Neil Young

Silver & Gold

Nice, pleasant record

Review Score:

(8/10)
Although this is not Neil Young's best record, and does not contain his strongest writing, it is quite the enjoyable record for a fan. This album is often compared to After The Gold Rush - allegedly by Neil himself - and, while it does contain a vague similarity to some of the songs on that album (say, Tell Me Why, I Believe In You, and Cripple Creek Fairy), it is much more of a minimalist album (it was originally intended to be a true solo album, featuring only Neil and Neil alone), without the pounding piano work that dominated that album, and without any long, electric jams such as Southern Man. The sound is actually closer to Harvest or Harvest Moon (particularly the latter), with a bit of the country-ish touches of Old Ways. The songs are generally straight-forward (Daddy Went Walkin' having almost the feel of a nursery rhyme, perhaps akin to something from Bob Dylan's Under The Red Sky album; and Buffalo Springfield again has a vanity and nostalgic bent to it that most people would've probably thought was below Neil), and do not contain his most complex lyrics. However, the songs are all pleasant, easy listens, and quite enjoyable to the fan of Neil's mellower tunes. Standouts include the title track (written way back in 1982), Razor Love, The Great Divide, and Without Rings.

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