Entertainment For Lively Minds
Instantly recognisable musicians
Posted by AndyPage on 6 February 2011 - 9:29am.
The sad passing of Mick Karn recently got me thinking about this one; I think that it Is quite a feat to pick up an instrument that thousands have played before and make it sound like you and you alone.
In this category I would place:
Mick Karn
Johnny Marr
Peter Hook
Colm O Ciosoig
The Edge (I am not a U2 fan, for the record, but you can always tell it's HIM)
Any more?
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There are fewer than one might think...
Being "instantly recognizable" suggests a musician who doesn't change their sound too often, so someone like Jimmy Page wouldn't fit the bill.
I'll go for B.B. King.
Wilko Johnson
Carlos Santana
Mark Knopfler
Jaco Pastorius
Oh and Joni Mitchell
A quite extraordinary guitarist.
And, go on then, Richard Thompson
Les Dawson
on piano
...........and there are occasions when no one sounds like Bob Dylan when he plays harmonica
Mark Knopfler
Mister mellifluous.
some of my favourites
Miles Davis
Thelonious Monk
Link Wray
Brian may.
Mark ribot, Mitch mitchell, john entwhistle. Actually, get rid of brian may and that'd be a fantastic supergroup if they were all still alive...
May is distinctive
and his whole guitar tone thingy is a major reason for my intense dislike of Queen. One of many major reasons mind.
...but..but ..but...
he made it! out of his mantlepiece! with his dad! Plays with a sixpence!
© Every bleeding Queen interview/story ever...
I'm always puzzled
by the lack of love for the BRH on the Word blog. Is it their playing Sun City, We Will Rock You and the overcommercialisation of Queen, or Freddie's posturing at Live Aid and other venues?
The ubiquitous Stuart Maconie
summed it up for me when he described them as being 'The pantomime Led Zeppelin'.
That and the same thing that puts me off Meat Loaf. I don't know what it is. Theatricality, probably.
Fred seemed alright, but the rest don't come over too well. Brian seems totally humourless, Roger seems arrogant and smug and John doesn't appear to have any notable characteristics.
I do like Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy and Don't Stop Me Now, but that's about it. Fat Bottomed Girls, too.
pantomime Zep
yes that's probably it. Can't stand them either. Never heard that quote before but that sums it up nicely.
You Say Pantomime Led Zep ...
... like it's a bad thing.
Actually, I think he hasn't got it quite right: Queen are the Music Hall Led Zep.
I Like Fat Bottomed Girls
but that just a general statement - nothing to do with the BRH song
BRH
I read BRH as "Brighton Rock Hitmakers". I realised later they had another song with those initials,
Errr
Carry on... we're with you...
I. Like. Queen.
There. I said it. They were theatrical, overblown and often pompous, but at their best they were also the absolute antithesis of worthy or cool. Also, only someone who's being deliberately obtuse would deny that they had a nifty way with a tune, and knew how to rock. I honestly don't see what's not to like.
I'm not a huge fan of their very earliest or later stuff, but about the time of "Sheer Heart Attack" through to "A Day At The Races" it seemed that they realised what they were for. Their purpose was to write enormous tunes that made fifty thousand people in an arena pump their fists and clap and sing until their larynxes combusted, and then leave grinning like twats and so drenched they might have fallen in the river.
They maybe took it a bit further than I might have liked on "News Of The World", and there followed a run of proper stinkers, but even those were interspersed with corking singles. I like "The Works" and "A Kind Of Magic" albums, even.
I think there's a real, important place in music for bands that are silly and overdone while still making cracking tunes. That's exactly what Queen are: the opposite of wholemeal. The musical equivalent of a turducken*, really.
*I await hilarious "turd" gag. But you know what I mean.
And yes -
- you can tell it's Brian May from the first note. Whatever he's playing on, you know it's him.
I was having a muso debate with my bro-in-law..
Who is a VERY capable drummer and I posited the old "Can there be a good band with a bad drummer?" question.
He responded with one word. Queen. He was of the opinion that the other three were so good that they could make up for his shortcomings.
Actually, I sort of know Danny Miranda who was playing bass with Queen/Paul Rogers. I wonder what his opinion is?
