Thank you. I don't know what sparked that comment. I was being serious (yes, a little smug —but I like to think of it as humor). I truly have been checking out Wilson's music due to this thread. But I guess some people just can't take a joke.
I get your point, John, but I take exception to your statement that Joni's music isn't exactly complex. Somewhat related, check how "Deform To Form A Star" suggests a certain debt to Court and Spark-era Joni.
I also continue to bristle at suggestions that less-technically proficient musicians are "lesser musicians" (not just your words but also from others on this board.) I'd equate the latter to those players that have no sense of feeling for the music they play.
That's not meant as disrespect; you'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger Joni fan than yours truly. Joni's weird tunings give her songs a very distinctive feel and harmonic voice, but I'm talking about episodic writing with mixed meters, that kinda stuff. Not saying Joni's music is easy, but it's a different kind of complex, if that makes any sense,.
Just to be clear,I also don't mean to imply that. I'd much rather listen to Robert Johnson than Al Di Meola, for example, for exactly that reason. But there are places where less technical proficiency does limit. Johnson would have been hard-pressed to play Luminol, right?
But the reason folks like Joni and James hire guys like Wayne Shorter and Steve Gadd is for feel, but also because they can handle anything thrown at them.
I don't see less technical proficiency as a detriment, in and of itself; but it can limit what can be achieved. It's simply a matter of what does the musician have in their toolbox? But technical proficiency without feel is meaningless, at least imo. We're on the same page, I think, and apologize if my response suggested otherwise.
I hear ya and agree. I'd rather hear a great three-minute pop song that feels good than a 20-minute prog epic that's sterile. Beyond singer/songwriters, I'm a huge fan of Neil Finn and Crowded House, because he's always been so good at writing short pop tunes that are supremely deep and feel great.
Thanks for clarifying, John. I agree, I think we're on the same page.
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