Reviews (page 7 of 12)
No one plays a minor chord quite like Neil Young. I don't know why, but sometimes he'll have a song with a chord progression in it and instead of an expected major chord, he'll throw a minor chord right at you and make you feel things. It happens pretty quickly on this album (7 seconds in) and his beautiful vocal melody on top really makes your ears focus on the speakers of whatever device you are listening too. I love this first track, it gets going right away, and then blossoms beautifully with more and more volume and voices. I'm so into the saturation/distortion on his voice on "Southern Man" that cuts right through the buttery smooth vocal harmonies beside it. Such a cool sound. Now that I think of it, halfway into this album I'm realizing that the vocal parts are really the highlight. Solid release, with many memorable moments.
Enjoyed.
I have mixed feelings about this album. It’s got some really good songs, and there’s not really anything on here I dislike. At the same time, for an album with 11 tracks and a runtime of only 34 minutes, it somehow manages to drag a little. Maybe that’s because most of the songs are slower tempo. There are also times where Young’s higher pitch gets a bit grating. It grew on me after a second listen, but it’s not my favorite Neil Young album. It definitely has a more mellow vibe than some of his other stuff, which isn’t bad but requires a certain mood to enjoy. The only song I knew from this album going in was “Southern Man.” Before his feud with Spotify, Young was famous for his feud with Lynrd Skynrd, who did not take kindly to this song (resulting in the famous anti-Neil Young lyrics in “Sweet Home Alabama”). With its multiple long electric guitar solos and relatively uptempo feeling compared to most of the songs on this album, it feels kind of out of place. It’s probably my favorite song on the album and is a classic for a reason. My other favorites are “Don’t Let It Bring You Down,” which in addition to really interesting lyrics has a crazy good bass line, and “When You Dance I Can Really Love,” the only other uptempo song. Am I the only one who feels like Ben Folds ripped off “After the Gold Rush” for “Brick” after hearing this album? Or that Bread kind of ripped off “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” when they did “Everything I Own”? I think I initially would’ve given this a 3, but after another listen I’ll give it a 4/5.
A quiet, raw, and honest album, laying the groundwork for who knows how many earnest singer-songwriters. The songs are pretty excellent and the focus and vision are clear. I hate to be prissy about this, but the number one issue is that Neil’s shrieky singing voice is just never going to be my cup of tea… I got over that issue with Bob Dylan, but I can’t get all the way there with him. I also think Neil’s hard rock side isn’t perfectly integrated—Southern Man is great, but When You Dance is a mismatch. Summing up, it’s a well-written and sometimes beautiful album, even if the performances aren’t always my favorite. Best song: Southern Man
I love this album. More diverse than expected, all to the good. I think it’s the ballads that resonate with me, all uniquely Neil. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” is beautiful, and reminds me in the chorus a bit like a Motown ‘60s cut. At first that may have you go “huh?” until you learn that Neil started his career in a band signed to Motown that included Rick James… which blows my mind. Thinking of those two in the same band…crazy! And just when you think he’s gonna lull you into a mellow mood with the ballads, he hits with “Southern Man” which is just so damn good. Apparently Lynard Skynard was so butt-hurt that their beloved South was being called out for entrenched racism by Neil, they wrote “Sweet Home Alabama” as a retort. Great art pushing and challenging us, helping to create more great art. 🤔🤔🤔Overall, I think this is one of Neil’s best albums, right up there with Harvest and his other gems. Also picked up an original vinyl copy at Goodwill for $2 that sounds fantastic. Nice!!! 😎😎😎
Best Neil Young, classic after classic all in a row. Would be a 5 if there was any justice in the world.
Classic Neil young 4*
I do not like Neil Young, but this one is good. Opening track, After the Gold Rush, Southern Man, all excellent... But the in-between is very hit-or-miss, and they missed for me. 4/5 because I want to be true to myself, but I can see why others would rate it as perfect.
Young has grown on me over the years that i've been randomly listening to him in spots. It's a great concise folk-rock album,one of the better ones i can remember from him.
Fantastic Neil.
4.4
My second Neil Young album on this list. This one is a bit more rock than the last one, heading towards that grungier style that he did later that I prefer. This is a solid album though.
Excellent
Excellent. Already in my library.
Hadn't heard this album before; listened to it a couple of times, but these are definitely first impressions: I'm really glad Neil Young found fame and success; he's anathema to today's talent show driven perfect voices; but like Dylan, he's not about sing star perfection; there's so much soul in his stories, and like so many albums of this era - there's so much to uncover in the mix alone. These songs have a weight to them, even when he's singing about Fairies. Oh. Ferries. Still, I've made my point.
Solid Neil album.
Country folk rock de Young. Un 4.
Beautiful album. Not quite a 5 for me but v close
I've heard of Neil Young before but never listened one of his albums. This one is actually pretty great. The use of acoustic and electric guitar is nice and his vocals are great. For me, there are some duds keeping it away from a 5/5.
Always got time for Neil Young, this is an excellent album. Although I do prefer the Saint Etienne version of Only Love Can Break Your Heart.
I really enjoyed this album, more than I thought I would. And more than some of his other work from the late 80s.
It's not Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, but it's still peak Neil Young.
Another good album by Neil Young. The more I listen to his discography (which appears aplenty on this list), the more I like his voice, which is very specific and unique. I love Southern Man, there's a really good cover of it by Inter Arma, but original is just an insanely good song. Really enjoyable, I think I should have a closer look at other records by Neil soon.
It's a beautiful album tbh, but I don't think anything special about it
4.5
Neil's best album
Classic after classic. Although I bet Eeyore has this album on repeat .
It's the combination of folk production mixed with poetic lyrics that is quintessential Neil Young. Perhaps his best.
Was skeptical of his voice when the song After the Gold Rush came on, but the album grew on me.
The GOAT
I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. Not sure if this makes me an official Neil Young fan, but I enjoyed this a lot.
Seems I really quite like Neil Young, I had suspected so.