What's wrong with Roger Taylor's drumming?
Dunno. I'm not a drummer.
I'm only passing on what another drummer thought.
I haven't listened to Queen for many years
but, within the tubs trade, he had a rep for being a little 'clumpy'.
Ah, well, fair enough.
I think he sounds fine. Although maybe that's just because I'm a shit drummer who thinks that "clumpy" is pretty descriptive of... erm... the sound that drums make. ;-)
Is John Deacon that good a bass player?
He never struck me as being especially inspiring, more from the Adam Clayton school. Seems like a bloody nice bloke, though, with the good sense to know when the horse wouldn't really benefit from a good flogging.
He's very very good.
Not showy, but ROCK solid and incredibly tight. He's very highly rated.
He is....
a great bassist, one of my favourites and very underrated. I wouldn't be much of a Queen fan, but I love the bass parts!
I'm with you Bob
theatrical, sometimes pompous but interlaced with the saving grace of humour. Some cracking tunes. Much like Meatloaf I might add.
Eric Clapton
Hank Marvin
Jeff Beck
John Lee Hooker
and another shout for BB King.
With guitarists it's usually a combination of a signature tone they've settled on and a familiar style of phrasing they've developed.
With drummers it's more a timing thing, where they "sit" on the groove, and how they phrase their fills (and how often they employ them). For example:
Keith Moon
Ringo Starr
John Bonham
All completely different, all instantly recognisable.
Drummers
To that list, I'd add:
Simon Kirke
Simon Phillips
Elvin Jones
All utterly distinctive, but unmistakable when you hear them on a record.
With you on Kirke and Elvin
to which I would add:
Tony Williams
Mitch Mitchell
Steve Gadd
Jeff Porcaro
Not sure I'd be able to identify Porcaro's style every time.
That's a tribute to his versatility I guess.
If we're talking jazz drummers
then Art Blakey surely deserves a mention
Art Blakey - Drums
Frank Zappa - Guitar
Bill Frisell - Guitar
Eivind Aarset - Guitar
Terje Rypdal - Guitar
Esbjorn Svensson - Piano
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Joe Zawinul - Synths
Daevid Allen - Glissando Guitar
Didier Malherbe - Saxophone
John Zorn - Saxophone
Cyro Baptista - Percussion
Wayne Shorter - Saxophone
John Coltrane - Saxophone
Charlie Parker - Saxophone
Gary Valente - Trombone
Pierre Moerlen - Drums
Stuff Smith - Violin
Sugarcane Harris - Violin
Jean Luc Ponty - Violin
Ruth Underwood - Percussion
Etc.
There are lots of distinctive-sounding instrumentalists, though not as many in Rock as there should be, especially if you look beyond guitarists to the other instruments.
have an up
for Bloomdido Bad de Grass and the mighty Pierre Moerlen
Marc Ribot
I think the most "different" guitarist that has a trademark sound. You can tell its a Tom Waits song if Ribot's twanging away in the background.
Ribot
Has done some beautiful playing with John Zorn in his various ensembles. Try Electric Masada "At The Mountains Of Madness" for full-on rowdiness:
WARNING! Disturbing images in the first clip!
or Bar Kokhba Sextet "50th Birthday Celebration Vol.11" for quieter, more melodic but no less intense playing:
The concert in the 2nd clip is not "officially" available but can be found online.
On the bass clarinet - Eric Dolphy
with those incredible octave leaps.
David Evans
Whatever you think of U2, The Edge has gotta be most recognisable musician ever. Test: Play Robbie Robertson's "Sweet Fire Of Love" to someone who knows little about music and they'll still know who that is on guitar straight away.
Mark Knopfler
Love 'im or hate 'im, that guitar sound is pretty recognisable
True, but...
isn't it just a tad too similar to J.J.Cale's sound to be considered unique?
Yes
I forgot about J J Cale. Can see it (hear it?) now you mention it. Would never have thunk it otherwise.
Knopflers early songs sound a little like Cale..
..but I'm struggling to hear a similarity in the guitar sound.
