Neil Young has lambasted the recording techniques of the 21st Century.

Speaking to MTV, the veteran lamented the sound of today's music - claiming that it is the "worst sound that we've ever had".

He also criticised compressed music file formats, such as MP3, for lacking the depth of original recordings. He said:

"I'm finding that I have a little bit of trouble with the quality of the sound of music today. I don't like it. It just makes me angry. Not the quality of the music, but we're in the 21st Century and we have the worst sound that we've ever had. It's worse than a 78 [rpm record]. Where are our geniuses? What happened?"

"It's all about the bottom and the beat driving everything, and that's because in the resolution of the music, there's nothing else you can really hear. The warmth and the depth at the high end is gone."

However, he took time to praise two current bands - Mumford and Sons and My Morning Jacket. He added:

"Mumford and Sons and My Morning Jacket are great bands. I love them both and I know them well. I feel good about saying that."