Top 10 Artists
Submitted by kkna8927 on Sat, 12/15/2001 - 05:24
Tags:
- Led Zeppelin
- Bob Dylan
- Beatles
- The Who
- Miles Davis
- Rolling Stones
- Pink Floyd
- Jimi Hendrix
- Neil Young
- Nick Drake
Author Comments:
By Edward Sames.
I would appreciate comments about my choices.
Just heard Kind of blue again and thought I'd swap Miles Davis with Pink Floyd!
Just heard Bitches Brew and thought that I'd swap Miles Davis with Rolling Stones. Man he's good!
There are many folks here more qualified to dicuss music than I, but I like most of your choices (although I generally don't favor that era). My only quibbles would be with rating Led Zepplin so high, and rating Pink Floyd at all. I know, I know, everybody loves them but me. :-) I also (shockingly?) don't know who Nick Drake is. Nice list - you should add some comments as to why each band is list-worthy, and why they fall where they do.
Hey Jim, thanks for your post. I know not everyone loves (or even likes) Led Zep, but they have always been my favourite band. They had everything - the best singer, the best guitarist, the best drummer, and a fantastic bassist/organist (John Entwistle is the best bassist). And they basically rocked. They never made a bad song, let alone a bad album, and this is why I rate them so highly, (my opinion entirely of course).
I've never been a huge fan of 'prog rock', but I do like Pink Floyd. Wish you were here is just an incredible album. Looking at the list now though, I may have put them down a couple more places.
Nick Drake is an English singer songwriter who made just three albums before his sad, early death in 1974(?). He is not disimilar in style to Van Morrison, early Dylan and Tim Buckley.
Bob Dylan is just incredible - no one in my opinion comes close (apart from Led Zep!). The Beatles were revolutionary and made countless classic songs. The Who were a powerful rock band who deserve to go on the list for Tommy alone. That album is just unbelievable. Who's next not exactly bad either. I put the Stones in there on the basis of the four albums from Beggars banquet to Exile.... There's not a bad moment on any of those albums. There singles before these albums weren't bad either (Not fade away, Little by little, etc). Miles Davis would be in there alone for Kind of blue, but he also made many other brilliant jazz albums such as Milestones, Miles smiles and Bitches brew. Being a guitarist, I just had to put Jimi in there. No one else touches him. He was also a great songwriter (Purple Haze, Come on..., Voodoo Chile...). Neil Youngs there 'cause I just really admire him. He's a terrific songwriter, a great guitarist and he always gives 100%.
I hope I've answered your quetions!
Best wishes,
Ed.
Hey Jim, I just found out (your profile) that you created this site. I compliment you hugely. It's a fantastic site, and one which I have enjoyed many lonely hours on, and I'm sure many lonely hours to come,
Thanks and well done,
Ed.
Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad you like the site, but sorry the hours spent have been lonely. Clearly we need to discuss your lists more. :-) For what it's worth, the music genre tends to be the least rewarding, discussion-wise. Movies definitely get the lions share of the attention around here, although I'm not sure why. Also, lists that incorporate comments like the ones you've just posted tend to elicit more discussion. Speaking of those comments, thanks! Everything you say makes sense, and I'll have to check out some Nick Drake. Have a good weekend!
Great list! I hesitate to comment much because I believe I would simply mirror many of Jim's comments, but I always love to see Dylan on a list like this.
Do you like Elvis Costello?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Yeah I do like Elvis Costello. I saw him live at the Royal Festival Hall in London and he was brilliant. I think he's got a great voice and I've always enjoyed his songs. I've have recently purchased my sixth album of his (for £1!), Brutal Youth, which has got some great songs on such as Kinder murder, This is hell and My science fiction twin, and I think its is a very underated album. Could you reccomend any more of his albums. Also, what do you think of his collaberation with Burt Bacharach?
Best wishes,
Ed.
I enjoy his Burt album, Painted from Memory. I personally recommend trying This Year's Model, Imperial Bedroom, and Armed Forces first. I suspect if you polled the Listology netizens, My Aim Is True would come out as the top Costello album; it is not one of my very favorites by him, nor is it terribly characteristic of his body of work, but it is certainly a terrific album and worth your money.
If you find you like the rockier, toxic side of Costello, you might also enjoy Blood and Chocolate - Not his best album, but certainly home to a few of his very best songs, including Tokyo Storm Warning and I Want You).
One piece of advice: I'd find the older Rykodisc (Demon in England I believe) one-disc reissues rather than the newer 2-disc ones if you can. The newer issues do have more songs, but I think the older ones sound better, especially on the punkier songs. Of course, you may not be able to tell much of a difference, or you may even favor the newer releases. Listen around.
I'll try not to be too jealous that you have seen Costello live... ;)
I hope that helps!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
My main questions about missing artists are:
David Bowie?
Elvis Costello?
The Velvet Underground?
Madness?
Ian Dury?
Ok, maybe that last one was a bit of a strech, but he's never gotten the credit he deserves.
If I was making a top 20 list (which I may have to now!), I would certainly include both David Bowie and The Velvet Underground and possibly Elvis Costello. I'm not a huge fan of Madness, though. Their songs all sound very similar to me. I am not really familiar with much of Ian Dury's work, so I can't comment on that one.
Best wishes,
Ed.