Name a good songwriter who's a lousy singer.

elperromagico

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Sat May-29-04 09:59 PM
Original message

Name a good songwriter who's a lousy singer.

My nominee: Neil Diamond. He's written some great songs, but the man sounds like an obscene phone call when he sings.

Who do you pick?

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Nicholas D Wolfwood

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Sat May-29-04 10:03 PM
Response to Original message

1. Me

I can't sing for shit.

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liberalhistorian

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Sat May-29-04 10:04 PM
Response to Reply #1

6. But can you write

good songs, though?:evilgrin: :bounce:

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liberalhistorian

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Sat May-29-04 10:03 PM
Response to Original message

2. You've gotta be kidding me,

Neil Diamond has a GREAT voice!!!!

What about Bob Dylan? I LOVE him, and I love his music, but holy geez, his voice is another story!

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elperromagico

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Sat May-29-04 10:06 PM
Response to Reply #2

8. No, can't stand Neil Diamond's voice.

And Bob Dylan's too easy of a choice.

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liberalhistorian

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Sat May-29-04 10:07 PM
Response to Reply #8

11. Well, to each his own, but frankly

you're the first person I've ever heard who doesn't like Neil Diamond's singing!

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elperromagico

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Sat May-29-04 10:10 PM
Response to Reply #11

18. Hi, nice to meet you. I have taste.

Edited on Sat May-29-04 10:11 PM by elperromagico

:hi:

Just kidding. As I said, many of his songs are great. But his voice grates on my nerves like so many shards of glass.

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ForrestGump

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Sun May-30-04 01:10 AM
Response to Reply #11

53. I love Neil Diamond, but

his voice seems to have deteriorated over the years. Still knocks out those songs with a great deal of emotion and good presentation, though.

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Pab Sungenis

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Sat May-29-04 10:03 PM
Response to Original message

3. Several.

Bob Dylan
Elvis Costello
Bruce Hornsby
Tracy Chapman

All top-of-the line songwriters, but I prefer cover versions of their stuff.

For example, Manfred Mann's "The Mighty Quinn," Tasmin Archer's "Shipbuilding," Huey Lewis' "Jacob's Ladder" come to mind. Written respectively by Dylan, Costello, and Hornsby, and much better than the versions by the original writers.

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NightTrain

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Sat May-29-04 10:04 PM
Response to Original message

4. Bob Dylan

n/t

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liberalhistorian

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Sat May-29-04 10:06 PM
Response to Reply #4

9. Can you just imagine him singing

"Michael, Row the Boat Ashore?" ALLELUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULIIIAAAA!!!!!! God, my ears hurt just thinking of it, lol!

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NightTrain

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Sat May-29-04 10:14 PM
Response to Reply #9

22. You're not telling me Dylan actually sang that fargin thing?!

And thanks for reminding me of why I generally avoid folk music. :evilgrin:

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liberalhistorian

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Sun May-30-04 07:23 PM
Response to Reply #22

68. No, he didn't sing it, I was just

imagining him singing it, or trying to. And hey, if you're gonna be with me, babe, you're gonna have to put up with my love of folk music. Hell, I've already confessed my secret love for Barry Manilow, which you grudgingly accepted, so this shouldn't be too hard to deal with, lol!

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NightTrain

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Sun May-30-04 11:59 PM
Response to Reply #68

69. If you can put up with my farting, I can put up with your folk music.

Deal? :P

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ScrewyRabbit

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Sat May-29-04 10:04 PM
Response to Original message

5. Bob Dylan

Just proves singing ain't everything.

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HEyHEY

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Sun May-30-04 02:31 AM
Response to Reply #5

59. Get Nashville Skyline

The only album where Bob actually SANG...he ahs a great voice when he wants to...I know, I'd never believe it either...but seriously get it.

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tjwash

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Mon May-31-04 12:03 AM
Response to Reply #5

70. He's the anti Jim Nabors...

...talks normal and sings fucked up.

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DS1

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Sat May-29-04 10:05 PM
Response to Original message

7. Wesley Willis. Touching songs, all of them

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elperromagico

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Sat May-29-04 10:09 PM
Response to Reply #7

14. LOL. Wesley Willis was an urban poet.

Edited on Sat May-29-04 10:12 PM by elperromagico

Take, for instance, the masterful "Suck My Dog's Dick":

Lick a camel's ass
Lick a moose's dick
Suck my doggy's cock
Suck a honey badger's ass

Not everyone can write something that speaks to the human condition as well as that piece of poetry. Willis had a rare and special talent indeed.

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liberalhistorian

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Sat May-29-04 10:17 PM
Response to Reply #14

27. ROFLMAO!

I never heard of Willis before, but I think George Carlin's "It's Midnight in Montana, and I Can't Get my Dick out of this Cow" might just top that particular little poetic gem! (Honest, that's a real Carlin song!)