I'm so glad I can listen to this on Spotify. Also I really wasn't familiar with any of the songs, which was a surprise. It's great!
This man is amazing.
Not my favorite of his but a few really great songs.
classic neil young
Pretty great, even if not the biggest fan of Neil's voice. The instrumental are very good.
Amazing album, an all-time classic! I wasn't aware that I would like this album that much.
Some very great hits on this one.
Gotta love Neil. His albums are never quite 5 star for me, but usually worthy of 4. Southern Man is a classic.
Listened to it on a long drive and it was good vibes
Listened to this while playing Glass Road solo. I lost pretty hard. Great soundtrack to my defeat...would recommend others lose to this album as well.
Brilliant album. I really loved this and can listen to it on repeat. Favourite song: Only love can break your heart and Southern Man Least favourite: everything is worth a listen Album artwork: Great cover
This is my fourth Neil Young album to review (not counting one with Crazy Horse and one with CSNY). So far, I’ve been found the albums of his that I’ve reviewed to be pretty middle of the road, but I had really high hopes for this one, since it’s so well-reviewed. Unfortunately, this was yet another Neil Young album that landed middle-of-the-road with me. Neil Young is a talented songwriter, and those skills really shine on this album, just like plenty of his other works. The lyrics on this album cover so many topics, and a lot of them still feel relevant today. I think my favorite lyrics though are on “Southern Man.” Living in Texas, these lyrics really hit home, as the war on “critical race theory” rages on. When Neil isn’t singing about the political landscape of the late seventies, his songs of heartache and lost love convey emotional pain and loneliness in his unique way. The music on this album supplements the songwriting well; there’s nothing too crazy here, but the simple arrangements are pleasant to listen to. The title track was probably my favorite off the album when it comes to the music. I loved the piano melody, and the flugelhorn coming in towards the end of the song added some great depth. I really enjoyed the vocal harmonies throughout the album as well. I wrote this review the day after having been assigned the album, and as I wrote this, I skipped back through the album, and since yesterday, it’s grown on me quite a bit. Yesterday, I just didn’t really enjoy listening to it much, even though I could appreciate it, but today, it’s really hitting home with me. I was going to give this three stars, but I think it deserves four stars.
I really enjoyed “After the Gold Rush” and “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” but the rest of the album was just alright.
Excellent folk rock music
Best falsetto in the land
Good songs. I just wish someone else sang them. Favorite song: Don't let it bring you down.
Strong album. Personal Standouts are Southern Man, Don't Let It Bring You Down, and When You Dance You Can Really Love.
This is probably my first full Neil Young album. He's not really known where I'm from (Eastern Europe) and his music seems very American to me (ok, North American since he's obviously Canadian). I like it but seeing such enthusiastic reviews here I realized I probably don't get the full context. That's fine, I think we have a lot of amazing sung poetry music here in my country so this album doesn't really stand out that much to me. The things I enjoyed the most: - the minimalist production on the first three tracks where you only get like two-three instruments per track and no bass or drums and then suddenly there's this little horn part on the title track. It's just lovely. You wish it'd come back more, but the fact that it's so brief makes it special; - Only Love Can Break Your Heart - prior to today I've only heard the St Etienne version and always loved it - this one is great too and I'll appreciate the St Etienne cover even more now; - the roughness of the Southern Man - I've read that Neil Young was later trying to say that he went too far but I just love how he poured his heart out in this one. Especially the part with the distorted vocals and then the guitar solo is just nasty and feels so grungy. I love how towards the end it's just one dissonant chord on repeat - perfection; - The rest of the album is much lighter which is good I guess since it really pushes out the roughness of the Southern Man into the spotlight. I Believe in You is also very pretty and helps with keeping things interesting until the end of the album. Overall, it's a 4 from me but I can totally understand how it might be a 5 for some people. I'm really thankful for this challenge that it exposes me to such interesting music I probably would have never picked up on my own.
Neil Young Top demais
Being forced to listen to Neil Young has changed my opinion. Do I think a lot of his songs are annoying as hell? Yes. Do I think he overdoes the nasal singing? Yes. But some of his music is pretty solid, and I like it. 3.5 stars.
I know this one. Great album.
Love it. Neil Young really has music and lyrics coming together perfectly here.
Way better than I thought it would be
Neil young created a formula for his music to always kind of work. He uses his higher pitched voice and songs about some introspective things at a low or medium tempo. It’s really how most of his music goes but he executes it quite well. This album may not be as upbeat as others but it’s still great to listen to. 7.8/10
Ein typisches FolkRockAlbum von Neil Young im Stile von "Harvest". Sehr melodisch, keine Experimente, aber sehr genau arrangiert und produziert. Ein in sich stimmiges Album. Manchmal findet man einige Anleihen von seinen Songs, aber das stört nicht. "Only Love can Break your Heart" ist sowohl gesanglich als auch kompositorisch ein Meisterwerk.
Almost a 5
Not my favorite Neil Young, but some complete bangers here. I'm partial to Neil in 80s and 90s, but the early stuff is iconic.
Neil Young is always a solid pick for me. And "After The Gold Rush" is a very well crafted round album without fails. Favourite songs: "Southern Man", "When You Dance I Can Really Love"
Neil Young ain't bad.
If all this 1001 Albums project gave me was a better understanding of Neil Young I'd be grateful. Neil Young is a yin yang. The more exposure I get the more I'm blown away by his ability to drift between soft and heavy. I can see more and more why he's up there with Dylan.
4.49
Extremely good with a huge variety of high-quality cuts, with a range that reaches from the lovely to the outraged, from the edgy to the authentically mellow and therapeutically serene. NY"s putting it all out there / wearing heart on sleeve works very well here, largely a result of the control he seems to exude and the clear purpose of every song. His voices makes the despair and heartbreak sound somehow triumphant, the confronting and moving past it. One wants to say "minor masterpiece" but the qualifier may not be necessary.
listened 3x. 3.6/5 a few solid ones.
