News

After a 2+-year break, Neil Young is continuing his Official Release Series with new box sets on both CD and LP rounding up another four albums from the 1990s.  ORS Vol. 6 arrives October 24 on the Reprise label with newly remastered editions of Harvest Moon (1992, ORS Disc 26), Unplugged (1993, ORS Disc 27), Sleeps with Angels (1993, ORS Disc 28), and Mirror Ball (1995, ORS Disc 29).  Each disc of the limited and numbered box sets will contain the four albums with original artwork; the vinyl versions will be on two LPs each while the CDs are all single discs.

Following the heavy rock of the Crazy Horse collaborations Ragged Glory, Arc, and Weld – the latter an experimental sound collage – Young cooled down with a return to the mellow milieu of 1972’s chart-topping Harvest.  Young picked up his acoustic guitar and reteamed with co-producer/guitarist Ben Keith for Harvest Moon.  Though the songs had been written over various periods in Young’s life, they hung together cohesively.  Young and Keith were joined by many Harvest alumni including The Stray Gators (Keith on pedal steel, bassist Tim Drummond, and drummer Kenny Buttrey plus Spooner Oldham on piano; Oldham didn’t play on Harvest), arranger Jack Nitzsche, and guest vocalists James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.  Neil also brought Nicolette Larson back into the fold; the “Lotta Love” hitmaker had previously brought her harmonies to American Stars ‘n’ Bars and Comes a Time.  A beautifully wistful and mature album, Harvest Moon became Young’s most successful album in over a decade.

For his 1993 appearance on MTV’s acoustic Unplugged series, Young invited much of the personnel heard on Harvest Moon including his half-sister Astrid Young, Nicolette Larson, Ben Keith, Tim Drummond, Kenny Buttrey, and Spooner Oldham.  Crazy Horse’s Nils Lofgren also joined the band for the wide-ranging set which reached back all the way to Young’s days in Buffalo Springfield and continued straight through to Harvest Moon.  The set, a greatest-hits of a sort, also included CSNY’s “Helpless,” the Stills-Young Band’s “Long May You Run,” and such key favorites as “Like a Hurricane” and “The Needle and the Damage Done.”

1994’s Sleeps with Angels reunited Young with Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, Billy Talbot, and Ralph Molina of Crazy Horse.  One of his darkest and most ruminative albums with the group, it featured the title track inspired by the suicide of Kurt Cobain; the late Nirvana frontman had quoted Young in his suicide note.  “It fucked with me,” Young admitted in his book Waging Heavy Peace.  The result was another singular album in the iconoclastic artist’s discography and one very much reflective of its era.

Mirror Ball, released the following year, teamed “Godfather of Grunge” Young with Pearl Jam.  Produced by Brendan O’Brien, Mirror Ball was a true collaboration; the songs were Young’s (with “Peace and Love” co-written by Eddie Vedder) but the big sound and feel were redolent of Pearl Jam’s own recordings – in no small part due to O’Brien’s participation.  Especially when recording with Crazy Horse, Young often chased a spontaneous sound, and Pearl Jam was up to the challenge of capturing that spirit.  (They issued a companion EP entitled Merkin Ball which featured Young as musician and singer.)  For this presentation, four tracks (“I’m The Ocean,” “Big Green Country,” “Truth Be Known,” “Throw Your Hatred Down”) have been newly remixed by John Hanlon and Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering; the pair has also mastered the album from the original analog tapes.

All formats will be available at the Greedy Hand Store at Neil Young Archives (NYA) as well as at general retail. Greedy Hand purchases include free high-resolution audio downloads from the XStream store.  Look for Original Release Series Vol. 6 on October 24 from Reprise Records.  You’ll find the track listings and -pre-order links below.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Original Release Series Discs 26, 27, 28 & 29 (Reprise, 2025)

4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Greedy Hand
8LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Greedy Hand

Disc 1: Harvest Moon (released as Reprise 45057, 1992)

1. Unknown Legend
2. From Hank to Hendrix
3. You and Me
4. Harvest Moon
5. War of Man
6. One of These Days
7. Such a Woman
8. Old King
9. Dreamin’ Man
10. Natural Beauty

Disc 2: Unplugged (released as Reprise 45310, 1993)

1. The Old Laughing Lady
2. Mr. Soul
3. World on a String
4. Pocahontas
5. Stringman
6. Like a Hurricane
7. The Needle and the Damage Done
8. Helpless
9. Harvest Moon
10. Transformer Man
11. Unknown Legend
12. Look Out for My Love
13. Long May You Run
14. From Hank to Hendrix

All tracks recorded live at Universal City Studios, Los Angeles, CA – 2/7/1993

Disc 3: Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Sleeps with Angels (released as Reprise 45749, 1994)

1. My Heart
2. Prime of Life
3. Driveby
4. Sleeps with Angels
5. Western Hero
6. Change Your Mind
7. Blue Eden
8. Safeway Cart
9. Train of Love
10. Trans Am
11. Piece of Crap
12. A Dream That Can Last

Disc 4: Mirror Ball (released as Reprise 45934, 1995) (* indicates remixed track)

1. Song X
2. Act of Love
3. I’m the Ocean *
4. Big Green Country *
5. Truth Be Known *
6. Downtown
7. What Happened Yesterday
8. Peace and Love
9. Throw Your Hatred Down *
10. Scenery
11. Fallen Angel