The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #113539 Message #3324955
Posted By: alanabit
19-Mar-12 - 04:05 AM
Thread Name: Who's your personal favorite song writer
Subject: RE: Who's your personal favorite song writer
I probably should know more of the writers, who have been mentioned here.
I had the good fortune to see Pete Morton in action again on Friday. His cheerful optimism won over a German crowd of all ages very quickly. I was struck by the precision of his lyrics (as I always have been) and the jaunty, singable tunes.
Two of my favourites, who have not been mentioned here - possibly because people do not associate them with "serious" songs - are Shel Silverstein and Tom Lehrer. Silverstein had a preoccupation with offbeat characters, but there was always a kindly eye watching their eccentricities. George Papavgeris among others here, has already commented elsewhere on the dazzling lyrical pyrotechnics of Lehrer.
My favourite songwriter, whom I have seen close up, is still Bill Boazman, although sadly, he no longer performs his own beautiful songs.
I have also come to admire the classic songwriters of the first half of the last century. A quick perusal of the writers mentioned so far does not find George Gerschwyn, Noel Gay, Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart, Henry Mancini, Noel Coward or Cole Porter. I was a little surprised that they did not figure highly in anyone's lists.