The turning point from the hippy 60s into the cynical 70s produced a lot of great music and this album is no exception. I was more familiar with Dolly Parton’s version of the title track than the original, but it’s still as bafflingly obtuse as ever. “Oh, Lonesome Me” is a masterpiece of self pity and staying in, but the highlight is “Southern Man” - a blistering attack on racism in the Deep South with some rocking guitar work.
Another solid album from Neil Young. I always like how he navigates between stripped down folk and more "high voltage" rock, even though the former is more present than the later. Southern Man is a banger!
Great album!
Tell Me Why 3.5 After the Gold Rush 3.7 Only Love Can Break Your Heart 4 Southern Man 4.5 Till the Morning Comes 3.3 Oh, Lonesome Me 3.5 Don't Let It Bring You Down 3.6 Birds 3.4 When You Dance I Can Really Love 3.7 I Believe In You 3.5 Cripple Creek Ferry 3.4 Score: 3.645454545
I’ve always had a bit of a blind spot for Neil for some reason. Glad to jump in with this one. Really good.
Some absolute gems, but forgot how many odd filler songs were in here.
I’m glad he’s back on Spotify I can now Appreciate this album today than having to use YouTube. Personally I prefer harvest but this is still a great album, deserves to be on the list, and one of his best.
4/5
"Birds" is a forgotten favorite of mine -- I'm glad this album helped me rediscover it!
I'm happy that Neil Young read my review of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and decided to put his music back on Spotify. I didn't know it was because of Joe Rogan and now I respect him more. I thought he just wanted to get paid more from Spotify. Anyway, I can listen to this on Spotify now! Neil Young has one of the most unique male singing voices. It sometimes sounds like he's putting it on, like it could be a joke, but he's dead serious. Of course he comes from a musical time in which it was fashionable for men to sing falsetto. Anyway it's in full force on this album and I actually love it. Damn Southern Man... I wish the lyrics to this were different because it's a damn good song! Not that I don't like the lyrics, but I almost wish this one had lyrics that I wanted to sing along with. The message is strong though and the music is great. The guitar solos in this song are delicious. Till the morning comessssssss flugelhorn solo.
Surprised so much of one artist in this list. I keep discovering more Neil Young here. Purely to describe what it does for this one listener, it feels intimate and personal , it dies a kind of soothing thing like his other albums. Good song writing and the first time he's reminded me of Horse With No Name. There are very recognisable oft-covered songs here which means others like the lyrics and lyricism of his stories and they are in the eternal themes, with languor and longing, (to my Mars Attacks tuned ear that sensitive to irony and humour readily) some self aware humour mixed with patios, I think. Either that or it's easy to take the piss with his songs, and I like taking it lightly and letting it put a smirk on my face while it chills me out. Cause we need to laugh and Neil Young stokes a funny bone for me at times. Enjoyed. Ok some slow songs to skip. But good
I've been teetering on the 4/5 edge here for a while. I'm a big fan of NY, and I have a feeling this maybe my favourite of his albums, but something keeps me from confidently giving this a 5. Don't Let It Bring You Down is transcendently brilliant, and the rest of the album is solid, but doesn't really come close to that level. Fave Tracks: Tell Me Why, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Don't Let It Bring You Down 4.4/5
Neil Young's work benefits so much from the musical input of CSN, but this is still a solid album, mainly for its poetry.
Paljon parempi albumi Youngia
My most commonly written things....'not what I expected' and '1 I missed'. Both apply to this. Straight up folky, political rock. Unmissable. 'After the Goldrush', 'Only love can break your heart' and the exceptional and scathing'Southern Man' are sublime.
Great album. Thank God they never made this movie. Sounds like the worst screenplay ever. But if it inspired Neil to write these songs, Amen.
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush An album inspired by an unpublished screenplay written by Al (Dean Stockwell) from Quantum Leap. 4/5
4 stars, classic stuff here.
Good
And just like that...weird to get these all in a row, and just as I was writing him off a bit, I realize he had another album akin to Harvest in him.
Ryan Adams would do a great cover of this album.
Quite sweet and poignant. I'd never normally listen to stuff like this but I enjoyed it. The lyrics to Southern Man stuck out in particular.
Twas a good one
‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, ‘Southern Man’, ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’, ‘When You Dance I Can Really Love’ and so on. If you can get past Neil Young’s voice, there is a lot to enjoy here.
This was strange and I liked it. I’m excited to spend more time with Mr. Young when he comes back to Spotify. Title track was the standout but this seems like one to listen to in full. Liked the pared down sound.
Great lyrics and song writing. Never really been the biggest fan of Young’s voice but you gotta hand it to him he wrote great songs
Classic Neil, was surprised how many tracks I knew already :)
Wow, what deep and meaningful songs. Neil Young expresses emotion and storytelling through all aspects of his musicianship. I really enjoyed the worlds each song built. Not one bad song on the album.
Not available on Spotify Canada, Neil Young is Canadian, so maybe it's assumed that if you don't already own it, then you don't deserve it. Canadians are very proud of one-of-their-own who does good. Some things are sacred in Canada: Hockey, The Camp fires at the lake, that we can no longer have due to forest fire risk, Neil Young and The Tragically Hip. Dust off those CD's baby - Spotify no bueno
Like it
One week later and I get the next album in Neil Young's discography. I've dragged my feet on writing this review, and I think it's because after 3 albums now I think I really like Neil Young but don't love him. He's clearly super talented, his albums are consistently solid for me, the music style is right up my alley, but I feel like there's something missing that holds it back from really hitting for me. I think this was probably my favorite album of the 3 of his that I've listened to, but I can't push myself to give it a 5. It's really good, pretty much the entire album is consistently solid, something just is holding me back. I feel like this review is overly negative for an album that I really enjoyed. The first three songs are all really strong, "Southern Man" comes out of nowhere with a heavy-hitter about racism, "Till the Morning Comes" follows it up with a really short light song to pick things back up. The back half is a little weaker but it's pretty consistent quality top to bottom. I really did like this, I promise. Also apparently the cover image was shot in front of the NYU Law School (and then they did the weird solarizing the image thing since it was blurry). Favorite song: Only Love Can Break Your Heart Other: Tell Me Why, After the Gold Rush, Southern Man, Till the Morning Comes, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Birds, When You Dance You Can Really Love, I Believe in You 3/8/24
I really like Neil Young. This wasn't as good as harvest but still some great tracks here.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Not as big a fan of his voice but I love the lyrics and instrumentation.
