Singer/Songwriters

[readyeddy?]

So who's your premiere singer/songwriter? Who's ability to put words to music blows you away?
For me most of my answers are obvious:

1. Bob Dylan: You may have some issues with this man's voice but when it comes to lyrics, I don't think this man has an equal. He's like the Thomas Pynchon of music except more accessible.

2. Tom Petty: When he's on his game he just smokes me. He's not as deep as Dylan but he can be just about as profound. My favorite song is "Learning to Fly". I also like "You Wreck Me", and "The Waiting" a lot.

3. Gram Parsons, I have a thread about him in the Country forum though he straddles Country and Rock. In fact he practically invented Country Rock. You should investigate this victim of Keith Richard's excesses.

4. Neil Young, I love "Like a Hurricane", it's in my top ten songs for absolutely sure. He's got a smorgasboard of other gems and he ain't slowing down just because of advancing age.

5. Robert Plant, Despite my love for the prowess of Jimmy Page, I have no doubt that I wouldn't be half as enamoured with Led Zeppelin if this man weren't a part of it. This man is without a peer vocally and he's hugely underated as a songwriter.

6. Lennon & McCartney, separately they were pretty damn good. Together they were Platinum.

7. Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, These two may hate each other, but they need each other. They're no good separately.

I don't know, I'm sure there's others, but I can't think of any that have smoked me the way these people have over the years. I just wonder what Gram Parsons coud have accomplished if he had lived to a nice ripe old age.

Luckily with the rest of them (arguably with the exception of John Lennon) we got to find out.

[JKLantern]

I enjoy the team of Jack Bruce and Pete Brown. And of course, there's always the Boss.

[VelvetGuru9]

I have a certain love right now with artists who mainly play acoustic sounds, so my list right now is going to be filled with a few acoustic artists.

Wilco - Jeff Tweedy is this generation's John Lennon
Iron & Wine - Sam Beam is a local South Floridian who's made it big.
Nick Drake - The 70s were that much better due to him
Bob Dylan - Awesomeness personified
Ian Hunter - England's own Bob Dylan

so many more...

[Inbetweener]

Agreed on Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, and Neil Young.

Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Peter Gabriel, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, and those guys from that band the Beatles...those are a few I'd like to add.

[Red_Skull_XIII]

Robert Plant and Ted Nugent (I'm starting to see a pattern here ;))

[hail_eris]

First name I thought of (after Leonard Cohen) was Elliott Smith. Then, of course, there's Tim and Jeff Buckley. Their sad legacy means that Rufus Wainwright is on some kind of death watch, as it seems that it's awfully difficult for singer/songwriters in their vein to make it past 30.

[Frontman]

Billy Joel. (Always has been, always will be my favorite performer.)

Bernie Taupin.

Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks/Christie MicVie. (While some think Fleetwood Mac is overrated, I highly disagree. Some of their stuff is just incredible.)

Dennis DeYoung. (Laugh all you'd like, but Styx has stunk since he was kicked out. The man can write some incredible lyrics. Granted, it usually is wimp rock, but hey; nobody is perfect.)

[spacedye]

Steven Wilson used to be fantastic. Porcupine Tree's latest album lacks in lyrics, but his music from back in the day is incredible lyrically.

Joanna Newsom is great too. Her lyrics flow like poetry, and sounds beautiful with music.

Sam Beam of Iron & Wine is great too, as has already been mentioned.

[Inbetweener]

First name I thought of (after Leonard Cohen) was Elliott Smith. Then, of course, there's Tim and Jeff Buckley. Their sad legacy means that Rufus Wainwright is on some kind of death watch, as it seems that it's awfully difficult for singer/songwriters in their vein to make it past 30.

Rufus is a good songwriter too. But yeah, his addiction is deep and scary.

Speaking of him and Cohen, you must've seen I'm Your Man? That movie was a who's who of great singer/songwriters. Antony from Antony and the Johnsons (also an amazing vocalist), Teddy Thompson, Nick Cave, Rufus's sister, and many others.

[lensnart]

I have a pretty strict rule about not buying any music not written by the performer, I really just don't see the point in it. Unless its the odd cover song or Dean Martin, I think that the act of creating and is as important if not more so than the sound itself.

