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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I realize I used the word artist, but I guess I probably mean music related artist.
I realize I started this thread, but I don't actually have any "favorite" artists, with a "why" to put in yet. In most cases I like individual songs more than the artist as a whole. I'm a Blue Oyster Cult fan, but there are specific songs I like. I turned into a "fan" after I realized a lot of songs I liked were by them.
Then there is the whole "Artist" or "Group" question. There are "artists" that I like, maybe for the songs they've written, but don't really like the band their in or maybe currently in, or the one they are most famous for.
So this will take some thought. Maybe others have their favorites ready to go. And don't forget... WHY is important. Even if you don't really know why a particular band or artist is your favorite, that's interesting to see too. |
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Location: Brighty in Blighty | me |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Hmmm... lemme see, who do I like...???
-would need to be creative, talented, enduring, original with ability to bend genres (shutUp Cliff), a monster player, singer and writer...
Cliff Richards?
Naw.... what the hell's his name?
Richard Marx?
Naa...
Richard.... Richard...
aww yes,
.... Thompson. |
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Location: North Carolina | Originally posted by dweezil:
me I agree. Me. I always like the songs I choose, and I like the way I do them. Batting 1000 |
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Location: Michigan | I enjoy mood music that you can just relax & chill out to.Theres nothing like laying back on the couch with a beverage or smoke of choice and putting on a song like Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon or Echoes and then go over to the computer and click on the OFC Site and read a blog about
GIVING ED ASNER A BRAZILIAN WAXING :eek:
What the F@$Ks going on here :confused: GWB :confused: |
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Location: south east Michigan | From Quadrophenia...
Why do I have to be different than I am
Just to earn the respect of a dancehall friend?
And have the same old row again and again
And why do I have to move with a crowd
Of kids that hardly notice I'm around?
I work myself to death, just to fit in
______________
These two verses are what my teen years were all about. Or I should say they brought about the start of change away from adolesence. They put into words what I was trying to figure out with crystal clarity.
There are others, but this is a start. |
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Location: San Ramon/Canandaigua | stonebobbo :p ok maybe a tad bit bias... but yeah hes on the list.
Drive By Truckers is always good... |
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Location: WNC-God's Country | RUSH.....Hands Down for a band
Gary Morris...Country Vocalists and graduated to opera...
Me....I sing better than either one of them....
You asked!! |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Joni Mitchell - she often says what I feel, much more eloquently than I could.
Bruce Springsteen - He also is amazing with words, and his music just plain feels good.
Wes Montgomery - SOOOO smooth.
The Nashville Bluegrass Band - Great harmonies, fine musicianship, and great song selection.
Sharon Isben - Wonderful classical guitarist.
Alice In Chains - Gotta love Layne's voice, and the weird harmonies are always interesting.
Bela Fleck - Bluegrass, jazz, classical, he does it all, and he does it on a BANJO!
Frank Zappa - The master of all musicians.
These are just a few off the top of my head. |
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Location: ms | I`m way to big of a fan of so many bands but one thing i like is a band or solo act that i like every song on the album/cd. I think thats one reason i like Fogelberg so much. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Jackson Browne
Bob Seger
John Cougar Melon-head,
[But I think he is just John Mellencamp these days]
Relatively simple songs with Good Lyrics. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Davis Turner, when he lets me sit in. |
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Location: NJ | Toby Keith.
Because Ed Asner is FAR too hirsute . . . |
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Location: Cicero, NY | As in a lot of these poll questions, way too many for me to mention and try justifying but here are a few...
SRV, Gilmore, Clapton, Emmanuel, Carlton and actually many more. Why? If you have to ask, you need to pay a little more attention. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Mauvais Beal:
Davis Turner, when he lets me sit in. btw. . . He got his "That Guy" tee-shirt. |
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Location: Budd Lake, NJ | Steve Zajkowski and Alan Rennie;
they are the banjo players in our group, and two of the best, least-flashy, humblest musicians you'd ever want to meet. It is a privilege to listen to them each week.
Steve plays Scruggs-style, Alan claw-hammer.
Alan builds his own banjos, and besides being a great musician, his wood-working and inlay skills are phenomenal as well. (He plays fretless banjo, too.)
They're not famous, but man, are they good.
--Karen |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Lanaki, Mishka, Stonebobbo and PebbleMax, Cliff, Otto.... even if I didn't know y'all!
Yes, SRV, Clapton, Springsteen, Moody Blues and others....
and Matt Smith because he makes me smile through every one of his lessons on WSL and his music is damn good! |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Don't forget Temp. LOVE that lap steel show he puts on every year. |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Weaser - you are absolutely right! Even late at night in the hotel lobby - when he couldn't talk or stand up straight - he put on a helluva show! |
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Location: Michigan | CrimsonLake, didnt you forget someone :o GWB |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Probably |
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Location: East Tennessee | Boy, so many good ones hard to narrow it down. These are not ranked in any way but as I think of them.
