After The Gold Rush

It’s kind of amazing how Lynyrd Skynyrd completely missed the point of “Southern Man” (and “Alabama”, from Harvest) when they responded with “Sweet Home Alabama”. In fact, they pretty much proved the point Neil Young was making in those songs: that the south was unapologetic in its past and then-current bigotry. “Sweet Home Alabama” praises segregationist/racist Alabama Governor George Wallace, Richard Nixon’s abuse of presidential power against a political rival and implies that Neil Young should be the one with a guilty conscience…because, uh…he is against those things? That song is pretty much the musical equivalent of saying “Mind your business, Yankee”. Which would be fine, I guess, if “Southern Man” and “Alabama” hadn’t been such well written and damning condemnations of the southern populist attitudes of the day. Like I said, Lynyrd Skynyrd only proved his point. Thats enough about Skynyrd, the confederate flag waiving doofuses, we’re here to talk about After The Gold Rush: Another classic Neil Young album in a string of classic Neil Young albums that were released between 1969 and 1979. Put any 70’s artist up against Neil Young’s catalog in that time. You’ll find very few whose output comes close to matching that of Neil Young’s in terms of consistency, quality and longevity. I’d argue that David Bowie is maybe the only one who comes close. The two are similar in at least one respect: Their steadfast adherence to their artistic visions in the face of massive success resulted in some of the greatest albums of the decade, if not all time. “After the Gold Rush” sits comfortably among the all-time greats.

I can only hit 5 stars so fast, you know?

Of fucking course Neil Young comes out again on a day when I'm in the car and can't piss about with YouTube. So after Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, i know there is Neil Young albums out there that i can enjoy. This is probably his most famous one? maybe tied with Harvest. First track wistful and gorgeous. a great opener. The title track also fantastic, Neil doing his silly falsetto whine on this one that in just can't take seriously, but its a great track. Only Love Can Break Your Heart I heard first as the St Etienne cover, but have heard this before and its also great. We're really doing very well here Mr Young. Southern Man is a little bit meh folk rock, but some really nice picking at the end, is that Nils Lofgram? An ad between literally every track so far. cheers Neil. Till the Morning Comes, another great ditty. Lonesome Me doesn't do much for me, Don't Let it Bring You Down sounds like a bout 4 different songs which all came after it. Birds is gorgeous, When You Dance is a lively rocker and good. I stuck Everyone Knows on later on to see which I preferred and I think it's still that for me, but overall v much enjoyed.

A quintessential lying on the floor and thinking about why he left you while the rain pours outside and the heater’s on the fritz album. Simply superb.

Went in expecting to hate it based on Neil's other work on this list. Didn't hate it. Didn't really like it either. I just don't really like his voice. It's whiny and grating.

Not on Spotify except one song. It was a shit song. Probably not a 1/5 in truth but I just hate him so much.

Somewhere between a solid listen and changed my life

Wasn't on Spotify so just listened to Southern Man for 40 min straight. Great song. Know the album like the back of my hand anyway, incredible.

10 out of 10. The idea that an old metalhead like me would be so enthralled by Young's slow and easy guitar solos astonishes me. On one hand you have some Herman Li solo with 10 billion notes, on the other Young hangs out on 4 or 5 notes, but the emotion is bleeds nourishes my soul.

After The Gold Rush is a quintessential Neil Young manoeuvre, parsing a never-to-be-filmed script from his 60s-fried neighbour Dean Stockwell to badge a bunch of songs he had already, inspire a couple of god-puncher new ones, and knock them all together into a perfect undulation of ballad, rocker, folk lament and whimsy, irrefutable evidence that Young is a lot more clear-eyed and calculating in record arrangement than his "we just banged this out in a weekend" demeanour might suggest. He had an absolute armada of treasure galleons over the '70s, and from both what he put out then and what has come out recently, he was wily in how he rationed it. More of a journey than a trip, duke. Very amused to read that he has trouble singing some of these lines as they are now gibberish to him too. Such magnificent gibberish, though!

Seminal early Young. Evocative of a loss of innocence and the instrumental embellishments of horn and piano thru out are very tasteful. Perfect.

