Wednesday, June 27, 2012

If you like Fleet Foxes, thank Neil Young too

After reading my post, "If you like Fleet Foxes, thank Crosby, Stills & Nash," alert LTF reader Edley Naylor-Leyland pointed out that Fleet Foxes owe a musical debt to CSN partner Neil Young as well. To quote Naylor-Leyland, "Check out the similarities of Ohio (Young) and Mykonos (Fleet Foxes)- they use the exact same bit of Ohio at about 2min15secs."

So let's all take a listen. First, Neil Young's tragic anthem to the Kent State riot of 1970:



The sound is electric, minor-key heartbreak. But pay special attention to the vocal harmonies in the verse, especially "Gotta get down to it/ Soldiers are cutting us down."

Now listen to "Mykonos" by Fleet Foxes, paying special attention to the bridge around 2:15:



Well, I'll be damned. That is, in fact, the exact same vocal harmony and melody, especailly at "You go wherever you go today." So spot on that it sounds like an intentional homage to Kent State in my ear. Proving yet again that the indie rock so popular today takes great inspiration and sustenance from the classic rock that came before.

Great ear, Edley!

7 comments:

John D. said...

That pic of Fleet Foxes reminded me of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds cover.

Anne said...

John, you're absolutely right! I wonder if that was intentional?

Unknown said...

Thanks for the post - i only just saw this!
Edley

Unknown said...

Thanks for the post - i only just saw this!
Edley

Unknown said...

I heard Ohio for the first time ever last night and honestly thought it was a Medley where the played the Mykonos chorus and the Neil Young verse. If it was just the melody I would be like aye it's still pretty similar but it's the melody coupled with the harmony and it's identical. I have no doubt that Robin pecknold and fleet foxes were listening to that as they worked out their arrangement.

My 2 cents said...

Have been thinking the same thing since this song came up on my ALT-J Pandora station. Nice to find a post about it.

Florian said...

When i just listened to Ohio in my spotify playlist and i thought absolut the same. :-) That you can hear the Influence of Young in Fleet Foxes'music.