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Five Best Living Songwriters
Grant started it.
Then I got talking to Iaan Hughes from KBCS 91.3 here in Seattle about it, and he invited me on his show to further the debate, among other things. So, whether or not you tuned in today, I figured I'd post my Top 5 Living Songwriters list here so you can tell me how wrong I am and share your own. Because this debate can go on forever.
Just in the past 48 hours since I started sharing my ideas with friends, I've had people call me up from their road trips to tell me I should really consider Elvis Costello. Others have IMd me out of nowhere to say "Oh no, you can't leave off Nick Drake."
Oh yes. Yes, I can.
So without further ado, my list, with explanations:
1) Bob Dylan - You can't argue with the man's influence, which is not for nothing. You can listen to a Bob Dylan song 100 times and think it's about 100 different things each time. He's tackled folk, rock, the blues, and beyond. He's well-rounded. His melodies are mostly boring and his voice is totally shot at this point, but there's something about his songs. I recognize it more quickly when I hear other people do them. There's something to be said about a songwriter whose songs are so accessible and true in so many different context that almost anyone can pick them up and make them mean something, even if it's not what Dylan initially intended.
2) Dolly Parton - Her melodies are what sell me. But she's a great guitar picker and a great lyricist. The songs are about her, but there's no ego. You know when it's a Dolly song, but even with all her plastic surgeries and the showmanship of her persona, the songs are simple and earnest. She can nail a good heartbreak song, a good swoony love tune, an honest tale about growing up poor and basic salt-of-the-earth American values, gospel tunes, working man's songs (of which "9 to 5" is possibly one of the best ever, next to Mellencamp's "Little Pink Houses," in my opinion).
3) Paul Simon - Originally this spot was filled with Ani DiFranco, but I swapped her out for Paul Simon. That was a difficult decision for me. Anyone who knows me knows the influence that Ani's outside-the-box songwriting has had on my own. But this is about Paul Simon, and I was swayed by a friend's argument. He simply quoted me a line from "Graceland": "She said losing love is like a window in your heart / everyone can see it torn apart / everyone can see the wind blow." Good stuff. And then there's the fact that Paul Simon wrote one of my favorite songs of all time, "Homeward Bound," which is definitely the best among the swath of American songs about being an American songwriter. Like DiFranco, Simon is a great manipulator of musical styles. He's dabbled in almost all of them, more consistently, and for a longer time. Like Billy Joel below, his songs are full of complicated stories, which I love.
4) Patty Griffin - Her songs give me chills. Her melodies swoop and soar. The lyrics sing themselves, she so understands the inherent musicality of words. She never lets an experimental rhythm or instrumental part get in the way of what the song itself is reaching for. Like I said today, it doesn't hurt that she can sing the heck out of them, either.
5) Billy Joel - He was the first artist in the world who really mattered to me. I loved his music when I was a child and had no way to understand the complexity of it all. He's a master of manipulating unconventional chord progressions and his songs surprise me, in terms of music theory. That's something I always appreciated, since I too came from classical music. He also wrote probably the world's greatest pickup line from a song, "You may be right. I may be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for." Think about all the great styles he incorporates, from roots rock to R&B and beyond. It's easy to turn his tunes into country songs because they're so full of stories. But the stories are complicated, from the point of view of a blue collar man trying to figure out where he fits. Whether he's talking about the industry shutting down in the rust belt with "Allentown," transcending the Cold War lessons of his youth to make friends with a Russian clown in "Leningrad," paying homage to Long Island fishermen with "Downeaster Alexa," coping with severe anxiety in "Pressure," or singing a love song to a complicated woman with "She's Got a Way."
I could, clearly, go on and on. But now it's your turn. Make your case. Call me out.
Then I got talking to Iaan Hughes from KBCS 91.3 here in Seattle about it, and he invited me on his show to further the debate, among other things. So, whether or not you tuned in today, I figured I'd post my Top 5 Living Songwriters list here so you can tell me how wrong I am and share your own. Because this debate can go on forever.
