Nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award, the Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972) is a comprehensive collection of every bit of music Neil Young has performed from 1963 to 1972. Chronicled on CD, DVD, Blu Ray, and including a replica of Young’s personal journal printed on Mohawk Via, this is unlike any package or boxed set that has come before it.

The uniquely designed package is a tall rectangular box covered with historical newspaper articles on Young. On each side of the box is one thick black painted letter of Neil’s name. This was designed specifically for in-store display purposes: when 4 packages are put side by side it spells out a very noticeable NEIL. Inside the box is a masterful replica of Young’s personal journal, a 24 x 36” poster, a box of 10 DVDs, and a hidden stash box that contains another bonus disc, a Whisky A Go Go speaking pad replica, and a code to obtain digital downloads of all of the audio tracks from the Archives.

The journal, besides being a glimpse into the genius of Neil Young, is also an amazing piece of artwork. The cover was carefully crafted to look and feel like the leather bound journal Young carried throughout his early music career. The result is powerfully insightful.

Because sustainability and ink holdout were important to the design of the journal pages, Young and designer Gary Burden worked with Gary Gonzales to find the best paper for the job. They chose Mohawk Via ^[1] Vellum 80# text because it’s made from 30% postconsumer waste and, as Burden said, “we needed a paper that could hold up to the 100% coverage printing requirements of the journal, as well as having a good, tactile feel.” The three printed the DVD wallet packs on thicker Via Vellum 100# cover for the same reasons. “I discovered years ago that Mohawk was using windpower and I thought that was cool, I’ve been using Mohawk whenever I can since,” says Burden.

For more information on the design process and importance of sustainability behind the Neil Young Archives Vol. 1, read designer Gary Burden’s in-depth blog posts here ^[2].

More about all of Mohawk’s environmental papers ^[3].

More about windpower ^[4].

Download tips ^[5] for specifying sustainable papers.