Mohawk Fine Papers
Twenty years in the making, the Neil Young Archives had achieved an almost mythical status up until the very second of its release this June 2, 2009. Even after the release of Volume 1, the box set is still considered a legend in the realm of box set technology, which is why it is no surprise that it has been nominated for a Grammy Award.
The Blu Ray version acts as a fully interactive virtual filing cabinet, allowing you to browse its contents and even download and add more to it as new discoveries pop up. It contains a replica of Neil Young’s own personal journal, which includes scribbled song lyrics, photographs and maps so that you can trace the steps of this legendary musician’s journey.
Art Director and designer Gary Burden, who has worked with Neil Young since 1970, says, “Paper has always been my thing.” Having to fight record companies to use high quality paper, he remembers those who claimed that you “could put a record in a paper bag and it would sell.” But Burden persisted, and has now become a pioneer in seeking out quality papers for album covers.
When designing the journal for the box set, Burden knew that he needed a paper that would be able to stand up to the heavy printing demand, the clarity of old photographs and handwritten notes, and still retain the feel of an old journal. The journal tells the story of the Archive, and the feeling you get when you hold and read it was important to both Burden and Young.
Burden chose to use Mohawk Via Vellum because he knew that it would provide an excellent foundation to the heavy ink coverage, along with having a rich, velvety finish. He chose Via Vellum for these reasons coupled with the fact that Via is 30 percent postconsumer waste and manufactured solely with wind-generated energy. Once he saw the amazing results from using Via Vellum for the journal, Burden chose to use the same paper for the 10 DVD/Blu Ray wallet packs contained within the box set.
Because sustainability was a key factor in the Archives for both Burden and Young, Mohawk Fine Papers was the first place he looked. Burden has used Mohawk Fine Papers for numerous other projects, including the “Oil on Ice” DVD cover printed on Mohawk Options and his latest “Monsters of Folk” on Mohawk Renewal and Mohawk Via. “I discovered a few years back that Mohawk was using windpower and I just thought that was the coolest thing, and that was it for me,” says Burden.
Burden talks in depth about collaborating with Young over the years to create the Grammy nominated packaging, as well as shares other stories of working with legendary musicians over the years on his blog Gary Burden for R.Twerk.com.
To request a Mohawk Via swatchbook, please click here.
