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Current contemporary artists who have the skills... ...of Famous, legendary artists that you don't like
 Simply listing a name just won't get it.
Using the skill set that many appreciate from some of the Famous, legendary artists that you don't like that have been listed... Frank Zappa - writing/arranging, musical versatility (Rock/Pop/Classical forms), intelligent irreverence. Aretha Franklin - soulful vocals, songwriting, piano style Bob Dylan - topical songwriting, a pioneer in creating the singer/songwriter category in Pop music The Beatles - songwriting, helping to transform the Pop genre in a Group format, having the ability to appeal to a wide demographic ...(these names were some that frequently showed up), make a case for a contemporary artist that you feel is as equally talented with an equivalent skill set. Format example... Aretha Franklin/[current artist]: (comparative skill set explanation) Can you do it? Have at it. 
tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 [Edited 7/8/07 17:06pm] "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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well some other classic artists who fit the bill
Frank Zappa/Todd Rundgren, Harry Nilsson, Sly Stone, George Clinton - writing/arranging, musical versatility (Rock/Pop/Classical forms), intelligent irreverence. Aretha Franklin/Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding - soulful vocals, songwriting, piano style Bob Dylan/Niel Young, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell - topical songwriting, a pioneer in creating the singer/songwriter category in Pop music The Beatles/The Rolling Stones, The Who, Sly & The Family Stone, The Clash, The Flaming Lips...some of these are kinda stretch - songwriting, helping to transform the Pop genre in a Group format, having the ability to appeal to a wide demographic It is very difficult to find analogues for any of these people in modern music, and I don't think I'm an excessively classicist snob either, I just think there isn't as much growth, experimentation, pioneering going on and hasn't been for a while, I think all of that in pop/rock music peaked from the mid 60s to the mid 70s and while there's been lots of good to great music that came about before and since there just aren't any real worthy successors or counterparts to most of the greats in the modern era, and I'm not even getting into all the problems in the music industry that marginalize creativity and promote fatuous shallow garbage. [Edited 7/8/07 17:00pm] | |
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jacktheimprovident said: well some other classic artists who fit the bill
Frank Zappa/Todd Rundgren, Harry Nilsson, Sly Stone, George Clinton - writing/arranging, musical versatility (Rock/Pop/Classical forms), intelligent irreverence. Aretha Franklin/Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding - soulful vocals, songwriting, piano style Bob Dylan/Niel Young, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell - topical songwriting, a pioneer in creating the singer/songwriter category in Pop music The Beatles/The Rolling Stones, The Who, Sly & The Family Stone, The Clash, The Flaming Lips...some of these are kinda stretch - songwriting, helping to transform the Pop genre in a Group format, having the ability to appeal to a wide demographic I may have worded my challenge badly. 
What I meant was a comparison between the Legends and "current" meaning new contemporary artists. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: jacktheimprovident said: well some other classic artists who fit the bill
Frank Zappa/Todd Rundgren, Harry Nilsson, Sly Stone, George Clinton - writing/arranging, musical versatility (Rock/Pop/Classical forms), intelligent irreverence. Aretha Franklin/Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding - soulful vocals, songwriting, piano style Bob Dylan/Niel Young, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell - topical songwriting, a pioneer in creating the singer/songwriter category in Pop music The Beatles/The Rolling Stones, The Who, Sly & The Family Stone, The Clash, The Flaming Lips...some of these are kinda stretch - songwriting, helping to transform the Pop genre in a Group format, having the ability to appeal to a wide demographic I may have worded my challenge badly.
What I meant was a comparison between the Legends and "current" meaning new contemporary artists. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 no, yeah I got it, but I just gave up after straining my brain to think of examples of what you were really asking for  | |
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jacktheimprovident said: no, yeah I got it, but I just gave up after straining my brain to think of examples of what you were really asking for I understand. 
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: Can you do it? I knew that you couldn't.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: theAudience said: Can you do it? I knew that you couldn't.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 give me some time....this one is interesting and challenging....but I'll need a day or so to apply the appropriate thought into my choices.... Maxima enim, patientia virtus ..... "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama | |
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OK....thinking and thinking....
I can find numerous correlations very simply by going back in time, instead of considering artists in the present time.... That kinda sums it up, doesn't it? "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama | |
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cubic61052 said: OK....thinking and thinking....
I can find numerous correlations very simply by going back in time, instead of considering artists in the present time.... That kinda sums it up, doesn't it? Sadly, I guess it does. My wish was that someone could make valid cases for the present. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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I'm still working on it.....I have not given up....
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama | |
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I'll have a go! 
