Greatest Musical Composers in Rock/Pop/Country/etc

[DC Tom]

2 hours ago, K-9 said:

I agree, there are several more contemporary composers I’d put above Williams for sure. I’m not necessarily a fan of his by any stretch. 

 

I'm a fan...but I understand what he writes is for mass consumption in a specific cultural era, and tied to a visual media.

 

I mentioned Prokofiev before...I'll put Williams' Star Wars score up against Alexander Nevsky any day (both are probably my favorite scores).  But they both lose something outside the context of the films, and neither compares to, say, Ives' Symphony #4.  

[K-9]

9 minutes ago, DC Tom said:

 

I'm a fan...but I understand what he writes is for mass consumption in a specific cultural era, and tied to a visual media.

 

I mentioned Prokofiev before...I'll put Williams' Star Wars score up against Alexander Nevsky any day (both are probably my favorite scores).  But they both lose something outside the context of the films, and neither compares to, say, Ives' Symphony #4.  

I’ll have to acquaint myself, thanks for the tips. 

 

What do you think of Hans Zimmer?

[DC Tom]

1 minute ago, K-9 said:

I’ll have to acquaint myself, thanks for the tips. 

 

 

You want complex?  Ives' 4th requires two conductors.  When people ask me to describe it, I tell them "It's what mental illness sounds like."  It's composed of a discordant blend of snippets of contemporary (1900-1920) pop tunes.  

 

I sang Ives' "Circus Band" in high school.  11 parts, simultaneously in the keys of F# and C-Minor.  Ives' later compositions were "controlled chaos."  Not easy listening or performing, but remarkable achievements.

 

4 minutes ago, K-9 said:

What do you think of Hans Zimmer?

 

He was okay, until Nakatomi Plaza...

[K-9]

Just now, DC Tom said:

 

You want complex?  Ives' 4th requires two conductors.  When people ask me to describe it, I tell them "It's what mental illness sounds like."  It's composed of a discordant blend of snippets of contemporary (1900-1920) pop tunes.  

 

I sang Ives' "Circus Band" in high school.  11 parts, simultaneously in the keys of F# and C-Minor.  Ives' later compositions were "controlled chaos."  Not easy listening or performing, but remarkable achievements.

 

 

He was okay, until Nakatomi Plaza...

First bold: although I haven’t heard it,  that is a GREAT description for a lot of discordant compositions and arrangements. 

 

Second bold: ? I like what he did for ‘Inception’, though. 

[WhoTom]

If I believed in reincarnation, I'd think that Pete Townshend was Beethoven in a previous life.

 

Listen to Quadrophenia, start to finish, and see why.

 

Turn off all distractions. Read the lyrics. Listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by WhoTom

[K-9]

5 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

If I believed in reincarnation, I'd think that Pete Townshend was Beethoven in a previous life.

 

Listen to Quadrophenia, start to finish, and see why.

 

Turn off all distractions. Read the lyrics. Listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yep. Great piece of work by one the greats. 

[DC Tom]

4 hours ago, K-9 said:

First bold: although I haven’t heard it,  that is a GREAT description for a lot of discordant compositions and arrangements. 

 

 

It's actually the example I use if people want to know what it's like being bipolar.  Glib, yes...but I'm honest-to-God serious as well.

 

4 hours ago, WhoTom said:

If I believed in reincarnation, I'd think that Pete Townshend was Beethoven in a previous life.

 

Listen to Quadrophenia, start to finish, and see why.

 

Turn off all distractions. Read the lyrics. Listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which is why I mentioned The Who earlier.  

[Bills4everNY]

I wouldn't put him up there with Beethoven or Mozart, but I will mention Jeff Lynne (ELO).

[Gugny]

On 6/7/2019 at 7:38 PM, DC Tom said:

 

One possible exception: Steve Vai.  He's composing classical/rock fusion pieces that are pretty complex.  Not the finest example of this work - for two-thirds the piece, the Holland Metropole is just a backing track, but it gives you an idea.

 

 

The second disc of this set, it's much more classical pops, with far less shredding.

 

And Billy Joel composed some piano suites in the classical style.  They're not Prokofiev, but they're not bad either.  

 

And the Who, Pink Floyd, and David Bowie.  And maybe Hendrix.

 

Those are about the only ones I can think of, that in 100 years might be remembered in the same way as, say, a Schumann or Mahler are today.

 

Unfortunately, we'll never know - but I think Randy Rhoads could have gone this direction had he lived longer.

 

I'm not an Yngwie Malmsteen fan, but I know he's been marrying rock with classical guitar for decades.  Coincidentally, I was lucky enough to see both Vai and Malmsteen share a stage not too long ago.

