Hometown: Toronto, Canada
First Solo Recordings: 1969

Bands In The Family:
Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Neil Young has reinvented himself and his music so many times that it is sometimes easy to take for granted the extraordinary number of classic songs he has written, many of which appear on the record that has become a benchmark for his own capabilities, After The Gold Rush. One of his least stylized efforts, the record gains its strength from not only the rock solid songwriting, but the array of musical personalities that Neil displays.

Coming on the heels of his breakthrough solo record "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere," After The Gold Rush upped the ante even further, showing that Neil had moved far beyond his origins in Buffalo Springfield and the comparisons to Bob Dylan. Although Neil's songs echoed Dylan's poeticism, his imagery was uniquely his own, combining the seemingly disparate elements of mysterious psychedelia and razor sharp observations on culture, politics, and love into a cohesive and hummable whole.

The variety and quality of the songs causes After The Gold Rush to play like a greatest hits album, which unbelievably it is not. From the laid back sunny sounds of "Tell Me Why" and "Til The Morning Comes" to the scathing intensity of "Southern Man," this is a record that takes the listener on a journey whose destination is unclear, yet ultimately unimportant.

For anyone wishing to discover why Neil Young is one of the only musicians from his era still considered vital and strong, get After The Gold Rush and surrender to one of the only remaining true gods of rock n' roll.