The Neil Young Solo That Changed Kurt Vile's Life

Kurt Vile

Kurt Vile is a guitarist and singer from Philadelphia whose music has been likened to that of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger and Tom Petty.

From an interview in The Village Voice, by Jayson Greene, Kurt Vile discusses the Neil Young solo that changed his life:

Q: Neil Young is someone who seems like he hovers over your music spiritually. Do you have a favorite Neil Young song?

Kurt Vile: My favorite Neil Young song is 'Ambulance Blues.

Q: You know, it's funny you say that, because my guess was going to be 'On the Beach,' and it's off that same record.

Kurt Vile: Oh, yeah, 'On the Beach,' too!

They're sort of equals in my mind, it's just that 'Ambulance Blues' is the acoustic version. But yeah, 'On the Beach' actually has a note -- there's this really sad guitar solo in the middle, surrounded by this really lonely imagery, like 'I went to the radio interview, I ended up alone at the microphone'-- I can't say I wasn't influenced by that, because it would be a total lie.

But there's this guitar solo, and at the very end he bends a high note, and plays the same note on the neighboring string -- that sustained note changed my life.

More of Kurt Vile interview in The Village Voice.

More on musicians influenced by Neil Young Matters.

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