Neil Young continues his occasional ‘Official Release Series’ box sets with Volume 5. It features remastered editions of ‘Freedom’, ‘Ragged Glory’, ‘Weld’ and ‘Arc’. 9LP vinyl or 6CD, a stunning collection of four albums that begins with the exciting renaissance that came with the release of “Freedom” in 1989, and continues on the unequalled exploration of collections “Ragged Glory” (1990), “Weld” (1991) and “Arc” (1991). In many ways, it is a musical travelogue of how Young saw the future and opened up creative worlds for the use of sound and originality which had not been used before. Like all the reissues in this series, the albums are remastered from the best source available – original analog tape in most cases. For the four albums in the series, this is the first time they have been remastered. In addition on “Ragged Glory”, the 10-song original album is expanded for this re-issue with 4 rare tracks. “Interstate” and “Don’t Spook The Horse” were both B-sides to singles. “Box Car” and the 12 minute “Born To Run” are both previously unreleased versions.
Neil Young continues his occasional Official Release Series box sets with a new volume (No 5) which brings together four albums released as the 1980s turned into the 1990s.
The albums are 1989’s “Freedom”, “Ragged Glory” from 1990, the live album “Weld” and it’s experimental companion, “Arc” (both 1991). These are discs 22, 23+, 24 and 25 in the series.
The “Freedom” studio album relaunched Young’s career to a certain degree and features a mix of musicians and sessions. It includes the NY anthem ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’. “Ragged Glory” saw Neil reunited with his Crazy Horse band and was recorded a Young’s Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern California.
The Live album “Weld” comprises performances recorded on the tour to promote the “Ragged Glory” album. It was originally issued as a 3-disc set with “Arc”, an experimental 35-minute outburst of feedback, improvisation, guitar solos and vocal fragments.
There are two box sets. One is a 9LP offering (pressed on 180g black vinyl) with “Freedom” as a 2LP set, “Ragged Glory” and “Weld” as 3LP packages and “Arc” as a single vinyl record. All box sets are numbered. Like all the reissues in this series, the albums are remastered from the best source available, the original analogue tape in most cases. This is, in fact, the first time any of these four albums have been remastered.
| RAGGED GLORY (1990) is a non-stop celebration for the music Neil Young & Crazy Horse are still creating at full force and was recorded at Young’s Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern California. The 10-song original album is expanded for this re-issue with 4 rare tracks. “Interstate” and “Don’t Spook The Horse” were both B-sides to singles. “Box Car” and the 12 minute “Born To Run” are both previously unreleased versions. The 4 additional songs have resulted with the album expanded to 3 LPs and 2 CDs. |
| WELD (1991) is one of the most groundbreaking albums of Neil Young’s history. It’s a live album recorded with Crazy Horse after the release of RAGGED GLORY. It was from a wildly creative period of the band’s history, and as Neil Young has often done, gave notice that he was a rock & roll originator who could never be second-guessed. |
| ARC (1991) is the live companion collection to WELD, and at the time generated the kind of musical notoriety that has often marked Young’s creations. ARC is a 35-minute outburst of feedback, improvisation, guitar solos and vocal fragments. This marks the album’s first release on vinyl. |
The Original Release Series Volume 5 is available as a vinyl box set of the original four albums on 9 vinyl LPs and as a 4-CD set. Like all the reissues in this series, the albums are remastered from the best source available — original analog tape in the case of “Ragged Glory”. For the four albums in the series, this is the first time they have been remastered for vinyl. The CD of “Ragged Glory” has also been remastered.
The Original Release Series Volume 5 box will be released on 14th July 2023, via Warner Music. This Official Release Series box marks the album’s first release on vinyl.
The Fat Angel Sings 