First Impressions: Archives Vol. III Takes by Neil Young

Neil Young’s Archives Vol. III, which chronicles his career from 1976 to 1987, is slated for release on September 6. It’s a mammoth set that’s available in two versions. The deluxe edition includes 17 CDs (198 tracks), five Blu-ray discs (11 films), and a 160-page book. The regular version, which is about half of the deluxe version’s hefty price, excludes the movies.

Both versions feature several unreleased albums, including the album he shelved in favor of Trans, Island in the Sun (renamed here Johnny’s Island) and Summer Songs, unreleased tracks, alternate versions and previously released gems. It’s geared toward fellow travelers, in other words, not casual fans. If you’ve never purchased a Neil Young bootleg or traded tapes/CDRs on the Rust List or Human Highway, it’s not for you. If you have, though there’s sure to be some overlap with past purchases (both official and illicit), it looks to be an essential listen.

Archives Vol. III Takes, billed as Neil’s favorite tracks from the project, is a 16-song sampler that’s being sent to folks who buy either version of the collection from the NYA store, The Greedy Hand. It’s also available to stream via the Neil Young Archives website (and perhaps elsewhere). For those thirsting for vinyl, it can be purchased as a double-LP set. My freebie CD arrived on Saturday, less than a week after ordering the deluxe edition—a big surprise, given that past purchases from Neil’s Greedy Hand store have taken weeks to land on my doorstep.

As with any excavation of the vaults, the 16 tracks include lost treasures, curios and other things that go bump in the night. The acoustic “Hey Babe,” which leads things off, hails from the “Snapshot in Time” disc, an audio vérité recording of Neil running through new songs with Nicolette Larson and Linda Ronstadt, who serve up some sweet harmonies. He says at the start that he wrote it the day before and, at the end, Linda enthuses, “That’s nice. It’s great for harmonies, too.” (If I remember the story correctly, and it will be confirmed—or denied—once Archives Vol. III is out in full, the “session” was recorded on cassette by Neil and the location was Linda’s living room in her Malibu home.)

The previously unreleased live version of “Drive Back” ups the electricity; it’s him and Crazy Horse from the Hammersmith Odeon in London on March 31, 1976. What else can be said beyond it’s Neil and the Horse?! “Hitchhiker” hails from the long-delayed album of the same name that finally hit the streets in 2017; it chronicles Neil’s drug history. Rather than rehash the resin d’être of each and every track, however, here’s a picture of what’s included along with the provided info:

One highlight is “Razor Love,” a gem from January 1984 that he re-recorded for the unofficial Harvest/Harvest Moon sequel Silver & Gold, which he released in 2000. This rendition swaps the analog feel we know and love for a digital ambiance, but is no less hypnotic. Another cool treat is the previously unreleased “Bright Sunny Day,” which sports the same rustic feel found on Ragged Glory—but some 12 years (or so) before that classic album was released.

Overall, the Takes collection is a fun travelogue that I’ve programmed into my sonic GPS. Fans will be fans, of course, and some will gripe about this or that—just as I’m sure they will with the Archives Vol. III set in full. But it’s Neil with and without Crazy Horse, and a ton of songs that, back in the day, we never dreamed would eventually be officially released. I’ve been playing it off and on the past few days, alongside Karen Jonas’ The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch, Elvis Presley’s Live 1969 collection, and other odds and ends, and it has never once failed to lead me home.

[Update 9/23: To read my thoughts on the audio half of Archives Vol. III, click here.]