Glen Cambell, Eric Clapton, Allison Krauss & Union Station, Jerry Reed, Randy Travis, James Taylor, Phil Keggey, Willie Nelson and so many more.
Great singers and instrumentalists. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Steve Sutton for Banjo. Because he plays it in North Carolina when I'm in Florida. |
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Location: Michigan | Lets see how about Greg Lake and King Crimson.GWB |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | They actually aren't favorites - though I do like them. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | You guys (except for a couple) are kinda missing the point. Anyone can list a favorite (insert topic here)... How about WHY they are your favorite.
Ya'll (well most so far) seem to have plenty of ammo to trash what you don't like, and for the most part know nothing about... how about some props for what you DO like. Seems to me it takes pretty big balls to dis someone else's favorite artists when you can't even list why you like your own favorites.
I'm just sayin... |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Jackson Browne
Bob Seger
John Cougar Melon-head,
[But I think he is just John Mellencamp these days]
Relatively simple songs with Good Lyrics. I thought that I explained myself
These people, at least in the recordings, do not strive to be musical virtuosos
(Jackson plays piano anyway)
But the reason I appreciate these artist is for the lyrics. |
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| Hey Slipkid........From Quadrophenia...
I left my Brain on the 5:15..............
Cool album......for sure.......I am doing a medley that has parts of this work all through it, including 5:15. Yeah The list on this thread, for me, would be huge so two off the top would be The Who, they were the first of the great front man, hard driving rock music, guitar god, rock band I ever came into contact with. My brother is 7 years older than me and back then would order records if they had not made it to the USA yet from the local Record store owner. So I was real lucky to have been exposed to great music at a young age.
I still think YES was the band that put "It all together" for me. They had lyrics that were not easy to understand and were thought provoking and mood setting and beautifully presented by Jon and very hard to mimic. A guitar that was unlike anything else and once again difficult to copy. same with Bass... big time, Keys... what can you say about Rick Wakeman, and the rest of the keyboard geniuses they worked with through the years and Drums from Bruford and White is as good as it gets. The whole package was unlike anything else and still is. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | This thread is tougher Miles, because at the individual level, a standout artist has in some way elevated himself/herself/themselves above the huge variety of entertainment available to each of us. Therefore, they are comparatively rare, especially to the many, MANY artists whose efforts join the countless other releases that come and go.
I listen to a huge variety of music, so I was not sure how to answer this without typing well into the night. But before I define my rationale for what I like, I'd like to (respectfully) address the underlying motivation for this thread. I posted my thoughts regarding artists I don't care for. I purposely did not go into details specifically because, while I am entitled to my opinion, I am not entitled to pound away with it a la Dr. Phil Hartman or whatever that guy's name was. I am well aware that music which absolutely grinds my nerves might for some unknown reason appeal to other people. Likewise, I am just as certain that my musical predilections will almost certainly have my children rolling their eyes in frustration at some point in the all-too-near future. I can only justify my responses by saying that they were typed with a fair dose of middle-aged sarcasm flavored with a dollop of droll humor. Just because I say I don't like something doesn't mean that A) I HATE it. or B) That I'm foaming at the mouth just thinking about it. I don't care for it...simple as that...I would rather folks not presume some latent maliciousness underlying something as mundane as my personal opinion.
Now, on to a more pleasant point of view.
After some thought, it occurred to me that, while many names leap from the ether when asked about who I like, only two artists come to mind whose CD I will buy sight-unseen or sound-unheard:
[list]
[*]Mark Knopfler--Here's someone who can not only absolutely play the frets off a guitar, but can write lyrics that are elegant and charming, winsome and heart-rending, colloquial or global. He also has an unnerving ability to cram the emotion of an entire set of lyrics into a groaning lead riff comprised in its totality of just a few notes. That kind of touch is supremely competent, confident, and rare.
[/list]
[list]
[*]Brendan Nolan--An Irish troubador, one of seemingly thousands. Brendan has the quintissential capacity to make you laugh and clap with the most familiar of Irish traditionals. But he backs it up with a song-writing ability and earnest, sincere talent that can lead you to feel as if you had lived the immigrant experience. Moreso than most, his voice, guitar, and bodhran draw illustrations so vivid, you can see them in colors. And when he's finished, you may genuinely feel for the people in the lyrics.
[/list]
I trust I have adequately explained my more positive preferences. I might add that there are many artists that I like, but I think the OFC membership would soon change threads if I went into detail about them all. But these two are my standouts.
Oh yes! One more word that is so self-explanatory I feel no real need for justifications.....
BACH! |
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Location: Omaha, NE | Recently I've gained a renewed appreciation for Brian Setzer. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Knopfler for sure...
