butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Yeah, that's a good one - i don't like him but he fits.
Paul Heaton was always clever.
Paul Heaton was always clever.
Intelligent Musicians
- Thread starter butchersapron
- Start date
BadlyDrawnGirl
Piano Tuna
Paul Heaton = good call. Edwyn Collins is a sharp wit too. 
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
What about Michael Gira? Too poncey? Too willing to play the intellectual?
fishfingerer
sultan of cringe
Mark 'Zodiac Mindwarp' Manning, has written a few books and the like, wrote a very funny article about van gogh for the Idler.
Cathal Coughlan.
The Devo guys.
David Thomas from Pere Ubu.
Cathal Coughlan.
The Devo guys.
David Thomas from Pere Ubu.
BadlyDrawnGirl
Piano Tuna
I hear that Mr Blobby had a Double First in Applied Astrophysics. Might just be rumour though.
starfish2000
Well-Known Member
Most Rock musicians are intellegent if they are given a voice. But in the Andi Peters run british media you never get to know of these people.
Gene Simmons is an Incredibly clever businessman
Neil Peart, the drummer in Rush is a published author.
Tom Morello was a political aide to a democratic senator I think.
My mate auditioned for Iron Maiden on guitar in the 80's, he's a scientist now.
Gene Simmons is an Incredibly clever businessman
Neil Peart, the drummer in Rush is a published author.
Tom Morello was a political aide to a democratic senator I think.
My mate auditioned for Iron Maiden on guitar in the 80's, he's a scientist now.
starfish2000 said:
why wasn't i told this?Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
i thought anthropology, summat like that though. never trust a punk who uses the word 'sequestered' in his lyrics.
when Alabama 3 supported Chumbawamba for a bunch of dates here and the US, Alice and co were absolutely astonished by Jake (D Wayne) - apparently about the best read person they'd ever met, with an encyclopaedic knowledge and understanding of all manner of stuff.
jcsd said:
no they didn't. (even if they had, doesn't prove jack, by the way)
)
I think there's subject areas in music that are enshrined as 'intelligent'. If you address them, or if you're considered to fall inside the umbrella of such an 'intelligent' musical topic/genre then you're granted respect for being intellectual. But more often than not those deemed as intellectual musicians are just peddling a relatively dogmatic line characterised by a lack of originality.
Conversely there are musicians who will be making music in areas that are characterised in popular culture by other labels that are antithetical to any kind of intellectualism.
For my money Radiohead and Thom Yorke would fall into the former group. I don't deny they're extremely talented and innovative musicians but the sycophants who see them as god's gift to critical popular culture are IMO attributing too much importance to their derivative and unimpressive themes.
Similarly someone like Dizzee Rascal is IMO one of the most intelligent musicians in British music atm. His lyrics are incisive, his imagery is bleakly immediate and his abrasive perception and self-awareness ensures he stands alone in the grime scene. I remember last Christmas watching a pretty boring back-slapping documentary about the creation of the new charity Christmas song with all the stars. He just walked in to do his bars and when he got there he found out he had to double what he prepared. They filmed him when he was informed of the mistake and he was totally unfazed and pretty much on the spot came up with a few more bars that were typically brilliant. It was amazing to see the speed of thought involved.
But then again themes and lyrics aren't everything and there'll always be those musicians who express their intelligence through their music but whose ability to articulate thoughts beyond melodies won't reflect that.
Conversely there are musicians who will be making music in areas that are characterised in popular culture by other labels that are antithetical to any kind of intellectualism.
For my money Radiohead and Thom Yorke would fall into the former group. I don't deny they're extremely talented and innovative musicians but the sycophants who see them as god's gift to critical popular culture are IMO attributing too much importance to their derivative and unimpressive themes.
Similarly someone like Dizzee Rascal is IMO one of the most intelligent musicians in British music atm. His lyrics are incisive, his imagery is bleakly immediate and his abrasive perception and self-awareness ensures he stands alone in the grime scene. I remember last Christmas watching a pretty boring back-slapping documentary about the creation of the new charity Christmas song with all the stars. He just walked in to do his bars and when he got there he found out he had to double what he prepared. They filmed him when he was informed of the mistake and he was totally unfazed and pretty much on the spot came up with a few more bars that were typically brilliant. It was amazing to see the speed of thought involved.
But then again themes and lyrics aren't everything and there'll always be those musicians who express their intelligence through their music but whose ability to articulate thoughts beyond melodies won't reflect that.
danny la rouge
Ninja swords for all disabled people
Bump award!
D'wards
IT'S YOUR DECISION DANIEL
I was searching on MF Doom and this thread came up. Interesting topic
Kaka Tim
Half Arsed and Slapdash till I Die
ian dury always came across as a smart bloke and very knowledgeable.
Siouxsie Sioux no slouch either.
Read an article recently about stooges guitarist james williamson - after they crashed and burned he became a big wheel in silicon valley developing computer chips.
Dolly Parton - probably one of the shrewdest women in music, grew up dirt poor in the sticks but had the guile to come out on top of a massively male dominated field by playing the dumb blonde country hick whilst out smarting everyone.
And Sam Fox is far far more clued up than people expect.
Siouxsie Sioux no slouch either.
Read an article recently about stooges guitarist james williamson - after they crashed and burned he became a big wheel in silicon valley developing computer chips.
Dolly Parton - probably one of the shrewdest women in music, grew up dirt poor in the sticks but had the guile to come out on top of a massively male dominated field by playing the dumb blonde country hick whilst out smarting everyone.
And Sam Fox is far far more clued up than people expect.
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
The question comes from a position that appears to assume that all musicians are stupid unless proved otherwise. I reckon musicians are no more or less stupid than any other section of the population on which you wish to put a label. Being a musician of sorts who plays in a variety of bands I know some very intelligent people who would score many points on Urban for their political stance but nonetheless are terrible musicians. Silly question.
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
Brian Cox
Reno
The In Kraut
I sat next to her at a film premiere once and she laughed at all the wrong moments. Maybe it was the really, really smart jokes nobody else got.
I‘m sure Björk is pretty smart as are Nick Cave and Henry Rollins.
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