Cool Jam

[Zimrah]

#1 Glenn Kaiser ... no, wait ... they have to sing well too? hmmmm. That should cut out Neil Young too, though. Got to think on this one.

BRAIF!!! You can run, but you can't hide!!!

Call me, you punk! Don't make me threaten to leave you my children and their parrot in my will. And if you don't hurry, I'm leaving you the yorkshire terrorist too!

[Jack E Martling]

Originally posted by Doc Wilson
There is also the problem of defining "greatest singer songwriter". I think Neil Young wins if we are talking about sheer volume of great tunes written and recorded by a solo artist over the years.

Although I'm a huge Neil Young fan I don't think either he or Dylan are anywhere near the top because they will never be mistaken for being able to sing. I'm talking about guys who not only write great songs but sing them without peer.

"I live the kind of life, that most men only dream of. I make my living writing songs, and singing them. After 40 years of pickin, I'm still alive and kicking down the walls. But, I hide my age and make the stage and walkaway without a curtain call."--Merle Haggard. That's what I'm talking about.

[PFB]

Bob Dylan
Hank Williams
Steve Earle
Johnny Cash
Matthew Ryan
Bruce Springsteen
Neil Young *
Van Morrison
Lou Reed *
Peter Gabriel
Jay Farrar
Neil Finn
Paul Westerberg


* if singing ability isn't a factor

[TheMan]

Elliott Smith is my current favorite.
Grant Lee Phillips is my long-term champ.

[Rob Quail]

I'll put in votes for John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Lennon, Springsteen, and Willie Nelson.

And what about Willie Dixon? Could be the most-covered songwriter of all time!!

Lightfoot has never been a fave of mine, even tho I'm canuck. But Robbie Robertson...!!! :cool:

[belle]

Criss Isaak!

[Doc Wilson]

Originally posted by Jack E Martling


Although I'm a huge Neil Young fan I don't think either he or Dylan are anywhere near the top because they will never be mistaken for being able to sing. I'm talking about guys who not only write great songs but sing them without peer.

Hell, none of the top tier songwriters can sing worth a shit. That's why they are songwriters!

I think Neil's voice works well with his material. I can't imagine anyone else singing "Old Man" or "Helpless".

[Jim Soloway]

Originally posted by Doc Wilson


Hell, none of the top tier songwriters can sing worth a shit. That's why they are songwriters!

Absolutely untrue. Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Joni Mitchell all sing exceptionally well and at various times in their careers they have all written some wonderful music. The same was true for Paul McCartney when he was much younger.

[Doc Wilson]

McCartney ain't a singer-songwriter, Jim, though I'll agree he does both exceptionally well.

I don't put JT in the top tier. JMO.

JM is great, but I don't find her voice that pleasing in and of itself. She's actually the kind of person I was thinking of when I made the comment.

Paul Simon I'll give you, if only for his earlier work.

When I think Singer-Songwriter I think of guys like John Prine, Guy Clarke, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, you know, those guys who can't sing for shit.

[bek]

Dylan
Van Morrison



Robert Johnson

Springsteen
Billy Joel

[335clone]

Originally posted by Doc Wilson
When I think Singer-Songwriter I think of guys like John Prine, Guy Clarke, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, you know, those guys who can't sing for shit.

James McMurtry, Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider, Lucinda Williams

[koiwoi]

Warren Zevon
Carol King
Roger Waters

[bad_guitar_pla…]

Tom Waits
Nick Cave

[SKEAMO]

Originally posted by 335clone


James McMurtry, Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider, Lucinda Williams

you made my day, clone! that's the 1st time i've seen todd snider mentioned on here by anyone but me. check the sig

[Jim Soloway]

Originally posted by Doc Wilson
McCartney ain't a singer-songwriter, Jim, though I'll agree he does both exceptionally well.

I don't put JT in the top tier. JMO.

JM is great, but I don't find her voice that pleasing in and of itself. She's actually the kind of person I was thinking of when I made the comment.

Paul Simon I'll give you, if only for his earlier work.

When I think Singer-Songwriter I think of guys like John Prine, Guy Clarke, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, you know, those guys who can't sing for shit.

One at a time...

Doc, I don't know how old you are, but when it first came out Sweet Baby James was one of the most celerated albums by a song writer of all time. Of course, heroin took it's toll soon after.

I agree with with you're comment about Paul Simon being most notable for his early work, but his early work covered more years than most people's careers, from the first S&G album to at least Still Crazy After All These Years.

Joni Mitchell...let's just call that one a matter of personal taste. Until smoking finally caught up with ger around Hissing Of Summer Lawns, I thought she was a wonderful singer.

McCartney not a singer/songwriter? How not?

[koiwoi]

Have you heard that Paul Simon song about sex with a crowbar?

50 Ways to Love Your Lever-------Yuk yuk

[Doc Wilson]

Okay, roughly in reverse order, Paul M., is not really in this genre, because the majority of his work is with a band. He's a singer songwriter now, I guess, but I assumed you were talking about his masterpieces, Yesterday, etc...

Joni, c'mon, I think we can find agreement here. She is a vocal genius, but its quirky, she's like Young, her voice works with her stuff. She can't do covers. She's not your A list vocalist with world class timbre.

Simon, c'mon, I gave you him. But he's the exception. The best singer-songwriters, by and large, can't sing like Paul McCartney. Hell, even Simon can't.

On JT, I'm 46. that was a great album. But he's never come close to matching it, either in singing or songwriting. His output as a songwriter is not in the same class as Simon's, or Joni's.

But anyway, fun stuff to argue.

[L5S]

John Hiatt
John Prine
Michael Hedges
Bob Dylan
Jim Croce
James Taylor
Jim Morrison

[Jim Soloway]

Originally posted by Doc Wilson

Joni, c'mon, I think we can find agreement here. She is a vocal genius, but its quirky, she's like Young, her voice works with her stuff. She can't do covers. She's not your A list vocalist with world class timbre.

Can't do covers? Check out Court And Spark for possibly the best version of Twisted ever recorded.

By the way, did any of us actually mention Billy Joel or Stevie Wonder.

[NervePoet]

Back in my day, we didn't have any fancy pants Bob Dylans or Peter Gabriels. We had Alfalfa and we liked him!