[K-9]

12 hours ago, DC Tom said:

 

It's actually the example I use if people want to know what it's like being bipolar.  Glib, yes...but I'm honest-to-God serious as well.

 

 

Which is why I mentioned The Who earlier.  

As someone who can relate to this on multiple levels, I don't find it glib at all. In fact, it's kind of refreshing. 

[DC Tom]

2 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

Unfortunately, we'll never know - but I think Randy Rhoads could have gone this direction had he lived longer.

 

I'm not an Yngwie Malmsteen fan, but I know he's been marrying rock with classical guitar for decades.  Coincidentally, I was lucky enough to see both Vai and Malmsteen share a stage not too long ago.

 

"Coincidentally?"  They've been doing that for years.  

[T&C]

Someone above mentioned Zappa and I agree... here is a nice article if you have a few minutes to spare: https://www.loudersound.com/features/frank-zappa-people-thought-the-beatles-were-god-that-s-not-correct?fbclid=IwAR1XvgB3CopHBu3sYu9jwilt3Dm31D6oIQ1bOMnvtbSySdJjYB4_c87L-gs

 

Quadrophenia is an excellent example as well as Fripp's King Crimson, mostly during the 70's for my taste but all of it really is very complex.

 

One name I haven't seen mentioned unless I missed it is Mike Oldfield. Tubular Bells isn't something you hack out on a piano in a few hours... this took a Lot of work not in just composing it but also finding the right musicians to be able to actually play it. Guy was just 19 at the time as well...

 

 

[dickleyjones]

the name Chuck Berry will be remembered in the year 2219.

[Gugny]

10 hours ago, DC Tom said:

 

"Coincidentally?"  They've been doing that for years.  

 

Coincidentally, as in we're discussing the topic today and I'd recently seen them.  As far as the show, Nuno Bettencourt and Zakk Wylde blew Vai and Malmsteen out of the water.  About a month later, I saw Satriani play Hendrix and he blew everyone out of the water.

[row_33]

if there any point for a moderate Hendrix fan to bother listening to the Curtis Knight releases?

 

experts only, please...

 

 

[row_33]

Can't they use computer cheating and trickery to brighten up Disraeli Gears, like they have to recreate The Beatles???

 

 

[Gugny]

On ‎6‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 11:06 AM, row_33 said:

if there any point for a moderate Hendrix fan to bother listening to the Curtis Knight releases?

 

experts only, please...

 

 

 

Not an expert, but from what I've read, I think they'd be worth a listen.  I'm a more-than-moderate Hendrix fan and I have yet to sample these recordings.  Thanks for the reminder.

[row_33]

14 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Not an expert, but from what I've read, I think they'd be worth a listen.  I'm a more-than-moderate Hendrix fan and I have yet to sample these recordings.  Thanks for the reminder.

 

with THE ESTATE!!!!! blocking everything useful....  i think i may give it a whirl.

 

 

[Gugny]

5 minutes ago, row_33 said:

 

with THE ESTATE!!!!! blocking everything useful....  i think i may give it a whirl.

 

 

 

From Rolling Stone in 1968 - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phony-hendrix-lp-in-legal-hot-water-197185/

 

"Hendrix himself has described the album as “musically worthless . . . a confetti of tapes hastily thrown together,” and says he is in accord with Warner Brothers’ efforts to curb its distribution."

 

From Rolling Stone in 2015 - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jimi-hendrixs-early-curtis-knight-recordings-set-for-official-release-227112/

 

Looks like Eddie Kramer engineered it.  I'd say that's a good thing.

 

If you check it out, let me know what you think.  If I get around to it first, I'll do the same.

[row_33]

14 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

From Rolling Stone in 1968 - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phony-hendrix-lp-in-legal-hot-water-197185/

 

"Hendrix himself has described the album as “musically worthless . . . a confetti of tapes hastily thrown together,” and says he is in accord with Warner Brothers’ efforts to curb its distribution."

 

From Rolling Stone in 2015 - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jimi-hendrixs-early-curtis-knight-recordings-set-for-official-release-227112/

 

Looks like Eddie Kramer engineered it.  I'd say that's a good thing.

 

If you check it out, let me know what you think.  If I get around to it first, I'll do the same.

 

 

THE ESTATE!!!! can't block it on youtube.

 

Just finished a bio on Jimi, went into details about contract hassles and such, good read to accompany Apple to the Core for The Beatles

 

Jimi signed every tiny contract and didn't sign any major contract, the efforts to identify and buy out his minor contracts when he got big was harrowing