rayge
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Post by rayge on Jan 9, 2020 16:02:47 GMT
On a side note though, I reckon Rayge should make Joni Mitchell the next subject of his hagiography. I don't know her music as well as I should really, I've been tip toing around her for years. I'll bear that in mind.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 16:13:53 GMT
Bowie from the perspective of well rounded and influential would be the answer. If we are talking just music output there are a few that come to mind. Dylan(do we count Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait and New Morning?) Not this boards cup of tea but Robert Fripp comes to mind (lots of side projects) Joni Mitchell is a good one. Frank Zappa would be another although Frank left us too early Neil Young but he doesn't have the diversity of Bowie. If you define "well rounded" as meaning "made music in many different styles," then sure, Bowie is up there as one of the best in the post-Beatles world. But I don't know that he's the most influential. Perhaps for the type of music most often discussed on this board, but overall, I think there are others from the '70s whose music has influenced a larger number of artists, especially if we're talking about the state of popular music today. And I think there are plenty of artists whose overall output since 1970 beats Bowie's. No. Bowie owned the 70s.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 16:19:17 GMT
Every time I hear someone like fucking Siouxsie talk about seeing "Starman" on TOTP and the clouds parting and grayest, darkest Grimsby (or wherever the fuck she's from) Grimbsy??? WE (Me, Bowie and Siouxsie) are from MOTHERFUCKIN' BROMLEY!!
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nolamike
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Post by nolamike on Jan 9, 2020 16:21:16 GMT
If you define "well rounded" as meaning "made music in many different styles," then sure, Bowie is up there as one of the best in the post-Beatles world. But I don't know that he's the most influential. Perhaps for the type of music most often discussed on this board, but overall, I think there are others from the '70s whose music has influenced a larger number of artists, especially if we're talking about the state of popular music today. And I think there are plenty of artists whose overall output since 1970 beats Bowie's. Yes was talking different styles. I was really talking from a rock perspective not really pop music. The trick with pop music is its always changing and careers aren't as long. There is a lot of 70's music I like more than Bowie but its not as popular. When you start looking at several decades the pickings are much smaller, hence why I stated Bowie since he continued to put out various music past the 70's although a lot of people don't like his output since the 70's. What others are you talking about that influenced a larger audience for several decades. If you are just going to give me 70's artists that have done nothing import since I'm not counting them. I'm looking for someone who has multiple albums of various types of music in multiple decades. Elton John was mentioned but is his music really different over all these years? Well, if you limit it to artists who have "multiple albums of various types of music in multiple decades," that's an incredibly narrow focus, and you're not really going to have very many people to consider at all (regardless of the artistic merits of those albums). I mean, that gives you... maybe Tom Waits? Willie Nelson, if you allow one-off oddball albums (like Countryman, his reggae album) to count? Linda Rondstadt? I'm having trouble even thinking of people who meet that criteria. Setting that aside, I do believe, if you look at the state of popular music as it stands today (e.g., looking at the Billboard Top 40 for the past several years), Donny Hathaway and Donna Summer are two artists who have a significantly larger influence than Bowie.
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Jan 9, 2020 16:26:45 GMT
Who are all these post 1970 artists whose output beats Bowie?
I'm genuinely curious.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 16:27:18 GMT
Donny Hathaway? You're talking nonsense. Most people have barely heard of him and would struggle to name a song beyond "The Ghetto". I'm actually a fan but I used to start threads on him all the time on BCB and I'd get like two replies. And even with him you're talking 2-3 great albums. Donna Summer made two revolutionary singles with Georgia Moroder, and a classic track in "State of Independence" and that's it. You're comparing pygmies with giants.
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nolamike
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Post by nolamike on Jan 9, 2020 17:23:14 GMT
Donny Hathaway? You're talking nonsense. Most people have barely heard of him and would struggle to name a song beyond "The Ghetto". I'm actually a fan but I used to start threads on him all the time on BCB and I'd get like two replies. And even with him you're talking 2-3 great albums. Donna Summer made two revolutionary singles with Georgia Moroder, and a classic track in "State of Independence" and that's it. You're comparing pygmies with giants. In terms of popular music today - what is on the charts - then yes, Hathaway does have more direct influence than Bowie. Pop charts today are dominated by hip-hop, R&B, and EDM. I think you'd have a hard time finding much, if any, direct influence from Bowie on the current Top 40.
