Published: November 12, 2009 09:24 pm         

Reprise Records to release re-mastered versions of Neil Young solo albums

Burbank, Calif. — As part of its ongoing Archives reissue campaign with legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, Reprise Records will release re-mastered versions of the first four of Young’s classic solo albums, 1969’s “Neil Young” and “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere,” 1970’s “After the Gold Rush,” and 1972’s “Harvest.”

These special reissues, which will be available on Nov. 23, have each been re-mastered from the original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood, Calif.

The albums are being reissued on both vinyl and compact disc.

The individual albums are being issued on 140 gram vinyl to retail.

There is also a box set of the four albums pressed on audiophile 180 gram vinyl.

Vinyl will be pressed at Pallas MFG/Germany — the world’s premiere record-pressing plant.

The box sets will be individually numbered in gold foil stamp and strictly limited to 3,000 units worldwide. They will only be available through www.becausesoundmatters.com and www.neilyoung.com.

Tom Biery, General Manager of Warner Bros. Records and vinyl enthusiast commented: “In all my years of working vinyl releases, I was shocked at just how incredible these Neil Young re-masters sound. There is no doubt in my mind that when listening to these recordings on the new, upgraded vinyl format, it will be as close as anyone will audibly come to actually being in the studio listening to the original master tapes. It now sounds as if you are in the room with Neil during the session.”

The four albums will also be released on 24 karat gold CDs, packaged in Gary Burden designed cardboard wallet packs. The four gold CD albums are housed in a numbered slip case, limited to 2,500 worldwide, and available only through the above Web sites.

All four titles have already been released to retail on standard CDs, housed in jewel boxes.

On June 2, Reprise Records released Young’s highly anticipated collection “Archives Volume 1 1963-1972” — the first of several in the Archives series of CD box sets that focus on the life of one of the most original artists of the rock era. This collection, which is also available on Blu-Ray and DVD, is currently in stores. Of Young’s “Archives” series, the Chicago Sun-Times has written: “Not only is it absolutely amazing, it quite possibly is a model for the only kind of recorded product that independent and chain stores alike will still be selling in the post-CD future.” Raved the Chicago Tribune: “The Archives appears to be nothing less than revolutionary in how it will present an artist's back catalog.”

The “Archives Volume 1 1963-1972” covered Young’s recorded career up to and including his first four album releases.