The Darkest Ten #2 - Musicians
02-18-03, 08:17 AM
#1
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Thread Starter
The Darkest Ten #2 - Musicians
Welcome to my post.
First off, since everyone seemed to have trouble understanding what I tried to infer in my last ten, this is simply personal opinion. Your ten are appreciated, also.
There is already a top ten songs here, but I wrote this whole thing B4 seeing that, so...I'm sorry that there's 2 top 10s related to music.
Seeing as how it is personal opinion, a few disclaimers. There will be no da** Beatles. Great songwriters, crappy singers, all said through the outstanding power of PERSONAL OPINION. So let's not turn this into a Beatle discussion thread. I already know they suck, you needn't convince me. :P Oh, and Elvis has left the building, as well.
These are MY top ten favorite musicians/bands. A song that is leaking with sadness will probably find it's way among my favorites. Not that I'm morbid, but it usually suits my mood. I don't read Poe or anything. Palhaniuk is there, though. But that would be Darkest Books, which this is not. Number of hits, for me, indicates success, but just because Christina racks up number ones like the number of guys she's undoubtedly ******, this doesn't mean that I like what I hear. On the flipside of the coin, if you're good and lack musical success, you still have a chance, albeit an unlikely one. The music industry more controlled than an abused dog. Therefore, not on the radio, I'm not likely to have heard it. Lately I've been a sucker for acapella, but I like almost all genres of music, with the exception of Jazz, R&B, rap, and any music predating 1960, in "genral". Get it? Punny...? Okay. Let's get started.
10.
Name: Jewel
Favorite Song: Foolish Games
Why She's Here: Just edging out Sheryl Crow for the coveted number ten spot, we have Jewel. While I like Sheryl Crow, Jewel has a much more sacred place in my heart. Her songs have special meaning to me in that they have unexpectedly reared their heads at 'flashbulb' moments in my life. Foolish Games is hard to top, and even a line like, "There ain't nothin' like regret, to remind you you're alive" in Sheryl's The Difficult Kind, cannot overcome it. As you can see, I really wanted Crow in the list, but unfortunately this is ten, not eleven, and Jewel's got the goods. However she isn't so talented that she can even compare to the following nine...
9.
Name: Jim Croce
Favorite Song: You Don't Mess Around With Jim
Why He's Here: Outstanding singer. Excellent voice. Fun songs. Gone too soon. A bit too repetitive stylistically to rank higher. Besides that I won't speak ill of the dead. I would have loved to hear more of his work, but he disappeared...
8.
Name: Dave Matthews Band
Favorite Song: Crush
Why He's Here: Oh, this man is good! The problem is, everyone seems to think so, and they play the hell out of his music. So much so that, as good as it is, I grow tired of him fairly quickly. Also, he doesn't release anything new. I think he has a total of four albums of original music, and, by most recent count, 10,429 live albums. What is that? And why? Preying off the wallets of his fans. Way to repay them, jackarse. Try visiting a recording studio once a year, not once a decade.
7.
Name: Shakira
Favorite Song: Inevitable
Why She's Here: Clarification is in order, I suppose. This is not the Shakira that everyone has come to know and love so well. This is the Shakira that I first heard in November of 1997. The Spanish Shak. Not the English, "Let's become a Britney Spears/Alanis Morissette love child" person. I hate Spanish music. With the exception of Shakira. Her Spanish music rocks. I could get trashed and listen to Inevitable on repeat for hours. Understanding the lyrics is a must to fully enjoy it, I suppose, which is why she's se7en.
6.
Name: Elton John
Favorite Song: Tiny Dancer (jk NAR) I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
Why He's Here: Actually, I didn't even want to put him on here. If I'm honest though, I have to...dammit! Accursed morals. Right...anyway, he has so many songs that I love, it's hard not to put him on my list. He's here because he's too good not to be. He's this low, because I wish he wasn't here at all. Admitting that you're an Elton John fan has never been a pick up line that has worked for me...
5.
