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Viking Chat => Off Topic => Topic started by: Bentley Bullet on September 30, 2016, 12:56:59 am

Title: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Bentley Bullet on September 30, 2016, 12:56:59 am
Apart from Bowie?
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: turnbull for england on September 30, 2016, 01:08:52 am
Living- David Gedge
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: idler on September 30, 2016, 06:51:50 am
Mrs. Mills. 🤔
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Donnywolf on September 30, 2016, 08:05:02 am
Mrs. Mills. 🤔

No way - Russ Conway had her fettled !
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: IDM on September 30, 2016, 08:11:03 am
Depends on what genre you mean..  Do you mean star performers, or performers turned writer/producer like Mike Batt?

Clapton? McCartney? Weller?
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Glyn_Wigley on September 30, 2016, 08:21:32 am
I think he means pop star, not musician.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: IDM on September 30, 2016, 09:59:40 am
In that case it has to be Macca..
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: GazLaz on September 30, 2016, 10:00:30 am
Phil Collins.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: silent majority on September 30, 2016, 10:01:12 am
No definitive answers of course!

British? Hmm. I suppose we're talking performer rather than writer? Eric Clapton would be one for me.

Globally? As a writer and performer I could offer Bob Dylan.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: glosterred on September 30, 2016, 10:50:51 am
Really depends on how long your life has been.

Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: NickDRFC on September 30, 2016, 10:57:28 am
Elton John
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: knockers on September 30, 2016, 11:52:27 am
Wendy James
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: IDM on September 30, 2016, 12:20:58 pm
Johnny Marr
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Glyn_Wigley on September 30, 2016, 12:28:32 pm
John Ogdon?
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: ravenrover on September 30, 2016, 01:14:16 pm
No definitive answers of course!

British? Hmm. I suppose we're talking performer rather than writer? Eric Clapton would be one for me.

Globally? As a writer and performer I could offer Bob Dylan.
couldn't disagree with your Global choice, SM  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Glyn_Wigley on September 30, 2016, 01:30:56 pm
I'm not a jazz lover in any shape or form but I always enjoyed listening to Stephane Grapelli.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: IDM on September 30, 2016, 01:37:50 pm
Wendy James

I'll take your Wendy James and raise you a Claire Grogan!


Another serious answer - Jools Holland.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: idler on September 30, 2016, 03:45:31 pm
Roy Wood can and does play a variety of instruments including bagpipes.
Eric Clapton is probably the best in his field though.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: The Red Baron on September 30, 2016, 04:30:34 pm
Wendy James

I'll take your Wendy James and raise you a Claire Grogan!


Another serious answer - Jools Holland.

Clare Grogan wouldn't win the award we're discussing, but I bet I spent more of my teenage years fantasizing over her than I did over anyone else mentioned here.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Draytonian III on September 30, 2016, 05:03:28 pm
Claire Grogan, is a total MILF.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: colfromdonny on September 30, 2016, 05:19:05 pm
Kate Bush
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Filo on September 30, 2016, 08:09:45 pm
Jeff Lynne (Otis Wilbury) 😀
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Glyn_Wigley on September 30, 2016, 08:18:03 pm
Roy Wood can and does play a variety of instruments including bagpipes.
Eric Clapton is probably the best in his field though.

As a guitar player myself I seriously do not understand the hero worship that Clapton gets.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: German Rover on September 30, 2016, 08:41:34 pm
I'm a bit of a fan of Rory Gallagher. great guitarist. Pisses all over Clapton.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: BobG on September 30, 2016, 09:30:06 pm
Some great names chaps. Good memories. Rory Gallagher - one of the two best guitarists I've ever heard (the other was/is Dutch. I bet someone will know him?). Eric Clapton - a real proper, decent human being. Stephane Grapelli, as Glyn says, just awesome. And you can never forget Macca.

I'm torn between Macca and Eric as the best. They're the front runners because they both play and compose good things. They're more creative than a simple songster or wordsmith.

I'll go for Macca - on the basis that he has had a bigger influence on the world rather than simply technical merit.

BobG
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: darren61 on September 30, 2016, 10:13:19 pm
There is only one after Bowie in my lifetime, that is Macca. Jeff Lynn and Roy Wood are giants.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Filo on September 30, 2016, 10:18:38 pm
Some great names chaps. Good memories. Rory Gallagher - one of the two best guitarists I've ever heard (the other was/is Dutch. I bet someone will know him?). Eric Clapton - a real proper, decent human being. Stephane Grapelli, as Glyn says, just awesome. And you can never forget Macca.

I'm torn between Macca and Eric as the best. They're the front runners because they both play and compose good things. They're more creative than a simple songster or wordsmith.

I'll go for Macca - on the basis that he has had a bigger influence on the world rather than simply technical merit.