Enjoyed most of the songs. His voice is a bit too high to find enjoyable in some songs though. 4/5
I really enjoyed this album and I know there is more to it if I dissected it. Easy to pick it as a 4 but it doesn't meet my 5 criteria, perhaps I should investigate more early 70's folk
I liked it. It quite sounded like CSNY, so no surprise I liked it. "Southern Man" might be my recommendation. And how can a Canadian sound more like "USA" than some musicians from the States?
I am so pleased to listen to Neil Young finally. This grew on me, and I found after three listens I enjoyed it a lot more. I will be returning.
Great songwriting and tunes that either take you down memory lane or provoke deep thought about our future on earth.
Neil Young is great. Only Love Can Break Your Heart.
Really liked this album. Good blend of Folk and Rock including some absolute classics.
I have not heard this album but I do know Neil Young by name. I thought he was a country singer but I’m not sure how I would describe the genre that he does. Nevertheless his voice shocked me but I found the album somewhat enjoyable. I liked: Southern man, When you dance I can really love, and Tell me why. I recognized Don’t let it bring you down from Greta van fleet using the audio. I will listen again.
Really liked this. I know some find Neil’s voice grating but I’m not one of them. There’s a few bangers on this record. I can see myself returning to this. 4.5/5
Had to listen around ads on YouTube, so maybe I would give it higher if I could get the full experience.
first song was ok but then the second song....my god. why is his voice so fAWKING annoying what the fck girl nice easy listening album. just wish he had a slightly nicer voice
I preferred Tonights the Night, but this has some absolute corkers on it. It’s a bit more straightforward for me compared to the latter, but the lyrics are a lot more refined here. I forget how incredible his lyrics are until I listen to him. I guess that’s my downfall with Neil Young: I never go ‘I really fancy a bit of Neil Young today’. Whenever I do hear him, I think he’s great, I just dont love him like others do and I dont think I ever properly will. After The Goldrush / Only Love / Dont Let it Bring You Down were my highlights. Also just realised Dont Let it Bring You Down by Q and not U was a cover.
Not heard this album before.... I assume harvest will pop up eventually! He's got a really distinctive gentle sounding voice. Selfishly annoyed I can't add any of it to a Spotify playlist! Think the first half Is stronger than the latter but some really nice sounding songs here: Tell me why After the gold rush Only love can break your heart Southern man I'll be back
4 per track. Everything on the album is good to great except Till the Morning Comes
First thing to get out of the way - Neil Young's voice. I like Neil Young, but there is no denying that sometimes his voice sounds not unlike Richard Dreyfuss doing a Kermit impression, but most of the time it works. Second thing - Neil Young's principles meaning that his work is not available on Spotify, making me fuck around with YouTube and it's shitty ads. OK, beyond that this is a really good album. Some great stuff such as Southern Man, but also some less good, like Cripple Creek Ferry. The good hugely outweighs the leas good, and this is going to be one I keep coming back to. I do think Harvest is better, though.
Lög til 2 til 4 eru svakaleg þrenna, hin 8 eru fín. Mér finnst Harvest betri, en þessi er vel áheyrileg.
Solid record!
Such a great album, and the ones that are the best here are some of his best in his whole catalogue, including my all-time favourite NY song 'Don't Let It Bring You Down'. A timeless album.
Great Neil Young album.
It’s Neil, and I’ve already talked about how great he is several times throughout this project. He’s great, he’s prolific, he’s our man! This album is essential listening. I just wish the list maker knew that Canada’s music scene and contribution to the world is more than just Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen. We have Bryan Adams too y’know? Hello! Hahaha omg j/k. He sux. But The Hip, BNL, The Guess Who, Bruce Cockburn, BTO, Blue Rodeo, Sloan… I could go on and on. I just want anyone who reads this to do a bit more Canadian musical discovery than what’s been selected to represent us on this list. We love Neil, we live for Neil, but there’s so much more than Neil. BTW - this isn’t my favourite of his, but there’s lots of staple songs to enjoy here. It’s been a pleasant revisit for a Friday listen; it has wrought the existential paradigm shift I didn’t know I needed today.
Maybe it's because I grew up with the children's movies he sung on but I just can't take this seriously. When I picture the scenarios he is singing about I see Woody and other characters from Toy Story.
This album made me nostalgic for an era I never lived in and although I didn't find certain tracks more or less appealing than others, I felt like it all flowed seamlessly together.
to me it’s inspiring that he‘s doesn‘t sound like the best vocalist but his singing still sounds confident and great
This was actually pretty good and quite enjoyable. I'd revisit this more if it was available on my streaming platform of choice. 4/5
Big Neil Young fan
Pleasantly surprised. Young’s voice isn’t as “strange” as people made it out to be.
Jesus, this wonderful album! Young's first recording with harmonica. He's bringing "Helpless" to CSN&Y at the same time he's recording this. Nils just pounding the piano on Southern Man. When you Dance needs to be played louder that I did first listen
The title track is good. Southern Man is like a better Alabama. I don't understand why I liked this so much. but I really enjoyed this.
Relaxing
Solid album so far. Feel like I need to pay more attention to the lyrics, like it has a powerful message that I’m totally missing on this listen through.
Side 1 was five starts all the way. I was excited to have found the Neil Young solo album I could point to and claim as a triumph. I’ve always had an appreciation for him, yet a solo album that is five star worthy has alluded me. I thought tonight was the night. Then side 2 happened and while it was good, none of the tracks lived up to side 1. And I’m left wondering when I’ll find the Neil Young solo album that knocks my socks off from start to finish. Hopefully it’s coming soon.
