I’m very late to the Neil Young party, he’s one of those artists I’ve known about but just never really listened to. Anyway, I’ve been listening a lot to Radio Paradise while working from home and he features fairly regularly on there and that has sort of piqued my interest to explore his (large!) back catalogue. I’ve listened to Harvest a couple of times on Qobuz and thought it might be a nice one to start my NY collection on vinyl. However…
All this for a reissue version of a single LP, not a 1st pressing or even original label. What gives? Meanwhile, the same album is widely available on CD for £6.
I don’t know where you’re buying your vinyl from if you think £40 or so if the price of new vinyl these days! Single albums are usually around the £20 mark give or take. Even double albums can be had at reasonable prices, for example the 2xLP of Live Rust is just over £22 on Amazon UK which makes the £40 for Harvest all the more baffling
Recent Taylor swift, Lana del Rey and a few others circa £35/38 on release. “Red” Taylor’s version is £46 at Amazon.
Shopping from resident, Norman records, banquet etc.
For a nearly 50 year old album on a reissue and a single LP, about £20 or so. Dark Side of the Moon currently on Amazon and other retailers including HMV for £21. Having trouble getting my head round why Harvest should be twice the price of DSOTM on Amazon
Records priced at about £20 are no more expensive in real terms compared to buying a record for £5 in the late 70’s/early 80’s. We’ve just got used to CDs being really cheap.
Outrageous and sadly the way it’s going.
Don’t understand the current obsession with 1st pressing etc… likely to be crackly or worn?
It’s not Premier cru Bordeaux
Though I often consider vinyl to be a bit like wine - worn vinyl has probably been thoroughly enjoyed and played often - you could keep vinyl unplayed or wine unopened but in both cases you don’t enjoy it!
I can stream them all on Qobuz but do like a bit of vinyl. I thought most or all of his back catalogue would be readily available at sensible prices on vinyl but it appears that I am mistaken.
My personal opinion of the most recent vinyl reissue of Harvest (Neil Young Archives) was that it was beautifully presented and also very nicely cut and pressed. However, it wasn’t quite as impressive as I was expecting, especially compared to others in the series, which in many cases were superb. I speculated at the time that considering Chris Bellman claimed to be working from the original analogue masters, perhaps they had suffered unduly and were beginning to fade.
Ultimately, if you want the best Harvest, you should track down the DVD-A - the Hi-res 2 channel on this (24bit 192kHz) is awesome. I ripped this from my own DVD-A into WAV files and it’s my ‘go-to’ for Harvest.
I bought Harvest last year for £27 from Amazon, you could save it in your basket and wait till the price drops. I have about 40 records saved at one time or another that are either too expensive or waiting to hear on Tidal before buying. The quality of this record is the equivalent to a Tone Poet edition and is worth having in your collection.
I don’t write this unkindly but I think they used their marketing wiles and have sussed out that Harvest buyers are very comfortable, and consequently, will bear these prices. Perhaps they are gambling that you will treat yourself.
Twenty pounds seems about right to me for a vinyl album.
If you want to dip into Neil Young on vinyl I can recommend the NYA reissue series.
The titles that I have that I consider excellent are After The Goldrush, On the Beach & Rust Never Sleeps.
Ah the old you’re browsing on an Apple device so we’ll quote a higher price trick. Well if that really is the thinking they gambled wrong for me. I’d possibly bear £40 or even a bit more if I was getting a half speed master on 2xLP cut at 45rpm but for a single LP at 33rpm it just isn’t working for me.
