Does a particular musician’s songwriting and artistry speak to you above all others?
I’ve enjoyed all forms of music over the 60+ years of music being the one constant in my life. My music tastes have certainly evolved over time. I’ll cover that in another thread some day. Currently i find myself listening to jazz > 95% of the time. There is one particular artist who really speaks to me and i thoroughly enjoy each of the >270 songs he has written, arranged, recorded, and produced. Every other artist falls far short for me.
Guitarist Chris Standring lays down unique grooves in each song that can inspire (in me) toe tapping, soulful reflection, sensuality, air guitar picking, and other effects depending on the song.
This is a personal connection I’ve developed with Standring’s music. I’ve had the opportunity to hear him play in an intimate diinner music house in Nashville the past 2 years. My wife loves his music also, which is the cherry on top!
Does anyone else have a musician who speaks to them?
So, so many, in several different genres and subgenres.
Defends on my mood, for sure.
Robert Fripp - While King Crimson is usually known for their somewhat angular, intense music, Fripp could compose some achingly beautiful songs, too. The Night Watch, Book of Saturday, I Talk to the Wind, I'm walking on Air are a few.
Yes - Close to the Edge - From the chaotic intro, to the quiet passages, to the intense passages, this takes the listener on a real journey through various moods.
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Eternity's Breath, Meeting of the Spirits, Vision Is a Naked Sword are examples of music with great melodies, coupled with insane levels of musicianship, that puts a huge grin on my face, and leads me to lose track of time.
Elliott Carter - Concerto for Orchestra, Three Occasions for Orchestra, Three Illusions for Orchestra (and others). While some may consider Carter's music to be a bit of a challenge, those things that people consider challenging, are the very things that sweep me up, and mentally transport me.
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme. Nothing needs to be said...
PFM - Per un Amico, Storia di un Minuto. While the U.K. was much better known for prog, Italy had many bands that were the equal of those U.K. bands. PFM is the best known. Great musicianship, high levels of complexity, and tons of beautiful melodies.
Allan Holdsworth - his unique approach, and vocabulary was really unprecedented. He really did not have any musical predecessors. And his chops were monstrous. Even his unique chords, were otherworldly.
I could seriously go on for pages...
If music does not speak to me, I don't listen to it. I could not say if any of these speaks to me above others, though.
These are just partial lists.
Jazz:
Return to Forever, Steve Coleman, Alice Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, Anthony Braxton, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Oregon, Keith Jarrett.
Prog:
Area, Riverside, Thinking Plague, Henry Cow, Genesis, Banco, Magma, National Health, Gentle Giant, After Crying, Univers Zero.
Classical:
Charles Wuorinen, Joan Tower, Stefan Wolpe, Magnus Lindberg, Alban Berg, Unsuk Chin, Toru Takametsu, Milton Babbitt, Penderecki, Ligeti.
Dylan, Lennon, Moody Blues, Cohen, Yes, Genesis/P. Gabriel/Steve Hackett, The Mael Bros. Come to mind and in fact rank high in my Roon Artists most played ranking.
Steve Hackett is a good pick. He has an amazing band that I have seen three times since moving to AZ. I will see hi again this coming April. They also perform old Genesis, and it is wonderful.
Not really.
Perhaps the best metric is goosebumps and/or tears.
An involuntary human reaction that is actually measurable and even manifests in a physical response.
Hard to beat as a “metric,” I’d say.
If I had to guess, I’d say Stevie Wonder has probably caused me to experience those more than anyone else.
Nevertheless, I would feel weird saying I “hold him above all others” or something like that.
Waaaaaaaaaay too many artists for that.
I seem to be entirely incapable of getting sick of Norm Macdonald, no matter how hard I try.
Maybe comedy is an art form where I have my own personal “Chris Standring.”
I would have to go with James Taylor, for both his lyrics and his playing style. Watching him on a stage by himself, it's amazing how much musicality can come from just one single artist. A runner up would be Randy Newman, an amazing wordsmith and composer.
@rettrussell, + 1 re Michael Hedges. I am very thankful that I was able to see him perform live. It was a truly memorable experience! I'm also looking forward to the upcoming documentary film about him that his family is heavily involved in.
I am a big Mark Knopfler fan . His brother David is also a fine talent. I think that he has made about 20 or so albums since leaving Dire Straits. You might give him a listen.
Great topic! I was just thinking of this subject and wanted to start a thread about it, but this works. Lately I almost always end my night listening to Radiohead. Anybody else love this band? If so what who else compares?
For over 50 years I’ve enjoyed the mastery of music and storytelling from Steely Dan. Their unique blend of obtuse lyrics and complex arrangements gives me so much joy and satisfaction. Anybody willing to go down this rabbit hole will be amply awarded.
For over 50 years I’ve enjoyed the mastery of music and storytelling from Steely Dan. Their unique blend of obtuse lyrics and complex arrangements gives me so much joy and satisfaction. Anybody willing to go down this rabbit hole will be amply awarded.
I think that @tony1954 makes a good point , My favorite would be David Crosby from the Byrds , C,S,N, , C.S.N.& Y , His first solo album , Crosby Nash and then skip 50 years to Light House and Here If You Listen .
John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, Joni Mitchel, Bob Dylan, Carol King, Phoebe Snow, Gene Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lowell George, Bruce Cockburn, Janice Ian, and on and on. I admire singer/songwriters. I am jealous of their gift, their talent.
@asmithkashI love Radiohead. My original 45 rpm pressing of In Rainbows is sonic heaven. They were sort of, if not “The Beatles” (no band in history but them had that kind of dominance of everything in pop music) of my teen years, the “Zeppelin” of my teen years, the band who, especially after releasing Kid A, were the clear #1 pop band in the world who all the kids wanted to be like.
I don’t listen to ‘em much these days, but still love everything from ‘97 to present.
After answering mostly in the negative to this question by agreeing with another poster who had already said what I was going to say, I have to admit that there are a couple of artists that came to mind last night.
Pixies - this is a really, really different kind of a rock band. When I told people I was intrigued with Pixies they suggested I listen to Sonic Youth. Not even close in my opinion. Frank Black’s mind is not stuck on the usual topics, and his musical insights are quite unique to my ears. Nobody else is doing anything like that. The latest stuff from the Pixies continues in the tradition, not re-treading old ground but similarly exploring new perceptions of our culture and life in general, and expressing them musically and visually with videos.
James Booker - as Hugh Laurie said in this video interview "He’s making connections all the time, musical connections and emotional connections, and heading in directions that - other people, it just wouldn’t occur to them to do."
I think those same words apply to Frank Black as well, even though Frank isn’t even close to the technical prowess of James Booker. Hardly anybody is. That really doesn’t matter as much to me as the ability to communicate ideas through music. There are deep connections intertwined in the music. Maybe other music does this kind of thing just as much but I don’t pick up on those connections as well as I do with Frank and James. Or maybe I’m just not as interested in the topics most of the time. So I guess they are thinking about many of the same kinds of things I am, and effectively expressing them in music.
I prefer instrumental music because it allows my mind to go wherever it wants, instead of going where lyrics take me. Tangerine Dream is one of those bands for me.
Ray Davies would be at the top of my list with David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Tom Verlaine and lately Molly Rankin (Alvvays) is really moving up in my estimation.
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