Thoroughly enjoyed. Very melancholy album sung through a beautiful voice

Nice enough album, having been subjected to Rage Against The Machine prior to this, it felt like I had just been released from Guantanamo Bay and been sent to live with a nice elderly grandmother in sheltered housing. For the most part it was calm and gentle, despite her having a weird voice, I still felt safe.. albeit bored at times (she only really wants to play backgammon and watch a Miss Marple omnibus). The saving grace at points like that though, was knowing that she'd be gone soon.. and I found peace in that, as the album was only about half an hour long. Preferred this to the last Neil Young album on here.. hopefully the inevitable 50 others that come up here will be alright too.

I’ve never really been into Neil Young, it was okay but probably won’t listen again

Oh my gods, is this whole thing sung in this godawful falsetto? Hey! I know "Only love can break your heart" - unfortunately I know it from the infinitely superior St Etienne version. The best thing I can say about listening to this album is that it is mercifully short. The best thing that I can say about this album is that there's tracks on here that have inspired other people to make better music.

Neil Young's 1970 album, After the Gold Rush, stands as a monument of singer-songwriter artistry. It's a record that transcends genre, weaving folk, country, and rock into a tapestry rich with emotional depth and lyrical brilliance. This review delves into the album's core elements, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. Lyrics: Poetry in Motion Young's lyrics on After the Gold Rush are where the album truly shines. They're a blend of personal reflection and social commentary, delivered with a raw honesty that resonates deeply. The title track paints a picture of a world ravaged by environmental destruction, yearning for a simpler time. "Southern Man" confronts racism and injustice with a potent simplicity: "Southern man, don't need him around anyhow." Beyond social commentary, Young explores themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning. "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" is a heartbreaking ballad about the fragility of love, while "Ohio" mourns the Kent State shootings with poignant imagery: "Tin soldiers and Nixon coming / We're finally on our own." Young's lyrics are infused with a sense of longing, a search for something just beyond reach. They're not always easy to decipher, but their ambiguity invites repeated listens and personal interpretation. Music: Sparse Beauty The music on After the Gold Rush is intentionally stripped-down, often featuring just acoustic guitar, piano, and Young's distinctive vocals. This minimalist approach allows the lyrics to take center stage. Neil Young's signature raspy voice adds a layer of vulnerability and raw emotion. The instrumentation, however, isn't without its highlights. Nils Lofgren's piano adds a touch of elegance on songs like the title track, while Danny Whitten's slide guitar on "Southern Man" provides a sense of urgency. The use of harmonica and strings on select tracks adds subtle texture without overpowering the overall intimacy. Production: Capturing the Moment Produced by Young himself with David Briggs, After the Gold Rush has a raw, lo-fi quality that perfectly complements the album's themes. The recording captures the essence of live performance, with minimal studio trickery. This stripped-down approach may not be for everyone, but it creates a sense of authenticity that resonates with the emotional honesty of the songs. Themes: A Tapestry of Discontent After the Gold Rush reflects the disillusionment of a generation. The album was released at the height of the Vietnam War and the counterculture movement. Songs like "Southern Man" and "Ohio" capture the frustration and anger felt by many young Americans. However, the album isn't all about protest. Tracks like "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" delve into the complexities of love and loss, while "After the Gold Rush" and "Don't Let It Bring You Down" offer a glimmer of hope for a better future. Influence: A Legacy of Inspiration After the Gold Rush has been hailed as a landmark album in singer-songwriter history. Its influence can be felt across generations, inspiring countless artists from Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty to Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain. Young's raw honesty and poetic lyricism paved the way for a new wave of artists who explored personal and social themes in their music. Pros and Cons: Weighing the Gold Pros: Powerful Lyrics: Young's songwriting shines, capturing a range of emotions and social commentary. Emotional Depth: The rawness of the music and vocals creates a deeply affecting listening experience. Genre-Bending: The album blends elements of folk, country, and rock to create a unique sound. Enduring Influence: After the Gold Rush continues to inspire generations of musicians and listeners. Cons: Lo-Fi Production: The stripped-down production may not appeal to listeners who prefer a more polished sound. Limited Instrumentation: The minimal arrangements can feel repetitive at times. Cryptic Lyrics: Some listeners may find Young's lyrics too ambiguous or open to interpretation. Conclusion: A Timeless Masterpiece Despite its minor shortcomings, After the Gold Rush remains a cornerstone of American music. It's a raw and honest exploration of life, love, and loss, set against a backdrop of social and political upheaval. The album's enduring strength lies in its ability to connect with listeners on an emotional level, offering solace and inspiration even decades after its release. After the Gold Rush is a testament to Neil Young's songwriting prowess and his enduring legacy as a voice of a generation.