While I agree that finding modern, or younger artists of the skills and stature of the classic artists mentioned is incredibly difficult (which I think partly explains the ongoing and historical decline in CD and downloaded music sales - fewer people wanna buy stuff that is clearly either just plain weak, or a third or fourth generation copy of something from their parents/ grandparent's era), I do think there are a number of artists under 50 years old, who are worthy of mention and respect, such as - Bjork - The first to spring to mind - songwriting, helping to transform the Pop genre in new ways, having the ability to appeal to a wide demographic. An extraordinary artist imo, experimental, with a unique, consistent, if evolving persona. Musically highly eclectic, a great singer, eccentric, intriguing songwriter. In short, she's not far off done for modern music what Bowie did in for the '70s, and Prince, to a lesser extent, did in the '80s. TTD (Sananda Whats-his-name ) - One of the great vocalists of his generation, good/ very good song-writing skills, multi-instrumentalist. His 'Vibrator' album is imo better than any album Prince did in the '90s. Inconsistant he may be, and he may very well be an amalgam of JB, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Hendrix and Prince, but he's by far the best of those (better than say, Lenny Kravitz), and when he's on, he's onnn.
Radiohead - They haven't released anything for a while, but a new album is coming up - Vaguely comparable to Pink Floyd but more modern - writing/arranging, musical versatility (Rock/Pop/Classical, jazz forms), definitely experimental, intellectual (if that really matters) - By no means a favourate band of mine (a bit morose), but definitely imo at times touching greatness. Mass appeal. The Flaming Lips - writing/arranging, musical versatility (Rock/Pop/Classical forms), intelligent music/ lyrics - unique, experimental, cathartic music, especially imo 'The Soft Bulletin' album. Wide-ranging appeal. U2 - Derided by many for various reasons, tho few musical - writing/arranging, musical versatility (Rock/Pop/ Ambient electronica forms), intelligent music/ lyrics - experimental, especially in the early-mid '90s. Well-proven songwriters, having also written for Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, etc. Mass appeal.Their secret weapon is probably producer/ sonic adviser Brian Eno, who imo they did their best stuff with. I'd almost count D'angelo, if he'd get his act together and drop another great album. If he developed some more, he might be in the leagues of the Marvins, Curtis's etc. Aside from odd track or albums by these, none of the above are among my all-time favourate artists, but imo, they have, over the last 15-20 years produced bodies of work that are comparable/ almost comparable with the likes of the Beatles, Zappa etc. I'm sure there are others, but a it's all down to opinion really ... And also in the 'under-50s'(just), there's still Prince (past his prime it seems, but still dropping considerably better, more listenable records than, say James Brown, Stevie Wonder or the Rolling Stones did at the same rough age imo), Kate Bush (whose recent album 'Aerial' proved she's still got the goods, if not quite as in her '80s prime), MJ (with the right producer, still almost capable of doing another killer dance single imo, tho patchy as an albums artist), but it's obviously been quite some time since P, Kate and MJ were at the 'cutting edge'. I also think that none of the above are likely to be particularly revolutionary in the future, but, since the '80s, they're among the best of a dwindling group of 'quality, innovative or semi-innovative artists'. So much has already been done, it's getting harder imo. Sadly, I'm beginning to think that jazz, funk and soul, except for the odd good retro-fest, are more-or-less dead forms, with their great artists all either gone or well past their primes. [Edited 7/12/07 4:55am] | |
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Bjork? oh sweet Jesus no...her voice makes me want to go out and shoot kittens | |
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i agree i dont think she is a very gd singer - but i totally agree with miles about u2 - they are 1 of my favs - also ive never actually heard any of kate bushs stuff is it any good? Everybody's looking 4 the ladder
Everybody wants salvation of the soul The steps U take are no easy road But the reward is great 4 those who want 2 go | |
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Zappa is god. He briefly used a human body to convey the message; 'we are dumb all over'! | |
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Great list and the comments are valid and well-thought, however I believe tA was looking for correlations/equivalents to the list he provided.
Just sayin'..... "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama | |
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cubic61052 said: Great list and the comments are valid and well-thought, however I believe tA was looking for correlations/equivalents to the list he provided.
Just sayin'..... I have no clue what he was saying | |
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Miles said: I'll have a go!
That's more along the lines of what I was looking for Miles. While I may not agree with every pick, at least you gave a reasoned explanation for who you've selected. 
I was going to check out some Radiohead. A friend of mine that works for EMI gave me a bunch of CDs... 
...Amnesiac being one. Unfortunately, when I opened the case, the Coldplay Parachute disc was inside. 
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 [Edited 7/12/07 9:53am] "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: Unfortunately, when I opened the case, the Coldplay Parachute disc was inside. Most unfortunate .
If you're going to listen to 'Amnesiac', I'd recommend (if you haven't already) hearing/ getting hold of 'Kid A', as together they're basically one double album. They were both recorded in the same sessions, and have roughly the same 'feel', if with some variations. | |
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Definitely agree with you on TTD and Radiohead(no matter how depressing they get). Waitin on D's return like christians are waitin for the second coming. | |
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