Is Prince the Best Musican of the Last 30yrs

[tom sumter]

I don't think this question is really answerable to be honest. He is very talented, a great song writer and performer, but as far as musicianship and technicality goes, he's not the best. That solo in While my guitar gently weeps was nice, and had soul but wasn't all that technical. The thing I think a lot of people don't realize is how far guitar playing has come in the last 20 years or so. There are guitarists in metal bands (who obviously aren't REAL musicians) that can sweep pick for 4 minutes at 220 bpm and 4 finger tap all night long. It's all about playing stuff that people want to hear, and Prince does that.

A good musician is someone who creates (or plays) good music. It matters little if the playing is fast or hard to play.

 

[minute bull]

 

[tom sumter]

In my subjective opinion, Kurt Cobain is best the best song writer / musician of the past 30 years.

 

[TheShadow]

I'll catch crap for this, but just for the sake of educating the masses, George Michael also wrote almost all his songs and played all the instruments on his albums.
Couldn't make a pancake to save his life though...

 

[Lucifer Alpha]

Considering how famous he is that's a mind blowing statement. Then again your big in to metal so I could see why your crowd probably isn't in to that stuff

I'm talking about since my birth. I have never met one person who listens to Prince. When was his heyday? If it was before the nineties, that would make sense, since I was barely conscious at that point.

 

[Sanshou Kid]

It's all subjective. But I would put Beck and Jack White over Prince.

Beck yes, Jack White, no.

I gotta go with Springsteen. Not the most talented guitar player, but goddamn that man can write a song.

Not many people could be as prolific as him without making more duff albums. I can't think of any truly bad ones in the last 30 years.

However, Prince does get some love from me for being a really good arranger and choreographer. And he gave us this.

Sure, I can name a number of better guitar players, bass players and keyboard players. But, I'm hard pressed to come up with someone that does all 3 so well.

*cough* John Paul Jones *cough* (at least for Bass and Keys. Pretty good guitarist, too)

 

[Thrawn33]

A good musician is someone who creates (or plays) good music. It matters little if the playing is fast or hard to play.

Amen.

Look at what Black Sabbath created with simple power chords.

Sure any newbie on guitar (myself included!) can play Iron Man, but they innovated.

 

[Sock Puppet]

prince was fucking awesome.

 

[Sock Puppet]

I'm talking about since my birth. I have never met one person who listens to Prince. When was his heyday? If it was before the nineties, that would make sense, since I was barely conscious at that point.

yeah, he was popular in the 80's. he lost steam in the 90's when he went off on than symbol tangent thing.

 

[Lucifer Alpha]

yeah, he was popular in the 80's. he lost steam in the 90's when he went off on than symbol tangent thing.

Yea, I remember that. There was always weirdness surrounding him. For the longest time I thought he was just a gimmick like Spinal Tap.

 

[Breakitdown]

mike jack way better. overshadowed prime prince pretty brutally.

 

[Sanshou Kid]

Amen.

Look at what Black Sabbath created with simple power chords.

Sure any newbie on guitar (myself included!) can play Iron Man, but they innovated.

Damn straight.

Tony Iommi is the riff-master. No need to make it more complicated than it needs to be.

That was the thing with Sabbath, simple, riff driven songs. Same in the most part with Led Zep, CCR, The Who and any number of "influential" bands.

Hell, even early Metallica songs are pretty riff heavy and that's probably their best work.

All this Malmsteen type sorcery is very impressive, but would you want to listen to it all the time? Or would you rather listen to:


Go get some, Tony Iommi!

 

[osudude]

In my subjective opinion, Kurt Cobain is best the best song writer / musician of the past 30 years.

That's adorable!

 

[therealdope]

Last 30 years would include Vladimir Horovitz since he lived until 1989.

 

[TexasDrugAddict**]

Damn straight.

Tony Iommi is the riff-master. No need to make it more complicated than it needs to be.

That was the thing with Sabbath, simple, riff driven songs. Same in the most part with Led Zep, CCR, The Who and any number of "influential" bands.

Hell, even early Mettalica songs are pretty riff heavy and that's probably their best work.

All this Malmsteen type sorcery is very impressive, but would you want to listen to it all the time? Or would you rather listen to:


Go get some, Tony Iommi!

what about AC/DC. I heard a few people say the same thing about them. That their songs are too simple.

 

[hiyah]

 

[therealdope]

Damn straight.

Tony Iommi is the riff-master. No need to make it more complicated than it needs to be.

That was the thing with Sabbath, simple, riff driven songs. Same in the most part with Led Zep, CCR, The Who and any number of "influential" bands.

Hell, even early Mettalica songs are pretty riff heavy and that's probably their best work.

All this Malmsteen type sorcery is very impressive, but would you want to listen to it all the time? Or would you rather listen to:


Go get some, Tony Iommi!

Thanks buddy, you just reminded me that I'm so old I actually saw the Mob Rules tour.

 

[Sanshou Kid]

what about AC/DC. I heard a few people say the same thing about them. That their songs are too simple.

I gotta say, not a huge fan of AC/DC, but the fact that Back In Black is the 2nd highest selling album of all time and they're playing in front of HUGE crowds says a lot.

Simplicity is the way to go. Hence the entire Punk movement. 3 chords, song done. Same with most Nirvana songs.

 

[Yardener]

yeah, he was popular in the 80's. he lost steam in the 90's when he went off on than symbol tangent thing.

exactly. He was pretty much on the same level as Madonna and Michael Jackson in the 80s; but like many artists of the 80s, was overtaken by Nirvana and alternative music (whatever that means); meanwhile, pop morphed into boy bands, and then autotuned shit.

Sabbath Rules. Innovation > technical wizardry. Influence > musical chops. Coolest thing about Iommi - the tips of his middle and ring finger are missing, and he plays w/ plastic prothesis. Part of what makes his sound so epic

http://www.feelnumb.com/2009/10/16/black-sabbaths-tony-iommi-plastic-fingertips/

 

[windkick]

Dat swag