Neil Young doesn’t need reviews and he doesn’t need to explain himself. He has nothing left to prove. Silver & Gold has gone through many changes, but the copy I have before me is the third and final version of the album. What you find inside are tracks from different eras in Neil’s life. “Good To See You” is a tender ballad about going back home after being away for a long time. Then there is a track from 1982 called “Silver & Gold” . This is the song you want to dedicate to that person in your life that means more to you than all the money in the world.
“Daddy Went Walkin’” blows in with a harmonica and a country prance that feels warm and fuzzy. I thought I liked it better when Neil Young rocked, but I love this gentle side of him. Most bizarre is a song about his time playing in Buffalo Springfield, simply named “Buffalo Springfield”. “Used to play in a rock & roll band/but they broke up/ we were young and we were wild/ it ate us up.” Nobody could put it better than that.
The album has a country kick to it, and nobody defines country music better than Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. They back Neil up on a few tracks, but none better than Emmylou wrapping her voice around Neil’s on “Red Sun”.
We all know Neil Young is amazing, but Silver & Gold blew me away. A lot of artists try to continue on and do what they once did. Where most fail, Young sounds fresh. Even when he pulls the cover off and peels it all back, his power still shines through.
+ rae gun
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.