After the Gold Rush

Neil Young

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After the Gold Rush Review

by William Ruhlmann

In the 15 months between the release of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and After the Gold Rush, Neil Young issued a series of recordings in different styles that could have prepared his listeners for the differences between the two LPs. His two compositions on the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album Déjà Vu, "Helpless" and "Country Girl," returned him to the folk and country styles he had pursued before delving into the hard rock of Everybody Knows; two other singles, "Sugar Mountain" and "Oh, Lonesome Me," also emphasized those roots. But "Ohio," a CSNY single, rocked as hard as anything on the second album. After the Gold Rush was recorded with the aid of Nils Lofgren, a 17-year-old unknown whose piano was a major instrument, turning one of the few real rockers, "Southern Man" (which had unsparing protest lyrics typical of Phil Ochs), into a more stately effort than anything on the previous album and giving a classic tone to the title track, a mystical ballad that featured some of Young's most imaginative lyrics and became one of his most memorable songs. But much of After the Gold Rush consisted of country-folk love songs, which consolidated the audience Young had earned through his tours and recordings with CSNY; its dark yet hopeful tone matched the tenor of the times in 1970, making it one of the definitive singer/songwriter albums, and it has remained among Young's major achievements.

Track Listing

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
1	Tell Me Why Neil Young	Neil Young	02:59	Amazon
2	After the Gold Rush Neil Young	Neil Young	03:46	Amazon
3	Only Love Can Break Your Heart Neil Young	Neil Young	03:09	Amazon
4	Southern Man Neil Young	Neil Young	05:31	Amazon
5	Till the Morning Comes Neil Young	Neil Young	01:27	Amazon
6	Oh, Lonesome Me Don Gibson	Neil Young	03:50	Amazon
7	Don't Let It Bring You Down Neil Young	Neil Young	02:57	Amazon
8	Birds Neil Young	Neil Young	02:33	Amazon
9	When You Dance I Can Really Love Neil Young	Neil Young	03:45	Amazon
10	I Believe in You Neil Young	Neil Young	03:27	Amazon
11	Cripple Creek Ferry Neil Young	Neil Young	01:33	Amazon