Yes, Neil Young is still going on about Pono, his Kickstarter-funded high quality digital audio player that is probably a bunch of bullshit and definitely way too expensive. Fan site Neil Young News points out that in a new post on the Pono community forum that’s basically just a long-winded advertisement for Pono, Young says he’s prepping a new 98-minute live album called EARTH, which he describes as “a collection of 13 songs from throughout my life, songs I have written about living here on our planet together,” presumably recorded during last year’s tour with Promise Of The Real as his backing band. It’s unclear if the album will only be available through Pono or what, but he also says that he’s working on Pono earbuds so that you can hear it in all its full Pono glory. Here’s the whole post:

I have been listening to my new album EARTH on Audeze earphones in PONO balanced mode. The sound is amazing and i feel the music the way I love to. It is just like being in the studio but no one can hear it but me as I sit in front of the fireplace. 98 uninterrupted minutes long, EARTH flows as a collection of 13 songs from throughout my life, songs i have written about living here on our planet together. Our animal kingdom is well represented in the audience as well and the animals, insects, birds and mammals actually take over the performances of the songs at times. My listening experience in balanced mode reveals the great depth of EARTH as it was performed live with Promise Of The Real. We are preparing to offer earphones and buds for listening to EARTH and your life long favorites in PONO balanced mode. These amazing products will be available in our Pono store, separately or in sets with our incredibly satisfying PonoPlayers soon. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do. PONO is alive and well, growing at the pace it needs to grow to maintain the quality you deserve. England, you are next.

Thanks for listening!

neil

It seems kind of ridiculous that there aren’t already Pono headphones, because even if the sound quality really is as special as Young says it is, it’s pretty much useless without equally special headphones, no? But hey, whatever. Ponos gonna pono.

UPDATE 4/28: Neil Young has announced some additional EARTH details. The album will be out 6/17 via Reprise Records, and will contain re-recorded live tracks, one of which is previously unreleased. “Ninety-eight uninterrupted minutes long, EARTH flows as a collection of 13 songs from throughout my life, songs I have written about living here on our planet together,” says Young. “Our animal kingdom is well represented in the audience as well, and the animals, insects, birds, and mammals actually take over the performances of the songs at times.” Below, check out the album artwork and tracklisting.

Tracklist:
01 “People Want to Hear About Love” (from The Monsanto Years)
02 “Big Box” (from The Monsanto Years)
03 “Mother Earth” (from Ragged Glory)
04 “The Monsanto Years” (from The Monsanto Years)
05 “I Won’t Quit” (previously unreleased)
06 “Western Hero” (from Sleeps With Angels)
07 “Vampire Blues” (from On The Beach)
08 “Hippie Dream” (from Landing On Water)
09 “After The Gold Rush” (from After The Gold Rush)
10 “Wolf Moon” (from The Monsanto Years)
11 “Love & Only Love” (from Ragged Glory)

EARTH is out 6/17 via Reprise.