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#1 2008-10-11 3:48 pm
Your Favorite Musician
I know this is a hard one.
I have vastly diverse tastes in music from hardcore heavy metal to lite jazz depending on my mood. But if I had to really settle on one artist it would be Ian Anderson under his guise as Jethro Tull.
I can think of very few artists work that I enjoy as much today as I did 30 years ago. Neil Young comes close as does the Grateful dead but Tull wins on the forceful relevance of the music.
And more than anything Ian Andersen's anger and spite speaks to me in a way no other artist has been able to, in a consistent way, for decades. Ian writes the music I would if I had the talent to do so.
His work "Aqualung" stands as a manifesto for those who do believe in God but are appalled at what has been done with the supposed word of that God. An album that is not only as relevant to the time in which it was released but increasingly true as time has passed.
Crest Of a Knave, 25 years latter, captures the feeling of the changing world from a working man's perspective that is both insightful, bleak and optimistically angry.
Anger and the standing up for what is right is a core value in the Tull world as it is in mine.
Few artists can stand up to the passage of time as Ian has.
What is your "one". The artist you turn to when you want to hear something that will feed your soul?
I’m not ready to make nice-I’m not ready to back down-I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round-It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could-‘Cause I’m mad as hell-Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
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#3 2008-10-11 5:25 pm
- macforme
- The Terror of Zombies Far & Wide

- From: Malton, Zombie Central
- Registered: 2001-08-04
- Posts: 349
Re: Your Favorite Musician
My all time favorite is Phil Collins, with Sting as a very close second. But, there are so many secular and christian groups / soloists that I love, that depending on my mood, I could chill out with any one of them.
I saw Tull at the (newly revamped at that time) Fox Theater in Detroit about 17 - 18 years ago. It was a good show, and my buddy (who was a huge fan at the time) really enjoyed it. It was pretty wild watching Ian Anderson wearing tights, standing on one leg, playing his flute. If I remember right, he was dressed kind of like a wandering minstrel, like he ran away from some ren fair. The coolest part was when they pulled a couple out of the audience onto the stage and performed for them. They had little outdoor cafe scene set up, with a table, chairs, and wine bottle. They put the couple in the chairs and the band gathered around the set and played a few songs.
"You are coming to a sad realization, cancel or allow?"
...sigh.. "Allow."
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#4 2008-10-11 7:17 pm
- Tetrachloride
- ❖ ❖ ❖

- Registered: 2001-01-29
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Re: Your Favorite Musician
For years, I said Pink Floyd or Roger Waters, hands down, with some U2 as runner up.
No choice stands out now, but I've been cranking David Bowie more often.
Last edited by Tetrachloride (2008-10-11 7:31 pm)
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#5 2008-10-11 9:14 pm
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Bob Dylan - his song writing was amazing
Rush - they really pushed the envelope in experimentation - and it worked.
I think the obvious question everyone has is who takes loaded weapons into a Toys R Us? -- Jim Ferguson
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#7 2008-10-11 11:44 pm
- mmonte
- iconoclast

- From: Colorado
- Registered: 2003-02-09
- Posts: 768
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Pariah wrote:
What is your "one". The artist you turn to when you want to hear something that will feed your soul?
Outside of the classical music realm, I'd have to say The Who. I completely dig Roger Daltrey's voice, and Pete Townsend's songwriting.
Also up there would be Peter Gabriel.
...and the mountains rising nowhere...
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#8 2008-10-12 10:45 am
- Pithecanthropus
- Roast Master

- From: St. Cloud, MN
- Registered: 2002-12-30
- Posts: 3638
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Re: Your Favorite Musician
Thelonious Monk.
Every note he ever played, from the first to the last, was perfect. His compositions are beautiful, thought provoking, whimsical and just plain fun. I hold him up as the musician I wish I could be like.
Grandfatherly advice: You can drink 'em pretty, but you can't drink 'em smart.
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#9 2008-10-12 12:24 pm
- Ribtorus
- Member

- Registered: 2002-07-11
- Posts: 13272
Re: Your Favorite Musician
1) Modern Jazz Quartet
2) Wes Montgomery
3) Neil Peart
It's not a movie.
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#10 2008-10-12 12:51 pm
Re: Your Favorite Musician
I just saw Joe Satriani last night. He's the most amazing guitarist I've seen and puts on a great show.
But my favorite band of all time is probably Rush. There's noting like them.
Last edited by Gatchaman (2008-10-12 12:51 pm)
"I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'"
-- Bob Newhart
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#11 2008-10-12 5:07 pm
- Daddyo
- hoochie coochie man

- From: the last juke joint
- Registered: 2004-01-24
- Posts: 1577
Re: Your Favorite Musician
John Coltrane
"You got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate, bright and clean and a nice looking guy." -Joe Biden
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#12 2008-10-12 6:46 pm
- Pithecanthropus
- Roast Master

- From: St. Cloud, MN
- Registered: 2002-12-30
- Posts: 3638
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Re: Your Favorite Musician
Daddyo wrote:
John Coltrane
All of it? He stared losing me right after A Love Supreme.
Grandfatherly advice: You can drink 'em pretty, but you can't drink 'em smart.
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#13 2008-10-12 8:50 pm
- davic3
- Mac Warrior

