in comparison to their peers, Noel Gardner of Drowned in Sound wrote that the album "is a better record than anything The Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo, Mercury Rev or Pavement – all similarly venerable, all vastly more bankable – have ever released." The Times called the album "one of those largely unknown records that deserves a second chance to find its place at the top of your list of all-time favourite albums." The album was similarly acclaimed by Trouser Press, who wrote sarcastically that it is "is slightly more elegant than roadkill. Guitarists Rizzo and Baird Figi trade leads that could saw down a petrified forest; the lyrics, when decipherable through Rizzo's strangulations, depict lonesome roads, empty rooms and horror-film traumas filled with the same eerie dread as the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre." According to Jim DeRogatis, reviewing the reissues of Beet and Lived to Tell in 2001, Prairie School Freakout "remains the masterpiece" of the band's discography. Spin named it one of the '80 Excellent Records of the 80s'. The music blog Fast n Bulbous ranked it the 10th greatest indie album of all time. Comedian Stewart Lee named it one of his 5 favorite albums from the 80s, praising its "perfect, shabby glory". Track listing "Watching the Candles Burn" (Figi) – 4:01 "Sweet Smell" (Bean) – 4:37 "Coercion" (Bean) – 3:47 "Driving Song" (Figi) – 4:09 "Tarantula" (Rizzo) – 5:36 "Among the Pines" (Rizzo) – 6:24 "Through My Mouth" (McCombs) – 4:57 "Beach Miner" (Bean/Rizzo) – 3:42 "Death of Albert C. Sampson" (Bean) – 4:44 "Life on A String" (Rizzo) – 5:04 Bonus tracks, from Wayne EP (1989) "Tenth Leaving Train" (Rizzo) – 11:19 "Southern Pacific" (Neil Young) – 5:04 "Go" (Rizzo/Bean) – 4:50 Personnel and credits Adapted from Allmusic: Janet Beveridge Bean - Composer, Drums, Group Member, Vocals Byron Coley - Liner Notes (for 2003 re-release) Eleventh Dream Day - Design, Primary Artist Baird Figi - Composer, Group Member, Guitar, Slide Guitar Michael Franklin - Engineer Douglas McCombs - Bass, Composer, Group Member Wink O'Bannon - Engineer Rick Rizzo - Composer, Group Member, Guitar, Vocals Sheila Sachs - Design References References Thrill Jockey listing 1988 albums Eleventh Dream Day albums