fusion band jamming in one of the venues. A few years ago at the Leini Stage: George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic playing a free concert, and a few nights ago we were treated to Los Lobos.
And then there are the Art exhibits, the 4H crafts and theater, the Ecology/Biodiversity exhibits, the organic growers, and the animals, livestock….
And you have everyone from all walks of life attending: bikers, farmers, queer kids, and we are all just chilling and doing our thing.
Anyway I didn’t plan on writing anything heavy tonight. I really wanted to share with you the beauty that is St. Paul. You see in the Twin Cities, People KNOW their way around Minneapolis, but they FEEL their way around Saint Paul. Its like an old house with nooks and crannies and secret passage ways. Hidden Gems, Wooded Areas, Oak Savanah restorations. Waking up in early morning hours to see the sunrise over the Mississippi atop High Bridge. Walking the mornings as sunlight illuminates the white marble of the George Latimer Library. Strolling along Landmark Center, The St. Paul Hotel, and the Ordway … walking the grounds of the Capitol and the Women’s Suffrage memorial … having Breakfast at Mickey’s Diner on 7th Street … Checking out Guitars and Amps at Vig Guitars and Willies … Shopping Vintage Vinyl at Barely Brothers and Agharta … getting coffee at Hampden Park Co-op … and chilling among the Minnesota Wildflowers and the Trains at Bang Brewing (the oldest organic brewery in the midwest).
BUT then this week … ugh!
My brief thoughts … the rest is TL:DW (Too long, didn’t write)—Just too much of a mix … especially when I think that my daughter is the same age the Sandy Hook kids would be were they allowed to learn and grow.
For those of us who are educators, and raised in families of career educators … heck anyone who is human and feels. We all know how it delights our hearts when we witness how excited young kids are when they first get to go to school, to learn, to make friends, to have favorite teachers, favorite staff, favorite custodians, favorite classes. How excited they are when they first get to do school shopping for supplies and clothes … that milestone in their little hearts and minds as these children realize they are growing up….
Anyway dark thoughts regarding my own desire (or rather lack thereof) for continued existence often creep into my mind when I am sleep deprived, alone in the house, and allowing digital dread and doom to fill my feed.
So yesterday, I went to work with my Vig family, and chatted with many friends last night at Schooner who sought me out to hug me. That was quite unexpected and very touching. Thank you all for that.
Last night filling in again on bass with Scott Allen and the List, I may not have played my best, but I felt the full raucous and cathartic energy of the room … of the band … like a Jackson Pollock breaking out of the lines of order … (or something like that metaphor 😉. It was a good musical family as we came together as a room sharing our collective grief and love.
And that is all I have got to say about that.
Anyway … Daryl and Neil, thank you for your time. My friends have been reminding me that Joy is a Form of Resistance … and Resilience.
Love ya both and thank you. I’m gonna drink some more water and immerse my thoughts with some more Sandy Denny.
Love Peace ~ Love Earth
Xenia
Xenia
PEACE. Take care and love yourself.
Thanks for being there
LOVE neil
EVERYTHING THEY HAD
Dear Neil,
Thanks again for rescheduling Chicago in order for us to experience a terrific night of music. (You paid Daytona Beach the same makeup favor in 1986—a man of his word.)
And congratulations on assembling a dynamite band—the Chrome Hearts were fabulous. Everyone seemed to give it everything they had, and together you all produced a great performance of some masterpiece compositions.
Special kudos to Trouper Oldham!
Best wishes,
Brandy
BIG CRIME
Big Crime
Power to the people!
Right on.
Peace and Love
Jason
SHOOTING STAR!
Hi Neil,
I was at your show at Bethel Woods and early on during your set the biggest shooting star I’ve ever seen in my life streaked over all of us. Pretty serendipitous!
Sam B
GREAT Sam!
Thanks
LOVE neil
BIG CRIME
Hi Neil,
I just want to take a moment to thank you for two fantastic nights here in the Midwest. My friend Taylor and I attended both your Chicago and Milwaukee concerts. The concerts were exactly what we needed. I especially enjoyed the new song “Big Crime”! It’s been stuck in my head for a few days now and I’m loving it.
For what it’s worth, I really appreciate how your set seems to balance songs that speak to the dark reality of the times we are in, yet also messages of hope in tracks like Looking Forward, Long Walk Home, and Name of Love.
Thank you very much for continuing to play live. I really appreciated the opportunity to see you perform with the Chrome Hearts and particularly enjoyed your set selections. They were a perfect fit for this moment in time.
I hope to see you and the Hearts or the Horse somewhere further up the road 🙂
Doug
Thanks Doug!
