Archives Update

As reported last fall, Neil Young’s ongoing development of his “archives” project was once again delayed. The news was frustrating, if not unsurprising, but many felt the first volume of the “archives” project was finally going to arrive. The project’s existence is decades old. On a few occasions, it had seemed as though the release was imminent, but ultimately a delay would always occur. The most recent delay seemed to be related to product design issues, so a 2008 first quarter release was likely the new time period.

Well, last week the news of additional delays was announced. This time, the apparent delay is due to technology. Neil has never been a fan of CDs. He hates the sound. He has on a handful of occasions said nothing will ever replace the ambiance and sound of vinyl – and he is probably right. However, vinyl will never be back as a mainstream music format. With the versatility DVD/Blu-rey technology offers, Neil has decided he wants the first volume of the “archives” to be issued as DVDs.

With the DVD/Blu-rey, Neil feels he can offer consumers a more interactive experience by allowing them to view articles, film clips, lyric sheets from the eras of individual songs. His concept is understandable from an artistic standpoint. But it is also somewhat impractical and not user-friendly.

Who really has quality time to sit in front of their computer or television for hours listening and watching multiple hours of archival Neil Young material? It is a novelty. The CD is still the preferred format of listening to music around the world. Its popularity is waning, but it certainly is the preferable choice with consumers if they are choosing between CDs or DVDs as a format for playing music. Yes, the DVD allows for top-notch sound quality and other bonuses like what Neil has suggested, but the CD offers more flexibility because it can be played anywhere.

This project should be more than a novelty. There will be a LOT of music to digest and explore. Long-time fans that have been clamoring for Neil to open up the vaults for years will want to spend significant time embracing the music – they will want to play it in the car, at the office, and on their iPod. They won’t be happy having few options and opportunities to listen to the music. Their only option for unlimited accessibility to the music will be to rip the audio from the DVD/Blu-rey files.

How can Warner Music Group agree to this and why would they? It is hard to imagine Warner and Neil’s manager wanting this to happen. If anything, Neil should offer an audio-only version as well as the grandiose version he appears to be pushing. There is still a large consumer base that does not want to be forced to embrace a technology that is not the most popular mainstream format. Shouldn’t the desire to spread the music in the most easily accessible way be a goal among not only labels, but artists as well?

This potentially goes a little deeper than Neil suddenly wanting to embrace DVD/Blu-rey technology for the “archives” project. Some believe that Neil may feel that once he finally opens the floodgates to his archives, he will no longer be seen as a relevant contemporary artist. Well, if this is true, Neil should understand that for the most part, the general music consumer does not see Neil as a mainstream musical force. While the reviews for “Greendale,” “Prairie Wind,” and “Chrome Dreams II” were pretty strong overall, no one outside of die-hard Neil Young fans really noticed. The biggest selling album he has had in years was his 2007 archival release of “Live At Massey Hall 1971.” That should say something to him. While his devoted fan base still supports his new endeavors, there is a big audience for his work from his prime years as an artist.

So, now Neil claims that his first installment of his “archives” project is definitely coming out in 2008 – and will be only available in DVD/Blu-rey format. If this is true, it will be a fantastic experience to hear some of the treasures he has had locked away in the vaults, but it will also be very difficult to find time to enjoy the music. What an exciting update Neil….