Simply one of the best examples of folk and pop rock blended into a heartfelt, anthemic album. Neil is a personal favorite of mine and I have strong familiar roots to his music. I'll admit he's not of the best folk artists or pop artist and some of his songs fall flat on this albo. But I still consider it an amazing album.
Heart of fart
Only Love Can Break Your Heart is a masterpiece
I had been meaning to listen to Neil Young for a long time, and I was not disappointed. A cool mix of folk and rock, just didn't particularly amaze me at any point. Solid 4 stars.
Melancholy with a bit of a burn and some beautiful guitar work. A stellar, total mood of an album featuring some of the best songs of Neil Young's career. Really, this is a genre and era-defining album, in all the best ways. "Southern Man" doesn't quite fit tonally with the other songs, but it's so, so brutally good. Fave Songs: Birds; Southern Man; Only Love Can Break Your Heart; Don't Let It Bring You Down; After the Gold Rush; I Believe in You; Tell Me Why
Good body of work by 'Neil the Whiner'. I prefer his songs done as a cover by other artists instead of his nasally voice, but the song writing is solid.
Love it
A beautiful album with his classic sound, a number of known songs and would be happy to listen again.
Probably be 5 stars if Neil Young didn’t have such a weird voice (sorry Neil)
Neil Young is outstanding and I love the way he keeps evolving. This album is from early in his journey yet it reflects a maturity and clarity he brought to his music from the beginning. I love this album. So many memorable, beautiful, and superbly performed songs. And what a writer. I love when artists truly have their own voice.
The title track is one of my favourite songs of all time. I've no idea what it's about, but it seems sad and gives me the feels. The other big singles, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, and Southern Man are also great. I'd never heard the album tracks before. They're all good, but only Don't Let It Bring You Down stood out from the crowd. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: After The Gold Rush Date listened: 09/01/24
I really liked "Birds," the rest of the album was okay. Chill music to listen to, but I didn't love his voice in some of the songs...too high!
After The Gold Rush // Only Love Can Break Your Heart // Southern Man //
this motherfucker can not sing.. aina on epäilyjä youngmanin albumeista... onko kakkosta kolmosta tulossa... ei saisi epäillä.. aina tulee taattua laattua vaikka muutama laulu pettäisi..mahtava albumi.. pojanvinkuna.. apinankiekuna .... hei hei.. Cripple Creekin lautta Juosta läpi Ulkonevat puut Mene Cripple Creek -lautalle... unfarmathobable lyricism... southern man
*Listening Note* It's not currently available on Spotify, but you can easily find playlists of the whole album on youtube. I had previously eschewed Neil Young because I find his nasal singing voice offputting. However, this album from singing to songwriting is a real treat.
I've always like Neil Young - listening to After The Gold Rush completely just reinforces that view. I especially liked Birds (don't remember that one) and Cripple Creek Ferry. And backups from Nils Lofgren and CSN add to the overall strong album.
OK, this is the Neil Young I can appreciate. This album is filled with songs I enjoy and when you consider the album as a whole it's a great listen. I was hypercritical of Neil last time, and now maybe I'm a little overly generous with 4 stars but it's a 3 star average so it works out.
I listened to this when I was younger but it had been a while. I couldn't listen on Spotify because of political Neil young boycotting them. I love Neil but wouldn't it make more sense to make your music available to get your message out to more people? Also, this album has a lot of slower songs that are solid but the whole album is worth it for Southern Man. That's a banger.
I listened to this a few years ago for the first time and it didn’t do much for me. I just gave it another listen because this website asked me to. I get it now
I would've rated this a 5 because the music is spectacular, but every once in a while I need to pause and rub my ears a little as Neil's voice can sometimes grate in large quantities.
Not what I expected. never actually listen to Neil young that much. alot more sad.
I went to this one after listening to an album which (at least to me) felt like Neil Young wannabes. I love Neil Young, I really do. There are so many great songs on this album. Ones that will make your hair stand on end: "Southern Man," "After The Gold Rush" "Don't Let It Bring You Down" But with it are some songs that are... okay. "I Believe In You" has probably one of the weakest singing Neil has done in his early years. He really needed the backing of at least Stills, but maybe more on that one. "When You Dance I Can Really Love" is one with some weaker lyrics, too. "I've got something to tell you, you make it show. Let me come over, I know you know..." What? Neil Young has a body of work that is just stunning, and "Harvest" maybe would be the early album I would turn to. This one has... a couple of clunkers that make the album really good, but just not (in my eyes) a classic. Sorry, Neil. Not a 5-star recommendation for me. The weaker songs just pull it down.
Whenever I listen to this, I think of many things, the beauty of the music and lyrics and how unfortunate it is that Neil Young did both, how mad Lynard Skynyrd were about one song, and how the Jimmy Fallon skit where he, as Neil Young, sings a cover of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" on his Late Night show still lives rent free in my head 13 years later... Oh well, time to hop up out the bed, turn my swag on.
A really great album Southern Man feels like one of the most powerful songs ever recorded just perfection in sound and execution. Kinda wish the second half had another anchor but this is a great one.
Well what can I say that about this man that I haven't already? Not a lot. The album, on the other hand I can comment anew on. Its much more polished than the other one and has several superb tracks including the title track. A truly beautiful song (though if you struggle with his voice, you would do well to check out the Renaissance cover version). I think its the lyrics that do it for me. (That's why I'm such a fan of Roy Harper.) Don't let it bring you down they sound so deep but when you really listen to them they don't quite make sense, and I love that in a lyric. Anyway, down to business. Even with all its good points, I don't think it is quite a 5. So mid to high 4 it is. ps If there is not anything by Mr Harper in this list then I shall consider the whole process null and void.
I love this album
Very good but loses marks for inaccessibility. I'm not made of money.
Kind of a timeless sound, very easy listen. There is a reason Neil Young is quoted as a major influence to so many modern artists. Very much enjoyed this!