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elperromagico

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Sat May-29-04 10:25 PM
Response to Reply #27

31. Nobody matches Zappa for song titles, though.

"Illinois Enema Bandit" is one of my favorites.

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PittPoliSci

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Sat May-29-04 10:58 PM
Response to Reply #27

45. i posted about that a few days ago...

isn't it a wonderful tune?

just like "i should've fucked old what's-her-name!"

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ET Awful

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Sun May-30-04 06:32 AM
Response to Reply #45

61. I was always more fond of "Bwana Dick"

from the Filmore East '71 album :)

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Spider Jerusalem

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Sat May-29-04 10:07 PM
Response to Original message

10. Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Lou Reed...

so many to choose from it's hard to name just one...

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liberalhistorian

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Sat May-29-04 10:09 PM
Response to Reply #10

12. I'll agree that Lou Reed wouldn't exactly

win any singing awards, but I just can't imagine anyone else singing "Take a walk on the wild side!"

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NightTrain

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Sat May-29-04 10:09 PM
Response to Reply #10

15. Argh! Tom Waits.

That guy's singing makes me want to take my life! :hurts:

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:16 PM
Response to Reply #10

25. I love Tom Waits voice

it's a "gravelbot"......

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Spider Jerusalem

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Sat May-29-04 10:24 PM
Response to Reply #25

30. I love his voice, too...

but you have to admit it's good because it's distinctive, and not because he's a great singer.

He once, rather aptly, I think, described his singing as "Louis Armstrong and Ethel Merman meeting in hell."

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:31 PM
Response to Reply #30

35. who the hell is singing in heaven......

Tom & Ethel....

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Pab Sungenis

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Sat May-29-04 10:58 PM
Response to Reply #25

44. My favorite Tom Waits quote....

In an interview with Terry Gross:

"All I am I owe to booze and cigarettes."

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amerikat

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Sun May-30-04 12:02 AM
Response to Reply #44

50. i'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotamy

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devilgrrl

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Sat May-29-04 10:09 PM
Response to Original message

13. Victoria Williams

Great song writer, has a voice that can peel paint.

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Mobius

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Sat May-29-04 10:09 PM
Response to Original message

16. bob dylan

duped, however

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ThomWV

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Sat May-29-04 10:09 PM
Response to Original message

17. John Prine

Some would say. Personally I like his voice.

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:41 PM
Response to Reply #17

40. Me too......his songs are made for his voice.....not many others can

cover a John Prine song

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:10 PM
Response to Original message

19. uhhhhhhh....Neil Young(nt)

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TexasProgresive

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Sat May-29-04 10:11 PM
Response to Original message

20. A common trait of good song writers is

that they can't sing. Not all but a lot of them.

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phaseolus

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Sat May-29-04 10:12 PM
Response to Original message

21. Bruce Cockburn

...on the other hand, some non-standard voices are awesome. Macy Gray comes to mind.

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Lancer

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Sat May-29-04 10:15 PM
Response to Reply #21

24. It's a tie for me

between Waits and Kris Kristofferson.

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ForrestGump

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Sun May-30-04 01:14 AM
Response to Reply #24

54. Yeah, Kris Kris can be pretty dire, though not anywhere near Waits levels

Tom Waits is....almost indescribable.

Makes Dylan sound like Caruso.

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kcwayne

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Sat May-29-04 10:15 PM
Response to Original message

23. Randy Newman, Neil Young

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GoddessOfGuinness

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Mon May-31-04 12:49 AM
Response to Reply #23

73. I love Randy's music...

His voice takes some getting used to, though...

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Kat45

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Sat May-29-04 10:17 PM
Response to Original message

26. Bert Bachrach

I remember when he would occasionally be on a show and sing one of his songs....urggh!

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ForrestGump

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Sun May-30-04 01:15 AM
Response to Reply #26

55. Saw him and a bunch of other songwriters at an ASCAP event

Smokey Robinson was one of the others who performed. Then Burt...my goodness, the contrast was indeed marked. He's written some good stuff, but I'm glad he got other people to sing it all.

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progdonkey

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Sat May-29-04 10:17 PM
Response to Original message

28. Leonard Cohen

Some of his songs are beautifully written, but his awful drone would ruin every song. A song that stands out especially is Cohen's "Hallelujah," which didn't acheive perfection until Jeff Buckley covered it.

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ForrestGump

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Sun May-30-04 01:20 AM
Response to Reply #28

56. I was going to say Leonard Cohen, but

it's been so many years since I've heard him that I didn't think it was fair to list him...of course, the reason why I've avoided him so successfully is that I was totally traumatized by his horrendous voice all those years ago (the cultured weirdness didn't appeal, either, leading me to wonder of he was just another poncy pseudointellectual).

