Maybe it is the setting. I'm on a wee vacation in my favorite north Irish coast hide away cottage and my wife and I are getting away from the pressurized burn to just let the candle flicker a while. This album arrives in the middle and is the perfect soundtrack. After a few albums of blistering loud guitar solo albums and the touring and live albuming thereof Young always comes back to his home. He kicks off the shoes and realizes how good love is and just sits back on the old porch and writes great songs. Without the noise you can hear them. Think of what the Unplugged album did for Hurricane. Just the songs. Comfortable, relaxed and at peace with himself and in love with his wife and his art.
That is Silver and Gold. The reviews have been referencing it to Harvest and Harvest Moon, Comes a Time, and After The Gold Rush and, of course, they are trying too hard. Every now and again Neil just goes acoustic. Don't think any deeper than that. I'm actually thinking that this is as consistent a mellow set the man has ever done. The critics have in places talked of boring and retreading but they are up to their own proverbials. What is wrong with singing about being in love and why should the break up albums be the best loved ones. The songs here are gorgeous. The lyrics might not be his deepest but are far from second rate. The playing is minimal but full of major touches of beauty. Maybe a little more of Harris and Ronstadt would have been a bonus but I'll tell you that every time I leave the city and the pressurized burn behind. When I say to my wife "Come away my love" I'll be taking Silver and Gold with me. "All I need is this song of love to sing for you". Indeed.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Jeffrey OverstreetNeil Young is a man of many moods and astonishing versatility. The same aging 70's rocker recently put out a collaboration with Pearl Jam that rocks as hard as a Seattle Band has ever rocked, beginning to end. Neil's fiery roar provided a challenge that the young rock stars could hardly match. Not long before that, Harvest Moon became an instant classic of mellow, wistful songwriting from the…Similar sounding releases
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