Nothing Tarnished in Young’s Comforting ‘Silver & Gold’

“Good to see you . . . good to see you, again,” Young croons in the first track--and the feeling is going to be mutual for Young’s audience. Much like the album as a whole, that opener is as comforting and informal as an overdue visit from an old friend--though the message is so good-natured and embracing that you don’t know whether the veteran singer-songwriter is speaking this time about a wife, a child or maybe even the audience that has accompanied him on his long, great musical journey.

The album, put together over the last three years, began as a strictly solo work, then Young added some punctuation from such stellar musicians as drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn and album co-producer Ben Keith on steel guitar. To complicate things further, Young donated three songs from the original “Silver & Gold” album to last year’s Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reunion album.

Despite it all, the final version has a surprisingly cohesive feel. In the wistful tradition of Young’s 1972 classic “Harvest,” the new collection speaks of memories and dreams, commitment and faith. Many of the songs will be familiar to anyone who has seen Young in concert in recent years, but they seem even older because of their generally timeless, endearing quality. “Buffalo Springfield Again” isn’t just a tip of the hat to Young’s old ‘60s band, but also a nod to an era.

“Silver & Gold” doesn’t have the overriding urgency or ambition of 1992’s similar-minded “Harvest Moon,” but it is as consistently open and optimistic as anything he has ever produced. “The dreams that you’re having,” he sings at one point, “they won’t let you down.”

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.