Groundbreaking. Neil has put all his music online for streaming, for free (for now), at the highest resolution possible (if you're set up for it—CD or MP3 quality if you're not).
Mike
(Thanks to Bobby B.)
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OMG! Amazing!!! Thanks for the link Mike, simply an amazing site.
[I am, as our English friends say, gobsmacked. --Mike]
Posted by: Richard Ripley | Saturday, 02 December 2017 at 08:47 PM
I'm seeing a blank screen. Is this an editorial comment on Neil's music?
Posted by: karamanoğlu | Saturday, 02 December 2017 at 11:24 PM
What a rabbit hole this is.
No trouble streaming master quality over wireless and through a VPN.
Thanks, Mike
Posted by: emptyspaces | Saturday, 02 December 2017 at 11:56 PM
Seconded, thanks for the link. Not available on mobile btw, otherwise awesome gesture. Don't know all his work so looking forward to discovery.
Posted by: David Cope | Sunday, 03 December 2017 at 01:28 AM
I'm at a loss for words so I'll go with yours, gobsmacked. Thank you for pointing it out.
Posted by: Terry Moore | Sunday, 03 December 2017 at 09:40 AM
Love it. If anything I will likely end up buying a few more Young albums as a result, not less (maybe on vinyl if possible, for the difference). Looks like he will introduce a small subscription fee next summer, probably once the store gets working and more of the license issues with CSNY are worked out. I imagine there are some bandwidth costs. I hope other artists follow the model (maybe even with other mediums, like photography).
Posted by: John Krumm | Sunday, 03 December 2017 at 10:53 AM
If this is groundbreaking then what is this https://ecm.lnk.to/ECM_Streaming?
Posted by: Dan | Sunday, 03 December 2017 at 01:29 PM
It is a great site, love the way he explains how to get around and the sound is excellent. Go Neil!
Posted by: Ann Peterson | Sunday, 03 December 2017 at 05:39 PM
This is what will finally get me to buy a DAC and whatever it takes to get quality music from my computer. I know you've covered this before, but any chance of revisiting the topic with some concrete and current suggestions for 'a complete system' for someone like me who doesn't understand the details, and doesn't want to spend hours doing research that I ultimately won't trust anyway?
Posted by: Paul Macdonald | Sunday, 03 December 2017 at 09:44 PM
The 'Welcome to the Neil Young Archive' email says that it will be free until June, after which subscription deals will be available. (However some CSN&Y tracks don't have the 'Play' button visible.) As far as the sound quality is concerned, I couldn't really tell much difference, if any, between Master, 320 and streaming from Apple Music. But that's probably due to the audio equipment I've got the computer hooked up to - a Samsung sound bar + associated sub-woofer. High Fidelity it is not, but there again I'm not really an audiophile.
More fundamentally I'm not sure if this sort of thing is quite what I'm looking for. I've been listening to Neil's music, on and off, for nearly 50 years, and I love it. But I wouldn't want to listen to it *every day*, or even every week. For example I've just listened to one of my favourite songs of his, Cinnamon Girl. First time I've heard it for a number of years. Sounds as good as ever, and I really enjoyed hearing it again, but I'll probably go for quite a while again without wanting to listen to it again.
I remember all this music and I've got it all in my head. Every few years I'll have a binge and listen to a particular artist or band solidly for several days; but then I'll stop and perhaps not listen to them for another year or two. I think, therefore, Apple Music is a better fit for me.
Posted by: Tom Burke | Monday, 04 December 2017 at 05:19 AM
I’m happy for Young fans, but I’ve never been among them. There’s something about his whiny voice that makes me angry after just a few minutes listening. Higher fidelity would only accelerate the effect.
[That's what I was talking about in the Joni post. Voices just have to mix right with each of us individually, is my take. So do, some don't. Eh? --Mike]
Posted by: Ken Tanaka | Monday, 04 December 2017 at 09:03 AM
Your comment about music mixing with us individually made me think of some Justin Vernon music (Bon Iver) I’ve been listening to recently. His voice is odd to say the least, his lyrics are cryptic, and the music is seemingly simple. There’s just something about it though…for me.
I don’t typically focus much on the lyrics when listening to something new. For me it’s more about the music and the overall effect the sound has on me.
With Bon Iver, I started with his “For Emma, Forever Ago” album and thought it was interesting and different. I listened to it again and liked it even more. By the third listen I was hooked. The album also has an interesting back story about how he wrote it holed up in a Wisconsin cabin during winter.
Anyone who can appreciate Neil’s music will have more to explore in the wonderful world of music. There will always be amazing musicians who will insist on releasing their music exactly as it is in their head. Writing songs to order for another is just never an option for them. It’s when we as listeners link up with these artists and their unique perspective that music can go to another level.
[Check out Howe Gelb. You might like him. --Mike]
Posted by: Jim A | Monday, 04 December 2017 at 02:41 PM
Holy moly! My Sennheiser HD650's just came alive at "Master" quality. Thankfully I followed your advice and bought an external DAC (cheap FIIO, but still great) when I wrecked the headphone jack on my iMac.
Never been a huge Neil Young fan ("old people's music" to me in the 80's and 90's), but now I can just listen and listen and really enjoy it. Sounds like I'm in the studio with him, and that makes for a very different experience. Thanks for the link!
Posted by: MarkB | Monday, 04 December 2017 at 08:40 PM