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Dead Man
Soundtrack / Score · 1996 · 13 tracks

Dead Man

Neil Young

Neil Young's "Dead Man" soundtrack is an improvised, feedback-drenched journey through a haunting western landscape. Sparse electric guitar drones, melancholic organ, and spoken word excerpts create a

February 26, 1996 · Music Land Records (2)

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This isn't a typical Neil Young album; it's a deep dive into pure atmosphere. "Dead Man" is a stark, improvised electric guitar score that feels like the sonic embodiment of a desolate, fog-shrouded frontier. Imagine the vast, empty spaces of a black-and-white western, filled with the mournful cries of feedback and the ghostly echoes of William Blake's poetry. It's unsettling, beautiful, and profoundly melancholic, creating a unique soundscape that AllMusic praised for its "dark, droning, and often terrifying" quality. Own this if you seek an immersive, challenging listen that transcends traditional genre boundaries, perfect for moments of quiet, intense contemplation.

Tracklist · 13 Tracks
01
Guitar Solo, No. 1
5:18
02
The Round Stones Beneath the Earth…
3:32
03
Guitar Solo, No. 2
2:03
04
Why Does Thou Hide Thyself, Clouds…
2:25
05
Organ Solo
1:33
06
Do You Know How to Use This Weapon?
4:25
07
Guitar Solo, No. 3
4:31
08
Nobody’s Story
6:36
09
Guitar Solo, No. 4
4:22
10
Stupid White Men…
8:46
11
Guitar Solo, No. 5
14:41
12
Time for You to Leave, William Blake…
0:51
13
Guitar Solo, No. 6
3:22
Moments Worth Listening For
The initial emergence of Neil Young's signature feedback-laden electric guitar, establishing the album's central, unsettling drone motif.
The stark contrast between the raw, improvisational guitar work and the sudden, clear interjections of Johnny Depp's William Blake poetry readings, creating jarring shifts in focus.
Moments where the organ or piano briefly takes center stage, offering a fleeting, melancholic counterpoint to the dominant guitar textures before receding back into the sonic haze.
The way the sparse, almost skeletal percussion (if present) subtly underpins the longer drone passages, adding a layer of rhythmic unease rather than a conventional beat.
Reviews
AllMusic
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Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Dead Man sound next to the rest of Neil Young's catalogue?

Instrumental Only+4.0σ

The vocals lean far further into instrumental only than the rest of the catalogue.

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