Who you think is a "Musical Genius"...and why...

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jbj said:
Which is why I substantiated on my choices.

I've been listening to a lot of Tom Petty the past few weeks and was having a think last night - he might not have the chops of someone like Gilmour or Knopfler but is there any guitarist out there who can touch Mike Campbell for getting THE EXACT tone, feel and notes that is perfect for everything he's played on?

I honestly can't think of a single Campbell part on a TP tune that could be improved upon and that to me marks him out as a genius too.
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Yes, and Mark Farner from Grand Funk Railroad. It's hard to imagine he was even from this planet.
 
Freddie Mercury

Simply because of the wide range of music he could write, sing and play.
From gorgeous piano harmonies to all out head banging rock, and he made it all look so simple.

A rare talent indeed.
 
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Acadiafall said:
Freddie Mercury

Simply because of the wide range of music he could write, sing and play.
From gorgeous piano harmonies to all out head banging rock, and he made it all look so simple.

A rare talent indeed.
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First off great example, but it has me rethinking the notion of Bob Marley. I still believe is/was a musical genius, but he did not do it alone. Freddie, like John & Paul (and George), Sting, Townshend, Brian Wilson, Miles, Chris Thile, Zappa, Marley, Basie, Ellington, Django, and others, isn't creating in a vacuum or alone. Even when some of these folks brought in a tune, it was the collaborative effort, the input from band mates and the collective interplay and arrangement that took the work to another level. Often the solo work from these artists can be found to be missing something or less than (or even garbage) compared to the work they did within a band. Freddie's solo stuff wasn't that great, Paul's had highs and lows (and really lows), Bob rarely worked without the Wailers (and they had a huge had in shaping the sound and feel of his music). Pete sure as hell wasn't telling Keith or John what to play or how, Zappa was notorious, like similar leaders, for nabbing ideas from his backing bands' jams or improvs and turning them into songs without giving them credit. Prince, Miles, the Rolling Stones, and others have been guilty, accused, or rumored to do this as well.

In short, genius can be a group thing just as easily as it can be rooted in one brilliant mind. Even Peter Gabriel corralled a core group of musicians to execute his ideas and contribute their own...folks he could, did, and does count/trust on to play the right part without prompting while also being able to work with others and adapt as things morph into something else. Obviously Gabriel is not the only artist to do this.

I find the music I most enjoy is collaboratively created. The interplay between two or more musicians is where the magic really happens, be it the creative process or in performance.
 
James Hetfield is simultaneously among the greatest rythym guitarists of all time and a master songwriter. Dudes got all the hooks.
 
Oh, I mentioned the "Epic Rap Battles of History" before and forgot to mention I think Nice Peter and Epic Lloyd are geniuses. At least on the first 2 seasons.

I mean, they write and perform the raps in character with impersonation. (somewhat)
 
DdBob said:
Chad Kroeger, because ....welll.......

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mongooz said:
@Dogsinotpalc
the sustained part is why i nominated Carole King. her first hit was the Shirelles "will you still love me tomorrow" in 1960. and then proceeded to score hits and awards thru 2014. plus she has a Gershwin, and is in the Kennedy Center and all of the following.
spanning 4 decades, i'd call that musical genius.

Grammy
Year Nominee/work Award Result
1972 Tapestry Album of the Year Won
"It's Too Late" Record of the Year Won
"You've Got A Friend" Song of the Year Won
"Tapestry" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Won
1975 "Jazzman" Nominated
1976 Really Rosie Best Album for Children Nominated
1993 "Now and Forever" Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television Nominated
1998 Tapestry Grammy Hall of Fame Inducted
2002 "You've Got a Friend" Inducted
2002 "It's Too Late" Inducted
2004 Carole King Grammy Trustees Award Honored
2013 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Honored
A Holiday Carole Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Nominated
2014 Carole King MusiCares Person of the Year Honored
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But has she ever worked the line "I like the way you smack my ass" into one of her songs and sang it with a straight face? That, my friend, is genius...

... or hideous. I get them confused sometimes.
 
Chad said:
Anyone who is influenced by Bach and Mozart has to be one.
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I know you kid, but I was complaining to my wife about the notion within music that the "geniuses" are mostly within the classical and jazz realm. It's so myopic to exclude and minimize more "modern" popular genres. Among certain populations, the only legit musicians were/are classical musicians with jazz musicians coming in next...seemingly based on the idea that because the vast majority understand music theory and read music. Obviously these are hugely helpful and important tools for musicians, but a lot of great music has come from musicians/artists that don't know theory academically and aren't great musicians from a a technical perspective.

Anyway genius is neither defined nor limited by genre.
 
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