Neil Young will release a CD, digital album and a Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set of his recent vinyl album A Letter Home, out on Reprise Records on May 27th. Young recorded the collection of covers on our refurbished 1947 recording booth at our Nashville headquarters. Imagine a very simple recording studio not much larger than a phone booth and you’ll get the idea. He describes the album as "an unheard collection of rediscovered songs from the past recorded on ancient electro-mechanical technology captures and unleashes the essence of something that could have been gone forever." Recorded live to track to one-track, mono, the album has an inherent warm, primitive feel of a vintage Folkways recording,
As for the track-listing, Young chose songs that have personal meaning for him, such as British folk artist Bert Jansch’s “Needle of Death” (which inspired Young to write 1972’s “Needle and the Damage Done”), Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country,” Willie Nelson’s “Crazy,” Don Everly’s “I Wonder If I Care as Much,” Bruce Springsteen’s “My Home Town,” and many others.
The album begins with Neil recording a spoken letter to his late mother, informing her of his personal and present state of affairs which sets the tone and atmosphere for the duration of the album. He does this once again at the beginning of Side 2 in a way which could explain why he’s selected these particular songs to record. In essence, this presentation is, as its title implies, A Letter Home from Neil. This is a deeply personal and expressive listening experience which is as real and raw emotionally as it is sonically and yet light of touch in its form and flow.
Reprise will release the complete box set, which includes a special "direct feed from the booth" audiophile vinyl version and a DVD that captured the original electro-mechanical process, along with comments from the producers and recording engineers.
The box set includes:
- 1 standard 12” LP vinyl
- 1 “direct feed from the booth” audiophile 12” LP vinyl
- Seven clear vinyl record booth discs
- 1 standard CD
-1 standard DVD
- 1 32-page, 12” x 12” book
- Download card to redeem the digital album of the “direct feed from the booth” audiophile version
Pre-order the box set here or at Amazon. Or, get the digital version at iTunes
are the 7 6" vinyl’s included the one sided, short recordings like the Jack White and Willie Nelson recording? or are they full songs and/or double sided?
I’m guessing here . . . the “direct feed from the booth” LP means the music on it is from whatever mics are inside the booth itself.
Pre ordered!
The record is amazing! When I first heard it was recorded in the record booth, I was stupidly critical. Having listened to the LP about three times now, I have to admit how ridiculous of me it was to prejudge. I’m in love with this record, especially side 1. And if you’re a Neilophile, you’ll understand how touching track one is; it’s reminiscent of the record-letters soldiers would record and send home to their loved ones circa the Korean War and WWII. TMR, Neil, Jack, you all deserve a huge thank you for giving us an undeniably great album. It’s a no-brainer ordering this special edition IMO.
Hauntingly beautiful!