The Beatles
The Beatles would be an obvious choice for one of my 25 favourite artists.
They are more or less legendary in every aspect of their career. However, I have this
unsettled opinion on The Beatles. Their work ranges from absolutely brilliant to
sickeningly banal (their first albums), and so, even though they've had such a great
influence on all bands that came after, they were a band themselves with flaws and
embarrasing moments like everybody else. Today, people tend only to look at their better
moments (of which, fortunately, there were too many to mention).
David Bowie
Bowie's difficult. He's done too many great things to mention, but at the
same time he's produced a lot of crap too. Generally, I think the quality of his music is
a bit too uneven to really catch me. But he is one of the great in a historical
perspective.
Nick Cave
Very sinister. His musical landscapes and moods are a big mouthful - one I
haven't had the guts to bite of yet. Or the patience.
Eric Clapton
Clapton is just....well, there. He plays a mean guitar and writes great
songs, but his bluesy moods get kinda boring eventually.
Bob Dylan
I have a hard time with Bob Dylan. Or to put it in another way: I don't
like his music. I totally acknowledge the importance of his work and that he's had a
certain influence on parts of the music scene over a long period of time. But at the end
of the day this doesn't change the facts that he can't sing and that much of his music
tends to be a bit too straightforward rock to me. As a lyricist his qualities are somewhat
greater, but so far I haven't taken too much time to dive into Dylan's universe. In
conclusion, another artist whose best songs are often better when done by other artists.
Michael Jackson
They call him the king of pop. And yes, he has done a lot of great stuff
and knows how to put together a groovy tune. But there's too much pathetic plastic about
his life and attitude to really make him a serious contender for my lists. And I'm not all
that crazy about his mellow approach to music.
Billy Joel
Much respect. I really like Billy Joel and love his earlier work.
"The Stranger" is a massive effort and should belong in every home. But he lost
it a little bit in the '80's and has had a hard time coming back ever since.
Elton John
He's gone all pop these days, but looking at his entire career, one has to
give the man some credit. He has been there all along - at least it feels that way. And
many great albums have come out of his fingers. But he's not really trendy, is he....?
Led Zeppelin
They have written great songs. But like The Rolling Stones, they are very
rock and roll to me, and rock and roll is not my preferred thing to put on the stereo. I
find myself preferring their songs when they're covered by other artists.
Madonna
She doesn't mean enough for me to put her on my lists, but she's made so
many great albums that she actually does qualify for a spot in the sun. "Like A
Prayer", "Bedtime Stories" and "Ray Of Light" are all little
masterpieces within their genre. And her influence on others is often not appreciated
enough. But still she hasn't meant enough to me to be chosen, even though I'm a fan.
Van Morrison
Another universe I haven't fully discovered yet. Like Neil Young, his body
of work just doesn't move me enough to make it to the top of my list. The man surely has
written a classic or two and I'm sure his musical skills are impressive...But I hate the
way Danish music papers always hail Mary when he releases a new album. Let's get some
objectivity, please!
The Police
Sting is on the album list. This more or less means that The Police are
also in there somewhere. This is his kindergarten and where he learned most of what he
knows today. His work and that of the Police are played often on my stereo.
Prince
He used to be the king of what he did. Then he changed his name and lost
important parts of his songwriting skills in the process. now he's merely an ordinary
player in popular music.
Queen
Freddie was a great entertainer. The music of Queen is full of quality but
it tends to be a little too bombastic and theatrical in the long run. They are best
in their ballads when they downtone the musical image. But Freddie's death was a great
loss for music.
Lou Reed
"Transformer" is a good album - maybe his best. But he does have
a rather dull voice and ordinary songwriting skills. I guess you have to have been there
when he was hip to fully understand what he represents and stands for.
The Rolling Stones
They're rock and roll. 1-2-3-play and go. I'm not really into that, and
even though they also have their highs, too often I just find them boring. Mostly, I see
them as music for the generation before me.
Patti Smith
There's no doubt that Patti Smith has influenced a lot of the strong women
in music today, for example PJ Harvey and Alanis Morissette. But her universe is a little
too sinister for me and I haven't been able to fully come to terms with her male voice.
Neil Young
One of my favourite perversions, this one. Neil Young has written a bunch
of great songs, but his voice is rather thin. Every now and then I actually really like
his music, but just as often he's one of the artists whose music is better when covered by
others (I know I'll get my ass in a sling for this one...).
