Few things in Life can stir the Soul like Music can. Add Powerful Lyrics to the mix, that Speak to us Deep Within, and you begin to understand why so many people obsessively devote themselves to its Creators.
Here is a small sampling of some of the Artists that Speak to me and might to you as well...
While people might bicker over his musical technique at times, there's simply no denying that Bob Dylan is one of the Greatest American Poets of all-time.
Albums like Freewheelin', Blood on the Tracks, John Wesley Harding, Oh, Mercy, and the chronologically diverse The Bootleg Series, are all amazing places to kick start, at the very least, a better appreciation for a Musical Genius of the Highest Order.
You Gotta Serve Somebody...
One of the few Musicians who can easily compete with the Greatness of the aforementioned Mr. Dylan, in both Quality and Quantity of Brillant Songs, is Neil Young.
Songs like Pocahantos, Needle and the Damage Done, Ohio, Like a Hurricane and Sugar Mountain all clearly illustrate the power of this Man's Mind and the myriad of subjects it easliy spans.
John Prine is one of the most publicly under-appreciated song-writers I know. Thankfully for Mr. Prine, those of us who've had the Pleasure of listening to Him are now very devoted to his Abilities and happily spread His Musical-Gospel to anyone within ear-shot.
The John Prine 2-disc Anthology is a wonderful place to begin your Journey.
FYI: Mr. Prine's live recordings are by far his best, thanks to his hilarious between song banter with the audience.
Far from being an 'enemy-combatant', Yusuf Islam is one of a long list of Muslims that not only deserve Our Respect, but also Our Love and Appreciation. His own open Mind and Heart have given us some truly Inspirational Words to hear, that clearly show the Greatness of His Character and Kindness of His Soul.
Paul Simon's Music can be dangerous in that listening to what a well-practiced, brillantly-constructed Song actually sounds like, can make other music, in comparison, sound like nails on a chalkboard more than a quality chart-topping song.
His work with His Frank Loyd Wright-loving former-singing-partner Art Garfunkle, still probably stands out as the Best, but His solo work is still far superior to the majority of musical garbage being 'produced' today.
Sweet, Sweet Slide Guitar. Finally someone below the age of 60 makes the list!
Ben Harper, still very much in his Prime, and very Deserving of Our current Attentions, is a Rare Gem found flawlessly floating in the often-overwhelming Sea of Shit known as the 'modern music industry'. Thank You Mr. Harper for showing us that quality can come shining through in a cloudy market, these days driven mostly by appearance rather than actual Musical Talent. Your Music has been a Great Inspiration.
Another in the long list of Musical Greats that lost their Lives seemingly way too soon. Nick Drake's short career only offers up 3 completed albums for us to enjoy, but oh what Albums they Are!
Ray Charles is King. Few musicians can take someone else's song and completely and totally own it themselves like Ray can.
Mr. Charles turned Don Gibson's song I Can't Stop Loving You into one of the most heart-wrenchingly Enjoyable Songs ever recorded. It perfectly ends Rintaro's Amazing, Osamu Tezuka inspired, Anime Metropolis and is one of my all-time favorite songs.
Can't quite understand the appeal of country music? Try Ray's Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. I think it might just change your mind.
Songs in the Key of Wonderful!
From a very young age it was obvious that little Stevie Wonder was a Star and a Musical Genius and his Life has left us little doubt of this simple Truth. Mr. Wonder's Anthology, At the Close of a Century, is all the Proof you'll ever need.
Want to hear a Strong Beautiful Black Woman Passionately Whail out classics like At Last, Something Got A Hold On Me, I'd Rather Go Blind, and Rock Me Baby? Hell Yeah You Do and Etta's Gonna Do It for ya!
I highly recommend anything live, especially from the early 1960's!
That Voice. It can be so Hauntingly Sad yet Defiantly Proud when singing a song like Why? The King Of Love Is Dead, just 3 days after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assasinated, her bass player, Gene Taylor, having written the song upon hearing of the murder of this Forever Great Man.
This is a Woman not afraid to throw Truth in your face! Ms. Simone will sing you the History of the Struggle of Being Black in america.
He Transformed the soulful melodies he'd been singing about God into the secular smash-hits they still play on the radio today. Such smooth vocal modulations mixed with extremely catchy melodies, peppered with an early death, make Sam Cooke a young man who'll 'never grow old' but ever be in Our Hearts.
How to properly musically categorize Nora Jones may be questioned, but the Soulfulness of Her Voice cannot be.
I think one of the best single words to describe Her Singing Style Is Sultry.
Probably the single most Influential Musician I've known when it comes to my own guitar playing style, Doc Watson is a Flat-Pickin' God! I saw him play guitar while he was in his late 70's and he could still play faster and clearner than anyone half his age. Let's hear it for Clean Livin'!
I would highly recommend practically any Doc Watson Album with the glaring exception of Docabilly. I haven't heard it in ages, but from what I remember it was awful.
!Attention! Please immediately listen to Willie Nelson's Crazy: The Demo Tapes and then feel free to move on to the many other Delightful Albums He's put out, if you can... Ah, ha-ha-ha-ha...
The Man In Black. Even if you didn't like this Man's Music, which is very difficult to comprehend, his 2 Autobiographies are amazing enough to win your Respect.
