This Review Along With
280+ Others Is Available In My
SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites
1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON
CD - Volume 3 of 3
- Exceptional CD
Remasters
(No Duplicate Reviews
with Volumes 1 or 2
Which Contain 300+
Reviews in Each)
Just Click Below To
Purchase for £3.95
Thousands of E-Pages -
All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs
(No Cut and Paste Crap)
"...The Morning Brings Another
Sun..."
As we all know, Neil Young
has famously resisted the remastered reissue of his huge catalogue on CD
because of what he feels is the format's less than stellar representation of analogue
tapes 'original sound' - and almost a full 20 years after 1989's first issue of
"Gold Rush" on a dullard CD - it looks like the guy is having the
last laugh - because this meticulously prepared tape transfer is GLORIOUS. It
really is.
First to the details...
UK and Europe released 10
August 2009 - "After The Gold Rush" by NEIL YOUNG on Reprise
9362-49790-1 (Barcode 093624979012) is a 'Neil Young Archives - Original
Release Series' Remaster (NYA ORS) and carries the HDCD code on the label and
rear inlay (High Definition Compatible Digital). It's also Part 3 of 4 of the
August 2012 "Official Release Series Discs 1-4" Reissue that bundles
his first four solo albums together (the HDCD versions) into one card slipcase.
Until now - 2004's
"Greatest Hits" set (which offered us three Gold Rush tracks
remastered into HDCD sound quality) was the only real indication of just how
good the album 'could' sound (this is the first time the 'entire' album has
been given a sonic upgrade). The Audio Tape Restoration and Analog-To-HDCD
Digital Transfer of the Original Master Tapes was carried out by JOHN NOWLAND
(24-Bit 176 KHZ) with the Editing and Mastering done by TIM MULLIGAN - and
they've done a stunning job - they really have...
"After The Gold
Rush" (35:03 minutes):
1. Tell Me Why
2. After The Gold Rush
3. Only Love Can Break Your
Heart
4. Southern Man
5. Till The Morning Comes
6. Oh Lonesome Me
7. Don't Let It Bring You
Down
8. Birds
9. When You Dance, I Can
Really Love
10. I Believe In You
11. Cripple Creek
"After The Gold
Rush" was released in September 1970 on Reprise Records MS 6383 in the USA
and Reprise RSLP 6383 in the UK (it went to Number 8 in the USA and Number 7 in
the UK). It was reissued on the Reprise 'K' label variant in the early Seventies
when the company went over to 'Kinney' Music.
The inlay faithfully
reproduces the foldout lyric sheet with his black and white grainy handwritten
lyrics and the print isn't cramped either - it's very readable. (The Harvest
inlay has the textured feel of the original LP sleeve and lyric insert too - a
nice touch).
Also - as these are the
first four albums in a long reissue campaign - to identify them from the old
CDs, the upper part of the outer spine has his new NYA OSR logo at the top and
an 'issue' number beneath - D1, D2, D3, D4...on upwards of course.
However, the big and obvious
disappointment is the complete lack of musical extras or any new info in the
booklet; they're in "The Archives Vol.1 1963-1972" box set that's
still sitting in shop windows at varying extortionate prices. Still - at mid
price - this remaster of "Gold Rush" is great value for money and
with this hugely upgraded sound - it makes you focus on the music as is and not
anything else.
Some have complained that
the sound is a little underwhelming after all the hype that has preceded these
releases - I don't think that at all. The danger in remastering would be the
cranking of everything, ultra-treble the lot - but I'm hearing ALL the
instruments on this carefully prepared remaster - especially the bass and drums
which now have a clarity that is so sweet rather than flashy. The sound is very
subtle - there's no brashness, very little hiss.
So many highlights - the
meaty guitars of "Southern Man" and the slyly lovely cover of Don
Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" is great too.
But then there's a triple
whammy of "Don't Let It Bring You Down", the beautiful
"Birds" (lyrics above) and the rocking "When You Dance, I Can
Really Love". Each is so beautifully done but in different ways. They're
not bombastic, nor trebled up to the nines, but subtle - the music is just
THERE in your speakers to a point where everything seems new and up for grabs
again. Fans will love it and feel like they're revisited long cherished old
friends while newcomers will now understand what all the 5-star fuss is about.
Nils Lofgren of Grin and
Crazy Horse lends his Guitar and Piano skills (Ralph Molina and Danny Whitten
also from Crazy Horse play Drums and Guitars respectively) - while Stephen
Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young contributes
backing vocals. Master arranger and musical catalyst Jack Nitzsche also plays
piano. But it’s Young and his singular voice, style and vision that dominates –
the others complimenting rather than overtaking. Both "After The Gold
Rush" and "Harvest" are arguably what his legend are based upon
– although I find almost all of his Seventies output classy – the kind of music
like say Richard and Linda Thompson LPs that grows in stature as the years
pass.
The gold sticker on the
jewel case of each of these issues says "Because Sound Matters" - and
I think Rock's great curmudgeon has actually proved that point...
PS: I've reviewed
"Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere", "Neil Young" and
"Harvest" also - just as good soundwise - and the August 2012
"Official Release Series Disc 1-4" Box Set Reissue on Reprise/NYA
that lumps together all 4 x HDCD releases into one card slipcase...
