It was initially released as a limited edition three-disc set entitled Arc-Weld, with the Arc portion being a single disc consisting in its entirety of a sound collage of guitar noise and feedback.

It also echoes those albums as Young, in both cases having spent most of a previous decade pursuing different musical avenues, returned to straightforward rock and roll via the Ragged Glory album with Crazy Horse, then celebrated that return with an accompanying live document and concert film.

The album includes Young's "Gulf War" version of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind", which has air raid sound effects.

Young explains in a November 1991 interview with David Fricke for Rolling Stone: "We were there all the way through it, and to me, that's what Weld is about.

The 2023 vinyl reissue restores the track order from the CD version, but splits the album over three discs.