Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 03:22 PM

Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters.

Diverse perhaps, but I never tire of listening to them. Oh, and how could I forget Susan Latimer?

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Sheye
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 01:05 PM

more girls:

Ani Defranco, Michelle Shocked

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 12:11 PM

Laurence Price wrote 3 of the Child ballads, and a few other songs that became traditional, all in the 1650's. See the file on him on my website for these.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Observer
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 11:58 AM

Loreena MacKennit sure polarizes the populace! Some praise her to the skies, others snarl phrases like "breathing heavily to music" to refer to that sort of pseudo-celtic navel-gazing.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Mad Dog
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 10:51 AM

Don Lange (also my favorite winemaker)

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favourite Songwriters?
From: ALDUS
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 10:33 AM

I was interested to see someone choosing Loreena MacKennit. She makes absolutely gorgeous albums. I was not aware that she actually wrote very muvh from scratch. It appears to be a lot of excellent arrangements of tradition things. I realize she does some writing but I didn't think it was all THAT much. As to the shortage of ladies on the list...how about Tracy Chapman, Mary MacCaslin ,Suzanne Vega, Laura Smith,Dolly Parton, sylvia tyson,Jann Arden, ..so on. Also, while I'm here.. How about Bruce Cockburn...

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Earl
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 09:50 AM

Most of the good ones have already been mentioned. I'll add a few blues guys I never get tired of: Blind Willie McTell, Bo Carter, Gus Cannon. Of contemorary songwriters I like Michael Hurley. Since we are not limiting it to folk I will add Randy Newman, Leiber&Stoller, and Lowell George. And the best songwriter on television, Red Green.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 09:20 AM

definitively missing: Brian McNeill

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 03:40 AM

My, don't we have good taste?
All of my favorites have been mentioned, I think, except for Tom Russell and Rodgers & Hart.
But my absolute favorite is Johnny Mercer.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Mountain Tyme
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 02:22 AM

John Prine has the power, Hank Snow for chioce of words and presentation, Hank Williams covered many others good lyrics/melodys and sang them with passion, but for penning original tunes and lyrics sang from the heart, Carter Stanley and Brother Ralph for the best and the most, hands down.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Rasta
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 01:01 AM

Well Dylan goes without saying but back in the real world John Stewart of Kingston trio fame was always a big influence on me for song awarness and more and more I like to hear Ian Tyson. Has anyone heard the (Gift) I think Ian wrote that one it sure equils John Stewarts (mother Country) --both great Americana songs---The Gift is about Chaarles Russel the cowboy artist from the turn of the century or so------Its on Ian Tysons album Cowboy Ography.------ Rasta-----

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: CarterNut
Date: 07 Jan 99 - 12:17 AM

Great thread. My favorites are A.P. Carter, Johnny Cash, Maybelle Carter(she did write many songs), Grandpa Jones, Jim and Jesse McReynolds, Lester Flatt, Bill Anderson, Roy Acuff, and the early song writers of that line. I like writings that speak to me, and these always have been a source of inspiration, particularly A.P.

John J.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: rich r
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 11:53 PM

I love about half of the people listed already,and would like to sneak John Denver into the list, but I would guess my true favorite for the past 35 years has been Tom Paxton. Almost all of his songs fit nicely in my voice range.

rich r

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Joe(the other one)
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 07:57 PM

What about John D Loudermilk, Pee Wee King, Mickey Newberry.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From:
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 07:55 PM

Muddy Waters deserves to be here just for writing that song about his girl running away with the garbageman.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Dave T
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 07:51 PM

Most of my favourites have been mentioned: Steve Goodman, John Prine, Guy Clark, Stan Rogers, Bob Dylan, etc. All those aside, Townes Van Zandt has to be there and I think Nanci Griffith too.
Funny, I haven't noticed any blues artists mentioned, so... Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters.
Dave T

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Dan Keding
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 07:08 PM

Great thread! My votes go to Steve Goodman (I know he's already been mentioned but I like him enough to say it again), Stan Rogers, Jez Lowe, and Bill Caddick. Also just about eberyone mentioned so far. Dan

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From:
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 06:26 PM

I forgot Steve Goodman and Tom Waits.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Reta
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 06:18 PM

Nice thread McMusic!

I agree with all the afore mentioned but at the very top I would have to place LOREENA MCKENNITT.

What can I ad to that?

Reta

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 06:04 PM

I guess most of my favorites have been mentioned,

except Jerry Jeff Walker and Jimmy Buffett.

