0919. Neil Young
After The Gold Rush

O…kay? So yesterday we had his eight appearance here, and today it's the ninth, and jumping twenty years back from Ragged Glory - thanks, Random Page Generator!

After The Gold Rush is Young's post-Déjà Vu solo-release (also his third solo ditto), and compared to Stills' or Crosby's it might not be as good as the latter, but better than the former (by the way: now we only need to hear Nash's Songs For Beginners to have heard the whole quartet of albums).

Compared to Ragged Glory on the other hand, this is a bit of a different and better thing, cause first and foremost it hasn't got the attempt at rocking - instead it's mostly slow folk/country galore.

Slow that is until Southern Man, the song that's a full on attack of the American South's racism (and got Lynyrd Skynyrd so riled up they retaliated with the immensely popular Sweet Home Alabama - not to worry, Neil and the 'Nyrds are on the good foot). It's a track that rocks for real, still kicks ass, and unfortunately still seems relevant today.

The biggest difference between Southern Man and the rest of the album isn't the rock elements though, but it's political theme compared to the lovelorn lyrics of a lot of the songs. It gets a bit too much at times.