A kneel to Neil

After years of speculation and yet another delay last February, the much-discussed first installment of Neil Young’s Archives project is finally here. And the reason for that latest delay can now be told.

As it turns out, PBS was set to feature Young in its acclaimed American Masters documentary series. When that film could not be scheduled for a February airdate, the Archives set went back to a “TBA” status. But June 2, all editions of Archives Volume 1: 1963-1972 will be available. And June 10, PBS will air Neil Young: Don’t Be Denied (8pm on MPTV Channel 10.1). 

While the TV special is a documentary on Young’s entire career, the Archives set focuses on the years 1963-72, which many consider his most productive period. So here’s the scoop on what awaits fans in Archives Volume 1:

First, one has the choice of buying the set in a CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray edition. If you’re only interested in music, the CD is probably the way to go. For more visual embellishments like a timeline, lyrics, memorabilia, etc., go for the DVD (or Blu-Ray for the real deluxe treatment). But remember, you get what you pay for. While the eight-CD box comes in at around $75, the regular 10-DVD edition will set you back at least $200 (and the Blu-Ray an additional $100). And please be aware that two of the CD edition’s discs have already been released on their own, namely Neil Young & Crazy Horse Live at Fillmore East and Neil Young Live at Massey Hall 1971. While these are both great live albums, many fans already own both of them. In fact, the clear majority of the material in Archives Volume 1 is readily available elsewhere, a fact that will clearly disappoint those looking for a Neil Young version of Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series. That being said, the set offers a superb overview of this stage of Young’s prolific career. It’s the years after 1972 where the majority of Young’s unreleased gems lie.

So, settle back and enjoy the treasures of Neil’s early years while awaiting Archives 2, 3, 4, etc. I think it would be safe to say the wait won’t be as long for the succeeding volumes.

NOW HEAR THESE!

Various Artists, Playing for Change (CD/DVD)

Hot on the heels on our look at Starbucks music last month, the coffee folks strike again with this remarkable release, one of the year’s great musical achievements. For four years, the album’s producers have recorded musicians at various locations around the world. They then took their performances, and with some very clever editing, created some very moving renditions of classics like “Stand by Me,” Peter Gabriel’s “Biko,” and Bob Marley’s “War/No More Trouble” and “One Love.” The album’s closer of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” gave me goose bumps. The album also features a DVD with music videos of many of the songs that only serve to enhance the emotional impact and drive home the message that music is indeed the universal language. By the way, Irish Fest fans will recognize the contributions of the Omagh Community Youth Choir of Northern Ireland, who performed at last year’s fest. Playing for Change is available at regular music outlets as well as Starbucks.

Music Instinct: Science & Song, MPTV Channel 10.1, June 24, 8pm

The airdate for this documentary, coming on the eve of this year’s Summerfest, couldn’t be better. It’s an exploration as to how and why humans are moved by music, using new breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience. A number of great musicians are on hand as well, including Bobby McFerrin, Yo-Yo Ma, Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley, and deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Not to be missed.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, June 12, 8pm, and June 14, 2:30pm

When outgoing MSO Music Director Andreas Delfs first took the helm some 12 years ago, one of his stated goals was to conduct the entire cycle of the nine Mahler symphonies with the MSO. And he has presented these early 20th century Romantic masterpieces, clearly inspiration for later film composers like John Williams, some of them several times.

All of them save one: the monumental Symphony No. 8. For his final performances as music director, Delfs finally gets his wish. The work is nicknamed “The Symphony of a Thousand” for good reason: The musical forces required to pull off a performance of this symphony are staggering. Here’s a checklist of what’s required for this performance: an augmented orchestra, with some musicians playing offstage, eight vocal soloists from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the Milwaukee Children’s Chorus, and the Master Singers of Milwaukee choral group. In fact, this is only the second Milwaukee performance of this piece ever, the first taking place back in May 1973. If you can only attend one classical concert this year, mark June 12 and 14 on your calendar now. It’s sure to be an event you will be telling your kids and grandkids about in years to come. More info at mso.org, or call 291-7605.

Various Artists, Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (40th Anniversary Edition)

The 40th anniversary celebration of the Woodstock Rock Festival officially gets underway with the reissue of the movie’s soundtrack album, originally released as three LPs in 1970. It was released as a two-CD set in the ’80s, but in a rather slapdash manner, like many of the early CD releases. Rhino has polished the album to a glowing sheen for the reissue, enlisting original recording engineer Eddie Kramer to oversee the project. Album producer Eric Blackstead created an audio document of the festival that stands alone from the film, weaving a tapestry of stage announcements and intros (”Please get off those towers, gentlemen!” “The brown acid that’s been going around is not specifically too good, but it’s your trip, so be my guest, but please be aware there’s a warning on that one, okay?” “WOW! That kid’s gonna be far-out!” “This is the second time we’ve ever played in front of people, man, we’re scared s***less!”) along with some of the most memorable performances in rock history, from the likes of Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Santana, Joe Cocker, and Sly & the Family Stone. And this is just the tip of the Woodstock celebration iceberg. I’ll have more details as the summer rolls along.

Chill on the Hill series, Humboldt Park Band Shell, Tuesdays at 6pm, June 2-Sept. 1

Okay, the Jazz in the Park and River Rhythms summer concert series downtown have a longer track record, but our own Chill on the Hill series at Humboldt Park is rapidly becoming the place to spend Tuesday evenings during the summer, thanks to the wide array of free performances that have graced the bandshell stage. And this year’s lineup is great as well. For more info, go to bayviewneighborhood.org.

The Who, The Who Sell Out (Deluxe Edition)

Recently released in the UK, the movie The Boat that Rocked has been quite the hit, although we won’t see it here until the end of August (perhaps Universal felt it couldn’t hold up against all the big summer releases). It’s the story of the pirate radio stations that sprang up off the British coast during the mid-’60s when, during the height of the British Music Invasion (not to mention the great tide of music from Motown, Stax, etc.), the BBC limited the play of Top 40 records to two hours per week-that’s per week, not day! The movie’s release has spawned a raft of compilations in the UK, which we’ll deal with as the movie’s U.S. release approaches.

While The Boat that Rocked is clearly a valentine to those years, the first tribute to that era was this 1967 album, released shortly after the government shut the pirate stations down. With its mix of great Who songs like “I Can See for Miles” and “Tattoo,” hilarious commercial jingles written by the band, and actual Radio London station IDs and jingles (the only thing missing here is a DJ), it takes the listener back to that time when the pirates dragged the British public (for better or worse) into the world of American Top 40 radio. And it was the band’s cheeky reaction to the “concept albums” (i.e., Sgt. Pepper) that were all the rage in ‘67.

While later albums (Tommy, Who’s Next) would receive more critical acclaim, many diehard Who fans consider this the band’s masterpiece, truly worthy of the “deluxe” treatment. Along with a very cool booklet (featuring an informative essay from Jon Landau), the two CDs include both stereo and mono mixes of the entire album (which are markedly different, by the way), additional commercial jingles that didn’t make the original album’s final cut, and numerous outtakes and alternate versions of songs recorded during the same period (including a rollicking rendition of “In the Hall of the Mountain King”). So, fire up the CD player, and pass the Heinz Baked Beans, Mum!