Neil Young similarities

[OntheBorder74]

I only recently started listening Neil Young and realised him and Glenn have such a similar strong nasal singing voice; both can so softer songs and harder songs..of course I can always tell the difference but it's only just hit me how similar they sound. Thoughts? :)

[UndertheWire]

I don't hear it. For me, there are two big differences. The first is that Neil Young often sounds strained whereas Glenn tends to sound relaxed. The second is that Young is often pitchy.

[OntheBorder74]

I don't hear it. For me, there are two big differences. The first is that Neil Young often sounds strained whereas Glenn tends to sound relaxed. The second is that Young is often pitchy.

Yeah I agree with those two points also Glenn's voice sounds fuller to me alittle less thin and whiny. Not putting down Neil's voice I quite like it. It remids me of how people thought Dewey Bunnell of America sounded like Neil on Horse with No Name, I couldn't hear it myself thought it was a stretch but now realise Glenn and Neil's phrasing can be quite similar

[Pippinwhite]

As Glenn got a little older and his voice matured (and I'm betting he worked with a voice coach -- most professional singers do), the nasal started fading out. What happened, in all likelihood, is he started using what singers call "chest voice" as opposed to "head voice" which is where the nasal sound comes from. Most professional singers in any genre know their best shot at maintaining their voices (besides quitting smoking and drugging) is to develop their chest voice, which is really a lot about breathing. It's easier on the vocal cords.

Of course, that flat Michigan accent was going to peek through occasionally. I think you get the same "feel" from Neil Young's voice because his speaking accent isn't too different. Yeah, it's Canadian, but the feel is similar. It's in the same dialect family.

O.K. Now that I've geeked out, I'll step away. LOL.

[FreyFollower]

I think it's all in the accent. Most people from the Great Lakes area have that nasal tonality. Neil Young is from Ontario--bingo! I think it comes originally from so many of the immigrants there being from Norway, Sweden, etc, and their manner of speaking.

[groupie2686]

I don't think Glenn and Neil Young sound similar at all...IMO.

It's funny about Glenn's accent, I lived in Rochester, NY for 3 years and people there talked like Glenn. I worked with a lot of people from Buffalo and the accent is the same, the Great Lakes accent.

Pippinwhite, I think Glenn's voice actually sounded more nasal as he got older. If you listen to him when he was older and then listen to him young right after that, you can hear the difference - especially if it's the same song, like a song from HFO and then the original.

Sorry for getting off topic here...

[OntheBorder74]

Interesting thing is both guys sound a little Southern even though neither of them are. I disagree Glenn got more nasal over the years, if you listen to those early recordings of the first lineup and the second lineup with Felder when they were in a country rock phase he would vary the nasal quality.

Listening to 1973 live versions of Lazy Days, Dream Baby and Carol from the live treats section of the website you can hear a strong nasal quality.
That strong nasal accent largely went away after he had some surgery on his nose around 1994 just before HFO and he sounds smoother and actually songs little higher and more RnB/soul.

Just my thoughts, its just I loved Glenn's nasally accent in the early days, I swear it can be heard in Burned by The Mushrooms and Bring Back Funky Women by Long branch Pennywhistle too. Also still present in his 80s solo work like THIO

[New Kid In Town]

This is JMHO but, I think part of the reason Glenn had the nasal sound was due to his broken nose when he was 13. I had to have major nose/sinus surgery due to a severe deviated septum three years ago. After the surgery I was amazed at how much easier it was to breath. I would guess had he had his nose fixed, it would have probably taken care of the nasal sound to a large extent.
On a side note, I just helped a niece on a civics report on surprise - Michigan. Apparently a lot of people moved from W.V. in the 20's-40's to Detroit to work in the auto industry. Those people carried that Southern accent with them there. Glenn's Mom was from Charleston, WV. and moved to Detroit as a toddler. I would guess he heard that Southern accent from his grandparents. That and being surrounded by all those Texans.

[Pippinwhite]

Yeah, my hubs is from the Akron, Ohio area, and they had a BUNCH of people who moved to that area from W.Va. They called I-75 "The Hillbilly Highway". One of his good friends from high school was from there.

I honestly wouldn't have called Glenn's voice that nasal at any point -- certainly not as much so as Neil Young's. But the surgery he had may very well have helped him, as NKIT pointed out.

[NightMistBlue]

I don't hear it. For me, there are two big differences. The first is that Neil Young often sounds strained whereas Glenn tends to sound relaxed. The second is that Young is often pitchy.

Agreed on all points. Neil Young would not be able to do an album of standards like Glenn did (without inflicting pain on the world).

[scottside]

I love Neil Young's music dearly, especially the earlier stuff, but I can't even begin to compare him vocally with Glenn. I fail to see any similarity whatsoever. Glenn has always had a smooth voice, full bodied. Neil's vocals seem pinched, strained and often whiny. He's a great songwriter and he certainly does his best songs justice in the vocal department, but I think the comparison between the two is baseless.

[Freypower]

I love Neil Young's music dearly, especially the earlier stuff, but I can't even begin to compare him vocally with Glenn. I fail to see any similarity whatsoever. Glenn has always had a smooth voice, full bodied. Neil's vocals seem pinched, strained and often whiny. He's a great songwriter and he certainly does his best songs justice in the vocal department, but I think the comparison between the two is baseless.

I wouldn't say baseless. Listen to an early song like Outlaw Man & you can hear a bit of Neil. But later on, nothing. It should be pointed out however that on a song lilke Harvest Moon, Neil is a lot less nasal than he was in younger years.

[New Kid In Town]

I like Neil Young but I have to say I do not think Glenn sounds like him at all. I think Glenn's voice is so much smoother.

[AlreadyGone95]

Agreed on all points. Neil Young would not be able to do an album of standards like Glenn did (without inflicting pain on the world).

:rofl::rofl:

I'm a Neil Young fan as well. I've always thought that Neil sounded like Bob Dylan's nephew or something. I really don't hear many similarities. Neil's voice is gruff and rough almost all of the time. Glenn could do a gruff Vob Seger type voice, but he had a really great smooth voice.

[Freypower]

:rofl::rofl:

I'm a Neil Young fan as well. I've always thought that Neil sounded like Bob Dylan's nephew or something. I really don't hear many similarities. Neil's voice is gruff and rough almost all of the time. Glenn could do a gruff Vob Seger type voice, but he had a really great smooth voice.

I disagree that Neil's voice is 'gruff & rough'. Listen to the example I used, Harvest Moon, or other ballads like Harvest itself or A Man Needs A Maid. Even on more uptempo songs like Powderfinger it's still pretty smooth. Dylan he isn't.

[Glennhoney]

I fail to see any similarities between the two.......

[OntheBorder74]

I guess to a British ear it can sound all alike, it was really the nasal sound but definitely prefer Glenn's smooth full bodied soulful voice over the terse, strained falsetto of Neils but both are great; Glenn still and will always be the best in mind ofcourse


Wow 100th post took a while but after almost exactly three years on this forum is got there. Primarily by asking a lot of little questions about details that bugged me. I wanna thank the Border community for indulging my Eagles fascination. It's been great, now all of you take it easy or take it to the limit whatever suits your way of life ;)

[Pippinwhite]

Congrats on 100 posts, OTB74! Glad to have you here!

[OntheBorder74]

Congrats on 100 posts, OTB74! Glad to have you here!

Thanks Pippinwhite great to be here! I love this forum it feeds my Eagles curiosity and has great opinions:)

[sodascouts]

Yes, congrats - only three years - not too bad! ;)

[New Kid In Town]

OTB - Congrats on 100 posts.