Silver & Gold

1	Good to See You 2:49
2	Silver & Gold 3:16
3	Daddy Went Walkin' 4:01
4	Buffalo Springfield Again 3:23
5	The Great Divide 4:34
6	Horseshoe Man 4:00
7	Red Sun 2:48
8	Distant Camera 4:07
9	Razor Love 6:31
10	Without Rings 3:41

Barnes & Noble

Although the ever-unpredictable Neil Young spent much of the past decade stomping through shattering song cycles that affirmed his status as "the godfather of grunge," he's not about to start delivering the expected -- as borne out by this gorgeous, largely acoustic collection. Aficionados could consider SILVER AND GOLD a fitting completion to a trilogy begun by 1972's HARVEST and 1992's HARVEST MOON, but one needn't be fluent in Young's past work to appreciate the sincere emotion and breathtaking song craft that flow through its grooves. Young spends a lot of time addressing mortality here, most clearly on "Daddy Went Walkin'" and "Red Sun," both of which pine tellingly for innocence lost. In keeping with his tradition of self-reflection, the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer gives his professional career the once-over on "Buffalo Springfield Again" and ponders his future without donning rose-colored glasses on the closing "Without Wings." It took Young a full three years to burnish SILVER AND GOLD to his liking -- and it shines every bit as brightly as the precious metals evoked in its name. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Silver & Gold went through a number of incarnations before it was finally released in the spring of 2000. The endless delays raised hopes for the album, as did superstition -- dedicated Neil Young fans believed he was creatively reborn at the end of each decade. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Rust Never Sleeps, and Freedom added credence to this theory, but those records were knocked out quickly, appearing a year after their predecessors. In contrast, Silver & Gold appeared four years after Broken Arrow. During those four years, all sorts of projects were in the works for Young, including a 1999 reunion with Crosby, Stills & Nash. His three songs on their comeback Looking Forward were pleasant acoustic numbers that often seemed a little slight. It was easy to assume that Young was saving the real treasures for his solo record, but Silver & Gold doesn't confirm that theory. Instead, it's a continuation of his Looking Forward contributions, performed with the warm, amiable ramble of Harvest Moon. A pleasant sound, to be sure, but not exactly what Young followers were expecting. They also may be a little dismayed to realize that two of its best songs, "Silver & Gold" and "Razor Love," date from 1982 and 1987, respectively, suggesting that Neil may not be at the top of his game. Still, there are no truly bad songs here, although the light-hearted, light-headed reminiscence "Buffalo Springfield Again" treads close to the borderline. It's a low-key, charming, comfortable record, which is hardly a bad thing at all -- it just doesn't quite live up to the abnormally high expectations. Fortunately, those expectations fade upon repeated plays, and Silver & Gold reveals itself as a nice Neil Young record. Nothing particularly special, but nice all the same. Stephen Thomas Erlewine