This is a fucking masterpiece.

Thanks for pulling all your music from Spotify, Neil. I get it. I support it. But, also, I miss having it on hand. "After the Gold Rush" isn't my favorite Neil Young record but it's among them and is worthy of 5 stars.

This album has some of my favorites on it. Listening to it as a whole really brings everything into focus though. The album is extremely melancholic, yet Neil Young is such a gifted lyricist, that there is no over reliance on metaphor and I don't get a sense that he's wallowing in his emotions; they just are what they are. After listening to quite a few Neil Young albums as a whole, I think that this might be my favorite.

Very very Neil Young. Mournful and poetic. I don't really get where Neil got his reputation as a rocker since all of these songs seem carefully mellow. Maybe his live shows are real gnarly.

I love Neil. He’s probably one of my top ten music artists of all time, certainly top twenty. One of the coolest music listening moments I’ve had in a while came while listening to this album. The title track was playing, and it occurred to me that in the last verse he’s singing about the future moment when HUMANS LEAVE PLANET EARTH TO GO TO A NEW HOME PLANET. The title track is easily one of my favorite songs of his or anyone else’s, but I had never put that together before (I had eaten an gummy that probably helped…) and I think it’s just a brilliant lyric. With the work that Space X and others are doing now on laying the groundwork for making humans a multi-planetary species it’s an even more ominous and prescient song than when written - I think it’s one of the best songs of all time. All that said, while I love this album I actually don’t rank it as high as many do among Neil’s vast catalog. It actually loses me in the back half far more than EKTIN, Harvest, On the Beach, Tonight’s the Night, and Rust Never Sleeps at the very least. The first 4 songs are strong, but to me the title track is by far the highlight. There’s one other track that makes me think deeply on this one. As someone born and raised and actually still living in the American south, I have mixed feelings about Southern Man. Not that the America Southern Man doesn’t need critiquing, far from it. I’m not a fan of generalizing, and while many in the south were definitely super racist and loud about it in the 70’s, I wish Neil had acknowledged somewhere in the song that (A) not everyone in the south is a racist, far from it and (B) racism is certainly not isolated in the American south, far from it. My grandparents were in their 40’s when this song was written, and they were all exceptionally against Jim Crowe, taught both of my parents that we're all equal, and those lessons passed to me. Were there, hell, are there systemic problems of inequality in the south and a disproportionate amount of southern men that were outwardly racist, absolutely. I am far from proud of the entirety of the history of the American south. I also think that addressing concerns about in a song called Southern Man is a bit divisive, and doesn’t credit where progress has been made. I think this is why Lynyrd Skynyrd (a far more progressive band than most people realize) had issue with this song as well. One of my favorite musical fun facts is that Neil and Ronnie Van Sant became really great friends after Sweet Home Alabama, and Neil was a pallbearer at Ronnie’s funeral. Unfortunately I can’t be too hard on Neil and it’s easy to see why a song like this is necessary: there’s a fucking confederate flag flying just 30 miles or so from Greenville, SC (where Lynyrd Skynyd’s fateful plane took off from) today in 2024. For a more nuanced critique on the Southern Man, listen to the Southern Rock Opera album by Drive-By Truckers (one of the greatest American rock bands ever); the “duality of the southern thing” describes the American south as succinctly and accurately as is possible I think. I digress…. TLDR: I love Neil, the title track is an all time great song and worth stars for by itself, Southern Man is complicated to me, and the back half is a bit boring to me.

Neil Young #6? This did not feel different than all other Young albums. 6/10, but it examplifies the problem with this list - too much of the same things without getting really interesting.

