3/5 Neil Young Archives
  by Deanna M. Lindenbaum
The CDs were packaged well, but once opened it was discovered that some of the CDs had glue on them from the packaging. Most were playable, but some had skips from the glue marks on the playing area.

3/5 Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)
  by Frank Lynch (Brooklyn, NY USA)
Perhaps the best way to describe this set is by describing what it is *not.* It is not a "greatest hits" package. Nor is it a "data dump" of all the false starts and outtakes one might see in a collection such as Verve's huge Charlie Parker box. It is also not even "the canon" of his output, as there are tracks on the currently available remastered CD's from this set's period which are *not* here.

It seems to be a subset of his releases, plus extra tracks, and recently released live albums from the period. Considerable remastering has been done, improving the sound quality. But don't believe that you're going to now have "the complete" Neil Young once you've bought this box and the follow-ups.

There are people who are happy with a Greatest Hits collection and want no more. There are people who are happy with his original CD's, as they represent the releases as he approved them. There are people who want to track down every available recording ("completists"). None of these people will be happy with this set: it's too much, or too little, or the "wrong stuff."

I'm not sure who this is for. It's not for me.

5/5 I am happy to have this music
  by Mark Town (Pittsburgh USA)

Yes, perhaps this is not all that it could be, but what a shame it would be to complain about that. Because it is so very good. The sound quality is excellent. Listening to Neil Young is, for me, like reviewing a good deal of my life. Young is sometimes silly but never afraid. At his best (and is it not remarkable how often he is at his best?) he is my favorite folk/rock musician. I am happy to have this music.

1/5 If I redeeem $75 in amazon bonus points......
  by Douglas A. Scott (Milford, NH USA)
...then I guess I can get this thing for approx $24.98 to $14.98 according to current new & used pricing.

A shame really, I have immediately purchased all of Neil's music, DVD's, etc on the day they were released for pretty much 37 years now.

I don't need to add to the already posted criticisms of this set re: value for dollar, as most are pretty accurate.

However, on the chance that someone from Neil's camp reads this..
"I love your rebellious,unpredictable, counter-intuitive, view of the world and your art." ..... I just might swallow $14.98 of my own money for this unkind cut to your most rabid fans...but then again, the more I think of it....$75 in amazon bonus points didn't come free ( or easy ) and the rational part of me says "spend the money on something worth the price".

Fortunately for Neil, some of his most rabid and long lasting fans
are not particularly rational ( myself included ) when it comes to
to purchasing whatever he puts out.... regardless of quality.

Since Neil has said "bleep the audience" both literally and figuratively on more than one occasion, I'm going to hold off right now and enjoy this once in lifetime moment, of having the funds, yet consciously decide to not buy something from him. Neil doesn't care...and for the first time in 37 yrs, I don't either.

1/5 a disgrace from the record company
  by D. wilson (england)
I would love to review this disc but six months after release ,despite pre-ordering it,i have yet to hear it. I have received four sets and all are unplayable due to the problem with glue on the discs. We hear a tremendous amount said about quality of the sound which makes the fact the discs are so poorly produced ironic. I cannot afford blue ray but would be happy just to hear the music.I hope quality control has not been reserved for the more expensive versions . The record company should be very ashamed . I would love to know what steps they have taken to help people like me and to rectify the production . Will i ever get to hear the music?
Please note Amazon have been excellent throughout but little they can do as the sets are sealed.