Last great Neil Young album?

No room here for the Where The Buffalo Roam soundtrack and the Road Rock live album.

Despite great reviews, I found Chrome Dreams II to be a hopeless mess.

Mirror Ball, although after his resurgence in the late 80s following a long dry spell I wouldn't give up hope completely.

Living With War. The album that stopped the war...

Sleeps With Angels is his last (hopefully latest) truly great album, but Broken Arrow is not far behind. All later albums have their moments, though, I could probably put together a great 2-disc compilation from them... Greendale, for example, I like much better than most fans, it seems.

That might be a bit of a harsh assesment there Stephen, it's a little uneven but IMHO it contains multiple highlights: No Hidden Path, Spirit Road, Ever After, and Dirty Old Man is just a fun throwaway number that I always get a laugh from.

That's not even counting the trio of old songs that open the album (although the Ordinary People on the album is weakest version I've heard).

I like the cohesiveness of Living With War and Prarie Wind (I think this comes across better on the Nashville stage in the Heart Of Gold movie) but overall I prefer Chrome Dreams II. Greendale is a little bit too sprawling for my tastes, but I do like the Vicar Street DVD that came with the CD.

I think his last shit album is Are You Passionate? which has no redeeming factors at all.

Went for Chrome Dreams II which I really like and listen to a lot still. Loads of great tracks and I would probably rate it as a classic must own.

I like Greendale and Living With War a lot too but I'd say that Sleeps WIth Angels sits comfortably at the top with One The Beach, Tonight's The Night and Rust Never Sleeps.

The last thing of his that I thought was truly great was the bonus disc for Arc/Weld (was it called Arc?) Anyway, it was a whole disc of these amazing, loud feedback guitar solos that were absolutely astounding. Even Peel played it.

Rust never sleeps I suppose. I think it's a case of being massively overated.

Did you ever hear Sleeps With Angels My Balloon? You really should if you haven't.

Hearing "Change your mind" on the clock radio one morning in the mid-90's, while neither asleep nor awake, is one of the most intense musical experiences I've had.

Needless to say, it hasn't been quite the same hearing it ín a normal state of mind... still, it's one of his greats, I think. The whole album is great, maybe apart from the first song IIRC.

Meant to vote Dead Man but hit wrong button.

I've not kept up with the 90s-and-beyond output, but I do reaally like this score/soundtrack.

greendale is up there :)

after the goldrush which is like a mountain from the waist down: clothed in tough denim, ornamented with florid embroidery, rivered and stained with the piss that comes of one too many drinks, holed with the scorch marks that come of one too many hash lumps dropping from splittering, crackling joints

wow, what a question, was there ever in the name of fuck a first one?????????

Well obviously (maybe) the Golden Era has passed, but I still like Prairie Wind a lot as a whole record, bits of Are You Passionate?, most of Chrome Dreams 2 (skipping the first track). And the live versions of some of his weaker recent LP tracks make up for any shortfall in the recording.

Voted for Chrome Dreams II, as it fulfils my criteria for a "great" album; might possibly have to drop all the way back to "Rust Never Sleeps" for his last "Great" album. Very, very few "Great" albums by anyone.

I agree. It depends how you define "great". Rust was his last great great album but Mirrorball gets my vote for his last consistently good album. So I'll vote for that.

On topic of Chrome Dreams II, I think it's decent with some clear stand out tracks. (No Hidden Path, Spirit Road, Ordinary People).

Post Freedom, Silver & Gold is the only album I think nothing of at all. Despite an awful title and even worse artwork Are You Passionate? has some good stuff on.

Check out this performance of 'Goin Home' if you haven't seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzJzDh9nOTg :)

Well, I voted Chrome Dreams II as to me it's great, but the last very great release for me was the Eldorado mini album when I heard "Don't Cry" for the first time.

Must admit I like that one with Pearl Jam, Mirror Ball. I never heard Pearl Jam and probably never will, but a great record.

Last true great, for me, was Sleeps With Angels.
Safeway Cart and My Heart would make my Neil Young top ten, easy. :applaud:
Change Your Mind, though... Dirge of the worst order. :sick:

:o

Musical bliss, more like!

Musical piss :P

I think he was going for the old "Cowgirl in the sand"/ "Cortez the killer"/ "Dangerbird" type track he did so well in the 70's, the epic, brooding Young guitar workouts. However as we all know being long does not make you epic, and being dull does not make you brooding.

Depending on the mood I'm in Change Your Mind can be an awesome thing to hear, or other times it sounds as if he's been playing the guitar with a boxing glove for 15 minutes.
Mostly it's the former. Spring's comment about hearing it between sleep and wakefulness makes sense.