Neil Young to drop 'Official Release Series Volume 4' box set next month
Neil Young has announced the fourth instalment in his ‘Official Release Series’ anthology, comprising three classic albums from the 1980s – one of his own, and two collaborative efforts – as well as a rare EP that was only ever sold in Australia and Japan.
‘Official Release Series Volume 4’ is set for release on April 29 via Reprise. In addition to Young’s 1980 solo album ‘Hawks & Doves’, the box set includes his fifth album with Crazy Horse (1981’s ‘Re•ac•tor’) and his debut effort with The Bluenotes (1988’s ‘This Note’s For You’).
It also marks the first time many fans will be able to hear the EP ‘Eldorado’, which was initially released in Australia and Japan in 1989. Recorded at The Hit Factory in New York City, it sees Young backed by The Restless, comprising drummer Chad Cromwell and bassist Rick Rosas.
Alternate mixes of three songs from ‘Eldorado’ – ‘Don’t Cry’, ‘On Broadway’ and the title track – would eventually be included on Young’s ‘Freedom’ album. ‘Cocaine Eyes’ and ‘Heavy Love’, on the other hand, remain exclusive to the release. In announcing the new box set, Young shared a high-quality stream of ‘Cocaine Eyes’ – have a listen to it below:
‘Official Release Series Volume 4’ will be available on CD and vinyl formats, how the latter will only be available from indie record stores and through Young’s webstore. Pre-orders are available here.
Last month, Young spoke out over a conspiracy theory that his music publishing was secretly overseen by Pfizer (the company behind one of the most widely-used COVID-19 vaccines). He described the theory as “clever but wrong” while also quipping, “So much for Pharm Aid” – a reference to both the common conspiracist trope of “big pharma”, and his own charity Farm Aid.
The conspiracy theory is part of an ongoing conservative backlash against Young – most recently expressed by right-wing American rock musician Ted Nugent, who described Young as a “stoner birdbrain punk” for his recent protest against Spotify and Joe Rogan.
Young removed his catalogue of albums from Spotify last month to protest the platform having Rogan’s podcast The Joe Rogan Experience as an exclusive to the service. Young believes Rogan is responsible for spreading misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines, and has since urged employees of Spotify to quit their jobs over Rogan’s platforming.
