Neil Young announces enormous box set ‘Archives Vol. III’

Posted On July 27, 2024July 27, 2024

Alternative rock pioneer Neil Young has announced the monumental archival release Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976 – 1987), which will give fans more content than they could possibly imagine.

The latest news comes amid a particularly busy year for the former CSNY man and his backing band, Crazy Horse. On June 28th, the group released their 47th studio album, Early Daze, a collection of unheard archival recordings from 1969. That year was significant for them, as they released their first album together, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, a record that formed key aspects of alt-rock and grunge decades before their consolidated emergence.

Ever-prolific, in April, Young and Crazy Horse released FU##IN’ UP, another archival release. Delving back into their extensive back catalogue, it reimagines staples from the past, with the original titles replaced by lyrics.

Now, Young has announced the simply enormous Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976 – 1987). Released on September 6th, the boxset features 17 CDs, boasting 121 unreleased versions of songs and 15 previously unheard tracks. There are also five Blu-rays, which contain 11 films comprised of over 14 hours of footage. Allegedly, the 28 hours of material are enough for a drive from New York to Denver. Not done there, the new offering also contains a book and poster.

Young has form for massive box sets; he released Archives Vol. I in 2009 and Archives Vol. II in 2020. For those who don’t quite have the stomach for such an extensive collection, as an alternative to Archives Vol. III, he is offering Takes, a 16-track effort featuring one cut from 16 of the 17 CDs. Pre-orders are now available for both versions, and Young has previewed the release with ‘Bright Sunny Day’.

In even more significant news, earlier this week, the Canadian legend announced that he will return to the stage in September. This follows the ‘Cinnamon Girl’ songwriter and his backing band, Crazy Horse, cancelling North American dates on their Love Earth Tour in June due to illness.

Young is confirmed to perform at Farm Aid – which he co-founded in 1985 – on September 21st in New York’s Saratoga Springs. Other acts set to appear at the annual celebration are Young’s co-founders John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson, as well as Dave Matthews, Cassandra Lewis, and Nathaniel Rateliff.

Young has performed at every Farm Aid since 2021 and 2022, so his appearance wouldn’t ordinarily raise too many eyebrows, but due to the cancelled Love Earth dates, it was unclear whether he would be there this year. He isn’t on the lineup with Crazy Horse, which suggests that the illness that cancelled the tour dates affected the band and not him, as a “couple” of their camp had been stricken.

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