When we had Harvest I think I labelled that as my favourite NY album. Now that I listen to this one I'm wondering if I need to revisit that. I still have the vinyl copies of both. The title song, and Southern Man are two of my favourite NY songs overall. Interestingly, the two singles, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "When You Dance I Can Really Love", are probably the two songs I care for least. On balance Harvest still gets the nod for fave.
Side One is full of signature Neil young songs but side two isn't as strong. It's interesting this was released a year after the rocker "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere", starting a pattern of swinging from acoustic to rock and back again that is one of his hallmarks.
I really don't like country and folk, but my oh my, nobody does it quite like Neil Young. His music and especially his song-writing transcends all other mere mortals and so called superstar musicians. He legitimately can claim to be one of the all-time GOATS and this is also one of his best albums. This record starts out swinging and the first four songs are killers, culminating with the epic Southern Man. It lags a bit in the middle but finishes strong with Don't let it Bring you down and When you dance and I believe in you. There's a tiny bit of filler here so it gets dinged a bit in my rating for that.
I like Neil Young’s voice, but really can’t stand too much of his lead guitar playing. I like the folky and altcountry vibes. Kinda stripped down and minimal. Couple of the songs had cool CSNY style harmonies. 3.5
Finally got around to it lol. This was tough cause I love his songwriting but it’s just really hard for me to get past his voice sometimes. Birds is pretty. The rock moments are cool like when you dance. Idk 3.5-4
first listen good album
This album on a rainy day after a breakup feels like an automatic 72-hour hold.
Easy listening - but lyrics interesting. Like some of the minor key changes. Had on while working.
There are some seriously strong songs on this album. A pretty pared back production. Not keen on his vocals but they do work well on the biting social commentaries and the harmonies.
Rock. Folk. Country.
Like it
One of Neil’s best! Very sensitive and sentimental in the way Neil does best
shwäg
Really good
The highs are high, but there are some forgettable songs.
Back to back Hemmer Hall of Fame albums.
Not on spotify
i like this dude. cheers neil young
I'm not much of a Neil Young fan, but this was solid.
It would not play so I found other music by him and it was good
Listened Before? N This is a great album! I'm not really partial to Young's voice, but the lyricism and tone are top-notch. It's just a shame you can't listen to it on Spotify right now. I hope they get their issues worked out because I'd love to add it to my library. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Southern Man (hopefully in the future)
11/21/23 10:00 S Tier————————— Only Love Can Break Your Heart Southern Man Tell Me Why After The Gold Rush A Tier————————— When You Dance I Can Really Love Don’t Let It Bring You Down Birds I believe In You Oh, Lonesome Me B Tier————————— Till The Morning Comes Cripple Creek Ferry
Neil does it well
Lots of pretty songs.
Country folk rock de Young. Un 4.
Like an old friend
👍 was pretty entertaining
Great album, though his voice is sometimes hard to listen to
3.9
Rob and i bought the CD and played it in the car on our way too Saxon mill
Lots of pretty acoustic numbers on here. Is it Neil's least rocking album? Mostly deserves its reputation, but I listen to this one the least of all his classic period. Docked a point as the reach of his voice exceeds its grasp a bit on occasion.
Quite good, I like Neil Young. Some songs a bit boring.
Good songs but Neil’s voice is grating.
Excellent album, classic Neil Young, memorable.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Only love can break your heart
Second to Harvest Moon
Lots of Neil Young on this list and it’s not all gold, but it’s been more good than bad so far. I wouldn’t say I’m a fully-fledged fan yet, but I’ve certainly become a well-wisher of his. Some very immediate, sing-song melodies on this one, with occasional injections of energy and bite. Would happily listen through again in future. I was racking my brains to remember where I’d heard Don’t Let It Bring You Down before, and I think it must be from Everything Everything’s version. Great song. It’s nice when the generator helps me link a cover I know to its source.
This album hits the spot for me. Very smooth and thoughtful country folk at its best. My only gripe is that the mixing and production could have made this album so much better. The vocals are mixed too much on top and they can feel overbearing at times. The instruments feel a little flat as well. I feel like there’s so much sonic richness hiding underneath the surface that could have been revealed to great effect. The lead guitar work is also sloppy at best, which is just what you get with Neil Young. Thankfully the songs themselves are so well crafted that one can get past the nitpicks to enjoy the album as a whole.
I liked this album a lot better than I liked the last album of Neil’s I listened to. This makes me more exciting about listening to his other albums. My 2 favorite songs were After the Goldrush and Birds.
I just discovered I like Neil Young. It would be a 3.5+ The jewell for me "Don't let it bring you down". On a second "Southern Man". Yes, atypic voice, very intimate. I will get back to this album.
Felt a little like Harvest. A bit slower. Seemed fitting for a grey fall day.
I enjoyed this. A couple of classic songs but the whole album works. I didn't know I liked Neil Young as much as I do before doing this whole thing!
Have to listen on YouTube, not avail on Spotify. I believe in you is a banger very much a Neil young album. Point of view and sound with no apologies, love it for that reason. Seems like a straight forward 70s situation. Don’t let it bring you down holds up. Listened to twice and felt the same second time around
A lot to love here, country meets rock. You either love or hate his tone and I love it. Southern Man is a great song. 4.5/5
I want to hate Neil Young so bad because is voice is objectively annoying. But, it's also oddly endearing. This album in particular was so simple and clean. The songs just felt honest somehow - even though I have no idea what's he's singing about most of the time. This one pulled me in, and I dig that.
Solide album d'americana/folk. 8/10
Really nice, folky, warm. His voice was not my favourite on some tracks especially in the beginning, but overall I really enjoyed the album.
