Among the songs coming out on the centuries-in-the-making Neil Young Archives 1963-1972 box set that's coming out at the beginning of June are three entire discs of material the songwriter created during his incredibly fruitful period in the late 1960s and early 11970s. Writer Jimmy McDonough, in his Shakey: Neil Young's Biography, highlights a lot of little details from that time. Writes McDonough: “At some point Young parked his ass on the couch at David Brigg's ranch at 1174 Old Topanga Road. Also congregating on the property were a motley bunch sometimes known as the Topanga All-Stars.”

McDonough continues:

. . . David Briggs and actor Danny Tucker liked to gamble, so high-stakes card games were a ritual for the clan. “They'd frisk ya when you came to the table to see if you were holdin' drugs or guns,” recalls Ron Denend. “Drugs stayed, guns went in the locker. They'd get me to bring a couple newcomers into the games. I knew it was a turkey shoot. They'd play all these weird games, like if the third deuce dealt is a red one it's wild. The rules changed as they went along. How can you play with guys like that?”

Nils Lofgren felt like it was a real boys' club. “They treated women like dirt,” asid Lofgren, laughing. “That whole macho cowboy thing – walking into a restaurant and calling some woman 'sugar' or 'babe.' I never heard anyone before refer to a woman as an 'old lady'.”

Amid all this testosterone, Young was the sensitive longhair. “Neil was very kind,” said Shannon Forbes, remembering a shy, quiet Young hunched over the shabby old upright piano, picking out notes around the missing keys.

In addition to all the other Topanga crazies Young was meeting, at some point in 1968 he encountered Charles Manson a few times.

. . . This meeting of the minds has provided much fodder for interviews, with Young telling journalist Nick Kent that Manson was “great, he was unreal . . . I mean, if he had a band like Dylan had on 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' . . . .” Young wrote a wild number inspired by Manson in 1974, “Revolution Blues.” Manson returned the favor, telling a 1995 interviewer from his Vacaville, California, prison cell that his music-celebrity friends from the old days “didn't give me shit” – except for Neil Young – who bequeathed him a motorcycle.

[Quote from Neil Young]: “Glad he didn't get around to ME when he was punishing people for the fact he didn't make it in the music biz. That's what that was all about. Didn't get to be a rock and roll star, so he started fuckin' wipin' people out. Dig that.”

Disc 00 EARLY YEARS (1963-1965)

1. Aurora The Squires – from the 45 RPM single (mono)

2. The Sultan The Squires – from the 45 RPM single (mono)

3. I Wonder The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)

4. Mustang The Squires – previously unreleased instrumental (mono)

5. I'll Love You Forever The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)

6. (I'm A Man And) I Can't Cry The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)

7. Hello Lonely Woman Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased version

8. Casting Me Away From You Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased song

9. There Goes My Babe Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased song

10. Sugar Mountain Neil Young – previously unreleased demo version (mono)

11. Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing Neil Young – previously unreleased demo version (mono)

12. Runaround Babe Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)

13. The Ballad Of Peggy Grover Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)

14. The Rent Is Always Due Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)

15. Extra, Extra Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)

Disc 01 EARLY YEARS (1966-1968)

1. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong Neil Young – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)

2. Burned Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield (mono)

3. Out Of My Mind Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield (mono)

4. Down, Down, Down Neil Young – previously unreleased version (mono)

5. Kahuna Sunset Buffalo Springfield – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)

6. Mr. Soul Buffalo Springfield – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)

7. Sell Out Buffalo Springfield – previously unreleased song (mono)

8. Down To The Wire Neil Young – from the album Decade (mono)

9. Expecting To Fly Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield

10. Slowly Burning Neil Young – previously unreleased instrumental

11. One More Sign Neil Young – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set

12. Broken Arrow Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield Again

13. I Am A Child Buffalo Springfield – from the album Last Time Around

Disc 02 TOPANGA 1 (1968-1969)

1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Neil Young – from the stereo promotional 45 RPM single-second pressing

