5 singer-songwriters you LOVE!!!

And here it is, the singer-songwriter love thread, as promised!!! I feel better about these than the bands... here are mine!

5. Billy Joel - He's so honest in both his lyrics and music. You gotta love that.

4. Carole King - I have, do, and always love Carole King.

3. Ani DiFranco - If you're not familiar with her, you really should be. She's AMAZING.

2. Tori Amos - You either love her or you hate her... I don't understand what she's singing about half the time, but I still just love her.

1. Ben Folds - originally of Ben Folds Five. Many of the best songs of the turn of the century, IMHO. I expect amazing things yet to come from this man.

Honorable mentions: The Carpenters, Rufus Wainwright, Willie Nelson

Here's my five, not as descriptive.

5. Tori Amos. A friend at work introduced me to her music and I wound up liking her.

4. Beck. Yeah, I'm a loser baby. But Beck isnt'.

3. Billy Joel. Love his older stuff and even though he's had his problems lately, he is still one of the greatest around.

2. Paul McCartney/John Lennon. Okay, so I'm a Beatles fan. So what. No other writing duo ever, or will ever, contribute so much to the world of music. Period.

1. Amy Lee. Who else would be at the top of my list with my current Evanescence obsession? I've memorized something like 40 of their songs since I initially heard about them when Daredevil came out. I cannot say that about any other band in such a short period of time.

Let's see...

1) Jacques Brel - probably the best Belgian songwriter ever.

2) Brian Wilson - this guy is a god. I paid £50 to see him tour last year...I'd gladly have paid double.

3) Tom Waites - I love that gravel voice and the whole Bohemian thing.

4) Lou Reed - needs no explanation.

5) Eliza Carthy - the current darling of both the British folk scene and me.

That's about it but talk to me on a differnet day and the list might included John Cale, Neil Young or Stina Nordenstam.

1. MADONNA

2. STEVIE NICKS

3. LYNSEY BUCKINGHAM

4. CHRISTINE McVIE

5. KATE BUSH

Matthew.

Mine are a bit... off-the-wall. A cultural thing, I think.

1. Mercedes Sosa (Argentina). Songs full of meaning sung with a deep, powerful voice. In my opinion the best South American singer active today. Spanish helps with the texts, but you don't need to understand her to enjoy her.

2. Misia (Portugal). You know that Bohemian thing Estimate was talking about? Portuguese fados are exactly that, melancholic songs sung in smoky rooms by women with deep voices and long cigarettes (at least that is what I imagine). And they make your skin crawl, even if you don't understand Portuguese.

3. Dulce Pontes (Portugal). All right, another Portuguese singer. She can also sing fados, but her specialty are folk songs. Music from Portugal is just so beautiful!

4. Amir Haghighi (Iran). I have never been a friend of Middle-Eastern music, it just sounds too foreign to my ears. But then two things happened. I was in a folk music concert, and the last performer was a Turk called Latif Bolat. He was just mesmerizing. And then I heard Amir here in Vancouver, and I was converted. He is very difficult to describe, a golden voice flattering around notes, not exactly hitting them... Unfortunately he has not made any CD's yet (but I'm told he will soon).

5. Carlos Vives (Colombia). This is Latin music at its best, designed to make you feel good and dance. It's like salsa/merengue, but with Andean elements mixed in (flutes and such), as well as a heavy dose of accordion. But there are also slower, more traditional Colombian tunes.

Special mention to Angelique Kidjo (Benin), an African lady with a wonderful voice, Varttina (dotts on both a's, Finland, very strange rhythm, but very, very beautiful), and (to my surprise) the soundtrack of the movie 'Frida', Mexican music at its best. I also highly recommend Caetano Veloso (Brazil). He sung a song in Spanish for the movie 'Talk to her' (Almodovar)that is just a joy.

OK, I'll stop now. Time to work.

Juan

My faves would have to be

1 - Boy George... IMO he's totally underrated for his song writing

2 - Kate Bush

3 Ryan Adams - if for nothing else than Dear Chicago

4 Michael Stipe

5 Jarvis Cocker

5 huh...

Dave Matthews - his stuff is just so there.

Sting - the man is a genious.

Peter Gabrielle - Solo or with Genisis.

Elvis Costello - c'mon.

John Mayer - Love his latest album.

Lennon/McCartney: What Scott said.

Billy Joel: Whoever once said this man had a "petrochemical soul," I'd like to lynch 'em.

The Carpenters: Astounding lyricism, and Karen had the third best voice in pop music history (after Barbra Streisand and k.d. lang).

k.d. lang, for that matter.

Elton John: "Your Song" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." 'Nuff said.

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Special award to Leonard Cohen for "Everybody Knows." Fuckin' brilliant.

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost

Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died

Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long stem rose
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you've been faithful
Ah give or take a night or two

Everybody knows you've been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

And everybody knows that it's now or never
Everybody knows that it's me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
Ah when you've done a line or two

Everybody knows the deal is rotten
Old Black Joe's still pickin' cotton
For your ribbons and bows
And everybody knows

And everybody knows that the Plague is coming
Everybody knows that it's moving fast
Everybody knows that the naked man and woman
Are just a shining artifact of the past

Everybody knows the scene is dead
But there's gonna be a meter on your bed
That will disclose
What everybody knows

And everybody knows that you're in trouble
Everybody knows what you've been through
From the bloody cross on top of Calvary
To the beach of Malibu

Everybody knows it's coming apart
Take one last look at this Sacred Heart
Before it blows
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Oh everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows

oh I forgot about Van Morrison and Nick Cave so scrap Michael Stipe and Jarvis Cocker from y earlier list - not that I'm fickle or anything...

Oh, THIS thread is nice!

LUCINDA WILLIAMS of course... no other songwriter can write songs that make me cry like a baby as several songs on ESSENCE did.

DAVID GRAY

I agree that BOY GEORGE is overlooked as a songwriter. He's written some kick-ass songs, but I think his muse (the Culture Club drummer) is LONG-gone...

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL's John Fogarty has written many many classics!