Overall not Young's strongest album to me - much as I don't dispute its ideas, Southern Man is Young at his most holier than thou preaching, despite being a bit of a banger. A lot of the rest is weirdly subdued low energy. But it is redeemed and then some by the presence of the title track, possibly my favorite Neil Young solo song, and When You Dance... which is certainly in my top 10.
wait I like this
4/5. It's definitely a very quiet album, more singer-songwriter than anything. It's chill and there are some great lyrics and rhythms, but there is a sense of throwaway songs, like a lot of them don't feel finished or they could be better. Overall, it is a beautiful album but not perfect.
This is hard to rate; it has just a few songs that don't shine quite so bright. But the ones that do are straight up supernova. I think this will fall juuuuuuust shy of a 5.
Neil Young is an artist where I always love when I hear him but still have not taken the initiative to explore on my own. I really need to. 4/5
Great singer songwriter essential album, although there's only so much Neil Young I can handle in one sitting.
neil’s all about the vibe, sometimes his boomer worldview spoils it for me
2nd best Neil Young album
An amazing songwriter and story teller, his music is timeless. I’m not a huge fan of his voice but I can overlook that with how awesome his music is.
It's a great album but it isn't Neil's best. I like other albums from him more but this is still an excellent listen. The title track, Don't Let it Bring You Down and When You Dance I Can Really Love are stand out tracks.
favorite tracks: "southern man" and "don't let it bring you down"
I love Neil Young, although his voice whines in that nasal, grating way. Southern Man is an excellent track, although with a baffling narrative turn midway that I can't quite interpret.
Another one I'm surprised I haven't heard before. I've never delved into Neil Young outside of Buffalo Springfield and CSNY so this was a great introduction to his catalogue.
This was my favorite Neil Young album so far, enjoyed the groove
It was good.
Neil Young was an artist I vaguely knew of, but had never listened to before and therefore didn’t know what to expect. This was such a treat, I’ll definitely be checking out more.
For most of my life, I thought Young, like Dylan, was a great songwriter who should have other people sing his songs. Now I listen to this and hear the brittleness in his voice on Only Love Can Break Your Heart, and I can't imagine anyone else singing it. (I've since come around to the same thing with Dylan too). It's a raw, beautiful record.
Very good - not all the songs are the very best, but most of them are.
I think this is my third favorite Neil Young album, after Harvest and Rust Never Sleeps. As with many of his albums, After the Gold Rush sits between musical styles, with folk songs like After the Gold Rush and rough rockers like Southern Man.
8/10. Love these Neil Young albums where he actually sounds good.
I wish I liked Neil Young's voice better because I think he could have some great songs. As it stands, this was decent. 7/10
Not at all bad
Southern Man is an awesome song, great guitar stuff. Also some other great songs on here. Love the lyrics and stuff, the group vocals aren't really my thing but I don't mind it too much here.
Ému par ce dernier album, la messe est dite.
listened directly after an album i didn't like and this was a breath of fresh air, never listened to any neil young before. title track, "southern man", "when you dance i can really love", and "i believe in you" are great and the rest is pretty good too. i'd give this a 3.5/5 but i can't give half stars so i'll round it up since it's quite enjoyable and it might just grow on me
A fantastic folk rock album and as equally good an entry point to Young's fine music as Harvest.
Solid folk album. Nothing really else to add, this album kinda speaks for itself.
I really really liked it. I can't believe how little of Neil Young I knew, especially cause I can see so much of his music in Elliott Smith, one of my favourite artists ever!
High 7. His voice is kind of weird, but the songs are all very well written and arranged
Very beautiful album.
Introspective, wistful, patient at times, definitely a pretty compelling album. Though the energy turns up on Southern Man, the album is pretty intimate with Neil's unique voice telling a story. Very engaging.
Not a bad album, but also definitely not his best. I could see myself rediscovering this album later in life and loving it. Until then, it’s just pretty good.
Straight to the heart.
Oh Neil Young. Just finger yourself in front of me. Come on.
The title track and 'I Believe In You' are absolutely heart-wrenching. Beautiful album, wish I discovered it sooner.
Following the success of Deja vu, Neil Young shifts from blues rock to all sorts of folky styles. And it really works out for him. For some reason, indieheads considers the first two tracks to be his best songs. I thought "Tell Me Why" lacked anything special, while "After the Gold Rush" was a boring ballad, and after three listens, I still didn't get the appeal. The tracks after that, however, really impressed me. We got some sick fingerpicking and some catchy pop tracks. Thought it got weaker near the end, especially hated "Birds." It's a versatile short listen that's great for introducing Neil Young to people.
I dig it, makes me wish I weren’t pot-committed to Spotify as far as playlist building goes, a lot of these make for great road trip songs but Neil Young has pulled his music from that platform. I thought I’d hate it but I didn’t find his voice annoying like I thought off the first track, and the horn on After the Gold Rush sort of won me over early.
Only love can break your heart is a truly great song. I like this Neil Young a lot. Not the biggest fan of his voice, but it hits a groove after a while.
Some good songs, quintessential Young. Still doesn't quite jive with me.
One of Neil Young's great 70s albums!
I appreciate that it puts me on the wrong side of history but… Sweet Home Alabama is a much better song than Southern Man, right? There are some beautiful moments on this album but it’s also pretty whiny and nasal. Also, Spotify.
Ateh que foi legal, nao sabia que eu gostava de Neil Young
This was a pleasant folk, country and rock album. While I don't think this was really my favourite of any of those genres, it was a nice album to spend half an hour of the evening enjoying. It was also kept interesting by breaking up the country and folk tracks with some more energetic rock. Overall a good album. Favourite: When You Dance I Can Really Love
Southern change gonna come at last. Best track: Southern Man
8/10 folk / country / rock. solide album. dommage pas sur spotify
excellent album with neil young’s signature voice and folk/rock stylings. rock solid. highlights: “southern man”, “oh, lonesome me”, “birds”.
Now this was a good Neil Young record. Bunch of early 70’s southern folky rock.
Very mellow, almost Dylan with a different voice.
Second Neil Young in a row, and it was perfect to demonstrate my comment yesterday about his versatility. Yesterday an album that was meh in the best case, and today one that is classic and almost perfect.