That said, I love the writing of Ani Difranco, Tori Amos, Mos Def and Belle and Sebastion.

[hail_eris]

I have a pretty strict rule about not buying any music not written by the performer, I really just don't see the point in it.
That's how Rick Rubin decides who he's going to produce. He tells artists to show him what they've written lately. And if they don't have anything, he tells them that he can't help them...

[BudPalmer]

A lot of my favorites have been named (Beatles, Petty, Dylan, Parsons, Drake, Young, Costello, & Waits). I'll add some more:

Lucinda Williams

Paul Simon

Rhett Miller

Warren Zevon

Aimee Mann

Michael Penn

Victoria Williams

[Frontman]

How I overlooked Paul Simon is beyond me........

Put him on my list as well.

Off to listen to "Boy in the Bubble."

[VelvetGuru9]

Lou Reed:
Sugar plum fairy came and hit the streets
Lookin for soul food and a place to eat

[JKLantern]

How about the team of Henley/Frey?

[ShellShock]

Art Garfunkle...



















just kidding

Tom Petty and Paul Simon get me going

[VelvetGuru9]

Tom Petty and Paul Simon get me going
Paul Simon is amazing.

Another one of my favorites is the quietly great Robyn Hitchcock.

and Alex Chilton too.

[readyeddy?]

Paul Simon is amazing.

Another one of my favorites is the quietly great Robyn Hitchcock.

and Alex Chilton too.

Paul Simon doesn't need much introduction but perhaps you could embellish a little about the other two?

[BudPalmer]

Paul Simon is amazing.

Another one of my favorites is the quietly great Robyn Hitchcock.

and Alex Chilton too.


Good call on Chilton!!

[theanalogkid]

No love for the women beyond Stevie and Christy? No Joni Mitchell? No Carole King?(Some of those listed could have been women but I only reconized Stevie and Christy. Sorry if I missed some.)

[BudPalmer]

No love for the women beyond Stevie and Christy? No Joni Mitchell? No Carole King?(Some of those listed could have been women but I only reconized Stevie and Christy. Sorry if I missed some.)


Umm...
A lot of my favorites have been named (Beatles, Petty, Dylan, Parsons, Drake, Young, Costello, & Waits). I'll add some more:

Lucinda Williams

Paul Simon

Rhett Miller

Warren Zevon

Aimee Mann

Michael Penn

Victoria Williams

Heck, I'll even throw in Rickie Lee Jones. How's that? :laugh:

[Pashmina]

Two of my favourite singers/songwriters are Bjork and Joanna Newsom.

I also like Regina Spektor. Lots of others, by those are the top.

[theanalogkid]

I said sorry if I missed some.

[Inbetweener]

Hey, everyone has really listed some great songwriters on this thread. Anyone like Damien Rice?

I'd like to step out of the classic rock and folk genre for a bit and offer Billy Corgan, Thom Yorke, and Kurt Cobain as a great writers too. Also, Fiona Apple, at least in her first album wrote some really powerful songs if you sort of forgive her pretentiousness.

I don't often listen to R&B but I know a great song when a hear one and Alicia Keys has written some pretty cool songs...Erykah Badu also writes some pretty powerful stuff.

[Stuart_Rex]

Those who I like who I consider to fall into the Singer/Songwriter bracket would come down to a toss up between John Martyn and Nick Drake.

John Martyn just tops it.

[hail_eris]

I just noticed that the list of female singer/songwriters didn't include Miss Polly Jean Harvey. I find her duets to be especially fascinating. Because she's such a powerful personality, it takes a certain quality to even share a stage with her. So I offer, for your consideration:

"Henry Lee" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdNCHomHlU) - a wonderfully creepy murder ballad she did with the previously mentioned (thank you, Inbetweener) Nick Cave.

"Satisfaction" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH8wrM0NARo) - a cover of the Stones classic. Many artists have tried it before (Devo and Cat Power among them), but this duet with Bjork just sounds *way* more sinister than anything the Stones ever recorded. You get the impression that these two are going to go out, Thelma and Louise style, looking for satisfaction. And they might not find it until there's a trail of bodies behind them. And they sound pretty okay with that. One of my favorite performances by either artist.