BobG

As guitarists go, I like Clapton, but for me Gary Moore was awesome and currently the best living one at the moment is Joe Bonamassa
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: BobG on September 30, 2016, 11:48:10 pm
Come come Filo :):)

The greatest living guitarist is unquestionably Jan Akkerman. No argument at all :)

Cheers

Bob
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: i_ateallthepies on October 01, 2016, 08:50:39 am
As guitarists go, I have never seen a better one than Lindsey Buckingham - live at least.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: silent majority on October 01, 2016, 11:34:26 am
Some great names chaps. Good memories. Rory Gallagher - one of the two best guitarists I've ever heard (the other was/is Dutch. I bet someone will know him?). Eric Clapton - a real proper, decent human being. Stephane Grapelli, as Glyn says, just awesome. And you can never forget Macca.

I'm torn between Macca and Eric as the best. They're the front runners because they both play and compose good things. They're more creative than a simple songster or wordsmith.

I'll go for Macca - on the basis that he has had a bigger influence on the world rather than simply technical merit.

BobG

As guitarists go, I like Clapton, but for me Gary Moore was awesome and currently the best living one at the moment is Joe Bonamassa

I've seen them all, several times, and JB is good but not great. Someone described him as a 'thrash' blues guitarist and I know what they mean, he doesn't play with soul unfortunately. He could do with spending some time with John Mayall, he'd sort him out.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: roversdude on October 01, 2016, 12:18:14 pm
Think it went off topic - are we not discussing British - if so Clapton, Macca or Bowie
Non Brits - Dave Grohl and selfishly Angus Young
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Petche on October 01, 2016, 05:39:49 pm
Steven (h) Hogarth, a local connection as well!
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: The Red Baron on October 01, 2016, 08:21:25 pm
Mark E. Smith. Not a musician, but a genius nonetheless.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: darren61 on October 01, 2016, 08:52:51 pm
If we are hijacking the original post, as always BTW, I am going for Neil Finn.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Draytonian III on October 01, 2016, 09:37:18 pm
Anybody but Paul McCartney, the main talent in the Beatles was shot by Mark Chapman in December 1980 .
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: BobG on October 02, 2016, 02:12:56 pm
Petche!! I went to school with Steve Hogarth. We used to sit next to each other in maths and a few other lessons too. He used to live up Avoca Avenue (or something like that if I've remembered it wrongly) in Intake. He lives in Oxford now.

He had 2 drop dead gorgeous sisters too....

Do you remember him being the keyboardist for the Europeans?

BobG
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: wilts rover on October 02, 2016, 06:03:56 pm
The greatest living guitarist and no-one has mentioned this guy from Doncaster -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-QZnnaI7rY


AS for greatest musician Robert Fripp of King Crimson, they defined/begun a genre of music and he has always been proper weird - just what you want your rock stars to be.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Petche on October 02, 2016, 07:02:06 pm
Bob, always been a big fan of Marillion even through the transition to present day so only really discovered Steve Hogarth then. Fantastic musicians the lot of them!
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Scooter on October 02, 2016, 08:16:50 pm
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Roger Daltry/ Pete Townshend
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: selby on October 02, 2016, 09:23:45 pm
Paul Carrack great entertainer and musician pity a Wednesday fan
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: darren61 on October 02, 2016, 10:04:47 pm
At the end of the day, its all down to personal taste, so most everyone will have a different veiw. We British have a rich and varied history of music, and long may it last. Rock on mate.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Sammy Chung was King on October 03, 2016, 12:45:04 am
John lennon for his performances while alive and his influence during his career and after his death. Greatest showman i have seen though i don't think he qualifies as british, one Farrokh Bulsara-Freddie mercury.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: BobG on October 03, 2016, 05:13:25 pm
Petche - if you look SteveH up on his website or on Marillion or any of the fan sites, they've all got his age wrong. He's managed to 'lose' a few years somewhere along the way. I know, incontrovertibly, that he is, right now, exactly 60 years old.

As a keyboardist, he always was whizz. We've not had many of them mentioned in this thread have we? Other than Steve and Rick Wakeman, who else is there that's any good?

As for The Who's band members, the best live shows I've ever, ever, ever seen. But as top of the list individuals?  Not for me. I love Daltrey as a singer but there's others just as good in Led Zep and Deep Purple for example. And Pete Townsend? Too much showmanship and playing to the gallery.

Bob
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Al4475 on October 03, 2016, 05:59:04 pm
Best british musician in our lifetime?

Depends on genre - imo jacqueline du pre beats everyone!

The greatest cellist who has ever lived bar none! She was everything a cellist could ever be: dynamic, animated, played all the great cello pieces with pure unadulterated passion and class - google her! Unbelievable power and musical beauty!

Taken from us far too soon - a genius!

