Neil Young just gave his fans the ultimate Christmas gift. On December 25, the legendary singer-songwriter shared a rare, intimate video of himself performing “Silver & Gold,” the title track from his 2000 album of the same name. What makes this moment even more special is that Young has not played this particular song live in nearly two decades—his last performance of it dates back to 2007.
In the cozy video posted to his Instagram, the 79-year-old musician sits comfortably on his couch, strumming his acoustic guitar. The camera slowly pans to the warm glow of a crackling fireplace, adding a touch of seasonal charm to the rare footage. At the end of the video, Young asks, “Is that our first fireside session?” as if inviting his fans into an intimate moment.
He captioned the post with a heartfelt message: “sending love to you ,” further emphasizing the warmth of the gesture.
The song “Silver & Gold” has always held a special place in Neil Young’s heart. Written in 1981, it was finally released on his 2000 album of the same name. Despite its deep personal connection to Young, the track has remained largely absent from his live shows over the years. Fans have longed for a performance of this deeply emotional song, and now, nearly two decades later, Young has granted them their wish.
In a past interview with KGSR Radio, Young opened up about the challenges of recording the song. “I tried it several ways,” he said. “It’s just such a song, you know. It just kind of lives with the guitar. It’s just there.” The track went through several recording attempts with different musicians and configurations, but Young wasn’t satisfied with the results. It wasn’t until he stripped it down to just himself and his guitar that the song finally felt complete. “I really recorded, I think, a total of 11 times with different people in all kinds of different configurations. And we got ’em all, none of them are worth listening to,” he admitted. “But this one here finally just got back to the roots of it and just sat down with my guitar and played it and said, ‘That’s it.’”
In addition to this surprise video, Neil Young shared another exciting update with his fans during an appearance on The Mentors Radio podcast. The rock legend revealed that he is working on a new album, tentatively titled Talkin’ to the Trees. According to footage shared by Reddit users from the Neil Young Archives, Young has been working on the record with his band, the Chrome Hearts, and is clearly excited about the project.
“I’m so happy to be making and I’m still lucky enough to have made this last record that I made,” he said. “It’s blown my mind.” Young continued, expressing immense gratitude for the creative process and the unexpected success of the project. “I’m very, very, very, very grateful for the success of being able to be in there with Lou Adler producing and the Chrome Hearts playing and getting this music out of me, which I never even knew was there until a couple of months ago when I wrote all the songs and recorded them all. That all happened just like that. So, you don’t have a plan.”
Interestingly, Young also shared that he went through a two-year period where he didn’t write any music. This creative dry spell has only made the new album feel even more significant to him. “The record will speak for itself,” he said, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the release.
Neil Young’s career has been defined by his constant evolution as an artist. From his early days with Buffalo Springfield to his iconic solo work, he has always kept his fans on their toes, whether through music, personal revelations, or unexpected surprises like this Christmas gift. His willingness to open up about his creative process—both the struggles and the triumphs—only endears him more to his loyal following.
As Young continues to create and share his music, it’s clear that he’s not slowing down anytime soon. Whether performing classic hits from the past or working on fresh material, Neil Young proves time and again that he remains an artist with a rare and enduring gift.
Stay tuned—if Talkin’ to the Trees is anything like the album that inspired “Silver & Gold,” it’s bound to be a standout in the next chapter of his legendary career.
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