Name: The Eagles
Favorite Song: Take It To The Limit
Why They're Here: They're legendary. They're awesome. They're gold, Jerry, gold. Another band that has too many hits that are just too good to leave out. Naturally, this is only number five because I find the voice is the most important instrument in a song, and the vocalist to be the most important band member. For that reason, I include Don Henley's non-Eagle days in my consideration. On a side-note, the whole voice thing is why you won't see any Korn-type music in this Iowa kid's post.
4.
Name: Billy Joel
Favorite Song: (Tie) Downeaster Alexa/Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Why He's Here: Because he's one of the greatest singers of all time. As much as I am loathe to admit it. The drunk bastich can put out a helluva good song. I'm not going to sit here and praise him, or admire him, as some posters are bound to do. They can do it for me. He's good, all right. Sheesh. Okay, I admit it. He'd probably be higher if he put out more music. Another talent which could be even more solidified in their place in Music History if only they did more of what they do, Create. And you can't count this classical crap he's doin' now, either. It's dead music. It's nice about once a year, but it's not viable at all. As Tom Clancy said, paraphrasing, (When asked if he'd write something other than Military/Government Ops type books) "My mother always said you dance with the one that brung ya. You don't go up to some other girl in the middle of the night. I'm comfortable with what I write. I'll dance with the one that brought me."
3.
Name: Hootie & The Blowfish
Favorite Song: Not Even The Trees
Why They're Here: Ah, the top three. Hootie gets the bronze. Darius Rucker could have secured the medal himself, being the vocalist and all, but since his solo album was rank, as opposed to ranked, he'll have to settle for group recognition. Honestly, in my opinion, the most underrated group I've ever heard. I think their mainstream music blows, whereas their non-radio music is some of the best music I have ever heard. While it is some of the best, it is not THE best, which is why it ranks behind the top two, just under...
2.
Name: James Taylor
Favorite Song: (Tie) Frozen Man/Another Grey Morning
Why He's Here: He is the man who everyone knows, and yet no one knows. I have yet to run across a person who doesn't know at LEAST one of his songs, but...when I first mention his name, less than half of the populace fail to place him. A slew of hits, (no original number ones, sadly) easy listening, revolutionary...he was a pioneer of soft rock, and rock and country. He is awesome. However, while his popular songs are almost always excellent, his 'B-Sides', if you will, his rarer, lesser-known songs, are almost never so. Very dissimilar from...
1.
NAME: George Strait
FAVORITE SONG: (Tie) I Can Still Make Cheyenne/I'd Like To Have That One Back
WHY HE'S HERE: Did I surprise you? I hope so. As the ONLY country music singer on this list, I gave no indication that he would even grace us with his Straitforward self. I shouldn't even have to defend him. A better question would be "Why Shouldn't He Be Here?" Fifty number one hit singles. A cornucopia of top tens. A best-selling soundtrack. A movie that my brother abhors. What more could you need? Killer concerts. Sold-Out shows. Record-breaking attendances. A movie that my brother abhors. Do you really need more? Simple song construction with powerfully moving lyrics. (Although I still have my 14-year no crying streak (I'm a heartless SOB these days) Run almost broke it.) An emotional voice that can change from powerful to reserved instantaneously. Song list that contains the saddest songs I have ever heard, coupled with the funnest songs I have ever heard. George is the man. He ain't no beatle, either. Well, not this one, anyway.
First off, since everyone seemed to have trouble understanding what I tried to infer in my last ten, this is simply personal opinion. Your ten are appreciated, also.
There is already a top ten songs here, but I wrote this whole thing B4 seeing that, so...I'm sorry that there's 2 top 10s related to music.
Seeing as how it is personal opinion, a few disclaimers. There will be no da** Beatles. Great songwriters, crappy singers, all said through the outstanding power of PERSONAL OPINION. So let's not turn this into a Beatle discussion thread. I already know they suck, you needn't convince me. :P Oh, and Elvis has left the building, as well.
