Neil Young has announced a big fall release: the third - and biggest - box set in his long-running Archives series.

Archives Vol. III (1976-1987), slated for release September 6, will span in its deluxe form a whopping 17 CDs and five Blu-rays boasting a broad array of songs and film footage: 15 unreleased songs, 121 unreleased tracks and 11 full-length films (four of them unreleased). Housed in a box identical to Archives Vol. I (1963-1972) (2009) and Archives Vol. II (1972-1976) (2020), the set will also include a 160-page hardcover booklet "chronologically illustrated with archive materials, detailed descriptions of the music, and a fold-out timeline of the period," and 14 custom digipak sleeves for each "album" and Blu-ray Disc. The deluxe set is limited to 5000 copies; a less limited edition will feature just the CDs and a 36-page book of liner notes, housed in the same "Gary-pak" as the standard Archives boxes, designed by Young's late designer Gary Burden.

The period covered in Archives Vol. III is one of Young's most unique, a period that saw him release acclaimed studio and live efforts both solo (Comes a Time, Hawks & Doves) and with Crazy Horse (American Stars 'N Bars, Rust Never Sleeps, Live Rust, RE-AC-TOR). In the '80s, the iconic rocker jumped ship from longtime label home Reprise Records for an intriguing tenure on Geffen Records, including the striking synth-driven Trans (1982), the rockabilly venture Everybody's Rockin' (1983), Old Ways (1984) and Landing on Water (1986). This period is also celebrated for several projects that later became part of Young's ongoing Archives series, including the spare 1976 session released in 2017 as Hitchhiker and the legendary Chrome Dreams, a 1977 assembly finally officially released last year.

Among the discoveries of the new box set are audio and video of Across the Water, a 1976 account of Young and Crazy Horse's European and Japanese tour; A Snapshot in Time, featuring rehearsal audio by Young with singers Nicolette Larson and Linda Ronstadt; live sets with The Ducks and Devo (as part of a 1978 residency at the Boarding House in San Francisco; and films including the concert films Rust Never Sleeps and Solo Trans, the scripted comedy Human Highway (1982), starring and co-directed by Young (under his pseudonym "Bernard Shakey") and the documentary Muddy Track, shot during Crazy Horse's 1986/1987 tour but not screened until 2015. The unreleased song "Bright Sunny Day" is now streaming, with additional unheard songs "Winter Winds," "Lady Wingshot" (from a 1977 performance with Larson) and a live version of "Thrasher" from the Boarding House gigs being made available over the next month.

Pre-orders of the deluxe set from Young's web site will also include a 16-track promo sampler disc from the set called Takes and a Neil Young Archives lapel pin. You can order either version of the box at the links below; as an Amazon affiliate, we earn a small portion from qualifying purchases at those links.

Archives Vol. III (1976-1987) (Reprise, 2024)

17CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
17CD/5BD Deluxe Set: Official Store

* previously unreleased version
** previously unreleased original
+ previously unreleased song

CD 1: Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Across the Water I (1976) *

1. Let It Shine (Live)
2. Mellow My Mind (Live)
3. Too Far Gone (Live)
4. Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Live)
5. A Man Needs a Maid (Live)
6. No One Seems to Know (Live)
7. Heart of Gold (Live)
8. Country Home (Live)
9. Don't Cry No Tears (Live)
10. Cowgirl in the Sand (Live) (Alternate Mix)
11. Lotta Love (Live)
12. The Losing End (When You're On) (Live)
13. Southern Man (Live)
14. Cortez the Killer (Live)

CD 2: Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Across the Water II (1976) *

1. Human Highway (Live)
2. The Needle and the Damage Done (Live)
3. Stringman (Live) (Alternate Mix)
4. Down by the River (Live)
5. Like a Hurricane (Live)
6. Drive Back (Live)
7. Cortez the Killer (Live)
8. Homegrown (Live)

CD 3: Hitchhikin' Judy (1976-1977)

