Greendale - Neil Young
Greendale Image
Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 57 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Credited to Neil Young & Crazy Horse (expect electric rather than acoustic), this latest offering by the 57-year-old rocker is a 10-song concept album about the lives of the fictitious Green family.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 3 out of 17
  1. PopMatters
    90
    Not only does Young accomplish his goal of creating a musical storyline that transcends the tedium and self-indulgence of your average concept album, but he's also crafted his finest set of songs since at least Freedom and Ragged Glory.
  2. All Music Guide
    80
    It all adds up to a very good record -- one that is interesting, and one that satisfies musically.
  3. The Guardian
    60
    Instances of clarity and grace alternate with wodges of unfathomable nonsense that a good editor would have blue-pencilled from the first draft.
  4. Launch.com
    30
    This is classic underachieving at its peak.

See all 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 40
  3. Negative: 2 out of 40
  1. mrtew
    10
    I love this album! The combination of the story and the music does it for me every time. No clue why it's not higher rated by the critics; it's one of his best modern albums by far in my opinion.… Expand
  2. JayG
    8
    His best since "Sleeps With Angels," not top-tier Young but definitely a good album nonetheless. Don't be fooled by the low '209; rating metacritic has for the Austin Chronicle, if you READ that brief review, you'll find that the reviewer hates the CD but LOVES the bonus DVD and actually likes the songs. From that same review: "The bonus DVD, on the other horseshoe...brings to life a sly satire for these Imperialist times, Young's tight-lipped rambling fleshing out the already charmed storybook CD booklet...If his offhand allusion in concert is given any credence, the Greendale DVD may be Young's best-realized song cycle since 1975's masterful Tonight's the Night."… Expand
  3. robert
    6
    the music's good and the lyrics suck
  4. MarkT
    2
    I just got back from the performance in LA. All those who gave the album such a high score must have been smoking the ganja that was wafting up to The Shrine rafters. As a professional writer, I can honestly say I have never witnessed a more amateurish production in my many years on this earth. Completely laughable and amateurish. I was with a large group of people and we were all stunned/mystified at how truly bad Greendale Live turned out to be. Maybe we needed the ganja.… Collapse

See all 40 User Reviews

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