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CanuckAmok

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Sun May-30-04 03:21 AM
Response to Reply #56

60. Terrible voice...terrible arrangements

seriously, those hokey backup singers and all...it all has to go.

I do think he qualifies as "pseudointellectual", though...didn't Blackadder say something about poetry being "...more than running around in a big shirt trying to get laid..."?

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Mike Niendorff

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Mon May-31-04 12:29 AM
Response to Reply #60

71. agreed (but he still writes great lyrics)

But you've gotta admit, his voice isn't without *potential*, either. That whole smoke-three-packs-then-sing-an-octave-too-low thing he does on songs like Everybody Knows and The Future really works pretty well, if you can get around some of the other stuff.

But, yeah, his arrangements are mostly amateurish, and the backing vocals always sound contrived and out-of-place.

Still, when he gets it right, it's really right.

MDN

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:22 PM
Response to Original message

29. Jimmy Page and that guy from "rush"......makes my blood curtle(nt)

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Bossy Monkey

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Sat May-29-04 10:27 PM
Response to Reply #29

33. Jimmy Page doesn't sing; Geddy Lee doesn't write songs

but thanks for playing

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:38 PM
Response to Reply #33

39. ok, who sings for Zep.?....hate it......just not my thing......and

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elperromagico

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Sat May-29-04 10:43 PM
Response to Reply #39

42. Robert Plant,

who did co-write some of their songs.

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:48 PM
Response to Reply #42

43. Thanks for reminding me.....we have a plant called Robert

thank God it doesn't sing.......

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LastKnight

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Sun May-30-04 12:04 AM
Response to Reply #33

52. jimmy used to sing before they picked up robert but...

i cant find anything recorded thats pre-robbie plant...

-LK

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Servo300

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Sun May-30-04 07:20 PM
Response to Reply #33

67. Geddy & Alex wrote most of the music....

Neil wrote most of the lyrics.

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:25 PM
Response to Original message

32. She has a limited range.......but great soulfulness

Tanita Tikeram.....anyone know her music

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NightTrain

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Sat May-29-04 10:31 PM
Response to Reply #32

34. Good call!

I've always liked "Twist In My Sobriety."

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 10:34 PM
Response to Reply #34

36. a truly gifted writer and singer

I have listened to her for years and still don't know what most of her songs mean.......which is why I keep listening. the interpretation is up to the listener. Great percussion in "twist in my Sobriety"......

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NightTrain

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Sat May-29-04 10:36 PM
Response to Reply #36

38. I had forgotten all about Tanita until you mentioned her tonight.

I'll have to dig out my CD on her and give it a spin some time soon. Thanks for the reminder! :yourock:

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vetwife

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Sat May-29-04 10:36 PM
Response to Original message

37. Easy one..Kris Kristoferson ! and Mickey Newbury

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Red State Rebel

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Sun May-30-04 02:05 AM
Response to Reply #37

58. I was wonderng when he'd show up here....

he's written some great stuff but that voice....ewww

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aquaman

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Sat May-29-04 10:42 PM
Response to Original message

41. Greg Dulli from the Afghan Whigs.............

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ben_thayer

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Sat May-29-04 11:00 PM
Response to Original message

46. Roger Waters

Edited on Sat May-29-04 11:08 PM by ben_thayer

But Tom Waits is AWESOME...

edited for typo

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DieboldMustDie

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Sat May-29-04 11:31 PM
Response to Original message

47. Iris DeMent

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amerikat

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Sat May-29-04 11:53 PM
Response to Reply #47

49. I love to hear Iris sing.....to twangy for ya?

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mitchum

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Sat May-29-04 11:38 PM
Response to Original message

48. Tom Verlaine and Richard Thompson...

Verlaine sings like a strangled chicken and Thompson often sounds like a drunken uncle at a wedding. But both are brilliant songwriters (and guitarists)

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Bush_Eats_Beef

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Mon May-31-04 12:36 AM
Response to Reply #48

72. But Thompson is like Dylan...

...his voice is right for his songs.

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LastKnight

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Sun May-30-04 12:03 AM
Response to Original message

51. kurt cobain... nt

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Philostopher

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Sun May-30-04 01:34 AM
Response to Original message

57. Man, I figured somebody would have mentioned

Paul Westerberg, by now. So I did.

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Ellen Forradalom

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Sun May-30-04 07:10 AM
Response to Original message

62. Liz Phair

Great songs, warbly voice.

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HEyHEY

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Sun May-30-04 05:57 PM
Response to Reply #62

65. good point

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mitchum

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Sun May-30-04 06:44 PM
Response to Reply #62

66. terrible guitarplayer also

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silverlib

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Sun May-30-04 07:35 AM
Response to Original message

63. Kris Kristopherson (sp?)

Gee, I love every song he has every written!

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vetwife

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Sun May-30-04 05:56 PM
Response to Reply #63

64. I love what he's written just not what he's sung ..LOL

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