Favorite Lyricists

[R_of_G]

Been shfting lately from the instrumental side of my music collection to the music/lyrics side. Was wondering who some of your fav lyricists are. Here are mine...

1. Tom Waits
2. Bob Dylan
3. Robert Hunter
4. Roger Waters
5. Thom Yorke
6. John Lennon
7. George Harrison
8. Robbie Robertson
9. Jimi Hendrix
10. Dee Dee Ramone

 

[Robert]

1. Bob Dylan
2. John Hiatt
3. Colin Hay
4. Jimi Hendrix
5. John Lennon

 

[Spudman]

Lennon & McCartney
Roine Stolt
Jon Anderson
Chris DeGarmo
Neal Morse
Bernie Taupin

 

[sunvalleylaw]

no particular order:

Lennon and McCartney
Dylan
Neil Young (his can be hit and miss, but he hits it good sometimes)
Warren Zevon (can be very dark, but was very descriptive, witty and entertaining)
Waters
Springsteen, esp. early stuff.
Bernie Taupin
Joe Jackson
Elvis Costello
Lyle Lovett

off the top of my head

 

[aeolian]

Some of my favorites have already been listed, but here a couple that haven't:

Elvis Costello
Chris Difford (of Squeeze)

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Some of my favorites have already been listed, but here a couple that haven't:

Elvis Costello
Chris Difford (of Squeeze)

I just beat you with Elvis, but good catch, I always forget about Squeeze songs, I lost my Squeeze music a long time ago, and need to replace it.

 

[tunghaichuan]

Warren Zevon (can be very dark, but was very descriptive, witty and entertaining)

Lyle Lovett

Two of my favorites. I'd add that Lyle Lovett writes songs which a dark undercurrent of tradgedy, loss, and sadness running through them. OTOH, other songs he has written have a wry, ironic, subtle sense of humor that I really like.

Another favorite is Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde. Her lyrics are completely devoid of cliches.

tung

 

[sunvalleylaw]

.

Another favorite is Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde. Her lyrics are completely devoid of cliches.

tung

Hey, that's a good reminder. Have not thought of that band in a long time. Gonna dig out a Concrete Blonde CD this weekend.

 

[tunghaichuan]

Hey, that's a good reminder. Have not thought of that band in a long time. Gonna dig out a Concrete Blonde CD this weekend.

I bought this album a few years ago and I like it quite a bit:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/jmankey

My only complaint is that it is too short. The songs are all instrumentals.

I like James Mankey's playing, he's been one of my favorite guitar players for a long time.

tung

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I'll check it out. Not to be confused with 4 Non Blondes! ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiDpMfEeo3Q

 

[tunghaichuan]

I have to say, I'm glad Lyle Lovett was mentioned. He is one of my all-time favorite artists.

I'm listening to this album right now:

Step Inside This House

It is a double CD of Lyle Lovett performing songs written by some of the giants of the Texas singer/songwriter scene, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, etc. Some of the songs are stunning. But the remarkable thing about this album is that Lovett's own songs are easily as good as or better than any of the songs in Step Inside This House.

tung

 

[sunvalleylaw]

We own a lot of Lyle's work at my house, but don't have this one. I will have to check it out too. Lyle gave two of the best performances in a concert I have seen right here in Sun Valley over the last coupla years. And he just seems a really great guy.

 

[tunghaichuan]

We own a lot of Lyle's work at my house, but don't have this one. I will have to check it out too. Lyle gave two of the best performances in a concert I have seen right here in Sun Valley over the last coupla years. And he just seems a really great guy.

I think I own just about everything he has out on CD. He is one of a handful of artists that I will buy the newest release without hearing it first. His newest one is pretty good. It took me a while to warm up to it, but I like it.

My wife and I have seen him twice, and he put on an excellent performance both times. He plays Red Rocks Ampitheater once a year in the Fall. I really should go to one of those shows.

tung

 

[tunghaichuan]

Another one of my favorite lyricists:

Steve Earle (plus, he's got a cool first name )

Too rock 'n roll for Nashville, too country for rock 'n roll.

Well I woke up in a county jail 'cross the line in Laredo
With a headache and a deputy staring at me through the door
Well he said "Now how you got across that river alive, I don't know
But your wife just made your bail so now you're really dead for sure"
-The Week Of Living Dangerously

 

[Pickngrin]

I've got to second (or third, or fourth...) Dylan, Waters, Lennon, Taupin, Costello,.... and add Richard Thompson.

 

[just strum]

Tough question since no sooner than you make a list, another one or a few artist come to mind.

Bob Dylan
Elvis Costello
Randy Newman
Neil Young
Tom Waits
Paul Thorn
John Lennon
Jagger and Richards (early years)
Warren Zevon
John Mellencamp