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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 15:25:46 GMT
Kind of a purposeful mish mash, but want to see where people fall:
Carole King Kate Bush Paul Simon Ian Hunter John Lydon NIck Cave (simply so Jeff K will vote). His line of socks don't count as part the determination of worth Cat Stevens Gladys Knight Stephen Stills Leslie Gore George Clinton
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Post by Reasonable good Nick on Jan 12, 2019 15:37:53 GMT
Great
Nick Cave Kate Bush John Lydon Paul Simon George Clinton
OK
Ian Hunter Gladys Knight
Don't really care for/about
Carole King Leslie Gore Stephen Stills
Fucking horrible
Cat Stevens
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 16:34:48 GMT
John Lydon Nick Cave
Paul Simon George Clinton
Gladys Knight Carole King Kate Bush Ian Hunter Stephen Stills Leslie Gore
Cat Stevens
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Post by oh oooh on Jan 12, 2019 17:57:22 GMT
John Lydon (although I don't like him all that much) Carole King (admiration for songwriting) George Clinton (sense of fun, resilience) Nick Cave (as a person mostly - although it's a shame that it's a caricature BCB decides to attack) Ian Hunter fnot sure) Kate Bush (not a huge fan of her music but think she's very cool and enormously talented and beautiful) Paul Simon (for 'Only Living Boy') Cat Stevens (for....something, I dunno) Gladys Knight (good voice (I think)) Stephen Stills (rubbish) Leslie Gore (why?)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 18:13:49 GMT
From cream on top to crap on bottom
Cat Stevens Carole King Paul Simon George Clinton Gladys Knight Nick Cave Kate Bush John Lydon
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Post by phenomenalcat on Jan 12, 2019 18:29:50 GMT
Paul Simon – Genius-level songwriter. Carole King – Purely as a songwriter. Stephen Stills – Those first five years are magic. Better than Neil. Cat Stevens – Again – first five years. Kate Bush – I LIKE her, but never got to the level of obsession of most. Hounds of Love is amazing. John Lydon – I am reluctant to praise him, but he’s a pioneer. Ian Hunter – Never found much to like, though I love Mott. George Clinton – Too silly. Gladys Knight – Abstain. She’s pleasant enough. Leslie Gore – Huh? Nick Cave – Jesus, no. PJ Harvey – Just had to add her to the “Jesus, no” category.
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rayge
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Post by rayge on Jan 12, 2019 18:33:34 GMT
1 John Lydon As a presence, a personality, a performer and a polemicist, he ranks in the pantheon of British recording stars to me. He's written three truly great songs, too. He symbolizes to me the renaissance of my love for rock and roll in the mid-1970s, and it doesn't really matter to me what risible, hypocritical or scandal-worthy things he might have done since, I'm always going to rate him. Even if he is a Gooner.
2 Carole King Great songwriter, pretty fine pianist. I was all over Tapestry when it came out, but its ubiquity got to me. In the end I decided I liked her first solo album, Writer, better. Best solo single is Road to Nowhere
3 Leslie Gore I think she's great, mostly based on a run of singles in the mid-1960s – not the Party/Judy set, but ones she recorded for Mercury, such as The Look of Love, a really joyous girl-group style pop number, and You Don't Own Me, with its extraordinarily portentous production. I have heard a fair bit of her later material, but never owned it.
4 Paul Simon The first I heard of him was when the single of Sound of Silence was released. I was quite the fan, mainly of the singles - Dangling Conversation and The Boxer - for a while, but Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Graduate marked the end of that, and I never really warmed to his solo career.
5 Kate Bush I blow hot and cold rather. Just a bit too close to prog at times. Hounds of Love and the singles off it - the extended version of Cloudbustin on the 12" in particular are the highlight. Only other thing I bought full price was Wuthering Heights, which was a wonder when it dropped in out of nowhere.
The rest are even more firmly in the category of like some periods, not others, so I'm going to rank them equal sixth
Ian Hunter I liked Mott the Hoople in their pomp, and Hunter always gave good interview, but in retrospect, I had the same undercurrent of feeling about him as I did about Alex Harvey, namely 'Aren't you a bit old for this, chum?'
NIck Cave Another one, like Kate Bush, that I like a lot in parts, but can never really get into. Nothing useful to say (yeah, I know it hasn't stopped me anywhere else. Sheesh.
Cat Stevens Matthew and son and I Love my Dog were radio hits back when I heard the radio, and I liked them well enough, sharp London pop, but at Tea for the Tillerman I closed the door and tiptoed away. Heard a few tales abut him, and considered trying to contact him for a cheeky interview, when I was researching Chip's book about growing up in Soho in the 1950s, but in the end felt that Chas McDevitt and Raye Du-Val of the checkmates were a sufficient celebrity quotient
Gladys Knight I've said it before, but Our Glad is strictly second, even at times third, division among female soul singers, which is, after all, my field. And the Pips are fucking awful. You want a female lead with guys harmonising, try the Sapphires, or Ruby and the Romantics
Stephen Stills I was a fan of Buffalo Springfield, and when they split I thought CS&N were a better bet than Young or Poco: I liked the drive of his songs, his voice and his playing. I got his first solo album, but didn't think too much of that, saw them play Wembley Stadium with a bill that also included the Band. And then, mid-70s or so, that whole post-hippy sun and harmonies scene just dropped away from me and I stopped listening to all of it. Nowadays, I don't mind it.