But cellists don't rank highly in the lists sadly!
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: wilts rover on October 03, 2016, 06:18:32 pm
Well we are one superb keyboardist down this year with the passing of Keith Emerson so off the top of my head of the ones left alive all these can play a bit:

Brian Eno (Roxy Music & solo)
Tim Blake (Gong & Hawkwind)
Harvey Bainbridge (Hawkwind)
Tony Banks (Genesis)
Gary Brooker & Matthew Fisher (Procol Harem)
Robert John Godfrey (The Enid)
Dave Sinclair (Caravan)
Gary Numan
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: ravenrover on October 03, 2016, 06:22:18 pm
Jamie Hince "The Kills" isn't a bad guitarist if you like that style of playing, saw them last night at Rock City.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Glyn_Wigley on October 03, 2016, 09:06:39 pm
Well we are one superb keyboardist down this year with the passing of Keith Emerson so off the top of my head of the ones left alive all these can play a bit:

Brian Eno (Roxy Music & solo)
Tim Blake (Gong & Hawkwind)
Harvey Bainbridge (Hawkwind)
Tony Banks (Genesis)
Gary Brooker & Matthew Fisher (Procol Harem)
Robert John Godfrey (The Enid)
Dave Sinclair (Caravan)
Gary Numan


Don't forget Dave Greenslde of The Stranglers, and Monty Oxymoron of The Damned is an absolutely phenomenal keyboard player.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: silent majority on October 04, 2016, 02:11:55 am
No Rick Wakeman in that list?
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: TommyC on October 04, 2016, 07:10:35 am
Whilst it would be Clapton for me all day long based on the music, I do question Bob G's comment about him being a "decent  human being". Is that sarcasm?

Eric has long been a musical inspiration of mine but surely the only thing counting against him is his somewhat questionable history.

We're talking about a former alcoholic, heroin addict, serial adulterer and self confessed narcissistic abuser of women. He is an arrogant and deeply flawed individual and that is by his own admission. Also, have you ever heard his drunken Rivers of Blood rant and his admiration for Enoch Powell? Something he has never publicly apologised for or even explained.

Yes, much of this is in the past and nowadays he does much charitable work for alcoholics and drug addicts, but there remain significant question marks over Eric the man! I've seen him four times and on each occasion he barely said two words to the audience and made it very clear he didn't want to be there, something he has since confirmed in interviews and why he is considering ceasing touring.

Says a lot for his music that he remains my all time favourite! Great musician, not so sure he's a great person. The irony of it all is the deep nagging suspicion that Mr Clapton does in fact produce his best music by quite some margin when he is stoned or pissed out of his mind, as shown by his output over the last 20 years.....
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: IDM on October 04, 2016, 09:02:30 am
Not all great musicians are great people...  From what I have read you could say that John Lennon was a bit of an arsehole to say the least.

However, isn't it the case that the most creative sort tend to be a bit off the rails elsewhere?
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: The Red Baron on October 04, 2016, 09:09:30 am
Mark E. Smith doesn't strike me as the sort of bloke I'd enjoy a convivial dinner with. Still love his work.

One reason why I've never really wanted to get to know footballers and sports people in general. Must be very disheartening to find that someone whose talent you admire is a bit of an arsehole in real life.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: wilts rover on October 04, 2016, 06:05:02 pm
No Rick Wakeman in that list?

No because the list was in response to Bob's question of who apart from Steve Hogarth and Rick Wakeman are good (British) keyboard players. With apologies to both Mr Hogarth and Mr Oxymoron of the names so far mentioned Wakeman and Eno are by far the pre-eminent ones.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Dutch Uncle on October 04, 2016, 07:36:46 pm
A couple of mentions for people not mentioned so far:

Barry Gibb (more as a writer) and the incomparable Bert Jansch as a guitarist
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: Glyn_Wigley on October 04, 2016, 08:18:52 pm
Monty improvising in the pub after a gig...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh-T06jMJhQ
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: BobG on October 04, 2016, 09:49:49 pm
Tommy: I wrote that Eric Clapton "is a decent human being". Why do want to read it as saying something entirely different? What makes you think I mean something else? Is it something in your own mind?

BobG
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: TommyC on October 04, 2016, 10:16:31 pm
Not at all. I simply found it a surprising description and not a view of EC that is generally espoused. Not even by the man himself or people who know him well. Apologies for asking if you were being sarcastic. I could just as easily have said "are you having a laugh" or "is that a pisstake Bob". I was expressing surprise at your opinion given the common knowledge about him, nothing more.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: silent majority on October 05, 2016, 10:44:57 am
No Rick Wakeman in that list?

No because the list was in response to Bob's question of who apart from Steve Hogarth and Rick Wakeman are good (British) keyboard players. With apologies to both Mr Hogarth and Mr Oxymoron of the names so far mentioned Wakeman and Eno are by far the pre-eminent ones.

