Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dwoogie on April 24, 2008 at 8:55pm

Splendid idea, we're all enthusiastic about music, let's talk about it. NO time this minute, but you can bet I'll be back with something to say. :o)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by jason gray on April 28, 2008 at 10:41am

As in genral music conversation, i have mentioned this, so lets keep on at the mods.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Maleney on April 28, 2008 at 1:55pm

someone has got to listen to the masses! let public opinion rule!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by EOSPete on April 28, 2008 at 5:03pm

Okay guys and gals.
Try chewing on this

Lennon was the greatest songwriter of all time!

Lots of variety, quite a few with message and purpose. A few just for the fun of it. Lots of taking the micky. The guy knew how to really structure a song around a hook. What could have been achieved if he had lived longer?

Okay so argue a better case.

Over to you.

Cheers
P

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Maleney on April 28, 2008 at 9:47pm

one of the best i would agree there but the best is debatable! i suppose that is why you said it.... cheeky. i think it comes down to a few, Lennon, Dylan, Young, Reed, Cohen and maybe few others that depend on your tastes, Cobain, Malkmus or Ryan Adams spring to mind. Oberst of course. of the lot though, lennon was the one best at taking the mick, though adams is a close second. if you had to choose a song/lyric that would best display his talents what would you pick? myself id go with working class hero. angsty genius. only in liverpool.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by jason gray on April 29, 2008 at 7:54am

Their is one argument I can give, (if you like) here it goes:
Would they have got the same notoriety if they wrote music today or would they just be mediocre and caught up/lost in the masses of music, like many are today.
although I embrace and respect what they did achieve for this period in time, I disagree with people who still claim they are the best ever, and would walk all over most of today’s artists.
Putting the Hi tech aspect to one side, and sticking with our solo artists and bands to be fair with this compare, I personally just can not compare musicians of the past as being equal with today’s musicians, yes they excelled back in the day partly because they where a minority as suppose to today’s over populated music culture , but if put in today’s scenario would they have been the best thing since sliced bread or just a struggling musician, times change and so does content of the music, the only thing I can give to the past is that they started the journey we now continue today, but I think today’s artist are amazing talent by comparison, considering the effort it takes today to be in with the major artists.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by EOSPete on April 29, 2008 at 9:25am

I love to hear working demos of musician's work.
To hear the ropey demo of Working Class hero and Strawberry Fields really shows the true song without the polish. I got hold of 'The Lost Lennon Tapes' which were a real eye opener and contain loads of Lennon unfinished songs. I sometimes feel my own finished songs, such as they are, often lack the 'emotion' of the rough demo with simple voice, piano, duff notes, cars going passed etc. I wonder if there is a tendency to overwork a track. There is another discussion point.

Would be interested to hear some Ryan Adams work Ian ;-) I havent been able to source any over the last few days.

Cheers folks
P

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dwoogie on April 29, 2008 at 12:13pm

What does it take to be a great songwriter? I mean, what are the rules?

I ask because none of the 'greats' mentioned thus far floats my boat.

So. Am I 1) Deaf 2) Stupid 3) Ignorant 4) All of the above

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Maleney on April 29, 2008 at 7:15pm

ill see what i can source for Ryan Adams... mans a genius. Dwoogie, there are no rules as such, just a great conveyance of emotion ot a particular ideal i guess. who would you consider to be a "great"?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dwoogie on May 1, 2008 at 8:28pm

There's way too much emoting in most pop music for my taste - it seems to me that if a song 'moves' millions of people it must have the emotional accuracy of a sawn-off shotgun. Deadly if you're right next to it, but put a bit of distance in between you and it and it's no more than a minor irritation.

I prefer more surgical procedures, so perhaps someone with the skill of a Peter Hammill or a David Sylvian, someone who can cut away the dead flesh of stereotypical pop emotion and keep the living, breathing core.

Having said that, on the whole I prefer my music to be lyric-free - words get in the way.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Maleney on May 1, 2008 at 10:33pm

i agree with you on Peter Hammill, david sylvian i know nothing about, was/is he in a band? but i dont think you could doubt the emotional accuracy of "old man" by Neil Young or of "if winter ends" by Conor Oberst. or even "Happy birthday to me" by oberst aswel.. just for some examples.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by jason gray on May 6, 2008 at 9:42am

A lot of this has too do with the fact that we are all bombarded with main stream music,
from and early age, and quite simply some off us are more inapt to hearing the passion put into a song as suppose to just hearing the emotion, meaning if we are the sort of people to study a song out of interest, then we will evolve our way of thinking, so that we become connoisseurs. But the main stream masses do not put passion to music as the dj/producer/band member/promoter/vocalist/etc, they only get the emotion.

Passion runs deeper than emotion!

▶ Reply to This

• 1
• 2
• 3