Another Neil Young, huh? This one started slow but really picked up at “Southern Man.” The anger he feels about the state of the south then (and honestly, probably still now) is so apparent. That alone makes it worth listening to. He slows it down after that, but still keeps the emotional honestly coming. That’s how I’d describe this album - vulnerable and honest. I’d liked what I’d heard from Neil Young to this point. “On the Beach” is a great album, and “Rust Never Sleeps” was alright. This falls somewhere in the middle of those two for me. It has its moments, but it isn’t what I assume to be his masterpiece. I know he has a number of albums that made the list, so I’ll wait until I get his best. Three stars. Southern Man, Oh, Lonesome Me, Don’t Let it Bring You Down, Birds

Not a bad album, just a bit more Neil Young than I care for in one sitting. Some good song here though. Southern Man and Only Love Can Break Your Heart

As expected 3*

I continue to struggle with Young's music. This is no different.

I didn't know Neil Yung's work, I like the way he writes and the intensity of his writing. The tracks "After the Gold Rush", "Southern Man" and "When You Dance I Can Really Love" deserve a special listen.

Quintessential folk rock protest music. Profound lyrics unfortunately sung by Neil Young. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s least favorite album.

The title track is one of the worst songs ever written, wallowing in insipid melodies and whiny intonations. Several other songs re-tread the heavily trodden (and never interesting) ground of basic-chord country/folk. Lowest common denominator music.

I think it’s safe to say at this point that I am not a fan of Neil young. I like a song or two of his but I hated listening to this album. His voice annoys me to no end. Like I said I can tolerate a song or two, I even like some. A whole album is way too much though, and this album especially. The songs were boring and bad, I didn’t connect with this at all.

-incredible introduction to folk rock

after the GOAT rush

One one hand, I don't think it's his best as so many often claim it is - give me Harvest or Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere any day. On the other hand, it IS a 5-star album, so... 5/5

Perfect album. No notes.

Another Neil Young superclassic - nothing to add.

Classic Neil Young, great album.

Apparently, I have a preference for NY's country/folk-rock side compared to his hard-rock side. This preference is not without exceptions but it does explain why After The Gold Rush ends up receiving full marks.

This was the first Neil Young album I bought. I have my ups and downs with him but I've stayed tuned in all this time and this is still a favourite. Better than its successor Harvest.

A wonderful album with some of Neil's best songwriting and that's saying something. At turns beautiful; (Only Love Can Break your Heart), poignant (After the Gold Rush) and scathing (Southern Man), this album shows all the facets of Neil Youngs songwriting range. It does have some filler but that doesn't keep it from attaining 5 star status

Have on vinyl. Neil Young's second best album, great themes, lyrics, melodies and probably his best voice

I don’t even need to listen to this. It’s about as 5/5 as albums get and one of my all-time favourites. It’s got some of the prettiest folk rock songs of all time on it (title track, only love can break your heart, tell me why, I believe in you). Southern man is one of the best rock songs of all time and pissed off Lynyrd Skynyrd, which inspired them to write Sweet Home Alabama. So win/win really. Best songs: Pretty much all of them Worst song: Cripple Creek Ferry is a bit filler-y, but it’s still pretty af

Outstanding album and probably my favourite by Neil Young. No real duds on it but I'm not a huge fan of I Believe in You. That's the only one that drags for me. Standouts: After the Golf Rush Southern Man Only Love Can Break Your Heart Don't Let It Bring You Down Low Points: I Believe in You Lynyrd Skynyrd thinking they're well hard for calling out NY for his lyrics in Southern Man. The Godfather of Grunge would batter you.

Def in my top ten albums of the seventies. It's so good. This is what an album should be like. Not a wasted moment, okay birds is whatever, but it's got it all

Five stars. One of my favorites. His best!

Perfection

Elsewhere, I've mentioned my disdain for singer/songwriter/guitarist/healtfelt songs.... but this is Neil Young's classic, goddammit. It' one of those albums that just stays with you for (checks year) yep, 50 years. A certified classic.

After the Gold Rush is Neil Young's third studio album, and this and the album that followed, Harvest, are regarded has his best work. Young does not have a "great" voice, in any traditional sense. His voice has a sound of awkward earnestness that makes him a compelling storyteller. This collection includes a few of Young's best known songs. From the contentious "Southern Man," to the nostalgic "After the Gold Rush," Young's songs have transcended their genre - they are something more than just country rock songs.

