How much does your music sound like your main influences? Can people generally pick out what your influences are after hearing one of your songs? And have you ever had times when you've listened to something you've done and said, "This sounds too much like (fill in name of influence here)"?

guitarslinger44 said:

2day Finess said sounded like Romanthony. I think du 2.

Sometimes when people listen 2 my stuff over the answering machine, i had a couple people said, "i like that Prince song that u put on there" and i would tell them that that was me, and they would say that the beats and sounds are alot like Prince, but dont c my stuff Princey that much.

I dont think sound like anybody

I've had so many different people tell me I remind them of so many different people. The comparisons that have been used the most with me are Sade, Depeche Mode and Portishead. A few people have said Bjork and others have said Prince, but MAN I don't feel worthy of those comparisons. Oh, and of course, people have mentioned the 80s to me...

Duran Duran is the group that inspired me to create music seriously. I don't think I sound like them, but maybe when I have a band with drums, guitar and base it will be more like them. Who knows. I hope that I don't copy anyone too much. I do what i feel.



(That's b-a-s-e, not b-a-s-s, that's a fish. )

Its funny,

I've heard a lot of comparisons to the man himself but I've also heard a lot people tell me they can't quite put their finger on who I remind them of...

Mr.Mozart was credited with saying that the greatest musician/composer is the greatest thief...

If that indeed is the case, then its a matter of putting your own spin on twelve notes...





Jshua

Cool topic! I find my sound to be like a mixture of Prince (for the funk and the general instrumentation), Miles Davis (for my trumpet style), Frank Zappa (for the crazy lyrics and comedy) and Punk Rock (still havn't figured that one out yet cause I don't really listen to it!!!).

It's funny how when you make a song you think it's totally original and then the next day when you listen back on what you've made you realise "damn, that's a total rip off of Partyman (or whatever)"!!!

Yeah, I really don't know. You guys tell me - listen to some of my songs. Of course, I try to cross over and explore various genres of music. Occassionally, I've tried to make parts of songs Prince-like or Beatle-esque or inspired by a Coldplay type of riff, but don't intentionally try to rip anyone off. Vina once told me I sounded like Neil Finn, although I really haven't heard much of his stuff. Why don't we just listen to everyone's stuff and try to guess at what artists we like? That'd be fun!

Sometimes too much, according to some over at the NPGMC. It's funny, I was just talking to a good friend of mine about this last night. People tend to sound like the influences they are raised on. I was raised on Prince, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, James Brown, Zapp, Michael Jackson, and Digital Underground. Since 1979, I have been writing lyrics and dancing to this kind of music. It gets in your soul and in your blood. I was raised in a predominantly African-American community, and me and my friends shaped each other.

There is nothing wrong with making the style of music that is in your soul, even if someone else already has the sound. That would be like someone telling Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam to stop producing Janet Jackson in the mid 80's because they sound too much like Prince. Imagine the jams that would have never made it!

Peace,
JD

I've heard Hendrix and a few others but the pot is still simmering with me, everyone will get a taste when it's done.

id est...u r what u jam

Over the years, so many guitarists have influenced me that it's hard to tell.(Especially since they influenced each other too.) But in term of tone... lately I've been picking up my old Les paul and using a Phaser now and then, and in those instances the Eddie Hazel influence is pretty obvious...