Johnny Cash is a Country Music Icon. He is to country music what air is to breathing, Fundamental. His two Live Prison Albums are Essential, while his Christmas album is probably better left on the shelf.
The Angel of Death took Hank early because He drank wine like Water and took pills like pez, but while He was Alive, He Sang, and how He Sang So Beautifully!
I would recommend avoiding the recordings where his wife Audrey tries to join in. It's not very listenable unless done in irony.
Want to travel backwards in time and listen to the Sound of the Appalachians? Some of the subject matter of these songs is wonderfully twisted, Enjoy!
What can you say about one the most Influential Rock Bands of all-time that hasn't already been said? To call them Great is to overly restrict their Greatness.
Thanks be to God for Giving Life to Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon. Roger Daultrey, eh? ;P
Roger, you wrote many Wonderful Songs but are kind of a dick, long live David Gilmour! RIP Syd...
When my Friend Jeff first introduced me to The Bends its was like being reunited with a long lost Brother, I immediately felt a very Deep Connection. Thom Yorke is a Rock God and a Genius!
From the very first time I saw Andrew Bird perfom with his Bowl of Fire at a Folk Festival at Welles Park in Chicago, I knew I was witnessing Something Special. Mr. Bird is a Musical Vituoso 3 times over: violin, vocals, and whistling.
Thank You Kindly for All the Glorious Music!
Let's Make Some Illinoise, is one of my all-time favorite Albums and, creepily enough, John Wayne Gacy, Jr is my favorite song on said Album.
Mr. Stevens Austin City Limits Performance is a Wonderful Way to introduce yourself to His Majesty.
A do it all, one man band, Elliott Smith is a 4-Track Guru, the Over-Dubbing Overlord. Such Beautiful Self-Harmonizing! Either/or and XOXO are both Great Albums.
I saw Elliott Smith 'perform' at the Rivera Theatre in Chicago shortly before he died. It was one of the most difficult things I ever had to witness. He didn't get through one song that night! He kept complaining about his hand being numb and how basically useless it was. I'd be amazed if he was out there more than 15 minutes before he packed up and walked off stage, to the confused gazes of the audience, that still felt like an eternity.
No one ever said rock stars were role models, and I doubt Musical Quality and Quality of Character regularly go hand and hand, so enjoy His Music none the less, but stay Informed all the same.
Because of an extended rock-u-mentary detailing his Life, I fell head-over-heels for Tom Petty. When I heard the album Wildflowers I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Praise Be to this Holy Musical God.
The Album, Undertow is a musical metal-masterpiece. Maynard is an Elevated Being and his Powerful Lyrics reflect this perfectly.
My first Guitar Hero.
Before I ever learned to play, I'd happily air-guitar along to his Soloing-Insanity. I once freaked him out at a Performance at Smart Bar in Chicago, when I, upon being Gifted the requested evening's Set List, told Mr. Mascis that I Loved Him. I probably should have explained that it was just platonic but I didn't want to keep him any longer, so I scurried off into the Night, with my Bounty in my hands and his awkward smile fresh in my mind.
May Jay Mascis and Dinosaur Jr. find there way into your Heart...
This is my all-time favorite roots Blues Player. His Effortless Guitar and distinctive Vocals are easily Admired. He has the Amazing Ability to Illustrate with His Guitar what His Words are Describing. Absolutely Fantastic!
Simple but Effective. Muddy Waters is to Chicago Blues as Curt Cobain is to Grunge Rock, the Pope of Chili-town. You gotta to Love that Voice! He's Definitely got His Mojo Workin'.
BB King is one of the Greatest Gifts the Guitar World has ever had. You will hear his licks every time you turn on the radio. Few guitarist worth their salt haven't admired and studied His Guitar Work. I take Great Pride in the few songs I've pain-stakingly worked out.
Next to Blind Willie, Big Bill is The Traditional Blues Wizard.
I'm not sure there exist enough Positive Words to appropriately Describe just how Musically Important Bob Marley Is to me. His Songs can Instantly Penetrate Deep Within, causing a body to sway along in time, with or without intellectual permission.
Mr. Marley can Rise you up to Bliss and Take you down to Sorrow with the words he sings, and the Grooves He and The Wailers Create Unite It All Perfectly in Time.
I have to admit that it was Jazz Music that took me the longest time to learn to Appreciate, but as soon as I heard the album Time Out by Dave Brubeck, I knew I'd found my way In.
To say that I Love this Album is to say nothing at all. Perhaps I need to scream it: I LOVE TIME OUT!!! I've listened to it hundreds of times and I look forward to a many more.
If you don't like this album, please feel free to not tell me, I simply wouldn't understand.
When a Friend and Fellow Musician loaned me Jimmy Smith's Home Cookin' it didn't come out of my car's cd-player for close to a year. This is some of the Sweetest, Smoothest, Most Satisfying Organ Music you can come by.
A Friend once told me of a funny post he read concerning one of Django's many YouTube videos: "It's the first 30 years of practice that are the hardest!" :D
Not only is Mr. Reinhardt's guitar extremely difficult to play, it is made even more amazing by the fact that he only had two workable fingers on his fretting-hand for soloing, after his ring-finger and pinky were both mostly paralyzed in an fire he accidentally stared when he was 18!
*There are a lot of different Django albums floating around that contain almost identical musical material, so take care when searching out 'new' Songs.*