Neil Young rocks

classic rock and probably Neil Young at his best. I dont even like the man all that much but this was a treat through and through. I just cant get past his voice but that is a very personal mark against it so I'll brush it aside. Plus Southern Man is just so good all on its own.

Wasn’t familiar with this album and was pleasantly surprised to find all the Neil Young songs I knew were on it! What a collection of honest, real and sometimes brutal song writing. Loved it!

Amazing album as usual for Neil Young. Incredible album with incredible individual songs. Will listen again.

another really good neil young album in this collection. his immersive storytelling through his songwriting has some full-fledged soft 70s rock sounds thrown in this time around. this sort of raw, imperfect and... natural rock music could only be made back then, which says a lot. the music is emotional and nostalgic, but also very easy and comfortable to listen to. what a guy.

Over the years Neil young became highly respected cool dude for me.

Neil Young is a major figure in music history, and this album, even though its quiet and folky at times, kicks balls and slaps It perfectly captures the late 60s, Laurel/Topanga Canyon music scene and culture. I first heard this in college and have always loved the opening tracks, but the record is strong from front to back. And it includes the ball kicking classic "Southern Man". Even if you don’t like Neil Young’s voice, its an important album, from an important figure, from an important time in history.

Day 5 of this album a day challenge and this is the first album I've gotten that I've listened to before. Great album. Neil Young is up there on the list of greatest songwriters of all time.

A gorgeous straight to 5 star record. Every track has its place, every track is exquisite. After many Neil Young records (most of them rather good) this was a perfect one.

My wife says he sounds like a goat. I say he IS the G.O.A.T.

Superb

Not only obe of Neil’s best but one of the greatest records of rock music in general. Only hits in 35 minutes.

Very nice! Perfect album!

Another nostalgia album. Age 3, trying to learn to read via the enclosed poster with the lyrics and being freaked out by that 2nd song with "I dreamed I saw the silver spaceships coming...." but listening to it over and over and over and being weirdly mesmirized... I shouldn't like most albums like this ... but it just hits in some fundamental way, and then the piano songs (title track obvs, "Birds") really add in a full color to this record and then we've got the classic "Southern Man" rocker on the other side of the ledger... damn I think this weekend I realized I'd mostly forgotten about this album for about 40 years and hearing it makes me feel like a kid again and that I actually love this freaking record. 9/10 5 stars

Listened a million times

Another 4.5 star album. There’s a few songs I skip but overall this is just a great album.

Brilliant songs, brilliant variety and just brilliant everything.

That was a delight.

One of my favorite albums of all time. I love the way you can feel the state of mind Neil is in when he puts out an album. The disillusionment of the 70s lies heavy on these songs.

Not generally a happy place, it is a wonderful place of influence that Young creates with this record.

Wonderful folky country rock album from thee Neil Young. Neil is a great lyricist, you can see what he’s seeing and feel what he’s feeling. A lot of great songs here - some queiter and lonelier, some emotional and loving (or heartbroken) and some that just rock. He’s also got a unique and wonderful voice (though it’s an acquired taste), with a gentle vibrato and haunting quality. Beautiful vocal harmonies support simple but effective melodies. Just a great album all around.

Although Lynryd Skynryd seems to have taken offense at this album, or at least the Song Southern Man, After The Gold Rush is a true classic of early 70s country rock and proto-type of Southern Rock. Almost every song is a classic, especially the aforementioned Southern Man, Tell Me Why, the title track, Don't Let it bring You Down, and Only Love Can Break Your Heart. There are quiet ballads (Only Love Can Break Your Heart) and rocking tunes (Don't Let It Bring You Down), and everything in between. What's the most amazing is how different it is from the work he did with CSNY or Buffalo Springfield. Perhaps it's because Young is in the driver's seat here instead of a supporting role. Whatever the reason, this is pure Neil Young and toward his 70s peak. It's also his first fully realized album. His first, eponymous, album was fine but yielded no note worthy songs. The follow up Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, was more on track (especially the songs Cinnamon Girl and Down By The River) but aren't nearly as complete as After The Gold Rush. The follow-up Harvest was also phenomenal, but Young wouldn't see an album like this (and Harvest) again until Comes a Time, 8 years later.

