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Neil Young always seems to be making a comeback, but detractors who have diligently panned his releases from the 1990s and 2000s (and sometimes with good reason) will be forced to change their tune with 2005's PRAIRIE WIND. A plaintive, thoughtful, country-rock album that recalls both 1992's HARVEST MOON and 1972's HARVEST, PRAIRIE WIND is Young's strongest, most focused, and most compulsively listenable studio album since 1989's FREEDOM.
The most striking characteristic of the album is its mood, which is heavily nostalgic, melancholy, and, lyrically, full of reflections on memory, loss, and mortality. (The passing of Young's father and his own experience with a brain aneurysm seem likely influences for the tone here). In this way, it comes close to the emotional intensity of early '70s classics like TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT, though perhaps without the edge and ragged beauty of that work. Instead, Young cut the album in Nashville with top-shelf personnel (Spooner Oldham is among the usual suspects), giving PRAIRIE WIND a smooth veneer. Still, there is a great warmth and ease to the sound, and Young turns in some of his finest songs in ages: the simple, heart-rending "It's a Dream," for example. Young has established and shattered enough categories in his time that a return to classic form like this is well-earned, and much appreciated.
Audio Mixers: Rob Clark ; Chad Hailey.
Recording information: Master-Link, Nashville, TN.
Photographers: Larry Cragg; L.A. Johnson.
Personnel: Neil Young (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica); Grant Boatwright (vocals, acoustic guitar); Curtis Wright, Diana DeWitt, Anthony Crawford , Pegi Young, Gary Pigg (vocals); Ben Keith (slide guitar, dobro); Clinton Gregory (fiddle); Connie Ellisor, Everhard Ramon, Jim Grosjean, Mary Kathryn Van Osdale, Kris Wilkinson, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, David Davidson , Bob Mason , Alan Umstead, David Angell, Gary VanOsdale, Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen (strings); Wayne Jackson, Tom McGinley (horns); Spooner Oldham (piano, Wurlitzer organ); Rick Rosas (bass guitar); Karl Himmel (drums, percussion); Chad Cromwell (drums).
Additional personnel: Ben Keith (pedal steel guitar); Spooner Oldham (keyboards); Rick Rosas, Karl Himmel, Chad Cromwell.
Uncut (p.98) - 5 stars out of 5 - "Deep, warm, fully rounded and with no slack, PRAIRIE WIND is Neil at his best."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.61) - Ranked #31 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2005" - "Young's twilight masterpiece..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.97) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[With] Young often immersed in reflections on his family relationships....Strong and tremulous. The core of Neil Young's neilyoungness..."
Neil Young - Prairie Wind Songs
Prairie Wind Music Review
Average Rating: (4.1 out of 5 stars)    List All 18 Reviews its neil
anyone who truly undrestands neils music can not help but like this ALUBM he is with out a doubt one of the greatest lyricist in music history and one of the best guitarist electric or acoustic ever
Submitted by ronnie (anaheim hills, ca ,usa)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 2 of 4 found this helpful.
 Just Neil
Just OK Neil - very mellow. Nothing real remarkable in it for me. Nice stories, but he's done better.
Submitted by ss1113 (Central Florida) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
 No electric guitar grunge on this CD
Neil gets back to his accoustic / piano roots on this CD. The only leads are harmonica - no electric guitar solos which I like. I heard Neil suffered a brain annurism during taping - 2 of the songs are post surgery for the annurism. God bless him. I liked his electric guitar work better than this style. He is a great lyricsist though.
Submitted by - Jeff (Woodstock, NY)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
cant go wrong
strong lyrics,good beats,with help from old friends,comparable to Harvest Moon
Submitted by print59 (West Seneca,New York)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No I'm a Neil Young fan now
Like everyone, I've been familiar with Neil Young for many, many years. Occassionally he'd create something that I liked, but never really wowwed me. Until "Prairie Wind". What a beautiful compilation of emotions, experiences and life this album is. Thank you, Mr. Young, for giving us the real Neil Young in "Prairie Wind".
Submitted by Bruce (Indiana)
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