Niet geluisterd, maar ken dit album zeer goed. Ik hou ervan.
A great album overall. You can feel Young growing as a songwriter, with songs such as Southern Man being particular standouts. That said, I don't think it can compete with his next album, Harvest, which stands as an outright masterpiece.
Grew on me toward the end
Solid neil
Might want to put southern man on my song singles list
Album cover is okay, way worse than On the Beach. This album is short, but thats welcome because its also middle of the road. I liked Birds, Tell me Why, When you Dance I can Really Love. Neal Young is just alright to me, wouldnt listen to this guy again unless I had to, which I likely will because this guys got mad glazers. Best Song: When you Dance I can Really Love. Worst Song: Cripple Creek Ferry
After the gold rush, is a good album, with stand-out songs like Southern Man and Only love can Break your Heart. Neil’s voice makes each song uniquely identifiable.
After the Gold Rush features some of Neil Young's best songs, and some of the worst. Stand-out tracks such as "When You Dance I Can Really Love" generally balance out the less memorable "Tell Me Why." The other songs are not particularly exceptional or repulsive. It averages out to a flawed album with its highlights — not Neil's magnum opus, but not career-ending.
I am not a fan of his voice but I do really like Till the Morning Comes and When You Dance. It grew on me during a second play.
A strong album that I rate a strong 3. Neil young, his way of singing and his stripped back approach with his instrumentals remind me of Elliot smith in a way…even the subject matter spoken about in his songs…a lot of heavy or darker topics being covered throughout the album. Really enjoyed the tracks ‘tell me why’- because this one specifically reminded me of Elliot and I also really loved ‘birds’ where he still kept his usual vocal approach on this track but also showcased his vocals more…there was a rare moment with him playing around with his voice
I like Neil young but a bit too acoustic for me
Don't like his voice on some tracks, as always love Neil but difficult to get into him on an album level
Solid outing but nothing extraordinarily special
oh please, stop with all the Neil Young albums. I like Neil Young but this list doesn't need so many by him on it. That is just poor list making.
appreciated the brevity
Neil Young blijft zeikmuziek. Wel beter dan het vorige album. 2,5
as expected.
I like some of Neil Young's songs. I just don't like that he sings them! I prefer the version of After The Gold Rush that Dolly, Linda and Emmylene sang on their Trio II album, and although I like the tune and compositions of songs like Tell Me Why and Don't Let It Bring You Down, his voice is too whiny for me, and I Believe In You, in particular, sounds more like a dirge due to this. Voice aside though, this isn't so bad, with upbeat moments in other songs such as When You Dance I Can't Really Love. Songs like Southern Man still remain socially important, and After The Gold Rush makes me picture the rockets our morally unconscious billionaires are building to plan their escape. 3 stars.
I could get into this under the right circumstances
Classic Neil
embarrassed to admit that I didn't realise Only Love Can Break Your Heart wasn't a Saint Etienne original some truly lovely songs, others a bit warbly another strong 3/5 from Neil - may need to reassess my rating of ektik
I think this is the 3rd or 4th Neil Young addition to the list. This album had southern man and only love can break your heart which are important classics
actually nice
It's crazy Neil Young's vocals sound like this
I must have missed the earlier Neil Young stuff as this was surprisingly good!
His voice is just annoying to me.
It's fine. I don't care for Neil Young, but he caught me on a good day
Bra, upplever det något tråkigt. Dock rätt lungt / skönt album med sina höjdpunkter. Men upplever att det saknas viss variation och Neils röst är alltid lite speciell.
Southern Man is pretty good. I was kind of a Neil Young hater until I saw him live last year. He's a really good songwriter, I don't exactly like his delivery.
i didn't listen hard enough maybe, was busy at work - might be better than what I'm scoring it
Before all his good albums in my opinion. Way less interesting.
Great stuff, not my favorite of Neil's, still great
Tell me why: I like this, it's relaxing and I like the layered vocals After the gold rush: This one is a skip for me, nice lyrics though Only love can break your heart: I really like this one, adding it to my 70s playlist, very beautiful Southern man: Wow, these lyrics are incredible. I like the instrumental Till the morning comes: Nice and simple, a little boring but needed after the intensity of the previous track Oh, lonesome me: This is awfully relatable, I feel like this is an incredible sad song Don't let it bring you down: I like how melancholic it sounds despite the title sounding uplifting Birds: Not a song I'd probably choose to listen to again When you dance I can really love: This one is actually kinda groovy and I really enjoy it. I like the blend between bluesy rock and country. Added to 70s playlist I believe in you: I like this but I'm struggling to read into the lyrics Cripple creek ferry: This is very folk sounding, I think it sounds distinctively late 60s/early 70s Overall notes: I don't know if I'm a huge fan of his voice, and I think it's the kind of music I'd have to be in a certain mood to listen to. I can appreciate how beautiful the lyrics are along with the music. Added two songs to my playlist.
可以
It's ok. Will never love his voice though.
Bom disco de Young, mas ele fez melhores.
6/10, i definitely enjoyed the album but i’m just not a big fan of country. he’s got a really nice voice and this is definitely the best country album i’ve heard (though it’s not a genre i’m familiar with) and completely understand why Young is seen as such an icon just not my kinda thing
ok
okay 3rd track is lwk good bcs of I resonate with it also the first one so far so good, it's a decent listen
3.5+
An album of screechy vocals on great songs. As much as I dislike Neil Young, I have to admit this album is filled with a bounty of well written songs, but the vocals are horrendous.
Good but not bad
Correct mais je suis tanné de Neil Young, le beach étais nice harvest un peut mid mais ya des classique pis celui la étais mid ok
Average at best album, couple of hits, not much substance.
Southern Man is the standout, and I’d previously been exposed to this artist growing up. But outside of that this album struck me as somewhat unremarkable.
I didn't like this one as much as the other Neil Young albums on this list that I've gotten so far. I don't know why because I can't remember exactly why I liked those, just that this one never captured my ear in the same way.
Que se yo Nota: 2.7