When Neil Young's HARVEST MOON album was released on November 2, 1992, it was the 19th studio album by Young. It had been almost 25 years since his debut self-titled release on Reprise Records in 1968, and the impact the artist had on modern music positioned him among a rarefied group of artists and esteemed songwriters.
Like many of Young's creations, HARVEST MOON captured the public's imagination in a way that held it in a class by itself. Now being released on September 22, 2023 as a 3-sided, double album pressed on clear colored vinyl, it takes its place among so many of Young's historic collections as a unique rock & roll set that defines the history of the musical genre. Recorded on analogue equipment using digital technology, songs like "From Hank to Hendrix," "Unknown Legend," "One of These Days" and others immediately found a popular global home with fans of all ages, and showed why Young has remained a groundbreaking artist for the last 30-plus years.
Neil Young had captured the public's imagination once again with a style of music that he had virtually invented. Working with producer/pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, keyboardist Spooner Oldham, bassist Tim Drummond and drummer Kenny Buttrey, the players were able to capture a timeless sound that stood out as its own style in a time when so much other music was moving in a louder, more aggressive direction. As has often happened in Young's life, his shift in a different direction was immensely well-received.
Guest artists on HARVEST MOON included Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Nicolette Larson and Astrid Young, and following Young's albums FREEDOM, RAGGED GLORY, ARC AND WELD, HARVEST MOON again was a clear sign that he was able to pursue different styles whenever the urge occurred.
Long-time fans and newcomers alike embraced HARVEST MOON as one of his most beloved and enduring bodies of work. It was certified double platinum in the U.S., 5x platinum in Canada and gold in the U.K. and Australia, winning the Juno Award in Canada for “1994 Album of the Year.” In its new, clear vinyl release, what originally was the pristine sound of a handful of musicians playing together in an air of soulful sonics comes alive again with a new resonance of wonder.