Robert Fripp
Love 'im or hate 'im, that guitar sound is pretty recognisable
Pianists
Jools Holland - I love him to bits, and, like the Queen (not the BRH) he has become a national institution, but his boogie-woogie accompaniment to every act that agrees to perform with him is so identifiable with him.
Mike Garson - has his 'avant garde' piano playing evolved at all since Aladdin Sane?
A couple of others
Nicky Nopkins' lovely arpeggiations
Dr John's FONK
Controversial one here?
I'm going to plump for Mike Oldfield when he's playing his electric guitar.
By no means my favourite artist but you can't deny that you can hear just one note of his playing and be pretty sure it's him. Can't recall anyone else who has a tone like that.
And on harmonica, Stevie Wonder - completely unmistakable.
Have an "up" for Mike Oldfield
... and while we're in the general area, Archie Leggatt had an instantly recognisable tone and style on the mighty Rickenbacker...
Where have you all been??
I feel like every time I mention Mike Oldfield on this blog a metaphorical tumbleweed drifts silently across a digital plain.
Very very recognisable guitarist.
Yes, I agree
Mike Oldfield - great guitarist with an instantly recognisable tone.
Stevie Wonder
.....on harmonica.
Oops. Trevor beat me by minutes.
And Richard Thompson of course
A bar of Thommo on electric guitar is enough to recognise him.
David Gilmour
Masterful and utterly distinctive.
Syd's...
...pretty distinctive, as well, come to think of it.
Dave Stewart
...no, not that one!
I know the various Canterbury bands had a bit of a style in common, but Dave Stewart's keyboards were instantly recognisable in any context.
What do you mean "not that one"?
Is there more than one Dave Stewart?
;-)
I am aware of at least three...
... but only one is a stalwart of the Canterbury scene.
I take your point, though - if the Word readership don't know to which Dave Stewart I'm referring without further qualification, I may as well throw in the towel and retire to my club...
I know of two
but I couldn't pick them out of a lineup.
Have you heard there's also more than one Elvis?
After spending years saying;
"No, not the one from the Eurythmics", I gave up and just started denying all knowledge of any Dave Stewart other than *the* Dave Stewart.
If I'm feeling charitable I might use "Eurythmics? No, sorry, don't know them... Oh hang on, you mean the guy from Longdancer? Blimey, I didn't realise he did anything after they split up." :-)
Canterbury Trails
Never mind Dave Stewart, what about Dave Sinclair?
He doesn't really fit our
He doesn't really fit our unmistakable mode here but I do love John G Perry's bass playing. Had the privilege of interviewing him a couple of years ago about his involvement with the early years of Wal basses. Very very lovely guy. Now heads up the UK's Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (of all things).
Skids Country
Stuart Adamson....the signature sound his making, then possibly his unmaking.
Have an up...
Listening to Steeltown on the way in to work this morning.
Aged remarkably well I thought.
a powerhouse of a record
Steeltown was always the one for me too.....havent listened in years, perhaps it's time to dust it off for a reappraisal.
Bass
J J Burnell
Norman Watt-Roy
Mick Karn
Stuart Morrow
Peter Hook
Also
Mark King.
And
Pino Palladino.
Jaco.
Instantly recognisable.
And Francis Rocco Prestia
And Francis Rocco Prestia from Tower of Power. No one else (other than perhaps the estimable Norman W-R) can fit so many note so perfectly into a bar and still sound tasteful).
Stuart Morrow...
...nice one! He doesn't get mentioned every day!
hehe...
notice I didn't mention the name of his old band for fear of Massive recriminations...
Genius bassist though, shame he just seemed to disappear out of music so suddenly once he left the band. Kind of like the "how the f*&K does he do that?!" comments about Wilko Johnson on the guitar, I was like that when I saw Stuart Morrow play the bass.
The Dame
and his famously asthmatic saxophone playing.
Adam and the Ants - Marco Pirroni's guitar and the twin drummers (yes, I know it's a rip-off of the Burundi style...).
Mike Barson
Father of the Nutty Sound
Mike Garson
He of the Phantom of the Opera style piano playing on Bowie's mid 70s albums
Stranglers, generally
Dave Greenfield's keyboards are very distinctive
JJ Burnel's bass playing has been mentioned already
Jet Black looks like his drumming should be distinctive (he's 72!)