Few can play as elegantly.... what seems to me, simultaneously fast and slow with an apperant effortlessness.
He was the first guitarist who's sound to me, was strikingly original and completely unique. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I'm pretty fickle, ask me next week, but this week it's a local salsa merangue band ...
Alex Torres and his latin orchestra, authentic salsa and merengue
Reason: Music like when I was growing up on the lower east side. Like most salsa bands, ryhthm is complex, very danceable, enjoyable melody.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Oq2_yrtKQ |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Oingo Boingo.....because they were great!
Toy Matinee/Kevin Gilbert...because of the diversity |
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Location: Utah | Benny Hill. Gotta love the lyrics. ;)
There are really too many artists to list that I like. The main things that attract me to them are interesting lyrics and music that meshes right with the lyrics. Some level of excellence in performance is important, too. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hey Patch...
Wow!!! Your response was what I was looking for, although I didn't realize it at the time. It gives me an idea of how to even respond myself.
The qualifier for me in your post was "artists come to mind whose CD I will buy sight-unseen or sound-unheard" That pretty much narrows the field.
I can only think of two artists at the moment that I would buy a CD sight unseen or get tickets to go see... now I need to think of why :( |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | The "why" to me is almost always an emotional thing. Someone can be technically brilliant (e.g. Tommy Emmanuel) but strike no emotional chord with me.
From the teenage years, The Who hit upon that "I don't fit in" type feeling that probably every teenage boy has. I absolutely loved Pink Floyd during the period from Meddle to Wish You Were Here - just that ability to phase out and get lost in the music and lyrics which were almost from a different world. With Yes, I love the layers upon layers in their music - some songs I can listen to 10 times and hear 10 different things. I can understand why someone might not like them, it can sound like a cacophony the first time you listen.
As for a sight unseen CD, my last one was by Zucchero (an Italian singer) and it didn't disappoint. |
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Location: Cork, Ireland | John Prine this week because
(a) his songs are great (witty, gritty, ironic, cryptic, sentimental...)
(b) I can make a reasonable shot at performing some of them.
(c) reminds me of a happy time when I started listening to him.
(d) he's not into being a megastar. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Lynyrd Skynyrd and / or The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
Coz they make me tap my feet and nod my noggin. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Buy sight unseen? (which is a bit redundant, of course....) ....pre-unheard?
Mozart
XTC (the late lamented)(I'm waiting to see what Mr. Partidge sounds like on his own.)
....um, that's about it.
Of artists I KNOW.
Most music I buy is stuff I've never heard before, I either take a flyer because it looks like it might be interesting or it's in a section of the store (I still need to feel it first...) that I'm looking for music in that genre for new exposure. (Latin "world beat" country jazz punk whatever)
Artists I LIKE? Well, if it's an artist I LIKE they are almost as likely to release something I can't stand as something I love. (eg: Neil Young)
My tastes are eclectic and vary from moment to moment. I see no common thread from Aerial to Zappa, Armatrading to Zevon, ABBA to Andy Williams. |
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Location: Texas | Eva Cassidy - beautiful voice and a great guitar player - sad that she died at 32 in 1996. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Johny Clegg - for proving you can dance & be happy about serious subjects. |
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Location: Round Rock, TX | Steely Dan and XTC: I buy whatever they release - period. Yet to be disappointed.
They are never less than musically compelling and many, many of their songs are ones that will MAKE me stop what I'm doing and listen, until the song is over.
All of Steely Dan's studio albums (including Donald Fagen's) and all of XTC's, from Skylarking on, are permanently on both my iPods and my iPhone - just to make sure... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Most of the time (in the past) when I bought a CD from a favorite artist "sight unseen" I ended up being disappointed. I think this is what comes from listening to the same genre by the same musicians over and over.
That's one reason I always like the "Rotation" thread when someone throws it back up. It really introduces me to some cool new music and artists. |
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Location: Queens, NY | The most underrated band in the world: King's X.
Honorable mentions: Rush, Tool.
And when I'm really, REALLY in a rotten mood: Rollins Band. |
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Location: Queens, NY | OK. Here's why (sorry, Miles).
King's X: Great musicians. Their bad songs are better than most and their good songs are great. And almost every CD has at least one (usually more) great song.
Rush: Pretty much the same thing, plus I'm always a sucker for a great drummer, and Neil Peart is one of my favorites.
Tool: They're a little more hit or miss, but their good stuff is great. Ditto on the drummer (Danny Carey).
Rollins Band: I prefer lineup with Rollins, Chris Haskett, Sim Cain, and Andrew Weiss/Melvin Gibbs (1987-1997); rather than the Mother Superior version (1997-2003). Very down, dark stuff (think Tool on steroids), and Rollins doesn't so much sing as scream at the top of his lungs.
