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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
The Archives Vol. 1 1963-1972
Universal acclaim
Based on 13 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 14 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Reprise
Release Date: 02 June 2009
Discs: 10 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Singer-songwriter
Summary
The eight-disc (or 10 if you buy the deluxe DVD set) box set from the singer-songwriter features previously released and unreleased works from 1963 to 1972.
Also By This Artist: Are You Passionate? Chrome Dreams II Fork In The Road Greendale Living With War Prairie Wind Silver & Gold Sugar Mountain: Live At Canterbury House 1968
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Observer Music Monthly
This exhaustive project is the most impressive retro-fest of recordings, photographs, video footage and digiti sed memorabilia ever assembled.
Read Full Review >NOW Magazine
The much richer sound on these formats spins songs recorded as many as 40-plus years ago eerily into the moment. It’s as if you’re listening at the exact instant of recording, making the music as personal as a direct memory.
Read Full Review >Mojo
The sound is excellent, especially considering the age and the state of technology of some of the recordings. The songs, too, are invariably excellent. [Jul 2009, p.111]
Uncut
There’s more, too much more, to come, but for now, Volume One will do just fine.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
If Archives is ultimately less of a career-redefiner than Decade, that’s only because Young’s become such an entrenched part of rock history that his career has been exhaustively picked-over. Aside from the heretofore under-explored surf influence, there are really only a few new connections made or questions raised with Archives.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
It's built for fanatics, yet the goods could make a fanatic out of anyone.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Not only was the wait worth it, Archives feels like it was 20 years in the making. It's an extraordinary work that redefines what an autobiography can be.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
An impressive package, but fans will be paying big bucks for a lot of stuff they already own.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
This critic is prepared to believe that the fact he found the menus slightly counterintuitive points to deficiencies on his own part, but suffice to say that at least one Neil Young fan--temporarily unable to navigate away from one of the on-stage "raps" provided as "audio bonuses" and gripped by the fear that he was going to spend the rest of his life listening to Neil Young saying "ummm...ahhhhhh ... wrote this sahwng...ummmm...my house"--found himself howling for the luddite comforts of a CD box set with a nicely illustrated booklet.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Vol. 1 is long on quality, variety and versatility, whatever format you choose. [Aug 2009, p.114]
Pitchfork
Certainly Archives' first volume contains enough audio and visual stimuli to keep a Neil Young fan busy till the next edition arrives (presumably) in 2029.
Read Full Review >Paste Magazine
Billed as something of a multimedia breakthrough, the 10 discs here present good--and often great--music paired with sub-standard video content. Unreleased tracks? They’re here, although in disappointing quantity and quality.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
John H. gave it a6:
I came for the music. I was disappointed. There is so little new here. And Decade changed my life ...
James G. gave it a10:
The Blu-Ray edition brings studio quality to Neil's first decade of music,. Truly amazing,a good mix of released,alternate and unreleased tracks.
Alex P gave it a10:
In response to Waugh, there may not be many "new" songs here but the fidelity of the Blu Ray is so mind blowing on most of these songs that it's like hearing them all over again. Unless you own completely pristine vinyl copies and have an elite player, there's no way you've heard Neil sound anywhere close to this good!
John F gave it a10:
What we have been waiting for since 1987! Buy the blu-ray!
Torv C gave it a1:
Incredibly way overpriced at $300 if you want to indulge in the BluRay version. Moderately overpriced at $200 for the DVD and simply twice what it should be for the CD only version. Neil has got some gall asking his fans to fork over this kind of cash (in this economy) for a rehashed release with very little new material. "Cough up the Bucks" as one of Neil's new songs implores us to do. Me, I'm waiting for this to hit the discount bins in a few weeks -- and I'm a fan!
Waugh W gave it a6:
A lot of great stuff, but Neil fans have most of it already. If I had succumbed and traded my vinyl for cds I would feel this set was a complete ripoff. I would say it has ten songs or less that add to the Neil Canon.
