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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 18:55:30 GMT
Well we won't get into that, I don't think many would agree with you.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 18:56:52 GMT
I disagree with everything you're saying!
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nolamike
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Post by nolamike on Jan 9, 2020 19:21:38 GMT
Well we won't get into that, I don't think many would agree with you. I mean, Justin Timberlake has called Hathaway the “greatest singer of all time.” Any Winehouse called him her favorite artist of all time. Alicia Keyes calls him part of the foundation of American soul music. Mary J. Blige has covered him. And hell, all that’s just from one paragraph on Wikipedia - you can find loads more quotes like that if you go look for them. His influence is all over popular, contemporary R&B, which puts it all over the pop charts. |
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Post by npht on Jan 9, 2020 19:26:59 GMT
The only thing Willie Nelson does better than Bowie is herd cattle!  He's a better songwriter, for starters. I'm sure Willie can roll a better joint! |
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Post by npht on Jan 9, 2020 19:39:04 GMT
I think Mike has been smoking some of Willie's personal stash Go check it out - Red-Headed Stranger, Shotgun Willie, Phases and Stages, Yesterday's Wine, Stardust (hey, look, genre-hopping!), The Troublemaker, To Lefty From Willie, Sings Kristofferson... every single one an absolutely great album, with not a bad track on a single one of them. And that's not even getting into a number of his almost-perfect albums from the '70s. Actually I don't think Willie is a bad choice, certainly better then some of the other picks. Like NolaMike Willie is more diverse then most people think. If you haven't followed his career you might not be aware of how many people Willie has played with and his influence on country, alt country, Americana and other genre puts him in rare company. That being said, I'm not rating him above Bowie since I enjoy and find Bowie's music more enjoyable including some of his works after 1980. Plus WIllie is a one tone singer there is no diversity in his vocals even when he tries. |
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rayge
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Post by rayge on Jan 9, 2020 19:41:39 GMT
He's a better songwriter, for starters. I'm sure Willie can roll a better joint! Especially nowadays |
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Post by npht on Jan 9, 2020 19:47:57 GMT
I'm sure Willie can roll a better joint! Especially nowadays actually Willie doesn't smoke weed anymore (although I'm sure he rolls a killer joint) - he vapes and eats edibles. |
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toomanyhatz
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Post by toomanyhatz on Jan 9, 2020 19:53:22 GMT
I think there are a lot of contenders, though I get the exalted level that many (particularly Brits) bestow upon him. Remember the Bowie vs. (everybody) threads on BCB? He took on all comers, including God. But then there's the 80s & 90s... Not mentioned yet (I think) contenders: Kevin Ayers Elton Shane (inevitably?) Tom Verlaine You don't get Bowie if you think these people are anywhere near him, either in talent or cultural impact.
Then there's this idea, which we've had from a few American posters on this thread, that this is something being projected on Bowie by over-enthusiastic Brits. But look at all the books that have been written on him, the documentaries that have been made, the exhibitions etc. That only happens if you're a major cultural figure and if anything his cultural weight is increasing post humously.
I was under the impression we were talking exclusively about song catalog. I realize these are personal choices (some of them anyway - I think Elton's a serious contender and to some arguably had MORE impact than Bowie) but in sheer number of great post-Beatles songs, they all have at least a few dozen. As do Neil and Bob and Stevie, etc. And I presume you don't deny there is at least some UK/US divide here? |
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loveless
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Post by loveless on Jan 9, 2020 20:22:12 GMT
And I presume you don't deny there is at least some UK/US divide here? If the essence of that divide is "I'm not getting back into the van until you say that 'Bowie's IT!'", I can accept it quite comfortably. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 20:43:47 GMT
And I presume you don't deny there is at least some UK/US divide here? If the essence of that divide is "I'm not getting back into the van until you say that 'Bowie's IT!'", I can accept it quite comfortably. It's not that, but if I were to say to people Chas n' Dave were greater songwriters than Bob Dylan, they wouldn't say "Well that's a reasonable view". |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 21:07:32 GMT
Well we won't get into that, I don't think many would agree with you. I mean, Justin Timberlake has called Hathaway the “greatest singer of all time.” Any Winehouse called him her favorite artist of all time. Alicia Keyes calls him part of the foundation of American soul music. Mary J. Blige has covered him. And hell, all that’s just from one paragraph on Wikipedia - you can find loads more quotes like that if you go look for them. His influence is all over popular, contemporary R&B, which puts it all over the pop charts. You're cherrypicking massively here. Donny Hathaway may have had a greater influence (although probably not as much, I would suspect, as Luther Vandross )within a pretty narrow genre, but that's like saying Black Sabbath have had a greater influence on Doom Metal than David Bowie. It would probably be true, but so what? |
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loveless
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Post by loveless on Jan 9, 2020 21:56:02 GMT
...if I were to say to people Chas n' Dave were greater songwriters than Bob Dylan... It isn't improbable that you might say that sort of thing some day. |
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Jan 9, 2020 21:57:51 GMT
Bowie's influence wasn;t just musical of course. He's a cultural figure of significance. Someone who when people write the Great Book of 20th century popular culture he would be talked about.
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Post by "BING E BONG" on Jan 9, 2020 22:07:12 GMT
And that's what he's got over NY, Dylan, Stevie.
Love them as much as you like, I don't know if they influenced any fashion movement at their peaks.
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Post by "BING E BONG" on Jan 9, 2020 22:07:54 GMT
Anyway - can we define terms? The original question?
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