Best Musical Artist

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Dominick

But nobody has ever played Hendrix à la Hendrix. The intuitivity, feel, touch, magic is uncomparable and unmatched to this day.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to.

I like most of Hendrix's songs - some pretty good ones there - except when he gets into guitar solos. That turns me off his music totally.

Btw, it should be bloody obvious by now that music taste is entirely subjective. There is no way one can objectively assert that one particular guitarist is 'great'. There is no objective measure everyone will agree upon.

To me, the best guitarist is one that doesn't annoy me with screeching noise - a criteria that Hendrix fails spectacularly. Indeed, Hendrix would be the very worst guitarist on any list that I created of the 'greatest guitarists' since he annoys me the most of all guitarists.

[partofme]

Originally Posted by Michael

I can't imagine why anyone would want to.

I like most of Hendrix's songs - some pretty good ones there - except when he gets into guitar solos. That turns me off his music totally.

Btw, it should be bloody obvious by now that music taste is entirely subjective. There is no way one can objectively assert that one particular guitarist is 'great'. There is no objective measure everyone will agree upon.

To me, the best guitarist is one that doesn't annoy me with screeching noise - a criteria that Hendrix fails spectacularly. Indeed, Hendrix would be the very worst guitarist on any list that I created of the 'greatest guitarists' since he annoys me the most of all guitarists.

Of course it's subjective. Which is why I can be shocked and think saying Hendrix's guitar solos being the only part you don't like is similar to saying it would of been great getting Marilyn Monroe in bed other than her hideous looks.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by partofme

Of course it's subjective. Which is why I can be shocked and think saying Hendrix's guitar solos being the only part you don't like is similar to saying it would of been great getting Marilyn Monroe in bed other than her hideous looks.

I don't think Marilyn Monroe was particularly pretty or talented. She always seemed rather shallow, pathetic and needy in my view.

But she was Hollywood-hyped as 'beautiful and sexy'. I suspect that Hollywood-hype is what attracts many people. Indeed, the boy Robert Pattison proves this quite well - he's the 'hearthrob star' of Twilight. He jokes that a few months ago, he couldn't get a date - now he has tens of thousands of girls throwing themselves at him. A few months ago, he didn't have Hollywood-hype behind him.

Btw, I'm not much of a fan of Deep Purple or AC/DC or any of the Metal bands for the same reason - I don't like guitar-heavy music.

[partofme]

Originally Posted by Michael

I don't think Marilyn Monroe was particularly pretty or talented. She always seemed rather shallow, pathetic and needy in my view.

But she was Hollywood-hyped as 'beautiful and sexy'. I suspect that Hollywood-hype is what attracts many people. Indeed, the boy Robert Pattison proves this quite well - he's the 'hearthrob star' of Twilight. He jokes that a few months ago, he couldn't get a date - now he has tens of thousands of girls throwing themselves at him. A few months ago, he didn't have Hollywood-hype behind him.

I just picked her because she is the best person to fit my point.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by partofme

I just picked her because she is the best person to fit my point.

And I think she illustrates my point perfectly.

Average looking girl with serious emotional/mental issues doesn't become "beautiful" just because Hollywood hypes her. Many people believe that this occurs - I'm not one of them. The hype doesn't fool me.

As for Hendrix, for the world's greatest guitarist, he sure had lousy sales figures. Apparently the market either doesn't agree or doesn't value great guitarists. Indeed, a list of the world's greatest guitarists reads like a list of second string recording artists (judged by gross sales).

[Greendruid]

Originally Posted by Michael

I don't memorize the titles of music I don't like - normally, I don't even know the name of the musicians I dislike the most.

Suffice it to say 'all of it'. It all sounds the same to me - hideous - like fingernails on a chalk board.

Ask Greendruid - he's a fan and has subjected me to that monstrosity of a noisemaker several times.

I don't own, nor have I ever owned, a single Björk album. Either you have me confused with someone else or (more likely) you have some of my other hideous music confused with Björk.

[partofme]

Originally Posted by Michael

And I think she illustrates my point perfectly.

Average looking girl with serious emotional/mental issues doesn't become "beautiful" just because Hollywood hypes her. Many people believe that this occurs - I'm not one of them. The hype doesn't fool me.

As for Hendrix, for the world's greatest guitarist, he sure had lousy sales figures. Apparently the market either doesn't agree or doesn't value great guitarists. Indeed, a list of the world's greatest guitarists reads like a list of second string recording artists (judged by gross sales).

Technically he only had three official albums and I don't know what the sales figures are but I'm sure they are three have sold pretty well considering how often they get released and remastered.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by partofme

Technically he only had three official albums and I don't know what the sales figures are but I'm sure they are three have sold pretty well considering how often they get released and remastered.

The point is that the market for music is not predicated on the skill/ability of the musician - only the enjoyment factor.

And Hendrix's sales figures for those three albums are mediocre at best - lame by comparison to someone truly popular. The point here is that the market obviously didn't fall all over Hendrix for his masterful guitar playing. Using sales figures, guitar masters aren't all that popular. Of all the respective 'guitar gods', none of them are known for massive sales/popularity on the scale of Beetles, Stones or even Brittany Spears.

Indeed, I suspect that the BeeGees, BonJovi and Brittany Spears all have substantially higher commerical success than Jimi Hendrix. That is to say, some people may love great guitarists - but they are obviously a small minority of the music consuming public.

[Dominick]

Originally Posted by Michael

I don't memorize the titles of music I don't like - normally, I don't even know the name of the musicians I dislike the most.

Suffice it to say 'all of it'. It all sounds the same to me - hideous - like fingernails on a chalk board.

Ask Greendruid - he's a fan and has subjected me to that monstrosity of a noisemaker several times.

Also given Greendruid's confusion, I doubt you either are actually talking about Björk or don't know the full extent of her work. On the album Vespertine she has written and composed some of the most intimistic, almost minimalistic music I know off.
Example from Vespertine: Cocoon
Other example : Sun in my mouth

Now, if you were talking about this woman, I'd understand. But I like that one too

[Dominick]

Originally Posted by Michael

Indeed, I suspect that the BeeGees, BonJovi and Brittany Spears all have substantially higher commerical success than Jimi Hendrix. That is to say, some people may love great guitarists - but they are obviously a small minority of the music consuming public.

And ? Who cares about sales ? Sales people and shareholders I suppose. Fuck'em. You're not going to claim that that Spears woman is qualitatively better than Hendrix because she sells more, do you?