Most Overrated Dead Musician

mathepac

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Elvis was one of the biggest plagiarists out there, he practically admitted it himself. A great artist nonetheless, but let's not be under any illusions.

As per cloptrop above. This is my concern here. A fairly random group of names gets thrown together and 'compared' or 'assessed' by posters, some of whom don't seem to understand what or who to compare to whom or assess. Elvis was a creator, unique, a first - a white kid with the moves and the voice of a black man, a white gospel singer who brought rock-a-billy and country to new audiences and black music to a white audience. He sang what he heard growing up with his own interpretation of the material and a style uniquely his own. At his beast he was glorious. Although he got song-writing credits on some of his records, this was probably just a way of getting a few extra quid out his record contract with writers royalties, and I doubt he wrote as much as a note or a word. Elvis was no plagiarist, he had a really unique talent as a singer and performer.

mosstin

mathepac wrote: »

As per cloptrop above. This is my concern here. A fairly random group of names gets thrown together and 'compared' or 'assessed' by posters, some of whom don't seem to understand what or who to compare to whom or assess. Elvis was a creator, unique, a first - a white kid with the moves and the voice of a black man, a white gospel singer who brought rock-a-billy and country to new audiences and black music to a white audience. He sang what he heard growing up with his own interpretation of the material and a style uniquely his own. At his beast he was glorious. Although he got song-writing credits on some of his records, this was probably just a way of getting a few extra quid out his record contract with writers royalties, and I doubt he wrote as much as a note or a word. Elvis was no plagiarist, he had a really unique talent as a singer and performer.

All art is quite useless according to Oscar Wilde.

icarus86

:eek: Cant believe somebody actually voted for Freddy Mercury, best frontman ever

Turtyturd

Kurt Cobain for me, it's amazing what suicide can do to prolong fame. I wonder how he would be thought of today if the band were still going. I reckon they would still be making the same album repeatedly over the last 20 years, and probably be doing well to sell out the Olympia with most people only there to hear Smells like Teen Spirit.

mathepac

mosstin wrote: »

All art is quite useless according to Oscar Wilde.

D'accord mon ami but that's its value.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Turtyturd wrote: »

Kurt Cobain for me, it's amazing what suicide can do to prolong fame. I wonder how he would be thought of today if the band were still going. I reckon they would still be making the same album repeatedly over the last 20 years, and probably be doing well to sell out the Olympia with most people only there to hear Smells like Teen Spirit.

None of his living albums were the same, what are you basing that bizarre prediction on?

clappyhappy

He isn't on the list but, I can't understand what the hype is about Bob Marley . I can't stand his music, will probably get shot down for saying this.

mikom

clappyhappy wrote: »

I can't understand what the hype is about Bob Marley . I can't stand his music, will probably get shot down for saying this.

Depends.
Are you a sheriff?

Da Shins Kelly

mathepac wrote: »

As per cloptrop above. This is my concern here. A fairly random group of names gets thrown together and 'compared' or 'assessed' by posters, some of whom don't seem to understand what or who to compare to whom or assess. Elvis was a creator, unique, a first - a white kid with the moves and the voice of a black man, a white gospel singer who brought rock-a-billy and country to new audiences and black music to a white audience. He sang what he heard growing up with his own interpretation of the material and a style uniquely his own. At his beast he was glorious. Although he got song-writing credits on some of his records, this was probably just a way of getting a few extra quid out his record contract with writers royalties, and I doubt he wrote as much as a note or a word. Elvis was no plagiarist, he had a really unique talent as a singer and performer.

A white man singing black music doesn't automatically make them unique. I understand the significance of Elvis, and I actually love a lot of his music, but to call him a 'creator' is a bit much, I think. He didn't create anything, he just reinterpreted it, and he admitted as much himself. Little Richard was doing what Elvis was doing before him.

biko

Janis Joplin.

Malice

Now seven people have voted for Dimebag Darrell and Cliff Burton. Are any of the seven brave enough to admit it publicly?

walshb

leincar wrote: »

Okay thats it, who voted for Freddie Mercury. Come on, own up. That is the most dastardly of dastardly deeds.

By the way he isn't in the list but I vote for Elvis.

Voting for Elvis would be every bit as bad as voting for Freddie. As performers/singers go, them two are the best of the best. As fro pure musiciaons, well, thnat is another discussion.

mathepac

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

... Little Richard was doing what Elvis was doing before him.

I guess you've missed the obvious point, as well as much else. Little Richard was black, unlike Elvis, and he cut his teeth performing to black audiences, again unlike Elvis.

Together he and Elvis pretty much created rock n' roll and influenced popular musicians through to this day, including the Beatles who toured with Little Richard as his backing band at one stage. The shouts and yelps featured in Beatles records are based entirely on Little Richard's famous "little holler".

mosstin

Malice wrote: »

Now seven people have voted for Dimebag Darrell and Cliff Burton. Are any of the seven brave enough to admit it publicly?

Your surname isn't McCarthy perchance?

hidinginthebush

Three for jimi Hendrix?!?! FFS!