2. The Loner Neil Young – from the album Neil Young

3. Birds Neil Young – previously unreleased version

4. What Did You Do To My Life? Neil Young – previously unreleased mix

5. The Last Trip To Tulsa Neil Young – from the album Neil Young

6. Here We Are In The Years Neil Young – from the album Neil Young-second version

7. I've Been Waiting For You Neil Young – previously unreleased mix

8. The Old Laughing Lady Neil Young – from the album Neil Young

9. I've Loved Her So Long Neil Young – from the album Neil Young

10. Sugar Mountain Neil Young – previously unreleased stereo master

11. Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

12. Down By The River Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

13. Cowgirl In The Sand Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

14. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Disc 03 LIVE AT THE RIVERBOAT (TORONTO 1969)

1. Sugar Mountain Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

2. The Old Laughing Lady Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

3. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

4. On The Way Home Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

5. I've Loved Her So Long Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

6. I Am A Child Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

7. 1956 Bubblegum Disaster Neil Young – previously unreleased song

8. The Last Trip To Tulsa Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

9. Broken Arrow Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

10. Whiskey Boot Hill Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

11. Expecting To Fly Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

Disc 04 TOPANGA 2 (1969-1970)

1. Cinnamon Girl Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

2. Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets) Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

3. Round And Round (It Won't Be Long) Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

4. Oh Lonesome Me Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased stereo mix

5. Birds Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the 45 RPM single (mono)

6. Everybody's Alone Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Previously unreleased song

7. I Believe In You Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album After The Gold Rush

8. Sea Of Madness Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the original soundtrack album Woodstock

9. Dance Dance Dance Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased version

10. Country Girl Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the album Déjà Vu

11. Helpless Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased mix

12. It Might Have Been Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased live version

Disc 05 NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE-LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST (NEW YORK 1970)

1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

2. Winterlong

3. Down By The River

4. Wonderin'

5. Come On Baby, Let's Go Downtown

6. Cowgirl In The Sand

all previously released live versions

Disc 06 TOPANGA 3 (1970)

1. Tell Me Why Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush

2. After The Gold Rush Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush

3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush

4. Wonderin' Neil Young – previously unreleased version

5. Don't Let It Bring You Down Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush-first pressing

6. Cripple Creek Ferry Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush

7. Southern Man Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush

8. Till The Morning Comes Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush

9. When You Dance, I Can Really Love Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album After The Gold Rush-first pressing

10. Ohio Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the stereo 45 RPM single

11. Only Love Can Break Your Heart Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased live version

12. Tell Me Why Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased live version

13. Music Is Love David Crosby, Graham Nash & Neil Young – from the album If I Could Only Remember My Name

14. See The Sky About To Rain Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

Disc 07 LIVE AT MASSEY HALL (TORONTO 1971)

1. On The Way Home

2. Tell Me Why

3. Old Man

4. Journey Through The Past

5. Helpless

6. Love In Mind

7. A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold (Suite)

8. Cowgirl In The Sand

9. Don't Let It Bring You Down

10. There's A World

11. Bad Fog Of Loneliness

12. The Needle And The Damage Done

13. Ohio

14. See The Sky About To Rain

15. Down By The River

16. Dance Dance Dance

17. I Am A Child

all previously released live versions

Disc 08 NORTH COUNTRY (1971-1972)

1. Heart Of Gold Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

2. The Needle And The Damage Done Neil Young – from the album Harvest

3. Bad Fog Of Loneliness Neil Young with The Stray Gators – previously unreleased version

4. Old Man Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest

5. Heart Of Gold Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest

6. Dance Dance Dance Neil Young – previously unreleased version

7. A Man Needs A Maid Neil Young with the London Symphony Orchestra – previously unreleased mix

8. Harvest Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest

9. Journey Through The Past Neil Young with The Stray Gators – previously unreleased version

10. Are You Ready For The Country? Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest

11. Alabama Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest

12. Words (Between The Lines Of Age) Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the original soundtrack album Journey Through The Past

13. Soldier Neil Young – previously unreleased mix

14. War Song Neil Young & Graham Nash with The Stray Gators – from the 45 RPM single (mono)

Disc 09 JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST – A FILM BY NEIL YOUNG

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