Hope to see you!
LOVE neil
BIG CRIME
RIGHT AND WRONG
Hello Mr Young: I’ve been a fan since the late 60s. Just had to comment about your new song Big Crime. I disagree whole heartedly with your protest song. President Trump and his administration are doing things for the people of this country that is long overdue.The last administration was probably the worst this country has had with a senile puppet as president
and a dunce clueless vice president. Since our county has the first amendment you have the right to sing or say what you want. I remember reading on the archive site your message was this tour was to be fun celebrate the music and you even invited President Trump to attend. You do live in Canada now so when you visit and tour in this country condemning our President is in bad taste and you offend some of your fans performing the Big Crime song. I go to concerts to escape from the news and issues of the day and just listen to the music and have a good time not to be preached to. I hope you read this but you probably won’t.
Sincerely Jero Di Leva “Patron” member
Hi Jero
I read every letter every week.
My message about a tour without politics was before Trump put troops on the streets of Washington and I was wrong.
I am not preaching. Those are your weak words. I am telling the story the way I see it.
America, where i have lived for 55 years and still live and pay taxes and have citizenship, is a great country where we are all free to speak our minds and sing our songs.
I strongly dislike President Trump’s ideas.-
White supremacy is so old fashioned , weak and wrong.
Targeting people of color is wrong, un – American and and weak.
Putting Troops on our streets, against the wishes of that state’s governor, is wrong.
Targeting Democratic cities is wrong and weak.
Sexual abuse of young girls is wrong, sick, and illegal.
ICE troops in unmarked cars with no ID is un-Amercan and wrong.
Telling lies to American people daily is wrong.
Denying that Medicaid has been cut while it has is wrong, It will affect older folks health and that is wrong.
Targeting black women and getting them fired from life-long jobs is wrong.
You are wrong in my opinion, to support the man who does the things on this incomplete list – and lies about them daily to the American people who voted for him.
If offending you with my heart-felt song is a problem, Don’t listen to it. That is your right, just as it is my right to sing it. This is reality and it is not wrong.
The laws of this great country must be followed or must be changed, in that correct order.
I voted on the issues of the day and just wanted to live in America and not to be lied to. I will openly condemn any president who lies and does not live up to his promises, as is my right as an American. I will vote again in couple of years and we will win.
I hope you read this.
That said Jero, I wish you well!
Thanks
LOVE neil
PEARL JAM
Hi Neil any chance of doing another record and tour with Pearl Jam?
Who knows! The future is so big.
Thanks
LOVE neil
TOUGH SUMMER
It’s been a tough summer for many, including me. National news, gun violence impacting Minnesota communities, and some personal shit weighing on me. There are more verses of Ambulance Blues that read autobiographical than I care to admit right now.
I’ve needed something to get me out of a rut. With that in mind I decided to drive to Milwaukee to see the Chrome Hearts. I hadn’t seen you live since the ’19 Polar Vortex shows and haven’t seen Ol’ Black even longer than that.
It was just what I needed: Sonic sympathy, kick in the ass and hug all in one. Thanks for lifting my spirits. Peace and Safe Travels to all on tour the rest of the way—look forward to another dose at Farm Aid.
Thanks!!
KEEP ON!
LOVE neil
CHICAGO / GREENDALE
Neil,
Just wanted to write a thank you for the amazing show you put on in Chicago this past Wednesday. It was the perfect evening for a show on the lakefront and well worth the wait after last year. It was great to hear you pull out some of the Greendale songs after so many years. Greendale was my first concert I attended at four years old. As my dad and I were leaving the venue he mentioned to me that was the best Neil show he had ever seen in the 50+ years he’s been attending them. Thank you for the music and great time!
Nicky
P.S. Don’t wait another seven years to come back to Chicago!
Thanks Nicky
LOVE neil
VENUE NAMES
I feel an amends is in order for my previous letter—The folks at Meadowbrook got my ticket issue worked out at the door before Rev. Bill began his sermon. Earthalujah!! and we were able to gift some pit ticks to some unsuspecting and very grateful fans. Having said that—you may not like the name of the place but they got you primed for one of the tightest sets we have seen from you this tour. Thx for Sun Green. In as much as you hate the “corporate money purchased names of many theaters,” you should give the Gilford property a pass—that place is as special as the people working there. Love Spooner’s nurses—See you on 9/20.
Scott Martin, Virgin Islands
Scott, I don’t hate.
I just think music venues should have uplifting open and free names. I do not want to sing on a stage named after a product. I want to sing on a stage named after something free that is for all.
Have a great time at the concert
Thanks!
LOVE neil