Neil Young's *After the Gold Rush* feels like the soundtrack to a melancholy daydream—vivid, strange, and existentially unsettling. It's the kind of record that unpacks your nostalgia in real-time. "Tell Me Why" is deceptively optimistic, like a cigarette disguised as meditation. Then, there’s the title track, which feels like you’re reading sci-fi poetry from an old hippie’s diary. Young’s voice isn’t for everyone, but it doesn’t matter—it’s exactly what you’d want on a hazy afternoon, when you're thinking about the end of the world while making coffee. It’s flawed, brilliant, and oddly prophetic.

I may have already said this; but since the start of this project I totally come around on Neil Young. This is among his best. Title track is excellent, and probably the best on the album, but the whole album is solid. I like the guitar tone in Southern Man. Yep, I'm giving Neil Young five stars. Nobody's more surprised than me.

Back to back Neil Young albums, let's go. I love the way he focuses so much on getting the feeling of his songs right instead of being perfectly produced. The songwriting and human imperfections are what make his music special.

Every song hits very well, I love the melancholy, his fragile voice and the raw acoustics. First 5/5 so far!

Sickly sweet singing Poetically stunning Soul igniting rock

an old favorite such a beautiful album

Just his 3rd studio album. Not a bad song to be found. Such a unique force and special talent: piano, guitar, harmonica, poetic songwriting, and arrangements. Some may not like his voice, I find it compelling. He shows such range on this album from gentle ballads to shredding savage guitar and vocals.

I love his voice and the cadence of the album. Timeless/

Neil machine

Damn. Don't you just wanna give Neil Young a hug? He needs a hug. 5/5

In my opinion, his best album. Tip to tail, I love this thing, know all the lyrics, and would spin it weekly on full blast so I could sing along and not hear myself. One year at summer camp back in the early 70’s, I had a tent leader who played a 12 string acoustic with harmonic neck holder, and he just crushed Neil Young songs. It sounded so damn sweet, and I was hooked forever. Many great songs on this album, but my favorite is Cripple Creek Ferry, mostly because I loved singing it, and it made no sense.

Feels like re-watching a nostalgic film from childhood which is a lot darker and sadder than you remembered. Great Tracks: Southern Man, Don't Let It Bring You Down, I Believe in You, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, After The Golf Rush, Tell Me Why, Oh, Lonesome Me, Cripple Creek Ferry, When You Dance, I Can Really Love Mid Tracks: Birds 9/10 Cover: 7/10

Absolutely fantastic after 50+ years

classic

Fan of Neil young since more than 50 years. The great Loner!!!

This list has made me a fan of Neil Young. Didn't have too strong of an opinion beforehand. But now I really like him.

I really feel like I have been missing out by not listening to Neil Young sooner. I don't think there is a bad song on this album! His voice is definitely unique to me but it just blends with the vibe of his music so well. Somewhere I heard or read someone describe his music as the perfect camping music, and I think that is probably true even if I am not a camper. I'd love to listen to it on a hike instead or by the beach maybe. Something about it lends to a relaxed feeling I tend to associate with being out in nature. I also feel like I hear the seeds of some of the sound of "On the Beach" in the song "Southern Man". I haven't heard "Harvest" yet which I know was released between this album and "On the Beach", so wondering is there are any bridges there as well. Anyway, I loved this album am excited for the rest of the Neil Young albums on this list.

4.5/5.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time and this listen only reinforced what I love about it so much. The songs are simple and direct. While the subject matter is often insular, there is a worldliness and a weariness all throughout this album that makes it a classic to me.

This right here is a banger country-folk album. Not that crappy country pop that plays on the radio nowadays. This album has some great songwriting, beautiful tunes throughout its' entirety, and superb production. Neil Young paints colorful and deep paintings with these tracks, and I'm here to stay and enjoy all of them. Best - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (MPF), Southern Man, Oh, Lonesome Me, I Believe In You, and literally most if not all of this album. Worst - NOT A SINGLE MISS 4.50-4.75/5

Had my Frank Reynolds “I get it” gif moment listening to this in the shower today after soliciting tons of Neil Young recommendations from Sameen over the past year… not that I didn’t already really like this but quite simply, the way that Neil Young’s voice hit my ears today (especially on those first three tracks) shook me. The way that he sings alone is extremely moving, and that’s not even accounting for the stunningly sad lyrics and the gorgeous instrumentation. Thumbs up from me!

