Neil Young Archives Volume 1: 1963-1972

At 118 songs on eight CDs, covering only the first decade of Neil Young's recording career, Neil Young Archives Volume 1 (1963-1972) is certainly comprehensive. But due to Young's prolific and eclectic output even at the beginning of his career, it does not even pretend to be complete. Wisely, Young eschews the every-last-scrap approach to instead create the world's greatest Neil Young mixtape. Beginning with the 1963 debut 45 from his Winnipeg, Manitoba garage band the Squires and continuing in rough chronological order through his 1972 smash Harvest, the set flows organically. Although many of Young's most familiar songs are presented in previously unreleased mixes or alternate versions, there are no obscure tracks included merely for the sake of rarity or curiosity. Despite the fact that two previously-released CDs, Live At The Fillmore East (New York 1970) and Live At Massey Hall (Toronto 1971), are included, this package is the ultimate portrait of Neil Young's electrifying first decade, essential for even the casual fan. (The considerably more expensive DVD and Blu-Ray versions add copious multimedia content, hidden bonus tracks, and Young's 1972 movie Journey Through the Past.)