Who is the greatest musician of all time

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 29 Jan 2005 6:55 am

I can't believe that nobody has named the one and only answer to this question. I'm absolutely certain that EVERYONE here on the forum will agree that the greatest musician of all time, hands down, is obv

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 29 Jan 2005 7:50 am

the greatest musician of all time, hands down, is obv

I must disagree. I don't think obv's music is all that great.

James Lutz · Post by **James Lutz** » 29 Jan 2005 8:25 am

maybe it was odb?

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 29 Jan 2005 9:12 am

the greatest musician of all time, hands down, is obv

I personally though he was better with his hands up.

Susan Alcorn · Post by **Susan Alcorn** » 30 Jan 2005 12:12 pm

John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Pauline Oliveros

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 30 Jan 2005 5:23 pm

Seriously, I don't think ANYBODY knows enough to be able to answer this question. We all have our areas of expertrise, and we all have areas where we know little or nothing.

Who among us can speak with authority about Japanese music? Or Brazilian? Or any of the other musics of the world?. The worlds greatest musician may well be or have been somebody working on some field that none of us know about.

As steel players, we know about Buddy and Lloyd. How many people who are not steel guitar entheisiasts know who they are? The same can be said for every field. Everybody is ignorant to some degree. Some more than others.

Personally, I wonder how many people will answer in all seriousness, Jimi Hendrix.

Pat Carlson · Post by **Pat Carlson** » 30 Jan 2005 6:04 pm

Earl Scruggs, Y'all know what he plays!

Bob Doran · Post by **Bob Doran** » 30 Jan 2005 6:46 pm

Perhaps the "greatest musician" is the one who wrote the most number of songs that the common man would recognize?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 30 Jan 2005 7:04 pm

Hmmmm... well, then, I guess that would have to be either "Anon." or "Trad."

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 31 Jan 2005 2:44 am

Bob, that might likely be Stephen Foster.

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 31 Jan 2005 3:30 am

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Jan 2005 5:16 am

David, only in America but I believe the question is global...

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 31 Jan 2005 7:43 am

Well Stephen Fosters music was used in a lot of Hollywood movies,
and cartoons that saw world wide viewing.
Even if the talking was changed the music remained the same.

It came to be a reference to Americana and world wide perceptions of older American periods.[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 31 January 2005 at 07:44 AM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Jan 2005 8:17 am

Actually, you're probably right, DD. I remember one time I went to the island of Cyprus for a conference. We stayed at a hotel (a Hilton, I think) and in the lobby there was a guy playing a grand piano. He thought he was so cool because he was playing "American Popular Music". Well, all the songs he played were "Oh, Susanna" and "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain", all out of his very own Stephen Foster songbook! He was just SURE this was gonna make all the visiting Americans so happy...

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 31 Jan 2005 11:08 am

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 31 Jan 2005 11:33 am

Oh, yes...
Ring, Ring the Banjo
Camptown Races
Glendy Burke
and my favorite Foster song "Beautiful Dreamer"

It really is a beautiful tune.

The list goes on and on.

pm (subliminal suggestion)[This message was edited by Rick McDuffie on 31 January 2005 at 11:34 AM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Jan 2005 12:27 pm

Yeah, now I remember, "De Camptown Races" was his "Big Hit" number. He played it over and over again all de Doo-Dah day!

(... and I was gwine to puke all night...)[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 31 January 2005 at 12:28 PM.]

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 31 Jan 2005 12:53 pm

Gord Lightfoot had a tune subtitled "Song For Stephen Foster". Was it "Your Love's Return"? What beautiful music... it gives me chills (in a good way).

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 31 Jan 2005 1:36 pm

We might do well to remember we've no chance to hear all the great music ever played, or (thanks to Clear Channel) even the best of modern recorded music. Jim Cohen's post reminded me of a tour I was on that played on Crete, and sitting in with some local cats on our night off. Some of the most rhythmically amazing and challenging playing I'd ever heard, with a "fiddle" style I'd never seen anyone else remotely approach. How much of that kind of stuff is out there somewhere? I certainly wish I could go back and attend a few Pagannini conerts...

------------------
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 31 Jan 2005 1:41 pm

Not to start an argument here, Rick, but have you noticed how much more of the Beatles' material McCartney claims responsibility for, the longer Lennon stays dead??? And even MORE, now that George is gone???

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 31 Jan 2005 2:48 pm

Hard Times Come a Around No More, great tune
and James Taylor nailed it with Mark O 'Connor, Edgar Meyer and Yo yo Ma

And Old Man River
Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
Beautiful Dreamer
Ring The Banjo, Far from b0b
Gentile Annie
Laura Lee
Better Times Are Coming
Maggie By My Side
My Old Kentuckey Hom
Old Folks At Home
Old Dog Tray ( ya know the one with the flat head

)
There Are Plenty Of Fish In The Sea
Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
Massa's in De Cold Ground
Good Night! ( Ladies)
Old Black Joe

Still vote Bach over all,
but most heard songwriter might likely be Foster.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 31 January 2005 at 03:04 PM.]

Bob Doran · Post by **Bob Doran** » 31 Jan 2005 4:58 pm

OK, let's redefine the "best musician" again.
either or both of these criteria:
1)Who will still be remembered in a 1000 years (probably Bach again)
2) Whose music had the most influence on his own generation including socially- my opinion- Bob Dylan, who did write the greatest song of all time, Like a Rolling Stone.
BOb

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 31 Jan 2005 8:17 pm

"Stays dead..." I like that, Steve. No, I hadn't thought about it... I will now, though.

Kinda like some of Carol Kaye's Motown sessions, huh?!

I'm changing my vote to Gordon Lightfoot.

Rick

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Jan 2005 8:41 pm

Whose music had the most influence on his own generation including socially- my opinion- Bob Dylan, who did write the greatest song of all time, Like a Rolling Stone.

Nah. For durability (among modern popular artists), it'd have to be the Beatles. You gotta admit, you don't hear string versions of "Like a Rolling Stone" in elevators and shopping malls! But... "Michelle", "Do You Want to Know A Secret", etc., etc. appear all the time.

As for best song ever, well, I thought it was settled that that was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 31 Jan 2005 9:05 pm

Dylan is a great LYRICIST, which is not the same as being a great musician.

If you take away his words and play his music as an instrumental, it doesn't hold up on it's own merits.