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Mon 25 May, 2009 07:40 pm
As I was driving down the road today, I was listening to the oldies station on the radio. Bridge over Troubled Waters came on. One of my favorite songs. I stopped in the parking lot at Walmart, and just sat and listened to the song. I was thinking about all of the songs that Paul Simon wrote. Hundreds of songs. I like most of them. He is what I would call a prolific songwriter. Bob Dylan was another. Not one of my favorite artists but, he was a great songwriter. Gordon Lightfoot was another prolific songwriter.He Sang many of his own songs and others sang his songs as well. Hank Williams Sr. wrote hundreds of songs. Are there any contemporary artists out there who are prolific songwriters, or has that talent passed on into history?
@Elmud,
Well, I can think of two off the top of my head. Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes and his own solo stuff continues to evolve into a stellar songwriter and lyricist. I think he has release around 10 albums and is only about 28. Another is M. Ward. He continues to grow as a musician, and has branched out beyond his solo work and works with actress Zooey Deschenel in She & Him. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up being my generations voices that carry on through time.
@Elmud,
my son is my authority here, contact with the outside world so to speak. he has been writing his own songs since he was a teen-ager, and according to him no one performs anyone else's songs, but that is among garage bands and so forth. he listens to a lot of foreign bands, europe and the like, south america-but i would have assumed that they all write their own material. prolific doesnt necessarily mean good though, right? just means a lot...so whether or not anyone today will become as fabulous as those guys you mention-are there any john lennon's out there? i wonder too...elton john anyone?
@salima,
salima wrote:my son is my authority here, contact with the outside world so to speak. he has been writing his own songs since he was a teen-ager, and according to him no one performs anyone else's songs, but that is among garage bands and so forth. he listens to a lot of foreign bands, europe and the like, south america-but i would have assumed that they all write their own material. prolific doesnt necessarily mean good though, right? just means a lot...so whether or not anyone today will become as fabulous as those guys you mention-are there any john lennon's out there? i wonder too...elton john anyone?
I forgot about Lennon and McCartney. Elton john is good but, I think a lot of his songs were a collaberation of him and Bernie Taupins writings.
@Elmud,
Elmud wrote:I forgot about Lennon and McCartney. Elton john is good but, I think a lot of his songs were a collaberation of him and Bernie Taupins writings.
John and Paul were great songwriters.
Elton John is a great musician, but as he says, his brilliance is melody and he can't write lyrics to save his life.
@Didymos Thomas,
Didymos Thomas wrote:John and Paul were great songwriters.
Elton John is a great musician, but as he says, his brilliance is melody and he can't write lyrics to save his life.
naw...elton john is way more than a great musician. he writes songs without verbal lyrics maybe. but what about beethoven and bach? not to say that he is in their league (or that they are in his league either for that matter)...
dont mean to go sentimental here, but music is the language of the heart-the one that was there before human beings started speaking and screwing everything up. that is why great musicians are able to cross all boundaries between people.
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