These are MY top ten favorite musicians/bands. A song that is leaking with sadness will probably find it's way among my favorites. Not that I'm morbid, but it usually suits my mood. I don't read Poe or anything. Palhaniuk is there, though. But that would be Darkest Books, which this is not. Number of hits, for me, indicates success, but just because Christina racks up number ones like the number of guys she's undoubtedly ******, this doesn't mean that I like what I hear. On the flipside of the coin, if you're good and lack musical success, you still have a chance, albeit an unlikely one. The music industry more controlled than an abused dog. Therefore, not on the radio, I'm not likely to have heard it. Lately I've been a sucker for acapella, but I like almost all genres of music, with the exception of Jazz, R&B, rap, and any music predating 1960, in "genral". Get it? Punny...? Okay. Let's get started.
10.
Name: Jewel
Favorite Song: Foolish Games
Why She's Here: Just edging out Sheryl Crow for the coveted number ten spot, we have Jewel. While I like Sheryl Crow, Jewel has a much more sacred place in my heart. Her songs have special meaning to me in that they have unexpectedly reared their heads at 'flashbulb' moments in my life. Foolish Games is hard to top, and even a line like, "There ain't nothin' like regret, to remind you you're alive" in Sheryl's The Difficult Kind, cannot overcome it. As you can see, I really wanted Crow in the list, but unfortunately this is ten, not eleven, and Jewel's got the goods. However she isn't so talented that she can even compare to the following nine...
9.
Name: Jim Croce
Favorite Song: You Don't Mess Around With Jim
Why He's Here: Outstanding singer. Excellent voice. Fun songs. Gone too soon. A bit too repetitive stylistically to rank higher. Besides that I won't speak ill of the dead. I would have loved to hear more of his work, but he disappeared...
8.
Name: Dave Matthews Band
Favorite Song: Crush
Why He's Here: Oh, this man is good! The problem is, everyone seems to think so, and they play the hell out of his music. So much so that, as good as it is, I grow tired of him fairly quickly. Also, he doesn't release anything new. I think he has a total of four albums of original music, and, by most recent count, 10,429 live albums. What is that? And why? Preying off the wallets of his fans. Way to repay them, jackarse. Try visiting a recording studio once a year, not once a decade.
7.
Name: Shakira
Favorite Song: Inevitable
Why She's Here: Clarification is in order, I suppose. This is not the Shakira that everyone has come to know and love so well. This is the Shakira that I first heard in November of 1997. The Spanish Shak. Not the English, "Let's become a Britney Spears/Alanis Morissette love child" person. I hate Spanish music. With the exception of Shakira. Her Spanish music rocks. I could get trashed and listen to Inevitable on repeat for hours. Understanding the lyrics is a must to fully enjoy it, I suppose, which is why she's se7en.
6.
Name: Elton John
Favorite Song: Tiny Dancer (jk NAR) I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
Why He's Here: Actually, I didn't even want to put him on here. If I'm honest though, I have to...dammit! Accursed morals. Right...anyway, he has so many songs that I love, it's hard not to put him on my list. He's here because he's too good not to be. He's this low, because I wish he wasn't here at all. Admitting that you're an Elton John fan has never been a pick up line that has worked for me...
5.
Name: The Eagles
Favorite Song: Take It To The Limit
Why They're Here: They're legendary. They're awesome. They're gold, Jerry, gold. Another band that has too many hits that are just too good to leave out. Naturally, this is only number five because I find the voice is the most important instrument in a song, and the vocalist to be the most important band member. For that reason, I include Don Henley's non-Eagle days in my consideration. On a side-note, the whole voice thing is why you won't see any Korn-type music in this Iowa kid's post.
4.
