Track Listing

1. Out On The Weekend
2. Harvest
3. Man Needs A Maid, A
4. Heart Of Gold
5. Are You Ready For The Country
6. Old Man
7. There's A World
8. Alabama
9. Needle And The Damage Done, The
10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1187 in Music
• Released on: 2009-08-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
Recognized as one of Young's (and hence one of rock & roll's) finest albums, HARVEST put the singer on the mainstream map with the mega-hit "Heart of Gold", which defined a soft folk-rock style frequently revisited by lesser artists throughout the 1970s. It also features some of his darker compositions, like the entropy-obsessed "Old Man" and the junkie eulogy, "The Needle and the Damage Done", one of Young's most haunting and compelling songs.
Deceptively laid-back-sounding country-rock plaints like "Out on the Weekend" and the title cut caress the ear unassumingly, pulling you into the more ominous subtext that is present even in the rollicking "Are You Ready for the Country". As always, Young has an ear for contrasts, laying down heavy rock ("Alabama") beside hisballadry, and even employing the London Symphony Orchestra on the excellent confessional "A Man Needs a Maid". Due to back troubles, Young recorded much of this material while wearing a brace, a fact that seems audible in the tension and unease that underlies the friendly, acoustic surface of this superb release.

Customer Reviews

Excellent remaster - great sound
I have just received the four cds from Canada where they were released on 14th July. Each is labelled Neil Young Archives Official Release Series, Discs 1 through 4 being Neil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After The Gold Rush and Harvest respectively. They are HDCD 24bit 176Khz digital transfers and they sound just great! No extras just the best sound quality so far. If sound quality is important to you, buy them and you won't be disappointed. If you are new to Neil Young buy these and then On The Beach and then..

"....Keeps Me Searching..."
As we all know, Neil Young has famously resisted the remastered reissue of his huge catalogue on CD because of what he feels is the format's less than stellar representation of analogue tapes' 'original sound' - and almost a full 20 years after 1989's first issue of Harvest on a dullard CD - it looks like the guy is having the last laugh - because this meticulously prepared tape transfer is GLORIOUS. It really is.

First to the details - Harvest was released in February 1972 on Reprise Records MS 2032 in the USA and K 54005 in the UK (it went to Number 1 in both countries and many others around the world). This 2009 NYA OSR remaster (Neil Young Archives - Original Release Series) is Disc 4 of 4 and carries the HDCD code on the label and rear inlay (High Density Compact Disc). Until now, 2004's "Greatest Hits" set (which offered us three Harvest tracks remastered into HDCD sound quality) was the only real indication of just how good the album 'could' sound. And outside of the DVD Audio release (which few people have), this is the first time the 'entire' album has been given a sonic upgrade. The Audio Tape Restoration and Analog-To-HDCD Digital Transfer of the Original Master Tapes was carried out by JOHN NOWLAND (24-Bit 176 KHZ) with the Editing and Mastering done by TIM MULLIGAN - and they've done a stunning job.

The inlay faithfully reproduces the foldout lyric sheet in the same earthy textured paper that the matching album cover had (a sort of first for recycling way back then) and the print isn't cramped either - it's very readable. In fact the booklet in "Harvest" is probably the most aesthetically pleasing of all 4 releases.

And as these are the first four albums in a long reissue campaign - to identify them from the old CDs, the upper part of the outer spine has his new NYA OSR logo at the top and an 'issue' number beneath - D1, D2, D3, D4...and on upwards of course.

However, the big and obvious disappointment is the complete lack of musical extras or any new info in the booklet; they're in "The Archives Vol.1 1963-1972" box set that's still sitting in shop windows at varying extortionate prices. Still - at mid price - this remaster of "Harvest" is great value for money and with this hugely upgraded sound - it makes you focus on the music as is and not anything else.

Some have complained that the sound is a little underwhelming after all the hype that has preceded these releases - I don't think that at all. The danger in remastering would be the cranking of everything, ultra-treble the lot - but I'm hearing ALL the instruments on this carefully prepared transfer - especially the bass and drums which now have a clarity that is so sweet rather than flashy. The sound is very subtle - there's no brashness, very little hiss and when the muscle of the remaster does kick in - like the strings of the London Symphony Orchestra on "A Man Needs A Maid" and "There's A World" - it's really BEAUTIFUL. The music is just 'there' in your speakers all of a sudden.

I suspect for many fans, rehearing this album and the other 3 will be like revisiting old friends and finding something new - thrilling to them once again. I'm onto "After The Gold Rush" as I write - it's impressive stuff - it really is - beautiful reproduction too.

The gold sticker on the jewel case of each of these issues states - "Because Sound Matters" - and although it took him a few decades, on the strength of this reissue, I think Rock's great curmudgeon was right to wait to get it right...which in many respects is the ultimate nod to his fans.

Highly recommended.

PS: I've reviewed "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" and "After The Gold Rush" also - just as good soundwise

Classic Neil Young
Bought the LP when it came out and it was vintage Neil Young - and somehow wanted all his later releases to have the same sound and passion.

Only four stars though. For some reason his recordings are set at a low level. Having never purchased the CD I assumed the digitally mastered CD would be ramped up a bit, amd its not! Also no additional stuff to rekindle the flame a bit more.

Good CD though and well worth the money plus the sleeve notes and lyrics are all there like the original LP.