George Clinton Never really impinged on me much. Going from doowop to even a magnificently twisted version of fu*k has to be a step down in my aesthetic. Some tracks I really liked, some I didn't.
See, I can do polite and rational. But it's hard. [/oo-er, missus]
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Post by jeffk on Jan 12, 2019 19:38:58 GMT
George Clinton, PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, John Lydon and Ian Hunter are the ones I truly admire from the list. Others like Carole King and Kate Bush I enjoy without really being a fan. The rest of them I have no opinion on, good or bad.
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Post by lynxtt on Jan 12, 2019 19:40:42 GMT
They have all done some great work, but as a list they appear middling.
Lesley Gore is probably the weakest, though I get she is seen as a LGBTQ hero, so fair enough.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 20:07:24 GMT
Bush and Lydon (though chiefly Metal Box/Flowers era) are the only ones I'd choose to listen to. Cave is in the 'probably should like but never bother with' group.
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Post by DarknessFish on Jan 12, 2019 20:58:07 GMT
They're mostly by and large people who don't trouble me in the opinion stakes, I'm aware of their existence, but only vaguely. However,
Nick Cave is definitely the one I listen to most out of choice, but he's existed for so long doing too many dreary piano ballads about how verily clevery clever he is, and my heart sinks at the thought of him now.
Kate Bush has an astounding voice, but quite frankly, she hangs around with the likes of Peter Gabriel and it shows. Very dull songs.
John Lydon, I like a couple of Pistols songs, and some PiL, but his constant need to live down to his public persona is really irritating. I'd expect if I spoke to him in private, he'd be intelligent and interesting, but it's rare to catch him in that mode in interview.
Paul Simon is an absolute genius songwriter and lyricist, or at least was when partnered with Mr Garfunkel. Solo, I bet there'd still be moments that would grab me, but I've never really ventured there. Dunno why.
Cat Stevens, I have a sneaking affection for some of his tracks, when he's not all pompous and condescending. Doubt I could do a full album though.
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Post by jeffk on Jan 12, 2019 21:03:31 GMT
Nick Cave is definitely the one I listen to most out of choice, but he's existed for so long doing too many dreary piano ballads about how verily clevery clever he is, and my heart sinks at the thought of him now. Sums up how I feel about him too lately. His playing Tel Aviv and his arrogant defense of it put me off too. It figures he's moved to Los Angeles now and is posting pics of himself and Bono hanging out.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 22:42:44 GMT
PJ Harvey – Just had to add her to the “Jesus, no” category. ditto
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loveless
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Post by loveless on Jan 13, 2019 2:44:04 GMT
Lesley Gore - God, yes. "You Don't Own Me" is a monster, but...she has a whole series of these mid 60s monster singles that I love. Someone ought to do a thread.
Carole King - Massive respect - such a hardcore string of classic songs, some that you know and some that you don't. Her own records from the 1970s are mostly pretty flat.
Paul Simon - Fuck that guy and the horse he rode in on, BUT...yeah, S&G are massive for me. I'd hate to work out which bits he did and didn't steal ("Scarborough Fair/Canticle" is such a great record, and...assuredly "borrowed"), cause so many of those songs and sounds are deeply undeniable.
Cat Stevens - There's something there. I've seen him in concert...things like "Hard Headed Woman", 'Morning Has Broken" are lovely, but...there's not a TON there that I'd rescue in a fire.
John Lydon - another one where I can't deny his peak, but...boy, he's still here, isn't he?
Stephen Stills - a begrudging respect. "For What It's Worth", "Carry On", "Suite...", but...I've never been able to get excited about him. Also seems like a major league prick.
Ian Hunter - I want to care more than I do. He's SOMEBODY'S Dylan, for sure.
Kate Bush - What an instrument.
George Clinton - I've probably tolerated his work at best.
Gladys Knight - *(shrugs)*
Nick Cave - I'd sooner listen to his socks.
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Post by Reasonable good Nick on Jan 13, 2019 16:45:16 GMT
Nick Cave is definitely the one I listen to most out of choice, but he's existed for so long doing too many dreary piano ballads about how verily clevery clever he is, and my heart sinks at the thought of him now. Sums up how I feel about him too lately. His playing Tel Aviv and his arrogant defense of it put me off too. It figures he's moved to Los Angeles now and is posting pics of himself and Bono hanging out. I thought it was a sensible and reasonable justification, in the face of crass attempts at bullying by bigoted creeps like Roger Waters. I've loved Cave's music for years, but the stand he took on playing Israel made me admire him even more.
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