Greatest American musician(s)??

[Graham Jones]

Elvis wasn't a musician, his songs were written for him otherwise I would have voted for him. I don't like Dylan. I do like Buddy Holly. Probably Buddy Holly.

[SPUGGIE J]

Had to take BD as ther was no haevy metal abnds in the poll.

[woody]

heavy metal wouldnt be around if it wasnt for artists like Dylan and Cash

[WillowTheWhisp]

A choice of 3 is very limiting. Heavy metal may not have existed if it were not for Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash? By the same token they may not have been around were it not for earlier musicians. It's a process of evolution.

If it's lyrics you go for then take a look at some of the things written by Chris Simpson (do I hear you ask "Who?") particularly in view of your comments elsewhere the irony in a song called "Isn't it funny?" Not that he's American.

Out if the three you list I'd have to go for Dylan.

[woody]

fair enough!
of course i hadnt heard of Chris Simpson; but i must suggest that you probably wouldnt have a clue who an artist of my generations is?!
ie Richard Ashcroft? (the man's lyrics changed my life), Graham Coxon? Dave Grohl?

[WillowTheWhisp]

Richard Ashcroft -

There’s nothing really wrong with the state of your ambition
The whole world is crumbling
Cos your crazy vision
All wars are boys and death is what you hate most

Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size
Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size
Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size
Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size

It’s a crazy world
For a mixed up boy and a mixed up girl
It’s a crazy world
For a mixed up boy and a mixed up girl


So you got no god
You got no love
To tell me of

But you’ve got that spirit
So please stick with it
This world wouldn’t be
A world without you in it

Please shelter me
Please shelter me
I found this crazy world

It’s chewing on my brain like a desert train locus
I find it hard to love I find it hard to focus
The whole world is crumbling
Cos their crazy visions

Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size
Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size
Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size
Come on baby
Don’t you want to get a new size

It’s a crazy world
For a mixed up boy and a mixed up girl
It’s a crazy world
For a mixed up boy and a mixed up girl

So you got no god
You got no love
To tell me off

You got to keep your spirit
you stick with it
There ain’t a world without you in it
you stick with it

So you got no god
You got no love
To tell me of


Shelter me
Shelter me
Shelter me
Shelter me
Shelter me
Shelter me
Shelter me
Shelter me


That the type of thing you mean woody?

[woody]

ok ok he did do some pretty shocking stuff lol

the lyrics i was highlighting were the ones form the verve's album 'urban hymns', ie Lucky Man, Sonnet, The Drugs Dont Work and of course Bitter Sweet Symphony

[WillowTheWhisp]

Lol, well funnily enough "The Drugs Don't Work" is one of my own personal favourites but then I listen to all kinds of stuff.

The Simpson lyric I find most appropriate at present is:

"I told a clean cut political man
I can change the world I can.
Oh no said he,
I let the world change me."

You mentioned somewhere else about us old fogies not understanding what it's like to be 16 or maybe we can't remember. I think the truth is probably more that we can remember. We can remember exactly what it was like to feel like we knew all the answers and could see where all the old uns were going wrong.

Some of us even had the added bonus of living our teenage years in the optimistic days of flower-power, peace, love-ins, sit-ins and all that bunk. We "knew" we were at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius and we were going to be the generation that made everything groovy.

But later experience of life brings with it the realism and that is often followed by cynicism if we aren't careful.

It isn't that we don't want the changes. We just find out how easy it isn't (hence the lyric quoted). So we have the choice of either going with the flow or fighting a harder battle and sometimes settling for a lot less than our dreams. Don't imagine that it means we never dreamed, and don't think that because we don't always acheive much that we have given up the fight.

(Apologies for thread-wander)

[woody]

great points and thank you.....but i must admit the 'resident waffler' under your name is very apt lol
i supose for me its just going to be a huge resistance against 'going with the flow' until i drive myself crazy and settle with a desk job and shut my trap lol
dontya just love realising the inevitable haha

[shakermaker]

voted for cash....basically because i'v been listening to a wide range of his stuff recently and it is absolutely fantastic...still relative today

[Bad-Wolf]

Paul Simon should be on the list.