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Post by oh oooh on Jan 9, 2020 17:23:31 GMT
Yes was talking different styles. I was really talking from a rock perspective not really pop music. The trick with pop music is its always changing and careers aren't as long. There is a lot of 70's music I like more than Bowie but its not as popular. When you start looking at several decades the pickings are much smaller, hence why I stated Bowie since he continued to put out various music past the 70's although a lot of people don't like his output since the 70's. What others are you talking about that influenced a larger audience for several decades. If you are just going to give me 70's artists that have done nothing import since I'm not counting them. I'm looking for someone who has multiple albums of various types of music in multiple decades. Elton John was mentioned but is his music really different over all these years? Well, if you limit it to artists who have "multiple albums of various types of music in multiple decades," that's an incredibly narrow focus, and you're not really going to have very many people to consider at all (regardless of the artistic merits of those albums). I mean, that gives you... maybe Tom Waits? Willie Nelson, if you allow one-off oddball albums (like Countryman, his reggae album) to count? Linda Rondstadt? I'm having trouble even thinking of people who meet that criteria. You're doing our job for us!
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nolamike
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Post by nolamike on Jan 9, 2020 17:27:07 GMT
Well, if you limit it to artists who have "multiple albums of various types of music in multiple decades," that's an incredibly narrow focus, and you're not really going to have very many people to consider at all (regardless of the artistic merits of those albums). I mean, that gives you... maybe Tom Waits? Willie Nelson, if you allow one-off oddball albums (like Countryman, his reggae album) to count? Linda Rondstadt? I'm having trouble even thinking of people who meet that criteria. You're doing our job for us! Well, I could go start a thread saying that James Booker released better albums than anyone else after 1970, and then state that the criteria is that the artist must be a gay, black, one-eyed junkie pianist, you'd probably have a hard time coming up with any counter examples! If the criteria for this exercise is, as was suggested above, "released albums that could be classified as being from different genres over a period of many decades," that doesn't exactly give us a lot of room to work with!
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Post by oh oooh on Jan 9, 2020 17:34:41 GMT
You don't think that's the sign of a truly great artist? Being able to work within several different genres successfully?
It's very similar criteria to that used by Beatles fanatics who talk about their innovation and experimentation. The idea that an artist shouldn't stagnate, the thrill of taking their fans on a journey of discovery, etc.
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loveless
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Post by loveless on Jan 9, 2020 17:35:09 GMT
I love him, alright?
That said, boy...if I WERE "bigging him up for Bromley", I might not be so eager to shove this particular feature into the plus column. In his case, I might even seek to de-emphasize it.
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nolamike
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Post by nolamike on Jan 9, 2020 17:35:27 GMT
Who are all these post 1970 artists whose output beats Bowie? I'm genuinely curious. If we're limiting it to the 1970s (and really, nobody here has been arguing strongly for Bowie after 1980, apart from Black Star), I think Stevie Wonder beats him. I think Marvin Gaye is right there with Bowie, in terms of great musical output, vision, and influence (and I think What's Going On is a better album, front to back, than any of Bowie's albums). I think Willie Nelson released as many undeniably great albums in the 1970s as Bowie, and post 1980, in terms of overall quality, he absolutely demolishes Bowie. I could go on.
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nolamike
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Post by nolamike on Jan 9, 2020 17:36:34 GMT
I love him, alright? That said, boy...if I WERE "bigging him up for Bromley", I might not be so eager to shove this particular feature into the plus column. In his case, I might even seek to de-emphasize it. But don't you know Young Americans is the greatest soul album of all time?
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Post by oh oooh on Jan 9, 2020 17:36:58 GMT
Willie Nelson? If it wasn't obvious already, the UK/US divide is VERY evident here. Just an observation
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nolamike
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Post by nolamike on Jan 9, 2020 17:38:09 GMT
Willie Nelson? If it wasn't obvious already, the UK/US divide is VERY evident here. Just an observation I thought that would draw some attention, though I do honestly believe it to be true!
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