Just in the past 48 hours since I started sharing my ideas with friends, I've had people call me up from their road trips to tell me I should really consider Elvis Costello. Others have IMd me out of nowhere to say "Oh no, you can't leave off Nick Drake."
Oh yes. Yes, I can.
So without further ado, my list, with explanations:
1) Bob Dylan - You can't argue with the man's influence, which is not for nothing. You can listen to a Bob Dylan song 100 times and think it's about 100 different things each time. He's tackled folk, rock, the blues, and beyond. He's well-rounded. His melodies are mostly boring and his voice is totally shot at this point, but there's something about his songs. I recognize it more quickly when I hear other people do them. There's something to be said about a songwriter whose songs are so accessible and true in so many different context that almost anyone can pick them up and make them mean something, even if it's not what Dylan initially intended.
2) Dolly Parton - Her melodies are what sell me. But she's a great guitar picker and a great lyricist. The songs are about her, but there's no ego. You know when it's a Dolly song, but even with all her plastic surgeries and the showmanship of her persona, the songs are simple and earnest. She can nail a good heartbreak song, a good swoony love tune, an honest tale about growing up poor and basic salt-of-the-earth American values, gospel tunes, working man's songs (of which "9 to 5" is possibly one of the best ever, next to Mellencamp's "Little Pink Houses," in my opinion).
3) Paul Simon - Originally this spot was filled with Ani DiFranco, but I swapped her out for Paul Simon. That was a difficult decision for me. Anyone who knows me knows the influence that Ani's outside-the-box songwriting has had on my own. But this is about Paul Simon, and I was swayed by a friend's argument. He simply quoted me a line from "Graceland": "She said losing love is like a window in your heart / everyone can see it torn apart / everyone can see the wind blow." Good stuff. And then there's the fact that Paul Simon wrote one of my favorite songs of all time, "Homeward Bound," which is definitely the best among the swath of American songs about being an American songwriter. Like DiFranco, Simon is a great manipulator of musical styles. He's dabbled in almost all of them, more consistently, and for a longer time. Like Billy Joel below, his songs are full of complicated stories, which I love.
4) Patty Griffin - Her songs give me chills. Her melodies swoop and soar. The lyrics sing themselves, she so understands the inherent musicality of words. She never lets an experimental rhythm or instrumental part get in the way of what the song itself is reaching for. Like I said today, it doesn't hurt that she can sing the heck out of them, either.
5) Billy Joel - He was the first artist in the world who really mattered to me. I loved his music when I was a child and had no way to understand the complexity of it all. He's a master of manipulating unconventional chord progressions and his songs surprise me, in terms of music theory. That's something I always appreciated, since I too came from classical music. He also wrote probably the world's greatest pickup line from a song, "You may be right. I may be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for." Think about all the great styles he incorporates, from roots rock to R&B and beyond. It's easy to turn his tunes into country songs because they're so full of stories. But the stories are complicated, from the point of view of a blue collar man trying to figure out where he fits. Whether he's talking about the industry shutting down in the rust belt with "Allentown," transcending the Cold War lessons of his youth to make friends with a Russian clown in "Leningrad," paying homage to Long Island fishermen with "Downeaster Alexa," coping with severe anxiety in "Pressure," or singing a love song to a complicated woman with "She's Got a Way."
I could, clearly, go on and on. But now it's your turn. Make your case. Call me out.
Tags: altcountry, americana, best, billy, blog, bob, community, dolly, dylan, griffin
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Comment by Grant Alden on August 6, 2009 at 3:55pm - Of course I can argue with Dylan's influence...or, at least, that it hasn't necessarily been to anybody's benefit (he typed with a snarling smile on his face, but meaning it nevertheless). I guess Billy Joel will be your answer to Peter's Barry Manilow, but I think Manilow (god, I can't believe I'm going to type this) has written more good songs. Joel, really, has a handful of decent songs, and the rest is doggerel to my ears. Dolly, of course, we agree on. Patty Griffin...I'd put Gillian Welch in that slot, but that's OK. Paul Simon...now that one...that one's trouble. Graceland was an album on which he seemed utterly out of ideas, and so borrowed them (to put it charitably) from Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Los Lobos and I've forgotten who else. Otherwise you mostly have to pair his work with that of Art Garfunkel, which, I think, takes him out of the running. (But, then, I'm easily provoked!)
