Greendale (Bonus Dvd)

Neil Young | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise / Wea
• ASIN: B0000AI44Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  DVD Audio  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (249 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,321 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

IFC website

an epic drama in this unusual musical film written and directed by the legendary singer/songwriter.

Product Description

Japanese version featuring a bonus DVD. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neil at his very best., November 9, 2003

By 

Thomas E. Klein (Laurel Springs, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greendale (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

As 57 year old "child of the 60's" and former 70's and early 80's FM Radio Rock DJ, and guitarist, I've been a fan and close follower of Neil's music, and politics (the two are often inseperable) from the beginning, and own a fairly complete library of his works. I haven't always liked everything Neil has done and I can be critical of his music (and politics). I've also never felt compelled to write a review before, so believe me when I say that Greendale really grabbed me. This is Neil Young from the very bottom of his soul and at his very best! Neil has gone back to the classic Concept (album) format to tell an ingeniously entertaining tale and deliver his message of peace, love and respect for planet Earth. Characters that captivate the imagination, tongue in cheek humor, some directed at Neil himself, tragedy, death and serious message intertwine throughout. The electric music on the CD is simply great basic from the gut blues based Rock-n-Roll, including great guitar chops, Neil, not trying to be dazzling or fancy, just delivering solid riffs and solos that have me listening time and again. To top it all off the Bonus DVD solo acoustic performance recorded in a small club in Ireland is more than worth the price alone. Thousands of words will be written about Greendale but in my estimation one word says it all, BRILLIANT! Unfortunately, in today's sad narrow minded rock and roll radio market the general public isn't likely to hear much, if any, of Greendale. As previously mentioned I've never felt compelled to write an online review before but listen to Greendale and you too will likely be driven to spread the word. Collectively, we owe that to Neil for coming up with such a great work absoultely worthy of multi-Platinum sales status. Thanks, Neil Young, for more great music I will enjoy for the rest of my life.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greendale grows on ya, September 28, 2005

By 

T. Brown (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greendale (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

The more I listen, the more I've come to believe "Greendale" is one of Neil's true masterpieces. At first, it seems like just another Crazy Horse album with the volume, distortion and anger turned way down. But, like a Steinbeck novel, its brilliance grows on you. For a Crazy Horse collaboration, there is an intimacy to these songs that I find thrilling. Without question their best work since "Ragged Glory". The feeling is one of sitting on a beat-up couch in a garage some lazy summer evening while Neil and the boys jam and tell you the story of small town dreams, both dashed and realized. "Carmichael" and "Grandpa's Interview" are nearly perfect both musically and lyrically; the beauty lies in a masterful balance of Ralph and Billy's propulsive rhythms and Neil's barely-restrained fuzzed guitar and seemingly stream-of-consciousness singing. The rest of the album is just as satisfying, especially the way-too-cool-for-words rockabilly anthem "Double EE" and the opening track "Falling from Above," which so wonderfully sets the stage for the hour+ journey. A definite candidate as a desert island disc.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cranky Neil cranks out a winner, September 4, 2003

By 

John A Wright "Lover of Books N' Beer" (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Greendale (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

I can understand why some of the other reviewers haven't liked this album much; it's a dynamic narrative story that's almost cryptic without the proper context. I was lucky enough to see Neil and Crazy Horse this summer on the pre-Greendale tour -- for those who haven't heard about it, I'll briefly describe. Neil and the band put together a rather post-mod stage show replete with actors, sets, background slide displays and (naturally) the band ripping out some fantastic live versions of the songs in sequence. It wasn't too dissimilar to the total impact of the Rust tour, without the greatest-hits package, of course. With all of the multi-media supporting Neil's musical narration of the Green family, the story was comprehensible, and to me, very moving.

Without that previous experience, this album might have sounded like so much grungy sludge when I bought it.

Luckily for the new exposee, Neil has thoughtfully provided a live DVD (accoustic, so it's not too much Horse overkill) that fleshes out the storyline. Buy this CD, but watch the DVD first. With that concert under your belt, the true power of these songs rise to the surface.

Regarding the story and music... some comparisons to Our Town are apt -- put that great play through a blender with Neil's earlier multi-generational and drug-related works (think Harvest & Tonight's the Night) and you get a good idea of what he's trying to do. The tunes are vintage Horse -- more Zuma and Broken Arrow than Ragged Glory. The melancholy that permeates the middle half of this record seems indicative of Neil's view on society as a whole: he doesn't get it, he doesn't particularly like it, and it makes him sad.

Lucky for us: a sad, cranky Neil Young makes some beautiful and thought-provoking music.