The Musician's Musician

[poului]

79,y-80k-9[p

Even amongst the "serious" music establishment the best musicianship is regarded as that which displays great levels of expression and character and not just bags of technique.

 

[cybertect]

That is the worst list of musicians I have ever seen.

You're dissing BB King?

From the perspective of a bass player, those that have been an influence on me:

Paul McCartney (expecting brick-bats from certain quarters)
John Entwhistle
Leslie Langston (erstwhile member of the Throwing Muses who crafted some beautiful bass lines for their early albums. She gave up the music biz to become a psychotherapist )

I'm also in awe of Tony Levin.

 

[Dillinger4]

You're dissing BB King?

From the perspective of a bass player, those that have been an influence on me:

Paul McCartney (expecting brick-bats from certain quarters)
John Entwhistle
Leslie Langston (erstwhile member of the Throwing Muses who crafted some beautiful bass lines for their early albums. She gave up the music biz to become a psychotherapist )

I'm also in awe of Tony Levin.

BB King and Jimi Hendrix are obviously excluded from the rest of those widdlers.

 

[gabi]

Paul McCartney (expecting brick-bats from certain quarters)

I actually agree with you there. I'm not a bassist, but as a guitarist I've always thought some of his beatles basslines were pretty fuckin good. We used to jam on them when we were but younguns.

Considering he was only bassist by default he was pretty fuckin good.

Entwistle wasn't necessarily the best bass player ever, but definitely pretty revolutionary.

Anyway. Wheres the electronic artists? Kraftwerk? Carl Craig?

 

[rhod]

Funk Brothers - they were the Motown sound
Wrecking Crew - played on shitloads of American pop of 60s & 70s - stuff by the Byrds, Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel etc etc
Albert Lee - another vote for him
Duke Ellington - Just for being Duke Ellington
Prince - All-round show-off & innovator
Nashville A-Team (90's to present version) - Dann Huff, Brent Mason, Sam Bush, Larry Franklin etc
Les Dawson.

 

[yardbird]

Funk Brothers .

Oh yes yes yes
The Soul Behind The Sound
I had Standing in the Shadows of Motown playing REALLY loud whilst making breakfast this morning


Herbert Sumlin

 

[cybertect]

Drummers I'll take seriously on liner notes

Steve Gadd
Dave Mattacks
Jim Keltner
Max Roach*
Art Blakey

e2a: * I always smile when passing Max Roach Park on Brixton Road.

 

[Dillinger4]

^^ Josh Freese.

 

[cybertect]

Big Jim Sullivan

Good call. A good friend of mine had the good fortune to work with him on a TV theme a couple of years ago and says he's a lovely bloke too.

 

[jiggajagga]

Steve Howe ex 'Yes' guitarist. Can play any style from jazz to classical, highly inovative and original in thought.

 

[gabi]

Steve Howe ex 'Yes' guitarist. Can play any style from jazz to classical, highly inovative and original in thought.

Is he the geezer who wrote 'Cant get out u of my head' for kylie? If so.

 

[rekil]

Is he the geezer who wrote 'Cant get out u of my head' for kylie? If so.

No that was the bloke from Mud I believe.

 

[MooChild]

I think its the problem of being technically gifted vs being able to write good songs. Theres a rare list of people that are able to do both, but they are very few and far between.

For me, Nic Jones, Martin Carthy, Martyn Bennett, Martin Simpson and Andy McKee from the folk/acoustic side, and from rock, Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani (although theres a lot of noodlesome twattishness from Joe, but he has done a lot for the guitar styles of the past 20 years or so).

Being a musician it's difficult to draw a line between appreciating skill on an instrument, and being able to step back and appreciate a good song, plus (imo) to be a musicians musician, you have to take what has gone before and turn it on its head and come up with something new that isnt obnoxious fret wankery.

Listen to this, technically awesome, and beautiful as a song.

 

[stavros]

If we're talking bassists, how about Mani of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream? Or indeed Squarepusher? The stuff he can play is jaw-dropping.

 

[dodgepot]

Is he the geezer who wrote 'Cant get out u of my head' for kylie? If so.

No that was the bloke from Mud I believe.

yeah, copliker is correct. it was him and cathy dennis. and it's a great song.

 

[damnhippie]

If we're talking bassists, how about Mani of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream? Or indeed Squarepusher? The stuff he can play is jaw-dropping.

mani is good, definitely.

squarepusher=good prgrammer but his bass playing is over the line into noodly noodlewank territory really...

and that's coming from a bass player.

 

[damnhippie]

 

[Socket]

Blimey, it ain't half easy to start an argument on the internet!

Re: Primus. Yes, there is a lot of grandstanding but there is also a hell of a lot of more subtle stuff going on. The flashy stuff tends (or tended: I think Primus have lost it somewhat in the last few years) to be musically interesting as well as flashy, but it's the stuff like 'Southbound Pachyderm' that really impresses me: nothing particularly flashy but that bass line is still a bugger to play.

Re: Rush. Come on! Some might find 'em dull but I find 'em stunning.

 

[El Jefe]

Not just saying this to be annoying, but if I was asked to name the 5 bands which most represent what I hate in music, Rush and Primus would both be in there..

 

[Dillinger4]

Nah they are just both shit.

 

[starfish2000]

Surely this thread is doomed cos some people will list musicians that are dismissed by the er how shall I put it..."intellegensia" as just being widdly when they actually arent that widdly compared to people who really do widdle.

I mean I think Chris Imperlitteri is a godawful guitarist who just plays fast, but someone like John Sykes is an amazing guitarist who plays with fire and passion, but to the guy who bleats about Jonny Marr or Radiohead there seen as the same. Which they aren't.

It reminds me of the Rolling Stone magazine article on the top 100 guitarists that missed out Wes Montgomery a few years ago, but put Jack White really high up.....I mean really.No offence to Mr White, but without Wes you wouldnt have the fucking instrument as we know it.

That guitarist Andy McKee is very nice, but bit too easy listening for me. It sounds like the holiday show background music.

Theres always been a hatred of proficiency in UK musicians since punk, its just a British thing.

Michael Hedges is more fun especially his cover versions

 

[stavros]

mani is good, definitely.

squarepusher=good prgrammer but his bass playing is over the line into noodly noodlewank territory really...

and that's coming from a bass player.

Your probably right. Unfortunately the only instrument I can play is the stereo so I can only comment from a listener's perspective.

 

[MooChild]

Michael Hedges is more fun especially his cover versions

Yep, sad that he is no longer with us.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Forgot I started this thread.

FWIW, I was thinking more of artists appreciated for creating great art, as opposed to simply musicians who are shit hot at their particular instrument. For example, I can't really ever remember any musicians saying how much they rate Yngwie Malmsteen...

 

[Badgers]

 

[seeformiles]

Frank Zappa ticks most of my boxes for this - especially his earlier stuff - great all-rounder with a fantastic imagination.

Also 2nd mention for Paul McCartney - cracking bass player.

 

[christonabike]

Mark Ribot

Ace at the Jazz Cafe and just ace really

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Well stevie was a wonder but its either Lee H or anyone that couldnt play but did anyway for me.

 

[danny la rouge]

Surely this thread is doomed

Yes.

 

[Sweet FA]

carry on like a cunt

That made me lol. I want to see the film.