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Comment by Kim Ruehl on August 6, 2009 at 3:58pm - Let it never be said that you aren't at least a little bit of a fanilow.
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Comment by Steve Leftridge on August 6, 2009 at 4:27pm -
I'm going with...
1. Bruce Springsteen
2. Bob Dylan
3. Paul McCartney
4. Paul Simon
5. Tom Waits
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Comment by Andy Moore on August 6, 2009 at 4:47pm -
Hi Y'all:
These are not ranked.
1.) Leonard Cohen
2.) Bob Dylan
3.) Paul McCartney
4.) Elton John
5.) John Lennon
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Comment by Kim Ruehl on August 6, 2009 at 5:39pm
- John Lennon is not living...
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Comment by Iaan Hughes on August 6, 2009 at 5:42pm -
Hey Kim, you kicked up a small firestorm of emails and phone calls through the rest of the show today. Thanks for coming on it was great to have you there. If any of you list makers is interested in having your top 5ish aired on an upcoming show at KBCS - hopefully with songs and reasons why you think they're great get in touch with me and we'll start working out the details. Could be a pretty fun show!
1. Bob Dylan - I was listening to Elvis sing "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" earlier today where he does it as a funny little jump blues number, completely disengaged from the lyrics emotionally. He works it up as all rhythm and hubba hubbas. I think this is what Dylan really always wanted to be/do. Even if he can't, his songs can.
2. Loretta Lynn - She's never really had a "bad period" to my ears and although she doesn't have the canon of songs Dolly and Bob, etc have almost all of them have become country standards and touchstones. Three chords and the truth.
3. Billy Joe Shaver - Hands down one of the my favorite artists to see live, sings songs by and spin records from. Billy, you wrote my life.
4. Merle Haggard - I don't know if I'm allowed to have Bob and Merle on the same list. He's the most complex and realized songwriter here I think and can revival Dylan in love and theft.
5. Dwight Yoakam (with apologies to Tom W.) - Dwight has the best vocal break in the business, and to think of it the best boot scoot too. His songs though are the full package. He's one of the few modern singers that could compete in the golden singles era of the 40's-60's and he simultaneously keeps a foot in tradition while being able to rock without sounding like an actual rock band.
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Comment by Jerry Withrow on August 6, 2009 at 6:42pm
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Started, I really did.... then found it was impossible.
I mean, i can start off Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Tom Waits...... then I realize I've got one space and there's still Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Ray Davies, Lou Reed, John Prine, Paul Kelly, Sam Phillips, Brian Wilson, Richard Thompson, Van Morrison, Tom T. Hall, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Youssou N' Dour, Merle Haggard, Smokey Robinson, Nick Lowe, Patti Griffin,Nick Cave, Stephen Sondheim, Dolly Parton, Elvis Costello, Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom, David Byrne, Kris Kristofferson. Dan Penn, Mose Allison, Morrissey, Lucinda Williams, Stevie Wonder, David Thomas, Patti Smith, Tom House, Jimmy Webb, Ian Hunter, Graham Parker, Gillian Welch, Pete Townsend, Paolo Conte, Greg Brown, John Darnielle, Jeff Tweedy, Loudon Wainwright, Jesse DeNatale, Carole King, Jules Shear, Fiona Apple, Jill Scott, Chuck Berry, John Cale, .......Nope, can't do it.
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Comment by jim hix on August 6, 2009 at 7:13pm - billy joe shaver, buddy miller, hayes carll, corb lund, bob dylan
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Comment by OLLE NORDGREN on August 7, 2009 at 2:18am - My five best: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Billy Joe Shaver, Rodney Crowell and Tom Waits
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Comment by DublinBlues on August 7, 2009 at 5:34am -
Man, let's see - in no particular order, and right off the top of me head:
Dylan
Guy Clark - what a surprise! :)
James McMurtry
Brian Wilson
John Hiatt
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Created by No Depression Feb 17, 2009 at 9:06pm. Last updated by No Depression Aug 25.
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