1. Rap
2. Powderfinger
3. Captain Kennedy
4. Hitchhiker
5. Give Me Strength
6. The Old Country Waltz
7. Rap
8. Too Far Gone
9. White Line
10. Mr. Soul
11. A Man Needs a Maid
12. Journey Through the Past
13. Campaigner
14. The Old Laughing Lady
15. The Losing End (When You're On)
16. Rap
17. Helpless
18. Four Strong Winds
19. Rap
20. Will to Love - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
21. Lost in Space **

Tracks 2 and 4-6 previously released on Hitchhiker - Reprise 560639, 2017
Track 3 previously released on Hawks & Doves - Reprise HS 2297, 1980
Tracks 8-15 previously released on Songs for Judy - Shakey Pictures Records 574192, 2018
Track 17 previously released on The Last Waltz - Warner Bros. 3WS 3146, 1978
Track 18 previously released on The Last Waltz (Deluxe Edition) - Rhino R2 78278, 2002
Track 20 previously released on American Stars 'N Bars - Reprise MSK 2261, 1977

CD 4: Snapshot in Time (1977) (with Nicolette Larson & Linda Ronstadt)

1. Rap
2. Hold Back the Tears
3. Rap
4. Long May You Run *
5. Hey Babe *
6. The Old Country Waltz *
7. Hold Back the Tears *
8. Peace of Mind *
9. Sweet Lara Larue *
10. Bite the Bullet *
11. Saddle Up the Palomino *
12. Star of Bethlehem *
13. Bad News Comes to Town *
14. Motorcycle Mama *
15. Rap
16. Hey Babe
17. Rap
18. Barefoot Floors *

Track 2 previously released on Chrome Dreams - Reprise 093624869351, 2023
Track 16 previously released on American Stars 'N Bars - Reprise MSK 2261, 1977

CD 5: The Ducks, Windward Passage (1977)

1. Rap
2. I Am a Dreamer
3. Sail Away **
4. Wide Eyed and Willin'
5. I'm Tore Down
6. Little Wing
7. Hey Now
8. Windward Passage (Edit) *
9. Cryin' Eyes **

Tracks 2, 4-7 and full version of 8 previously released on High Flyin' - Shakey Pictures Records 093624885054, 2023

CD 6: Oceanside Countryside (1977)

1. Rap
2. Field of Opportunity (Alternate Mix) *
3. It Might Have Been *
4. Dance Dance Dance *
5. Rap
6. Pocahontas (Alternate Mix) *
7. Peace of Mind (Alternate Mix) *
8. Sail Away (Alternate Mix) *
9. Human Highway (Alternate Mix) *
10. Comes a Time *
11. Lost in Space
12. Goin' Back (Alternate Mix) *

Track 11 previously released on Hawks & Doves - Reprise HS 2297, 1980

CD 7: Union Hall (1977) (with Nicolette Larson)

1. Comes a Time
2. Love/Art Blues *
3. Rap
4. Are You Ready for the Country? *
5. Dance Dance Dance/Love is a Rose *
6. Old Man *
7. The Losing End (When You're On) *
8. Heart of Gold *
9. Already One *
10. Lady Wingshot +
11. Four Strong Winds *
12. Down by the River *
13. Alabama *
14. Are You Ready For the Country? (Reprise) *
15. Rap
16. We're Having Some Fun Now +
17. Rap
18. Please Help Me, I'm Falling *
19. Motorcycle Mama

Tracks 1 and 19 released on Comes a Time - Reprise MSK 2266, 1978

CD 8: Boarding House I (1978) *

1. Rap
2. Shots (Live)
3. Thrasher (Live)
4. The Ways of Love (Live)
5. Ride My Llama (Live)
6. Sail Away (Live)
7. Pocahontas (Live)
8. Human Highway (Live)
9. Already One (Live)
10. Birds (Live)
11. Cowgirl in the Sand (Live)
12. Sugar Mountain (Live)
13. Powderfinger (Live)
14. Comes a Time (Live)

CD 9: Boarding House II (1978) (with Devo) *

1. Rap
2. Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) *
3. Back to the Boarding House
4. My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) (Live) *
5. Homegrown (Live) *
6. Down by the River (Live) *
7. After the Gold Rush (Live) *
8. Out of My Mind (Live) *
9. Dressing Room

CD 10: Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Sedan Delivery (1978)

