I wanted to make a post about the greatest singer-songwriters and I realized I have a few problems. First is I only speak English. So there is some brilliant Hindi song-writer I’ve never heard of because I don’t speak Hindi, or Japanese or Swahili. So I guess I will make a post about the English singer songwriters that have played the biggest roles in my life.
Bob Dylan – I wasn’t around for Dylan’s heyday. I was born in 1973 and by that time he’d moved out of his folk/acoustic era and went electric. But I think “Tangled Up in Blue” has to be the single greatest song ever written. If you listen closely to the lyrics the word play in them is amazing. “She was married when we first met, soon to be divorced. I helped her out of a jam I guess but I used a little too much force.”
Paul Simon – Paul Simon plays an oversized role in my musical education. My mom loved his music and “Graceland” was the first CD she got, so we played it a lot. As I got older I began to appreciate his talent as a singer-songwriter with songs like “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover“. So I went back in his catalogue to get to know Simon & Garfunkel and I had their boxed set for years. My favorite song being “The Only Living Boy in New York“.
I even tried to learn guitar one Summer just so I could learn to pick like him. While I would love to see him live (He’s playing at Massey Hall in May) tickets are a whopping $500! A testament to his success and appeal for sure. “Mother and Child Reunion” has to be my favorite song of his, but honestly his entire catalogue is excellent.
Joni Mitchell – I didn’t discover the brilliance of Joni Mitchell until I was in my 40s and I listened to the album “Blue”. And then I listened to it on repeat. Sadly the only woman on my list of singer-songwriters but I am open to hearing others! There are so many great songs on this album. “Blue“, “California” and “Carey”. I think Carey does it the most for me though. I can picture the cafe, overlooking the Mediterranean. Some Greek soldiers sitting at a table. Joni wearing silver bangles and earrings. A bottle of wine.
Neil Young – I think Neil Young is an artist you either love or you don’t. And I definitely do. His has a great repertoire of songs from “Harvest Moon” to “Keep on Rocking in the Free World“. Some slow and some faster showing his range as an artist. However, for me the opus of Neil Young came early in his career and it’s “Ohio” which he performs with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. It’s a protest song in reaction to the Kent State shooting on May 4, 1970. While the song is before my time, the pulse of the guitar drives the song and he wrote the whole thing in a couple of hours.
Bruce Cockburn – Bruce Cockburn is one of those artists who get known for one type of song but appreciated for more. Growing up I remember “If I had a rocket launcher” and “If a Tree Falls“. And similar to U2, known for protest songs. But he’s much more diverse an artist. There is the incredible cover of “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” by the Barenaked Ladies. I like Bruce Cockburn so much I did an entire blog post on his work. I especially relate to his song “Tokyo” having spent considerable time there over the years. Tokyo is a metropolis like no other and his song captures that frenetic pace of life there.
Leonard Cohen – Leonard Cohen is another one of the musicians I grew up listening to. Like the other songwriters on this list, he has a wide selection of songs spanning years. Songs like “Suzanne” paint a picture you can put yourself in. “Hallelujah” is such a sweet song with many brilliant covers especially Jeff Buckley’s. I think however, that “You want it Darker” is my favorite song. “I struggled with some demons, they were middle-class and tame.” is such an amazing lyric that sums up life for so many people.
Lou Reed – Lou Reed came to me in my 20s. I think a coworker put it on at the art store and I was immediately smitten. From his work with the Velvet Underground to his solo work, he makes gritty, Urban rock and roll. I don’t think he was an especially good guitarist, but he captures what I imagine life in New York felt like. Songs like “Waiting for my Man” or “Walk on the Wild Side” What I find so attractive about Lou Reed is he makes me feel like I too could be a rock star. I think the song that really captures the essence of Lou Reed though is “Dirty Blvd.”
Who have I left off the list?