Neil Young(1970) After the Gold Rush

A great song in the pantheon of singer songwriters, it's ambiguous subject matter, stream of consciousness lyrics and intimate delivery make it along with the work of Joni Mitchell and CSN's quieter moments the definitive work of 70s folk rock movement. Far from the larger, grander effrots of James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Dan Fogelberg who looked to soul and the Rock crowd for bigger arrangements this is pure minimalism, using as little as possible to suggest and hook you in and keep you engaged and active.

In fact it's in the small croak of Neil Young's tender vocals backed by a segregated piano arrangement that creates such a warm, intense feeling but an indiscernible emotion; is this a sad song or a song of hope or maybe of fear? The ending lines of the verse are the only ones to be repeated, to full effect, are the best "Thinking about what a friend had said, I was hoping it was a lie". The title is never sung or spoken in the song but based on some of the lyrics such as environmental ones I think this song belongs in the same canon as Hotel California; a rich text or literature on the hedonism of South California and the American Dream. So when after a beat the flugelhorn comes in it's perfect, it's again mixed small and central reflecting the track's delicate naivety, a circular melody as well with that deep,thick sound like a blocked nose it matches the strong nasal quality of Young's voice. The almost sci-fi last verse looks ahead to the future completing this epic saga yet that felt so personal ..