On Relaxation, Neil Young’s Archives Vol. III & 10,000 Maniacs’ MTV Unplugged

I’d hoped to relax the day away by cranking Neil Young’s massive Archives Vol. III, which spans 14 hours of audio and 14 hours of video. I assumed the physical set wouldn’t reach me today, as The Greedy Hand store is notorious for slow deliveries. Between now and whenever it arrives, I’d hoped to use the provided download code to, you know, download the tracks and listen to them.

But the download store is having its own delivery issues—and not just for me, but all fans who pre-ordered the set. The issue was blared out by the Neil Young Archives’ handy Times-Contrarian newspaper early this morning and by The Greedy Hand itself, via an email blast, a few hours later. They said the issue would be resolved “soon.” By that, I assume they mean next week. It’s a major disappointment.

So, instead, I’m enjoying the vinyl release of 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged, which arrived on my front porch a few minutes ago. It’s an album I know well, as the original CD—Natalie Merchant’s swan song with the group—was in heavy rotation in my household during the fall and winter of 1993-94. Those are days I remember. Never before and never since, I promise, was the whole world as warm—and I’m not talking climate change. Diane and I were young, in love and having fun, heading into the city to visit friends and/or attend concerts every week. Life was on the upswing.

“Hey Jack Kerouac” is spinning from the turntable as I type. Is there a better song than it? Of course. But in the moment? No. The way it speaks of “hip flask slinging madman,” “steaming cafe flirts” and “howling at night,” and addresses Allen Ginsberg—all to a swirling, twirling melody, no less—trades generational angst for a celebration of the beats, faults and alls. It’s not the best version of the song, but it’s a gas all the same. (The best version, at least for me, was the one they performed at the ActionAIDS benefit in September 1992, when the Mighty Max Weinberg sat in on drums and the JB Horns blasted away on the chorus.)

Anyway, I’ll likely write about the double-LP set in full on Sunday or Monday. It’s a nostalgic listen, for sure, with a wealth of memories to draw on. In the meantime, however, watching the LP spin around the turntable is proving a meditative elixir for what’s been an otherwise annoyance-filled day.