Album: After The Gold Rush
Artist: Neil Young
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Released: August 1970
Genre: Americana
Influenced: Elliott Smith, Foo Fighters, Wilco, Lambchop, Bright Eyes
Though not as innovative as his previous album, the songwriting and compositions on After The Gold Rush achieved new heights. For me, these two albums together are Neil Young's finest work. Less hard-rocking than Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After The Gold Rush marks the transition to the full country sound of Young's next album Harvest. Created between tours for CSNY, which Young somehow combined with maintaining his own band Crazy Horse (boosted by the addition of guitarist Nils Lofgren), the album mixes hard rock with country ballads, plus darker themes such as those explored on the apocalyptic title track.
For me, no song points to Young's genius better than After The Gold Rush. The melancholic singing voice, impressionistic lyrics and simple but beautiful melody all combine to great effect. As a hippie, of a very unique sort, Young was voicing the environmental concerns of "Mother Nature on the run in the 1970s", threatened by nuclear war and pollution. His time spent in the stunning Topanga Canyon, where this album was partly recorded as well as at Sound City, must have been as much an influence on this song as the (aborted) screenplay that inspired it.
Though the entire Crazy Horse band only appear on 3 of the 11 tracks, Nils Lofgren (piano) and Steve Stills (vocals) feature on other tracks, giving the album a rich sound. Opener Tell Me Why is mainly Young and an acoustic guitar, complemented by harmonies, and sounds like it could have come straight off Déjà Vu. Only Love Can Break Your Heart has a simple, haunting melody that would give Young a Top 40 hit in 1970; lyrically though, this is not one of his finest efforts, and requires the harder rock of Southern Man as follow-up to provide balance. Just like the CSNY song Ohio, written just after the release of Déjà Vu, Southern Man sees Young again responding to current events, namely the ongoing racism in the South, with a powerful mix of crunching guitar and piano.
Though not as innovative as his previous album, the songwriting and compositions on After The Gold Rush achieved new heights. For me, these two albums together are Neil Young's finest work. Less hard-rocking than Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After The Gold Rush marks the transition to the full country sound of Young's next album Harvest. Created between tours for CSNY, which Young somehow combined with maintaining his own band Crazy Horse (boosted by the addition of guitarist Nils Lofgren), the album mixes hard rock with country ballads, plus darker themes such as those explored on the apocalyptic title track.
For me, no song points to Young's genius better than After The Gold Rush. The melancholic singing voice, impressionistic lyrics and simple but beautiful melody all combine to great effect. As a hippie, of a very unique sort, Young was voicing the environmental concerns of "Mother Nature on the run in the 1970s", threatened by nuclear war and pollution. His time spent in the stunning Topanga Canyon, where this album was partly recorded as well as at Sound City, must have been as much an influence on this song as the (aborted) screenplay that inspired it.
Though the entire Crazy Horse band only appear on 3 of the 11 tracks, Nils Lofgren (piano) and Steve Stills (vocals) feature on other tracks, giving the album a rich sound. Opener Tell Me Why is mainly Young and an acoustic guitar, complemented by harmonies, and sounds like it could have come straight off Déjà Vu. Only Love Can Break Your Heart has a simple, haunting melody that would give Young a Top 40 hit in 1970; lyrically though, this is not one of his finest efforts, and requires the harder rock of Southern Man as follow-up to provide balance. Just like the CSNY song Ohio, written just after the release of Déjà Vu, Southern Man sees Young again responding to current events, namely the ongoing racism in the South, with a powerful mix of crunching guitar and piano.
Side 2 doesn't have as many highlights, but personal favourites are Don't Let It Bring You Down (featuring some of the album's best songwriting, "Full moon sinking from the weight of the load / and the buildings scrape the sky"), the tender Birds and the sing-a-long Americana of Cripple Creek Ferry. This is about the most essential album Neil Young ever made, with the perfect balance of his two main moods, melancholy country-tinged ballads and grungy powerful rock. (P.S. The vinyl copy is worth owning if only for the great picture of Young at Sound City in the gatefold sleeve).
Comments