Neil Young - After The Gold Rush (50th Anniversary)

Initially conceived as a soundtrack for a movie that never ended up being made, After the Gold Rush distills Neil Young’s manifold musical sensibilities into a unified statement by combining the sensitive, harmony-drenched folk-pop of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with the bar band squeal of his work with Crazy Horse. The result is a perfect a snapshot of his musical vision. Originally released in September 1970 in the shadow of the tumult of the 1960s, this record captures both the playfulness and anxieties of the hippie-era with goofy sing-alongs like “Cripple Creek Ferry” and “Till the Morning Comes,” existing alongside the proto-environmentalist anthems (the piano-driven title track) and seering social commentary (“Southern Man).” Young’s past collaborations come full-circle on tracks like his first solo hit “Only Love Can break Your Heart” and “When You Dance I Can Really Love,” assisted by his collaborators in CYSN and Crazy Horse, respectively. This 50th anniversary box set comes as part of Young’s longrunning Archives reissue series and includes the original album on 180 gram vinyl, a 7” single containing session outtake “Wonderin’,” and updated album art alongside a lithograph of the original album cover.