Malice

mosstin wrote: »

Your surname isn't McCarthy perchance?

What has that got to do with what you highlighted?

nxbyveromdwjpg

FirePower wrote: »

As we all know when a musician dies their reputation skyrockets and they are put on a pedestal that they were never on when they were alive.
Its not their fault, they're not the ones overrating themselves, after all they're dead.
But who does everyone reckon is the most overrated musician due to an early death.

Basically judge it on who most fits the criteria that if it wasn't for an early death, they wouldn't be held in such a high esteem as they are.

Kurt Cobain does not fit this at all, not even in the slightest. He was at the height of his fame and already on the highest pedestal when he died. 29 young voters in that poll I can only assume.

Nirvana were the biggest band in the world at that time and if it wasn't for already being on perched so highly on this pedestal you speak of (for the most part against his will), he would probably still be alive now.

CajunOnTour

nm wrote: »

Nirvana were the biggest band in the world at that time and if it wasn't for already being on perched so highly on this pedestal you speak of (for the most part against his will), he would probably still be alive now.

Their music was still pretty mundane.

raindog.promo

Only person that comes to mind for me is Gram Parsons. I didn't like the music, couldn't seem to get it together throughout his whole career and seems to be mostly known for dying young and the whole cremation by his mates mythology.

Or the ones that the press have a ****storm about and people you've never heard of come out of the woodwork to comment on. Whitney Houston?

Seems to me that there's lots of argument with your list because in general over rated dead musicians tend to be forgotten pretty quickly unless they're famous for something else while happening to be musicians. Sid Vicious would be an example, Although I do like his version of "My Way".

Will Michael Hutchence be remembered for his music (of which, certainly one or two great tunes) or the whole killing himself through mastrubation story?


Kinda related but funny nonetheless....

Kold

Ian Curtis.

Irish Guitarist

Rob Pilatus.

Da Shins Kelly

mathepac wrote: »

I guess you've missed the obvious point, as well as much else. Little Richard was black, unlike Elvis, and he cut his teeth performing to black audiences, again unlike Elvis.

And like I said, a white man reinterpreting black music for a white audience does not make him a 'creator'. He didn't create anything, just made already existing music more accessible to white people. He did what he did very well nonetheless.

Conbhar

losthorizon wrote: »

I voted Jim Morrison. I used to think they were brilliant. That was until I actually bought some of their CDS. Annoying, just annoying plus they've aged a lot - that cant be said of all the other perspective candidates.

Funnily enough when i was young i used to hear one or two of their songs here and there and it wasnt until i actually started buying their albums that i discovered their whole back cataloge of work was amazing. Im my eyes they have one or two (if not more) classic songs on each of their albums. I always thought that when you listened to The Doors you were getting a very different side, an almost darker side to what was going on in the sixties and the world around around them at the time.

cloptrop

Conbhar wrote: »

Funnily enough when i was young i used to hear one or two of their songs here and there and it wasnt until i actually started buying their albums that i discovered their whole back cataloge of work was amazing. Im my eyes they have one or two (if not more) classic songs on each of their albums. I always thought that when you listened to The Doors you were getting a very different side, an almost darker side to what was going on in the sixties and the world around around them at the time.

+8 and a half good sir , but I do think Ray gets less credit than he deserves and Jim gets more.
Jim is still a god though . You can't overrate a god.

"I been down so god damn long,
It sure does look like up to me"

Conbhar

cloptrop wrote: »

+8 and a half good sir , but I do think Ray gets less credit than he deserves and Jim gets more.
Jim is still a god though . You can't overrate a god.

"I been down so god damn long,
It sure does look like up to me"

Have to say i agree 100%. Manzarek did at times hold the band together with what was essentially, a bloddy organ. With the absence of a bass in many of their songs it was left to him to fill a void that was left by the band not having a regular bassist. Plus some of his solos were quite melodic and truly breathtaking at times. A truly special musician and as you so rightly say oft times criminally underlooked.

raindog.promo

Conbhar wrote: »

Have to say i agree 100%. Manzarek did at times hold the band together with what was essentially, a bloddy organ. With the absence of a bass in many of their songs it was left to him to fill a void that was left by the band not having a regular bassist. Plus some of his solos were quite melodic and truly breathtaking at times. A truly special musician and as you so rightly say oft times criminally underlooked.

But at the same time, he comes across as an awful twat.

JP Liz V1

No Michael Jackson

DEFTLEFTHAND

Moonie shouldn't be on that list, A legend of a man, Drinking like Keith Moon.:pac:

CajunOnTour

Looking at the poll I get Cobain and Morrison - but Lennon?

Serious talent; OK maybe rated even higher than he really was but the guy was on a different planet to Cobain/Morrison.

CajunOnTour

MANUTD99 wrote: »

I work with an argumentative chap from the North.He is convinced that Cobain is the greatest all round rock star of all time.(singer,song writer,frontman, lead guitarist)

He asked me who was better. I came up with Lennon but can anyone help me win this debate,the ****er always wins:)

Unfathomable!

I wouldn't even engage. Cult worship, like sexual infatuation, destroys all rational judgement!