Sorry, didn't realise that you were referring to a previous post.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: silent majority on October 05, 2016, 10:47:05 am
Not at all. I simply found it a surprising description and not a view of EC that is generally espoused. Not even by the man himself or people who know him well. Apologies for asking if you were being sarcastic. I could just as easily have said "are you having a laugh" or "is that a pisstake Bob". I was expressing surprise at your opinion given the common knowledge about him, nothing more.

I've read his autobiography twice, and suffice to say he was probably a dangerous man to be around at certain points in his life. His dedication to his music and how he wanted to follow a certain path made him a difficult man to like I'm sure.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: BobG on October 05, 2016, 08:52:26 pm
He's a man who cares about his responsibilities. He doesn't run away from his mistakes and he is there when his friends and family need him. He doesn't miss. That makes him a decent guy as far as I'm concerned. If you're worried about a genius focussing on his art, then I'm afraid there's an awful lot of brilliant people you're not going to like.

BobG
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: ravenrover on October 06, 2016, 10:05:26 am
On the subject of EC worth mentioning Albert Lee as a wonderful guitarist, he ended up playing all the lead guitar bits on EC's shows in the 70's when EC was too off his skull to play live. EC has since referred to him as the greatest guitar player in the world not a bad commendation.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: tommy toes on October 06, 2016, 10:20:35 pm
I've got include my musical hero as nobody else has seen fit to.
Ian Anderson, former leader of Jethro Tull.
He's been writing and performing for 50 years and as anyone who saw Tull will agree, a mesmerising showman. He's still going strong and touring all the time despite vocal problems.
He's written hundreds of songs from blues,rock, folk, jazz, ballads, world music and classical and is a multi instrumentalist.
The blokes a genius.

Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: MachoMadness on October 06, 2016, 11:57:05 pm
He's a man who cares about his responsibilities. He doesn't run away from his mistakes and he is there when his friends and family need him. He doesn't miss. That makes him a decent guy as far as I'm concerned. If you're worried about a genius focussing on his art, then I'm afraid there's an awful lot of brilliant people you're not going to like.

BobG

He did focus on his art, apart from the time he stopped playing music to give a white power speech on stage, describing Britain as a "black colony" and repeatedly referring to "wogs". He's never apologised for that, by the way, and in fact has repeatedly praised Enoch Powell decades after the fact. Goes above and beyond a rock star being a bit 'difficult', really.

Great musician for sure, but it is puzzling that you refer to an overt racist as a decent guy.

To be on topic, Tony Iommi revolutionised playing the guitar and invented an entire genre, so surely he deserves a mention?
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: NickDRFC on October 07, 2016, 07:15:09 am
Similarly I'm not sure his Doncaster-born daughter would agree that he is there for his family when they need him. Brilliant musician, genius even, yes, decent, no.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: TommyC on October 07, 2016, 07:30:57 am
Eric also nicked his best mate's wife as well. George Harrison bore no grudge about it and they remained close mates apparently but even so, certain lines you don't cross.

Incidentally and given someone mentions it, I once took said daughter Ruth to the pictures back when we were teenagers. Nice girl and still lives locally I believe. Now the mother to ECs grandkids.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: silent majority on October 07, 2016, 01:11:58 pm
As I've said before I rate him as a musician, and I mean really rate him. But his autobiography is a real eye opener. The people around him, girlfriends etc, who he introduced to hard drugs who then subsequently died is a shocker! His attitude to women was a disgrace.

The point I made him being dedicated to his music, to the detriment of his fellow musicians in a lot of cases, mirrors his personal life. Seems to be a very, very selfish individual.
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: BobG on October 07, 2016, 08:25:43 pm
Don't be silly Nick. Not only was EC always there for her, but he made trip after trip after trip to her school to see school plays, school concerts and school events. He also gave a private concert in the school almost every year. He was there for his daughter constantly. He invited a boy in his daughters' class, who she had got the hots for, to his ranch in Arizona or wherever, to spend Christmas with the girl, him and Sharon Stone.

You are deluded mate. I repeat: maybe as a kid he played about - but so did I and, unless you're a saint, so did you. He has stood by his friends and his family for decades. It's not just me that thinks this puts him above a huge crowd of other mortals. Our political leaders extol those virtues too.

Bob
Title: Re: Who is the greatest british musician in our lifetime?
Post by: NickDRFC on October 08, 2016, 07:55:05 am
Charming anecdotes, but I stand by what I said - I'm not sure she would agree that he's there for his family when they need him. Not always.

I'm still surprised that you consider him a decent person. Put it this way - if, when I have kids, I had a son who behaved like he so often has, I would be appalled. Even if he had twice the musical talent that Clapton has.

Anyway, it seems pretty clear that you have the one view and several others of us have an opposing one, so perhaps we should get back to discussing the great musical talent this country has produced!