I’ve been on a Neil listening spree since we saw him on Sameen’s bday. He has so much output and it’s not consistent in its quality or style which I absolutely adore because I see him as a truly fearless creator who accidentally fell into celebrity. This album is so consistent in quality even though it is quite dynamic. Some of the Young lyrics that I have connected with the deepest and some really fun songs!

By my accounts the practical pick for Neil's best album, it kicks off maybe the most productive and prolific half decade any musician has ever had... my connection to Neil (my favourite artist) is kinda bizarre as I always liked him but his music never connected until I decided to put on Harvest when we were first renovating the garage that Hearth opened in October 2019... my motivation was actually to try and 'impress' or 'relate to' Rowan's dad who was helping us insulate the walls and rewire the lights... In retrospect it was kind of silly but it was the first time I actually listened to a Neil album and i was hooked right away... The timing was funny because once pandemic lockdowns started I was basically listening to Neil Young every day, other than my friends on discord his music was the most consistent 'relationship' I had in lockdown and I was often listening to him when I felt down and he always helped me feel better. I have become very endeared to this old ass man and I am very proud to call him my favourite artist. This album is one of two that never leaves my phone (with The Blue Album) and it is endlessly relistenable... the music on here was famously inspired by a screenplay that Dean Stockwell wrote with a guy who wrote lyrics for Captain Beefheart which is really cool cuz at times you can kinda tell its a soundtrack for a movie that doesnt exist... anyways, every track here is perfection for me and its the last neil album that Danny Whitten played on before he died (see: The Needle and the Damage Done) I'm sure I'll be playing this game for every neil album that comes up here but I do think this is ultimately his best album, but im sure I'll be saying something different when we listen to Rust Never Sleeps and On The Beach...

Absolute genius, now thankfully back on Spotify. One of the best to ever do it, and this is probably his (solo) masterwork. Not a note out of place, and unimprovable in my view. What a man; what an album.

Love me some Neil Young. More like this please!

One of my favourite albums of all time. Such a consistently quality record - I like many others keep a playlist of a track I'd like to remember from each album on the list, and I'd find it impossible to pick one from this, because they're all great (other than Cripple Creek Ferry). Maybe I just won't bother because I know them all so well anyway. The title track is an obvious highlight - one of the most poignant and beautiful rock songs ever, and 54 years later the idea of needing spaceships to extract humanity from earth in the face of ecological breakdown looks eerily prophetic. Southern Man is also incredible, a great example of Young's ability to write biting and satirical music. It's not just grander themes that he deals with so well though as he also covers love, loneliness and resilience, the whole time his voice evoking such strong feeling that he almost sounds on the verge of cracking with sadness at times. 5* for sure!

Easy 5. I am yet to find a Folk Rock album I don’t like. The combination of complex solos and a classic, strong sound with the tenderness and beautiful melodies of folk give this album a well earned appraisal. This record is wonderfully placed in that you get the somber songs that make you genuinely feel things, but not without getting too monotonous, making sure to throw in some louder, energized tracks. Yes, Neil Young’s voice can be a bit corny at times, but the words are strong and clear. This album is a classic and a great part of Neil Young’s already terrific discography.

Beautiful.

Just perfect.

A monumental singer songwriter album that sounds so vibrant and urgent even now over 50 years after its release. Got to love Neil Young, and this is up there with his absolute best

5/5 Fantastic album. Brilliant tracklist. Tell Me Why 5/5 After the Gold Rush 5/5 (FAV) Only Love Can Break Your Heart 5/5 Southern Man 4.5/5 Till the Morning Comes 4.5/5 Oh, Lonesome Me 3.5/5 (LEAST FAV) Don't Let It Bring You Down 5/5 Birds 5/5 When You Dance I Can Really Love 4/5 I Believe in You 5/5 Cripple Creek Ferry 4/5