Name: Billy Joel
Favorite Song: (Tie) Downeaster Alexa/Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Why He's Here: Because he's one of the greatest singers of all time. As much as I am loathe to admit it. The drunk bastich can put out a helluva good song. I'm not going to sit here and praise him, or admire him, as some posters are bound to do. They can do it for me. He's good, all right. Sheesh. Okay, I admit it. He'd probably be higher if he put out more music. Another talent which could be even more solidified in their place in Music History if only they did more of what they do, Create. And you can't count this classical crap he's doin' now, either. It's dead music. It's nice about once a year, but it's not viable at all. As Tom Clancy said, paraphrasing, (When asked if he'd write something other than Military/Government Ops type books) "My mother always said you dance with the one that brung ya. You don't go up to some other girl in the middle of the night. I'm comfortable with what I write. I'll dance with the one that brought me."
3.
Name: Hootie & The Blowfish
Favorite Song: Not Even The Trees
Why They're Here: Ah, the top three. Hootie gets the bronze. Darius Rucker could have secured the medal himself, being the vocalist and all, but since his solo album was rank, as opposed to ranked, he'll have to settle for group recognition. Honestly, in my opinion, the most underrated group I've ever heard. I think their mainstream music blows, whereas their non-radio music is some of the best music I have ever heard. While it is some of the best, it is not THE best, which is why it ranks behind the top two, just under...
2.
Name: James Taylor
Favorite Song: (Tie) Frozen Man/Another Grey Morning
Why He's Here: He is the man who everyone knows, and yet no one knows. I have yet to run across a person who doesn't know at LEAST one of his songs, but...when I first mention his name, less than half of the populace fail to place him. A slew of hits, (no original number ones, sadly) easy listening, revolutionary...he was a pioneer of soft rock, and rock and country. He is awesome. However, while his popular songs are almost always excellent, his 'B-Sides', if you will, his rarer, lesser-known songs, are almost never so. Very dissimilar from...
1.
NAME: George Strait
FAVORITE SONG: (Tie) I Can Still Make Cheyenne/I'd Like To Have That One Back
WHY HE'S HERE: Did I surprise you? I hope so. As the ONLY country music singer on this list, I gave no indication that he would even grace us with his Straitforward self. I shouldn't even have to defend him. A better question would be "Why Shouldn't He Be Here?" Fifty number one hit singles. A cornucopia of top tens. A best-selling soundtrack. A movie that my brother abhors. What more could you need? Killer concerts. Sold-Out shows. Record-breaking attendances. A movie that my brother abhors. Do you really need more? Simple song construction with powerfully moving lyrics. (Although I still have my 14-year no crying streak (I'm a heartless SOB these days) Run almost broke it.) An emotional voice that can change from powerful to reserved instantaneously. Song list that contains the saddest songs I have ever heard, coupled with the funnest songs I have ever heard. George is the man. He ain't no beatle, either. Well, not this one, anyway.
02-19-03, 07:20 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The Darkest Ten #2 - Musicians
Originally posted by DarkestPhoenix
Name: Billy Joel
He'd probably be higher if he put out more music. Another talent which could be even more solidified in their place in Music History if only they did more of what they do, Create.
Name: Billy Joel
He'd probably be higher if he put out more music. Another talent which could be even more solidified in their place in Music History if only they did more of what they do, Create.
I guess 13 original albums and 2 live albums, and several live videos isn't enough, eh? How about 33 Top 40 hits? 23 Grammy nominations (5 wins)? Grammy Legend Award for his contributions and influence in the recording field? Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee? Just it found it odd. Never heard to anyone refer to Billy Joel in that way.
Nice list...you have an eloquent and witty prose style. Given that this is all opinion, take the following with a grain of salt. Your list, to me, reeks of mediocrity. Not surprising, considering your remarks about popular radio (see my sig for my thoughts on that matter). You may surprise yourself by venturing away from the endcaps at Best Buy.
Last edited by Numanoid; 02-19-03 at 07:26 PM.
02-19-03, 11:00 PM
#3
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I don't visit this board enough to comment on the whole Beatles thing... but there is not a list in the world that Shakira beats out the Beatles... 97' or not. Not even best butt.
Anyway... where is the dark, leaking with sadness stuff you promised?
