Prairie Wind
by Neil Young
  • Record Label: Reprise
  • Release Date: Sep 27, 2005
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 41
  3. Negative: 6 out of 41

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  1. bobl
    Sep 30, 2005
    5
    listening to the record for the second time through - and I'm a Neil Young completist - I'm waiting to be surprised, and I'm just not. Sometimes he takes a cliche and turns it inside out, but this record feels like cliche followed by inspiration followed by ghosts of records that used to be followed by cliche. Many talk of this as a return to form; I was blown away by listening to the record for the second time through - and I'm a Neil Young completist - I'm waiting to be surprised, and I'm just not. Sometimes he takes a cliche and turns it inside out, but this record feels like cliche followed by inspiration followed by ghosts of records that used to be followed by cliche. Many talk of this as a return to form; I was blown away by Greendale and consider it one of his best. It surprised me and captivated me as the best of NY has always done. This feels like filler separated by some really good passages/songs… Expand
  2. BruceD
    Oct 2, 2005
    6
    Not a great album, but not bad either. It's been called a "Harvest"/"Harvest Moon" type album, but I hear a little "Are You Passionate?" thrown in there - it's heavily rooted in folk and country, but there's plenty of back-up singers and touches of r&b soul. There aren't any tracks that strike me as bad, but some aren't that interesting, musically or lyrically. Not a great album, but not bad either. It's been called a "Harvest"/"Harvest Moon" type album, but I hear a little "Are You Passionate?" thrown in there - it's heavily rooted in folk and country, but there's plenty of back-up singers and touches of r&b soul. There aren't any tracks that strike me as bad, but some aren't that interesting, musically or lyrically. "Painter," "Falling Off the Face of the Earth," "Prairie Wind," "He Was the King," and "When God Made Me" make up the better half for me, with the last one ("When God Made Me") the best song Young's done since 1995's "I'm The Ocean." There's some raggedness that actually enhances the album (you hear Young start off the novelty Elvis tribute "He Was the King" - apparently an early take that ended up getting tagged as the master), and all the songs fit together despite the eclectic roots sound. I still prefer "After the Goldrush" and "Comes A Time" for 'softer' Neil, and even "Harvest" and "Harvest Moon" are better albums than this, but this one still ain't bad.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. musicOMH.com
    90
    The pedal steel guitar playing on the whole record is breathtaking.
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  2. Billboard
    50
    Familiar, yes, but not unwelcome. [1 Oct 2005]
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  3. The New York Times
    60
    Mr. Young is pushing toward guilelessness in these 10 songs; these are messages of nearly transcendental forgiveness that have lost their old edges of fear and anger. [26 Sep 2005]
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