Neil Young had a lot going on in 1970.
In the two years since the break-up of Buffalo Springfield, he had signed a solo deal with Reprise Records, released two solo albums and thrown his lot in with high-riding folk-rockers Crosby, Stills & Nash, who would open the decade with chart-topping album Déjà Vu.
Despite the heavy workload, Young would find sufficient time and inspiration to turn out one of his best albums. While After the Gold Rush would not enjoy the commercial success of fourth solo album Harvest (1972), the range and quality of its writing would ensure its long-term appeal.
Young has said that a Dean Stockwell-Herb Berman screenplay of the same name inspired the album, though the movie would never be made. Whatever lies behind his lyrics, they're certainly among his finest, capturing a moment of reflection on the aftermath of the '60s, both social and personal.
The title track seemingly highlights Young's environmental concerns, inviting us to "look at Mother Nature on the run in the 1970s", though its three-movement structure touches on less obvious themes.
Southern Man is more direct - a jagged barb aimed at the innate racism of the American South.
While a cover of Don Gibson song Oh, Lonesome Me sets a melancholy mood, Till The Morning Comes and final track Cripple Creek Ferry are cheery, brief and optimistic, lending the album an even tone.
It's a balance reflected in the music, which ties together Young's acoustic-folk roots, the multilayered harmonies of his Crosby, Stills & Nash influences and the ragged guitar rock that would lay the foundations of the Grunge movement.
With Tell Me Why, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Don't Let It Bring You Down and exquisite piano ballad Birds among its remaining tracks, After The Gold Rush contains some of Young's most memorable work.
