Here's my impressions of the Archives 3 so far. I'm already familiar with some of the music on it, so I'll just talk about the stuff that really stands out to me.
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Discs 3 - The last track - an alternate version of Lost In Space. This is a personal favorite so it's especially cool to hear a different version of it.
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Disc 4 - Nicolette and Linda sound so beautiful singing along with Neil. I loved their singing on the albums American Stars n Bars and Comes A Times, so this is a special? treat. A reminder of how much I love hearing them and shines a new light on the songs.
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Disc 5 - The Ducks sound like a very soulful, spirited bar band that I'd stumble across by accident when going on a road trip. I like the equitable way this disc is made, with all the members contributing a song, a couple instrumentals, and a few Neil songs. There's something very good-natured and fun about this. They all seem to be in a friendly, welcoming mood.
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Disc 6 - Similar to Disc 4 in that I hear fresh takes on songs I'm familiar with. Goin' Back and (another alternate version of) Lost In Space stand out. Also, another version of the beloved song Peace Of Mind (there's also an alternate version on disc 4).?
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Disc 7 - Hearing Nicolette and Neil singing together is just such a beautiful thing. The gentle way she harmonizes with him. In a way, this box set is a tribute to her.
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Discs 8 and 9 - Seeing and hearing Neil in a solo format has a certain purity to it.? I especially love Shots, which is much different than the Reactor version. More sensitive. Out Of My Mind sounds particularly good too. His earlier songs have a more "heart on my sleeve" quality to me than his later ones.
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Disc 10 - Bright Sunny Day has a certain brightness and optimism to it. And a gentle kind of quality too. Recorded around the time of Rust Never Sleeps, but sounds very different to me than any of the songs from that album.
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Dics 11 - Winter Winds (which I could see appearing on Hawks and Doves, which was recorded around the same time), Sunny Inside (which has a Booker T. and the MG's vibe) and Get Up are all interesting. Get Up was recorded around the same time as Reactor, but sounds less rigid than those songs.
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Disc 12 - To me, this has some of the most interesting stuff on the whole collection. Songs that were recorded around the same time as the non-computerized songs on Trans. Rainin' In Paradise, Love Hotel and Johnny are especially memorable to me. The non-computer songs on Trans were great, and I was always curious to hear other songs from this period.?
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Disc 13 - This disc is called "Evolution" and that's an appropriate title. This one goes all over the place stylistically, but Neil's sensibillity runs through all of it. Some country, some 50's music (which I've come to appreciate more over the years) and the stuff I like the most: alternate versions of I Got A Problem and Hard Luck Stories. I loved these songs on the Landing On Water album and it's nice to hear them again, with Neil playing all the instruments.
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Disc 14 - Live at the Boarding House with Crazy Horse. At first, this almost seems too hard-edged, but once he gets to Violent Side and I Got A Problem, it gets into this unique groove that's really cool. I can just imagine being in the audience at this.? The long version of Touch The Night at the very end is especially good.
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Disc 15 - Neil's country stuff is something that's gotten more interesting to me over the years. On this disc, I especially like Misfits (Dakota), Grey Riders and Interstate. It's an interesting period, because Neil's earlier music had something of a country music quality, but to hear him embrace that style whole-heartedly is something else entirely. He really has a good groove going with his entire band. Spooner, Rufus, etc. He lets all the players shine.
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Disc 16 - The last few songs on this are particularly interesting. Road Of Plenty, which has the same music as the song Eldorado. Similar to that song, the lyrics tell a story which unfolds like a movie.? And alternate versions of We Never Danced and When Your Lonely Heart Breaks. On the Life album, I loved the songs but they seemed a little over-produced, so it's gratifying to hear different versions that are a little more "opened out" sounding.
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Ian
silver wings of morning
Ian Rosen