1. Bright Sunny Day +
2. The Loner
3. Welfare Mothers
4. Lotta Love
5. Sedan Delivery
6. Cortez the Killer
7. Tonight's the Night
8. Powderfinger
9. When You Dance, I Can Really Love
10. Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)

Tracks 2, 4, 6-7 and 9 previously released on Live Rust - Reprise HS 2295, 1979
Tracks 3, 5, 8 and 10 previously released on Rust Never Sleeps - Reprise 2RX 2296, 1979

CD 11: Coastline (1980-1981)

1. Coastline
2. Stayin' Power
3. Hawks and Doves
4. Comin' Apart At Every Nail
5. Union Man
6. Winter Winds +
7. Southern Pacific
8. Opera Star
9. Rapid Transit
10. Sunny Inside **
11. Surfer Joe and Moe the Sleaze
12. Get Up +

Tracks 1-5 previously released on Hawks & Doves - Reprise HS 2297, 1980
Tracks 7-9 and 11 previously released on RE-AC-TOR - Reprise HS 2304, 1981

CD 12: Trans (1981) and Johnny's Island (1982)

1. Rap
2. Sample and Hold
3. Mr. Soul
4. Computer Cowboy
5. We R in Control
6. Computer Age
7. Transformer Man
8. Rap
9. Johnny +
10. Island in the Sun +
11. Rap
12. Silver & Gold *
13. If You Got Love *
14. Raining in Paradise +
15. Big Pearl +
16. Hold On to Your Love
17. Soul of a Woman **
18. Rap
19. Love Hotel +

Tracks 2-7 and 16 previously released on Trans - Geffen GHS 2018, 1982

CD 13: Evolution (1983-1984)

1. California Sunset **
2. My Boy **
3. Old Ways *
4. Depression Blues
5. Cry, Cry, Cry
6. Mystery Train
7. Payola Blues
8. Betty Lou's Got a New Pair of Shoes
9. Bright Lights, Big City
10. Rainin' in My Heart
11. Get Gone **
12. I Got a Problem **
13. Hard Luck Stories **
14. Your Love *
15. If You Got Love *
16. Razor Love **

Track 4 previously released on Lucky Thirteen - Geffen GEF 24452, 1993
Tracks 5-10 previously released on Everybody's Rockin' - Geffen GHS 4013, 1983

CD 14: Grey Riders (1984-1986) (with The International Harvesters)

1. Amber Jean **
2. Get Back to the Country **
3. Are You Ready for the Country?
4. It Might Have Been
5. Bound for Glory
6. Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
7. Soul of a Woman
8. Misfits (Dakota) (Live) *
9. Nothing is Perfect *
10. Time Off for Good Behavior +
11. This Old House **
12. Southern Pacific
13. Interstate (Live) *
14. Grey Riders

Tracks 3-7, 12 and 14 previously released on A Treasure - Reprise 527650, 2011

CD 15: Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Touch the Night (1984) *

1. Rock (Live) +
2. So Tired (Live) +
3. Violent Side (Live)
4. I Got a Problem (Live)
5. Your Love (Live) +
6. Barstool Blues (Live)
7. Welfare Mothers (Live)
8. Touch the Night (Live)

All tracks recorded live at The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA - 2/7/1984

CD 16: Road of Plenty (1984-1986)

1. Drifter
2. Hippie Dream
3. Bad News Beat
4. People on the Street
5. Weight of the World
6. Pressure
7. Road of Plenty +
8. We Never Danced **
9. When Your Lonely Heart Breaks **

Tracks 1-6 previously released on Landing on Water - Geffen 24109, 1986

CD 17: Summer Songs (1987) **

1. Rap
2. American Dream
3. Someday
4. For the Love of Man
5. One of These Days
6. Wrecking Ball
7. Hangin' on a Limb
8. Name of Love
9. Last of His Kind
10. Rap

Blu-ray 1: Across the Water *

Blu-ray 2: Boarding House * and Rust Never Sleeps

Blu-ray 3: Human Highway, Trans * and Berlin

Blu-ray 4: Solo Trans, Catalyst * and A Treasure

Blu-ray 5: In a Rusted Out Garage and Muddy Track