Well technically (no REALLY! - ED) my wife bought this when it came out before we were married . . . . . . . .she turned me on to Neil Young with this and earlier albums, she really dug Neil Young . . . . 
this was a great place to start and have been a Shaky fan ever since . . . . . . now here is an artist who just keeps on giving and changing and transforming and developing as an artist. 
Jimi Hendrix's favourite guitarist! [purportedly] . . . . . . 

On this day in music history: March 18, 1972 - “Heart Of Gold” by Neil Young hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 1 week. Written by Neil Young, it is the biggest hit for the Canadian born singer, songwriter and musician. Young is inspired to write the song during a period when he is in and out of the hospital being treated for a back injury. Forced to wear a back brace during much of the albums recording, Young is physically unable to play electric guitar, playing acoustic on many tracks instead. “Heart Of Gold” is recorded at Quadrafonic Sound Studios in Nashville, TN in early 1971, while Young is in town taping an appearance on Johnny Cash’s weekly music variety series. “Gold” also features background vocals from Young’s friends James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. Issued as the first single from his fourth solo album “Harvest” in January of 1972, it quickly becomes a radio smash. Entering the Hot 100 at #62 on February 5, 1972, it climbs to the top of the chart six weeks later. The success of “Heart Of Gold” also drives the “Harvest” album to number one on the Billboard Top 200 on March 11, 1972, spending two weeks at the top. The mono 45 mix of “Gold” along with its original B-side “Sugar Mountain” are reissued as a limited edition 7" on Record Store Day in April of 2010. “Heart Of Gold” is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

thanks to the most excellent Jeff Harris' blog 'Behind The Grooves