Genius of music?

[The39thStep]

Brian Wilson
Mark Hollis
Robert Fripp

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Ohh yeah, Brian Wilson. Like this gem.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Jacob Collier really is an extraordinary talent. I don't think he's a particularly original theorist though although he adds in a lot "advanced" ideas. (Caveat: the thing where he vocally modulated between different tunings really was original (I believe) and absolutely amazing.) I listen to a lot of his music just for the joy of listening to someone outlandishly good at what they do and for the harmonic richness he brings to it. At the same time I don't think he really hits the spot in a sublime way or does something game changing.



This though. The fuck.

For someone with a seemingly limitless understanding of how music works, flawless instrumental technique and enough creativity to make genuinely new things, try Hiromi Uehara:

 

[stavros]

Richard D. James

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think my list for this would be different every time.

Today, a list might be:

George Clinton
Gil Scott-Heron
Curtis Mayfield
Scott Walker
Jacques Brel
David Bowie
Lou Reed

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Brian Wilson
Mark Hollis
Robert Fripp

Mark Hollis is a good shout.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

George Clinton.

Doesn't even play an instrument in a fluid up to 30 member band but arranges everything.

I had the pleasure of seeing him last week, two years late. Brilliant as ever but I only counted about 20 band members this time - including several grandchildren. You're right - he's the conductor really.

 

[Knotted]

I'm not sure it has any applications but this is (in)genius theory.

 

[stavros]

Timbaland

 

[AverageJoe]

Björk
Mike Patton

This. And I'd add

Jean Michel Jarre
Aphex Twin
Trent Reznor

 

[A380]

Bach
Mozart
Lennon/McCartney

 

[killer b]

Just did a quick count and we've listed 60 male geniuses, and 6 female - not complaining cause I named a bloke too, but that's pretty stark.

 

[seeformiles]

Steve Reich has done some amazing stuff. (Everyone knows this one - but his method of composing is great)

 

[Ming]

Eddie Van Halen
Buddy Rich

 

[AverageJoe]

Just did a quick count and we've listed 60 male geniuses, and 6 female - not complaining cause I named a bloke too, but that's pretty stark.

Then I'd like to throw in

Lady Gaga
Nancy and Annie Wilson
Enya
Sheila E
Salt and Peppa
Tori Amos
Carole King
Madonna
Patti Smith
Carly Simon

And without a doubt Delia Derbyshire

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Of the people I grew up with, Thom Yorke & Damon Albarn (much as I really dislike some peak period Blur). To me, a genius is someone who can explore a wide range of styles and mesh with different collaborators over a long period of time, and still keep producing top quality music.

Surely Lee Scratch Perry deserves a mention too. (Probably more than the above two; it's just I didn't grow up listening to him, so don't have quite the same personal connection.)

 

[SpookyFrank]

Just did a quick count and we've listed 60 male geniuses, and 6 female - not complaining cause I named a bloke too, but that's pretty stark.

I almost put Lana Del Rey in my list because that's who I've been rinsing more than anything else recently, but I don't think she's been around long enough yet.

 

[The39thStep]

Producers

Martin Hannett
George Martin
Phil Spector

 

[AverageJoe]

Of the people I grew up with, Thom Yorke & Damon Albarn (much as I really dislike some peak period Blur). To me, a genius is someone who can explore a wide range of styles and mesh with different collaborators over a long period of time, and still keep producing top quality music.

Surely Lee Scratch Perry deserves a mention too.

Both great calls

 

[8ball]

Thom Yorke
Leonard Cohen
Jose Suicidio

 

[Raheem]

Jacques Brel. I get why he's not so popular outside French-speaking countries, but he leaves anyone mentioned above in his wake.

 

[weltweit]

Jimi Hendricks

 

[killer b]

Salt and Peppa

I see you're struggling

 

[Knotted]

Elza Soares
Gal Costa
Flora Purim

 

[stavros]

I would've put Missy Elliott with my Timbaland nomination, but he's done quite a lot of superb stuff separate to her.

 

[hash tag]

Virtually everyone is an also ran after Mozart. Composing at 5 years old and dead at 35.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Just did a quick count and we've listed 60 male geniuses, and 6 female - not complaining cause I named a bloke too, but that's pretty stark.

Surely that would be representative of the lack of opportunities historically for women to be musical geniuses rather than reducing it to a 2022 diverse tastes right on box ticking exercise?

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Surely that would be representative of the lack of opportunities historically for women to be musical geniuses rather than reducing it to a 2022 tastes box ticking exercise?

To me, PJ Harvey (for example) could probably be considered a genius, but her best work (to my ears) spans about a decade. The chaps I mentioned earlier have produced great work over a much longer period. Of course, it's all relative, down to personal taste and depends on how you define genius. If an artist produces two or three classic albums over a decade, that's pretty amazing.

 

[BristolEcho]

Surely that would be representative of the lack of opportunities historically for women to be musical geniuses rather than reducing it to a 2022 diverse tastes right on box ticking exercise?

Because clearly that's what Killer was doing.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Because clearly that's what Killer was doing.

Did we have enough Hispanics in the replies?