Here is my list, which changes daily:
*=Hall of fame... lifetime membership on list
(not in order)
*Nick Cave
*XTC
*The The
Peter Murphy
Aimee Mann
Hank Williams
Radiohead
Suzanne Vega
Tom Waits
*Talk Talk
Anyway... where is the dark, leaking with sadness stuff you promised?
Here is my list, which changes daily:
*=Hall of fame... lifetime membership on list
(not in order)
*Nick Cave
*XTC
*The The
Peter Murphy
Aimee Mann
Hank Williams
Radiohead
Suzanne Vega
Tom Waits
*Talk Talk
Last edited by Luka; 02-19-03 at 11:09 PM.
02-20-03, 02:09 PM
#4
DVD Talk Hero
Originally posted by Luka
*Nick Cave
*XTC
*The The
Peter Murphy
Aimee Mann
Hank Williams
Radiohead
Suzanne Vega
Tom Waits
*Talk Talk
*Nick Cave
*XTC
*The The
Peter Murphy
Aimee Mann
Hank Williams
Radiohead
Suzanne Vega
Tom Waits
*Talk Talk
My list:
Gary Numan (obviously)
Ultravox/Visage
A-ha
Devo
YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra)
Adam (and the) Ant(s)
Sparks
Bill Nelson
Midge Ure
John Foxx
02-20-03, 03:48 PM
#7
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My favorites off the top of my head:
Tori Amos
Bjork
Julianna Hatfield
PJ Harvey
Cocteau Twins
Siouxsie and the Banshees
They Might Be Giants
Lucinda Williams
Johnny Cash
and, yes, the goddamn Beatles
(take note: this actually IS a list of dark, leaking with saddness stuff (mostly)
)
(further note: this is also a 'favorites' list, not 'best'- and thus heavily influenced by the 90s being my 'musical awakening' so to speak)
Tori Amos
Bjork
Julianna Hatfield
PJ Harvey
Cocteau Twins
Siouxsie and the Banshees
They Might Be Giants
Lucinda Williams
Johnny Cash
and, yes, the goddamn Beatles
(take note: this actually IS a list of dark, leaking with saddness stuff (mostly)
)(further note: this is also a 'favorites' list, not 'best'- and thus heavily influenced by the 90s being my 'musical awakening' so to speak)
03-02-03, 11:43 PM
#8
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Thread Starter
Leaking with sadness...I have to say that George has written some of the most tear-inspiring (even though my 11 year non-crying streak stands...) songs I have ever heard. The same goes for Jewel's Foolish Games, as stated, Shakira's Inevitable, Not Even The Trees, Look Away, by Hootie, and Another Grey Morning by JT...just my opinion, of course.
Also, as stated, I don't really listen to what is referred to as 'non-traditional' artists, because of their lack of play. I listen to vocalists' voices...that is why they're called 'singers' after all. In general, though, I respect an artist due to their work, which includes songs not generally heard. That's why you may find most artists that are commonly known, but my favorite songs are not what most of their fans would claim.
My internet's been down...sorry it's been so long to reply.
SWR
Also, as stated, I don't really listen to what is referred to as 'non-traditional' artists, because of their lack of play. I listen to vocalists' voices...that is why they're called 'singers' after all. In general, though, I respect an artist due to their work, which includes songs not generally heard. That's why you may find most artists that are commonly known, but my favorite songs are not what most of their fans would claim.
My internet's been down...sorry it's been so long to reply.
SWR
03-18-03, 06:45 PM
#9
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Frank Zappa
King Crimson (post-Islands)
Phish
Grateful Dead
Ween
Beatles
Stones (early only!)
Be-Bop Deluxe (good luck finding!)
Radiohead
Disco Biscuits
Tomorrow it will probably be different.
mud...
King Crimson (post-Islands)
Phish
Grateful Dead
Ween
Beatles
Stones (early only!)
Be-Bop Deluxe (good luck finding!)
Radiohead
Disco Biscuits
Tomorrow it will probably be different.
mud...