Second Honorable mentions: Coldplay, U2
Coldplay - I thought their first three CD's were excellent. Haven't really heard the new one yet.
U2 - Talk about staying power! So many great songs...too numerous to mention. Except for that weird Zooropa/Pop phase, a great band! |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | Ron Block (AKUS) on acoustic guitar. Has to be one of the most tasteful players alive.
Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass... can't be touched IMHO! They create such elaborate nonchalance with their music. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I initially agreed on Knopfler, but then realized I've never bought one of his CDs. He's great, but never got me to the store.
In terms of what I like to listen to it's Croce. I had everything he's done. I like the clever phrases and the fingerstyle, simple playing that went with his ballads and a voice I could relate to. After reading you guys who like drummers, I realized I don't really like drummers. They drown out the music and you can keep time by tapping your foot.
I used to like everything the Eagles did, primarily for the lyrics and fairly simple music, but they lost me when they got too big. |
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Location: Glendale, AZ | Al Stewart. Loved him since “Past, Present and Future” in the 70’s. No big impressive guitar skills, but I enjoy the songs he writes.
BareNaked Ladies: Got hooked on to them in the mid 90’s and I have been following them since. I enjoy watching them play live. They have fun, they play note perfect, and just put on a good show. Going to see them on the www.shipsanddip.com cruise.
Jonathan Coulton: Again. No amazing skills, I just really like his songs. Fun, quirky, pop kind of stuff. A computer programmer (code monkey) who decided that what he really wanted was to make a living as a rock star and went about making it happen. |
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Location: NJ | Ditto on the Al Stewart.
He's not a "brilliant" guitarist, but he's no slouch either.
He HAS however, used some pretty impressive guitarists on his albums/tours, like Peter White, Laurence Juber, and MasterTempleman's mate, Isaac Guillory(RIP).
He currently tours acoustically (he plays annually at this little venue two miles from my house) w/California guitarist Dave Nachmanoff.
I like his songwriting style in that he's a student of History, and uses a goodly amount of historical content in a lot of his work. It was (and still is) a refreshing change from the inane, insipid "rock&roll lifestyle" lyrics, or oopy-goopy "love songs" that were/are so prevalent. He also was very "cinematic" in his songwriting and his instrumentation.
He's also a pretty astute collector of fine wines . . . |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | RT played on several Al Stewart LP'sas well.... |
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Location: NJ | who? :p |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | It's the little things that really hurt. |
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| You sound like SWMBO. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Get used to it... |
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Location: florida | i have gotta say neil is my all around favorite..lyrically, musically(especially his acoustic stuff), and sonically.
tom petty kicks alot of ass
frank zappa is just the man
bob dylan was almost too inspirational
o ooooo THE BAND IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE BAND....hands down they had the most of the best. with robbie on guitar and lyrics, levon on drums/mando/vocals,richard on drums/vocals/piano/lyrics/danko on bass/fiddle/harmonica/acoustic and garth on.....whereever he damn well pleases....how can you go wrong? GARTH IS THE MANNNNNNN!!!!!!! |
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Location: GA USA | I am NOT getting heavy or morbid, but here's the reason I like the band Husker Du, probably more than any other band. I started listening to them after they had broken up, around 1989-1990 and they had a lot of super distortion and noise and fury in their music, that was the perfect soundtrack for my emotions at the time. My mom had just died from leukemia. On top of that, I just loved their songs, but I have thought about it over the years and I may have been drawn in simply by the noise.
My son and I are going to see The Black Keys tonight. I really like them for the minimal, garage sound and cool bluesy riffs. |
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Location: NJ | Husker Du rocks
I saw them live back in the day in some small knights of columbus or mason hall w
WOW
candy apple grey!!! |
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Location: GA USA | Really good punk music = really good music, same as any genre.
And funny you mention Candy Apple Grey. The first song on that album "Crystal" just oozes with the furious energy that drew me in. I regret I never saw them, but I did see Bob Mould in a solo acoustic show later. |
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Location: GA USA | The Black Keys were great last night, BTW. |
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Location: Round Rock, TX | The best live show I've seen in the last couple of decades is My Morning Jacket. Incredibly high-energy rock and roll from a band that knows what it's doing and they all seemed to be having a great time on stage. Then comes their new CD and it's brilliant! All over the place musically - just the way I like 'em. |
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Location: GA USA | And probably the only popular band that plays a Preacher onstage. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Studer A-80 , it can play any-one , everything...
Vic
..sold it though..will get a smaller REVOX instead.. |
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Location: Tampa Bay area, FL | Robert Fripp
Steve Howe
Allan Holdsworth
Steve Morse
California Guitar Trio
John McLaughlin & Mahavishnu Orchestra
I tend to like anything with energy done really really well. |
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The Artists you LIKE, and why.