....Tiger

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: schmuze
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 01:51 PM

Me, well I have to go with Dylan/Prine/Dougie Maclean/Christie Moore/ Jim Herd/ the McTrad guy (!) and many many more, it's like when someone says, play a song and your mind goes blank, Lennon/McCartney always, Ray DAvies, ooooooo loads!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 01:39 PM

GREAT THREAD!!! I join lots of others in Woody, Dylan,Patrick Sky, A.P.Carter, early Lightfoot, John Prine, Harlan Howard, Paul Simon {says he writes around rhythms, but what a "wordsmith"}, Stephen Foster, Jean Ritchie, Tom Petty, Leonard Cohen, Richard Farina, Arlo, James Taylor.....

Also, Jim Croce wrote a tremendous number of good songs prior to getting famous {and killed}. And if the only song Emmylou Harris ever wrote was "Prayer in Open D" that's enough to be included. Also ran across a listing for "Turn, Turn, Turn" crediting it to Pete Seeger and God. Interesting pairing...did HUAC and the McCarthy committee also blacklist God? catspaw49

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: SteveF
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 01:13 PM

Every so often I discover that one of my favorite old tunes was written by Johnny Mercer. What!? Him again?! That guy must have turned out well over a thousand familiar tunes! Rack up one for Johnny Mercer, at least for sheer quantity.

-- SteveF.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: The Shambles
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 12:08 PM

Richard Thompson.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Kris
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 10:57 AM

I was going to post to the 'I wish I had written..' thread, but everytime I thought of such a song I thought of all the others by the same artists. So ... Fave songwriters are:

Elvis Costello Joe Jackson Paul Weller Annie Lennox/Dave thingy Ian Dury Jacky Wilson Rolling Stones

& various more, but phones ringing

Kris

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Aldus
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 08:58 AM

I'd have to go with Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Richard Farina and Stan Rogers. I suppose the "Classic" pop writers should be included..Lennon and Macartney, Lerner and Lowe and Irving Berlin...so on. I agree about Stephen Foster.. Wonderful songs, many of which have now been declared politically incorrect. However, we still are free to enjoy the tunes.. Great thread, thanks all.

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Musicman
Date: 06 Jan 99 - 01:29 AM

I could repeat alot of the names of the above mentioned. But no-one has mentioned the name of Bill Staines!! (All God's Critters, River, Roseville Fair, Sweet Wyoming Home.) There's a fellow who has a way with a melody!

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 11:39 PM

Along with other luminaries already mentioned, Guy Clark would be near the top of my list. Also Ian Tyson. James Keelaghan and Lennie Gallant are fine current Canadian writers, and Murray McLauchlan has turned out an impressive body of work over the years.

I think fewer women come immediately to my mind because, to generalize horribly, not as many of them write in the traditional folk idiom that interests me. Marychapin Carpenter is quite wonderful, so I think is Cheryl Wheeler, and Laura Smith.

Bill

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Don Meixner
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 11:13 PM

My favorites? Tom Paxton, Gordon Bok, Patrick Sky, Bruce Murdock(anyone remember him?) some Gordon Lightfoot, Percy French, Tommy Makem, Ewan Macoll, Stan Rogers, U. Utah Phillips, Jim Ringer, and P. Domain.

I realise there are no women on this list. No good answer for that other than I find it interesting to note. Maybe Kate Wolf, but for every bit of brilliance from her I usually had to wade through a hundred bits of introspective treacle. And even the treacle weren't that bad.

Don

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Big Mick
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 10:40 PM

Bogle, Woody, Brendan Nolan, Ralph McTell....and I could keep going for quite a while.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 10:35 PM

Anon McTrad....followed by Bruce Phillips, Craig Johnson, the early Eric Bogle, Jean Ritchie, a few others...

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Sheye
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 10:28 PM

add:

Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristopherson (what can I say), Paul Simon, Sting, Jim Steinman...

Sheye

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 10:24 PM

It is easier to chime in on songwriter's than individual songs. If I like a writer, I will usually learn a ton of their songs. By that criteria, in order of discovery, there is Loudon Wainwright III (first five albums or so), John Prine (before his drinking got bad and after he got sober), and Joel Mabus. I do so like a sense of humor.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From:
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 10:11 PM

Always a matter of taste and opinion. I like the two above, too.

I like Stan Rogers, early Gordon Lightfoot, Archie Fisher, Leon Rosselson (although I don't always agree with his politics), Lennon/MacCartney, Irving Berlin, early Willie Nelson, John Prine, Jimmie Rodgers (the singing brakeman, can't recall if he is the one with the "d" or not), Hank Williams, Sr., Hoagie Carmichael, James Taylor, Dougie MacLean, Gordon Bok, and whoever wrote the songs on the Simpsons CD my niece has.

Subject: Greatest/Favorite Songwriters?
From: McMusic
Date: 05 Jan 99 - 09:54 PM

Has there ever been a thread giving 'Catters a chance to voice their opinion(s) as to their favorite songwriters, or who they think the greatest were? I can start the ball rolling with, in my humble opinion, the two Titans from the USA: Stephen Foster and Woody Guthrie.