Neil Young’s Long-Promised ‘Archives Vol. II’ Boxed Set Is a November Reality

Chris Willman
·5 min read
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Eleven years after Neil Young put the first volume out — and maybe 11 years before fans thought they’d ever see the long-promised project — his “Archives Vol. II: 1972-1976” has officially landed on the release schedule for Nov. 20, as a 10-CD boxed set covering one of the most beloved parts of the musician’s career.

It’s not an all-rarities set, but of the 131 tracks included, almost half have never been released before. The collection promises 12 Young compositions that have never seen release in any form, and another 49 that are alternate versions of familiar Young songs from the mid-’70s.

The brick-like shape of the box mirrors that of 2009’s “Archives Vol. 1: 1963-1972,” for handy shelf companionship. It may prove elusive for some fans who bought the first set, though, as an unboxing video says there will only be 3,000 copies available worldwide of the physical set, which is only being sold through the Neil Young Archives website. The digital version, obviously, will have no such limits.

The set covers a period in which Young put out four solo albums, “Time Fades Away,” “On the Beach,” “Tonight’s the Night” and “Zuma” — or encompasses five, including the recent release of the previously shelved “Homegrown” — plus the Stephen Stills/Young duo project “Long May You Run.”

The unreleased live and studio material includes Young performing solo in concert and also with Crazy Horse, the Stray Gators, the Santa Monica Flyers, the Stills/Young Band and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Also included in the physical sets are a 252-page hardbound book, a foldout timeline, high-res digital files, a poster and a one-year membership to Young’s subscription site.

Disc 1, titled “Everybody’s Alone (1972-73),” starts the set off with the first of its completely unreleased songs, “Letter from ‘Nam,” and also includes from that category the intriguingly titled “Sweet Joni,” “Goodbye Christians on the Shore” and “Come Along and Say You Will” as well as alternate versions of familiar tracks like “Time Fades Away” and “Human Highway.”

The second disc, “Tuscaloosa,” consists entirely of a recently released live album from 1973. Disc 4 similarly revives the “Roxy: Tonight’s the Night Live” album, with the addition of one previously unavailable bonus track, “The Losing End.”

Disc 3 features the “Tonight’s the Night” album augmented with three previously unreleased tracks, including a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Raised on Robbery.”

Other discs range from a repeat of the recently released “Homegrown” album, which comprises all of disc 7, to “This Old Homestead,” a disc of almost entirely unreleased material from 1974. The final disc in the set, “Odeon Budokan,” is a never-released 10-track concert album from 1976.

The complete track list:

* = previously unreleased song
** = new unreleased version

Disc 1 (1972-1973)
Everybody’s Alone
Letter From ‘Nam *
Monday Morning **
The Bridge **
Time Fades Away **
Come Along and Say You Will *
Goodbye Christians on the Shore *
Last Trip to Tulsa
The Loner **
Sweet Joni *
Yonder Stands the Sinner
L.A. (Story)
L.A. **
Human Highway **

Disc 2 (1973)
Tuscaloosa
Here We Are in the Years
After the Gold Rush
Out on the Weekend
Harvest
Old Man
Heart of Gold
Time Fades Away
Lookout Joe
New Mama
Alabama
Don’t Be Denied

Disc 3 (1973)
Tonight’s the Night
Speakin’ Out Jam **
Everybody’s Alone **
Tired Eyes
Tonight’s the Night
Mellow My Mind
World on a String
Speakin’ Out
Raised on Robbery (Joni Mitchell song) *
Roll Another Number
New Mama
Albuquerque
Tonight’s the Night Part II

Disc 4 (1973)
Roxy: Tonight’s the Night Live
Tonight’s the Night
Mellow My Mind
World on a String
Speakin’ Out
Albuquerque
New Mama
Roll Another Number
Tired Eyes
Tonight’s the Night Part II
Walk On
The Losing End **

Disc 5 (1974)
Walk On
Winterlong
Walk On
Bad Fog of Loneliness **
Borrowed Tune
Traces #
For the Turnstiles
Ambulance Blues
Motion Pictures
On the Beach
Revolution Blues
Vampire Blues
Greensleeves *

Disc 6 (1974)
The Old Homestead
Love/Art Blues **
Through My Sails **
Homefires *
Pardon My Heart **
Hawaiian Sunrise **
LA Girls and Ocean Boys *
Pushed It Over the End **
On the Beach **
Vacancy **
One More Sign **
Frozen Man *
Give Me Strength **
Bad News Comes to Town **
Changing Highways **
Love/Art Blues **
The Old Homestead
Daughters *
Deep Forbidden Lake
Love/Art Blues **

Disc 7 (1974)
Homegrown
Separate Ways
Try
Mexico
Love Is a Rose
Homegrown
Florida
Kansas
We Don’t Smoke It No More
White Line
Vacancy
Little Wing
Star of Bethlehem

Disc 8 (1975)
Dume
Ride My Llama **
Cortez the Killer
Don’t Cry No Tears
Born to Run *
Barstool Blues
Danger Bird
Stupid Girl
Kansas **
Powderfinger **
Hawaii **
Drive Back
Lookin’ for a Love
Pardon My Heart
Too Far Gone **
Pocahontas **
No One Seems to Know **

Disc 9 (1976)
Look Out for My Love
Like a Hurricane
Lotta Love
Lookin’ for a Love
Separate Ways **
Let It Shine **
Long May You Run
Fontainebleau
Traces **
Mellow My Mind **
Midnight on the Bay **
Stringman **
Mediterranean *
Ocean Girl **
Midnight on the Bay **
Human Highway **

Disc 10 (1976)
Odeon Budokan
The Old Laughing Lady **
After the Gold Rush **
Too Far Gone **
Old Man **
Stringman **
Don’t Cry No Tears **
Cowgirl in the Sand **
Lotta Love **
Drive Back **
Cortez the Killer **

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