Genius

Who's a genius? Gza, of course.

I don't recall reading your contribution to this thread, actually, dave q????? Didn't envisage snipes at people's choices and reasons, really.

D'oh! Missed that!

Okay, I say Mike Patton 'cause he's an absurdly versatile and powerful vocalist and all-around musician, he's composed some of the sickest amazing modern music, and he's involved in more and a wider variety of projects than you can shake a stick at: from the Loveage thing to Mr. Bungle (I refuse to believe they've broken up!) to Fantomas to Tomahawk to his eery solo work to his work with John Zorn, not to mention his own record label Ipecac puts out some amazing other artists, the Melvins among many others. And yes he also used to be in Faith No More, but having released as many albums in the past 2 years in his various projects as they did over their entire career together, I think we can consider that distant past.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000001ELP.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

does something very impressive at a very young age that people only expect adults to do (e.g. Mozart)

creates something (most likely fusion of existing material) that becomes a clear influence and inspires a large amount of people to try and imitate or incorporate in their own work, but doesnt really come close to the creator

creates something that solves a long-running problem or fulfils a niche that has been empty for long time...and does this in a profound way

Brian Wilson? Todd Rundgren? Alex Chilton? Prince? Kate Bush? PJ Harvey? Lee Hazlewood? Phil Spector?

Beefheart = less academic, more instinctual but he basically changed the face of rock music. and definitely pushed the industry to it's limits in the 60s. his knack for arrangements of songs is pretty much unrivalled. if you listen to an album like doc at the radar station the intertwining guitar parts are insanely complex but work beautifully.

yeah, both very different approaches to music but both equally worthy of inclusion.

Anyway, there are several, but Paul McCartney and Tony Banks deserve it more than most.

Gene is pretty upfront about how misdirected that album was, but falls short of actually admitting it was an ass-backwards fiasco.

I should note, however, that I do own the album.

"I" is entertaining, I suppose, with a decent hook -- but the lyrics are pretty insufferable in a cringe-worthy "Let's Hear it For Sobriety" sorta way.

Also, "World Without Heroes" makes me gag....I don't care if Lou Reed helped in its conception. He, they -- and, verily, WE ALL -- should be ashamed. To think that this was the same band that came up with "Deuce"!

i.e. 5.0 liter 20-inch rims etc! true true. the full roll-away bed in the back seat sadly is still yet to be innovated.

I mean I was actually thinking about this just last week, after that "What were the synths used on Thriller" or whatever thread. Someone mentioned how on "Kiss" Prince had used the sound of an acoustic guitar and then repeatedly gated it (yeah, yeah, some producer term) to get that really clipped synthetic sound that runs throughout the verses. I had never thought about it too much and this prompted me to go back and listen to the Parade lp. It's a record I always liked, but this was a weird listening experience; it was like I was listening to the record with fresh ears. Really trying to pick apart the interesting things he was doing as a producer/arranger.

I mean, it is an unfortunately overused word that has lost much (if not all) impact as an effective descriptor, but i'd say it certainly applies to Prince. His ability to seemingly just pick impossibly catchy songs out of air, for one. The way he can flit from minimal to baroque, usually on the same record. Something like "When Doves Cry", how alien and exciting that song sounded when it first came out. It's amazing the stuff he was able to get onto pop radio. Something like that Parade lp, recorded at the peak of his popularity; what a strange record! That opening quartet of songs - "Christopher Tracy's Parade" - "New Positions" - "I Wonder U" - "Under the Cherry Moon" - it slays me. The 12 cd people that drove this thing up to #3 on the charts on the basis of "Kiss" - what did they think? The fact that he did all this while doing movies (admittedly bad) and producing a ton of other good records.

So yeah, he's one. There are others.

Me too... picked it up for three bucks in Jersey a few years ago. "Dark Light" is actually pretty awesome (sing the following in a self-important Lawng Island accent):

Look out, 'cause there's something wrong
And you don't know what it is
Watch out, or it's Sodom and Gommorah
The malevolent order
Right now, before it's much too late
Before it's much too late

[Chorus]
A dark light
A darkness never ending
A dark light
The devil gets his due
A dark night
Is everywhere descending
A dark light
Is coming for you

Now look up, well the skies are black
And they're getting darker all the time
Watch out, for the things that you believe in
You're gonna be attacked and you won't know what it is
Wise up, you better watch your step
You better watch your step
[Chorus]
A dark light
A darkness never ending
A dark light
Of perversion and hate
A dark night
Is everywhere descending
A dark light
There's no time to wait

[Solo]

Look out, for the death of love
There will be no more love
Watch out, it's yourself that you are fooling
Who do you think you're fooling?
Shout it out, it's a terrible thing
Such a terrible thing

[Chorus]
A dark light
A darkness never ending
A dark light
The sun is turning cool
A dark night
Is everywhere descending
A dark light
Is shining at you
Dark light

Dark light

Is shining at you
Dark light

I was wondering about this, can anyone think of a song earlier than "Paw-Paw Negro Blowtorch" with a riff built entirely on guitar harmonics?

I'm tempted to give the cliché answer of Bob Dylan, but that would be redundant.
So I'm going for the dark horse: Richard Thompson.
Reasons:
1) This guys bizarre tunings can make a guitar mimic numerous folkoid instruments: Dobro, Mandolin, Accordian, Zamfir-style friggin' Pan-pipes fercryinoutloud.
2) His lyrics are sometimes as good as Dylan, and generally easier to follow.
3) His singing voice is loads better than Dylan's.
4) As a Sufi, he one of the few cool Muslims in the world.

behave!

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002NIQ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Those sideburns are pure genius.

duh.

As usual, Dave Q. comes through!!

Yet not one of them mentioned on here so far are Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who, among other things, created the "stritch" and "manzello" by altering a couple saxophones based on a dream, played as many as 3 horns at once, circular breathed until his neck looked like a bellows, dropped nose flute solos whilst yelling 'take it away nose!', was an astonishingly lyrical flautist, played a mean trumpet, and was one of the most ferocious tenor sax men of his era. Plus he was an amazing composer, incorporating elements of European classical music such as fugues, latin and funk rhythms, and had a vast control of the history of jazz itself. All this while being blind as a bat. THAT man was an amazing sick genius.

But if we're talking rocker here - I'm gwan go with Richie Thompson.

(Other names mentioned also worthy.)

I love the word "Bandied". You never hear people use the present/future tense of it though.. "I'm going to bandy Richard Thompson's name in conversation the next time someone mentions "genious.")

I have seen Richard T. a few times. He's one amazing guitarist and tolerated me and my friends drunkenly calling out requests, some of which he played, at a club a few years back. He was very good. I don't much like what he does, though--I respect it but it's just too fucking dour for me, although I'm aware he has a nice dry sense of humor. The only ones I care for are "Henry the Human Fly" and his great collab. w/ John French, Kaiser, Frith.

I'll say the songs "Inflated Tear", "Volunteered Slavery", and "One Ton" make a very good intro triumvirate, having good examples of his distinct delivery techniques and composition style, as well as his very charming-yet-not-musically-off-putting sense of humor.