[Superfro]

I just noticed that the list of female singer/songwriters didn't include Miss Polly Jean Harvey. I find her duets to be especially fascinating. Because she's such a powerful personality, it takes a certain quality to even share a stage with her. So I offer, for your consideration:


Let me also add.....

"Crawl Home" & "Make It Witchu" w/ Desert Sessions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtARUOnFk7E)

(It also features Josh Homme looking so awesome that he makes me question my orentation. :laugh: )

I'd also like to add in Fiona Apple. I think the When the Pawn.... album is unbelievably brilliant in particular.

[Socko]

Let me also add.....

"Crawl Home" & "Make It Witchu" w/ Desert Sessions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtARUOnFk7E)

(It also features Josh Homme looking so awesome that he makes me question my orentation. :laugh: ).


I love josh homme and his guitar work on make it wit chu is so awesome and sly its kind of sickening... man, that riff is in my head now...

that guy is amazing. the cigarette he is smoking is making him not only look cooler, but I think it is making him sound better also :p

sweet guitar too...



oh, and neil young is awesome. he is still making great music, like someone said above... his post war, greendale, and prairie wind albums are wonderful. I just hope he stays healthy so he can keep on making music...

[Frontman]

Just a perfect example why I think Dennis DeYoung is so underrated:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EHMhk_96sXk

This is from his musical "Hunchback of Notre Dame." The first singer is Michael Eldred (another incredible voice, I love some of his Christmas Music) and Dennis sings the second half.

Nothing cooler than a symphony, a choir, and two incredible voices singing.

Well, besides 3 incredible voices:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=w4zO1vceZkE

Also from "Hunchback."

[neutralmarkhot]

Paul Simon doesn't need much introduction but perhaps you could embellish a little about the other two?

Robin Hitchcock was the leader of the Soft Boys, a band that kind of lumps in with late 70s punk, but really had their own psych-folk sound that was a precursor to 80s underground/indie rock (with later became 90s alternative, etc.) He also did solo stuff with his backup group the Egyptians, but (i think) later reformed the Soft Boys and put out more great stuff.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Nuv7-IuJNo

Alex Chilton was in Big Star, another 70s band that pioneered the pure power pop sound, which influenced a whole heck of a lot of bands like the Posies and Teenage Fanclub...uh, also the theme song to That 70s show was originally done by him, but later butchered by some other dude.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nu_gB34pHLA

[readyeddy?]

I need to add Steve Forbert to my list and thanks to Alien Flanders I am on the trail of a guy named Townes Van Zandt. The trails cold for now but I intend to persevere.

[AlienFlanders]

I need to add Steve Forbert to my list and thanks to Alien Flanders I am on the trail of a guy named Townes Van Zandt. The trails cold for now but I intend to persevere.

After a little research, if you have heard Pancho and Lefty (in the duets thread go listen) or Emmylou Harris sing If I Needed You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ZlwzhueF8) - you have heard Townes Van Zandt.

[MrFurious87]

i know that im pretty young but i really love Serj Tankians ability to make/sing/write music, and the ability to play every instrument on his new album save the drums on three songs. does anyone on this site even know who he is?

[readyeddy?]

After a little research, if you have heard Pancho and Lefty (in the duets thread go listen) or Emmylou Harris sing If I Needed You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ZlwzhueF8) - you have heard Townes Van Zandt.Yeah, but I want to hear him perform. There's got to be some reason Steve Earle is willing to walk up to Bob Dylan and say Townes Van Zandt is a better songwriter.

[AlienFlanders]

Here are 3 T Van Zandt songs:

Pancho and Lefty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtzgwNDZAs4) - 1993
If I Needed You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YdRHIKM9YE) - 1983
Rake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx4PsxUvMqY)

I really want to find the Silver Ships of Andilar

[readyeddy?]

Those are nice links but what I meant was I need to get some of his CDs in my collection. That Rake song was killer.
I see there's a link for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard's cover of Pancho and Lefty which I think is better then the Willie/Dylan version. I'll have to nominate that on the Duets thread later.

[AlienFlanders]

An English company has released a couple of T Van Zandt Cds, one is a greatest hits called Legend which has some duets, some live stuff and a lot of his music on.