Oh, and has anyone mentioned Bo Diddley yet?
Tony Levin
Whether playing the Stick or the bass guitar using his patented Funk Fingers device, T-Lev has a very distinctive sound.
Steve Howe
If it's not him, it's someone strangling a duck
But sometimes water fowl
But sometimes water fowl abuse can be a strange and wonderful thing. Have an "Up".
Tom Morello
If it's not him, it's someone cleaning a dirty window
A couple of folk musicians:
A couple of folk musicians:
- Martin Carthy (instantly recognisable as him, and I've never heard even other folk guitarists quite make that sound)
- Dave Swarbrick (he actually makes his fiddle sound like its leering at you)
Also:
- Ollie Halsall (it's not often - hardly ever, in fact - that a guitarist has ever made my jaw hit the floor. Indecently casual genius. And I don't even *like* guitar solos.)
have an up....
...for Ollie Halsall..
Oooooh, while we're in an
Oooooh, while we're in an acoustic guitar in an acoustic guitar/folky mood I'll nominate Gordon Giltrap and Preston Reed. Opposite ends of every spectrum but both unmistakable in terms of tone, style and writing.
Please don't hit me, but..
I'm gonna go for George Harrison.. especially his slide guitar, I can recognise that in an instant... and another shout for Clapton, he's very easily recognised too.
Marc Bolan
Very distinctive, underrated lead/rhythm guitar playing. No-one bends a string quite like him.
Also...
... how about that for a distinctive vocalist?
Marc's vocals
That Larry the Lamb bleat is very distinctive, but I'm afraid his guitar playing was rudimentary at best.
His shift from basic acoustic to even more basic electric guitar followed a weekend at Eric Clapton's house circa 1970 where Marc received a few lessons.
He gets full marks for enthusiasm, but none at all for technique, I'm afraid. Ask any guitarist. Bolan's pitch was all over the place and he used about 3 standard blues licks on all the records.
Still, who needs technique when the records sound that good?
Whaah? Can't believe nobody's mentioned
Hendrix.
Surely one of the most unique sounds in pop?
One not yet mentioned
Stewart Copeland on drums.
Keith Emerson
An abundance of triplets on the happy Hammond (which sounds like quite a good Saturday night). You just know that, whatever the piece, eventually it's going to go di-di-di, da-da-da, di-di-di.
Pops Staples...
and his shimmering, joyous guitar playing.
Somehow
Sevie Ray Vaughan who wore his Hendrix and Albert King fixations on his rather flappy sleeves managed to dstill their sounds in to something uniquely SRV.
Just the other day I walked into a guitar shop and after two notes I knew it was Stevie playing.
Blimey
...I thought he was dead!
Agreed
At one time, Ry Cooder
on both acoustic and electric had a great and unique sound. But it was so widely copied on film and advert soundtracks after Paris, Texas, that I don't think he is still so easy to distinguish from his imitators (which doesn't mean he's not a great musician).
Good point
there was a time when every third TV advert had a desert scene with tumbleweed blowing and an ethereal slide guitar playing in the style of Ry Cooder.
Except not as good as Ry.
Maxwell's
silver hammer.
Joey Santiago
of Pixies - the things he used to do with a bottle of Heineken, jeez!
Totally agreed.
Nobody sounds like Joey. Amazing player, and sort of the anti-SRV. Those slow, slow bends on "Gouge Away" raise the hairs on my neck still.
How the hell...
has this thread got so far with no mention of Keith Moon?
Or John or Pete.
...three of the most distinctive-sounding musicians ever.
Ahem!
If sir would deign to inspect my first comment in this thread, one will find that it hasn't.
As Stephen Merrick said.
Hendrix sounded only like himself, but almost every electric guitarist since has at least a little Jimi showing.
Walter Becker
We tend to forget what a fine guitarist he is and how distinctive his sound.
Or it might be Skunk Baxter's lines I was listening to.. Anyway, same applies.
Might have even been..
Denny Dias..or Larry Carlton..or Dean Parks..or Robben Ford etc
or Elliott Randall....
most certainly not Walter Becker.