- From: the place I just left
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- Posts: 1146
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Wow just one? That's tough. Well I guess if I had to pick just one I would say Marc Anthony, but really just his spanish music. Its not that I don't like the english stuff just the spanish is IMHO better
"A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory."
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#14 2008-10-12 9:10 pm
- Tallgeese
- Arugula-eating Elitist

- From: Fake America
- Registered: 2000-10-17
- Posts: 30657
Re: Your Favorite Musician
My favorite music and my favorite musicians are not necessarily coincident. A lot of good music has been made by real jackasses or artists inconsistent in output.
He can even take his son with him into the shower, where the boy cannot help but notice that Dad has a penis
- Dr. James Dobson, on "preventing" homosexuality
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#15 2008-10-12 9:31 pm
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Single musician? I'll go with Jean Michel Jarre or Mike Oldfield. Quite different from my normal tastes in acid rock/punk/metal/alternative bands.
...having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of '76, now look to a single and splendid government of an aristocracy, founded on banking institutions and moneyed incorporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures, commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry. -- TJ
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#16 2008-10-12 9:33 pm
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Hard to say but I'd say Jimmy Buffett ranks among my favorite domestic artists and Kajiura Yuki (梶浦由記) ranks among my favorite JPop artists.
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#17 2008-10-12 9:48 pm
- Macskeeball
- Member

- Registered: 2002-02-07
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Re: Your Favorite Musician
Jonas Brothers!
Just kidding. 
Negative people are the reason why this world is completely ruined.
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#18 2008-10-13 2:16 am
- 333imacman
- Disappointed

- From: Minnesota
- Registered: 2002-05-26
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Re: Your Favorite Musician
Switchfoot
runner up would be falling up
i don't understand most things
i don't really want to
i just want the strength
to keep fighting it
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#19 2008-10-13 7:54 am
- macnuke
- just a plano guy
- Moderator

- From: North Dallas 40
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Re: Your Favorite Musician
Billie Holiday
" ...But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!
Lee Iacocca
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#20 2008-10-13 11:30 am
- iSeamas
- Captain Howdy

- From: the Sticks
- Registered: 2001-12-26
- Posts: 745
Re: Your Favorite Musician
This is a tough one.
I'm big on music, and listen to a pretty wide variety. My tastes do shift (though certain "classic" rock will always be a part of my play list).
For a long time it would have been Beatles, with Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd and Rush close on their heels.
During my late 20s and mid 30s all I was listening to was jazz (mostly from 40s-60s), classical, early blues, "Old Timey" appalachian gospel and Irish music.
Then, about 7 years ago I became "obsessed" with the music of Bob Dylan. I listened to him quite a bit over the years, had a number of albums and tapes, but for some reason I finally "got it", and my ears turned to his music in a way that it had never done before. Within a couple years I picked up about dozens of his CDs and collections (the bootleg series is amazing), and managed (we have young ckids so it can be tought to arrange) to catch his show about 4 times.
he is such an interesting artist. I don't know too many in the "show biz" that are so willing to --purposely or not--alienate his audience numerous times. The twists and turns of his music -and even lyric style(s) is so interesting to discover and re-discover. His actual "genre" really hasn't ventured far from his pivot point - yet to the person following him, it would seem to be all over the map. (ooh he abandoned folk, ooh he abandoned rock, now he';s "country" etc).
So I had a period lasting a good 3 years where I was hardly listening to anyone else.
Now I'm more or less back to listening to a wide variety.
"There are two types of music: good music and bad music. I like both."
Duke Ellington
All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me.
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#21 2008-10-13 12:38 pm
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with

- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 14576
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Heh. Ian Anderson was the person that popped into MY head when I read the thread title.
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
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#22 2008-10-13 1:15 pm
- Daddyo
- hoochie coochie man

- From: the last juke joint
- Registered: 2004-01-24
- Posts: 1577
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Pithecanthropus wrote:
Daddyo wrote:
John Coltrane
All of it? He stared losing me right after A Love Supreme.
He lost me on the latter stuff also. The stuff he did from about the mid fifties to about '64 or'65 was, I believe, his best. His years with Miles were great but my favorite material is when he had the quartet consisting of Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones. If you can, check out the song 'Ole, he had Eric Dolphy with him-good stuff.
It hit me that those 10 years were almost everything that he did, short run but mighty damn awesome.
Last edited by Daddyo (2008-10-13 1:23 pm)
"You got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate, bright and clean and a nice looking guy." -Joe Biden
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#23 2008-10-13 1:25 pm
- Colonel Panic
- You need to restart

- From: The bowels of code
- Registered: 2003-10-12
- Posts: 523
Re: Your Favorite Musician
Tom Waits. Favorite artist in any medium.
Have you tried repairing permissions?
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#24 2008-10-13 4:55 pm
Re: Your Favorite Musician
So difficult. But the one group that I fall back on the most no matter what my mood has to be Rockapella. Although I listen to Bach almost as much.
Talk about contrast 
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#25 2008-10-13 5:05 pm
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