After The Gold Rush Analysis
Neil Young; After the Gold Rush 1970
Album Review Music 2700
Jill Davies 250414488
Neil Young’s third album; After the Gold Rush is a mellow approach to rock and roll during the early 70’s. The album also demonstrates Young’s Folk roots with a slight country feel. Young plays pop and folk dimensions that are heard throughout the album but with caution and conservatism. Neil becomes a mainstream artist however his sound falls outside the sounds heard in commercial mainstream rock and folk music due to his careful style and distinctive voice. After the Gold Rush is an example of why Neil Young’s sound is so distinctive.
The Album opens with the track “Tell Me Why”. This song consists of simple chord progressions as well as only consisting …show more content…
In this track guitar, piano, bass, and drums are heard with considerable attention to detail in how the instruments are deployed. The piano provides the harmonic framework that lays down the beat of this rather simple song. The guitar chords are played in a slow twang manner. Neil Young sings in his distinctive high tenor that sounds like his voice is a creaking warble when he draws out a word. However when Neil and the backup vocals sing together they sing in an appealingly soft pitch that is softer than Neil alone. The majority of the song is sung in tonal harmony that provides a thick yet clean texture. However about 2:15 into the song, an undeniable sonic sound is heard. The overwhelming bass at that point in the song seems completely out of place, accidental and awkward.
Neil is consistent with his disheartened lyrics in the album. There is also a homogeneous sweep of sound throughout the album due to his folk roots and idiosyncratic voice. The song “Don’t let it Bring You Down” is heard in a twangy yet miserable tone to provide emotion. The lyrics paint a haunting picture about life and its unfortunate events. E.g., “Dead man lying by the side of the road with the daylight in his eyes.” Alongside these lyrics the song is sung in a depressing tone of voice. There is a jazzy blues feel to the song due to the strong piano influence as well as
Album Review Music 2700
Jill Davies 250414488
Neil Young’s third album; After the Gold Rush is a mellow approach to rock and roll during the early 70’s. The album also demonstrates Young’s Folk roots with a slight country feel. Young plays pop and folk dimensions that are heard throughout the album but with caution and conservatism. Neil becomes a mainstream artist however his sound falls outside the sounds heard in commercial mainstream rock and folk music due to his careful style and distinctive voice. After the Gold Rush is an example of why Neil Young’s sound is so distinctive.
The Album opens with the track “Tell Me Why”. This song consists of simple chord progressions as well as only consisting …show more content…
In this track guitar, piano, bass, and drums are heard with considerable attention to detail in how the instruments are deployed. The piano provides the harmonic framework that lays down the beat of this rather simple song. The guitar chords are played in a slow twang manner. Neil Young sings in his distinctive high tenor that sounds like his voice is a creaking warble when he draws out a word. However when Neil and the backup vocals sing together they sing in an appealingly soft pitch that is softer than Neil alone. The majority of the song is sung in tonal harmony that provides a thick yet clean texture. However about 2:15 into the song, an undeniable sonic sound is heard. The overwhelming bass at that point in the song seems completely out of place, accidental and awkward.
Neil is consistent with his disheartened lyrics in the album. There is also a homogeneous sweep of sound throughout the album due to his folk roots and idiosyncratic voice. The song “Don’t let it Bring You Down” is heard in a twangy yet miserable tone to provide emotion. The lyrics paint a haunting picture about life and its unfortunate events. E.g., “Dead man lying by the side of the road with the daylight in his eyes.” Alongside these lyrics the song is sung in a depressing tone of voice. There is a jazzy blues feel to the song due to the strong piano influence as well as