After a long day at the office I wasn’t really inclined to write a music review, but this damned ship won’t make harbour without me heaving on an oar on occasion.
Disc 1450 is…. After the Gold Rush
Artist: Neil Young
Year of Release: 1970
What’s up with the Cover? Neil’s out for a walk, apparently having put on the One Ring and entered Sauron’s shadow world. Neil, I know that the power of the One Ring is a bit of a “gold rush” but don’t be tempted! It will corrupt you and before you know it, it’ll be 1983 and you’ll be singing doo-wop.
In related news, Neil appears to be passing by a hobbit.
How I Came To Know It: The specifics of how I came to own this album is lost in the mists of time, and the deluge of albums that have come after. I’ve owned it for quite a while, and I likely bought it on a deep dive of Neil Young’s back catalogue sometime in the last ten years or so.
How It Stacks Up: I have 20 Neil Young albums, but given I had two others I’ve since parted with, I’ll be stacking “After the Gold Rush” up against 22 albums. It does very well against a field that is both strong and deep. I’ll put it in at…#5. I expect many people would put it higher, and I encourage those people to go start a music blog and tell everyone all about it.
Creative Maelstrom historians may also note that I ranked “Hawks and Doves” no lower than #5 way back in 2010 (Disc 188) and this decision bumps that record to #6. Don’t let this trouble you; change is part of life.
Ratings: 4 stars
“After the Gold Rush” is an album that covers two of Neil Young’s best attributes: simple, relaxed grace, and passion and protest. Neil keeps the two streams separated on individual songs, but they blend together across the record as a whole.
On the folksy side, Young offers up pastoral tunes like “Tell Me Why” and the title track. The former feels a lot like his work in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, with pretty harmonies that capture the tension of youthful enthusiasm as it runs up against the hard choices that come with success. The chorus of:
“Is it hard to make arrangements
With yourself
When you’re old enough to repay
But young enough to sell?”
Has a dreamy questioning quality that leaves you unsure of the answer to the riddle it poses, which I think is exactly what Neil is going for.
The title track follows, doubling down on the dreamy uncertainty. It is a stripped-down affair, with a lonely piano and the heartworn uncertainty of Neil’s quavering vocals. The world-weary construction and introspection made me think of Bruce Springsteen at his best (it even features a horn solo, albeit a flugelhorn, not a saxophone).
“When You Dance You Can Really Love” takes that chill hippy vibe even farther – too far in fact. It has a sound that makes me wonder if it was the inspiration behind generations of gumboot wearing outdoor concert goers. The ones who spend the event spinning about, arms out and heads back, oblivious to where the dance floor ends, occasionally knocking the beers out of the hands of unsuspecting folks who were just trying to listen to the band. For this reason alone, I do not like this song. But I digress…
The album also has a rockin’ side, exemplified best by “Southern Man” a rocking protest song which is - how do I put this delicately? – not the most optimistic view of the deep south. It was also one of two tracks (the other being “Alabama”) that put Young in the crosshairs of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Quite apart from the fact that both Neil Young songs are better than the retort, “Southern Man” also features some of Young’s best guitar work. Young is a brilliant guitar player, who has a Hendrix-like quality of playing with such volume and dimension it is like he’s his own backup band. “Southern Man” has at least two killer guitar solos in its five and half minutes of awesome.
“After the Gold Rush” is a masterpiece of songwriting, with melodies Paul McCartney wishes he could have written, musicianship that sinks into your bones, and lyrics that leave you feeling deeply contemplative. Regardless of whether you prefer folksy Neil or rock ‘n’ roll Neil, you won’t leave disappointed.
Best tracks: Tell Me Why, After the Gold Rush, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Southern Man, Birds, Cripple Creek Ferry
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