Best songwriting

What are your random thoughts on songwriting?

I think of Lou Reed's Berlin album... dark and cathartic....

Lennon's Plastic Ono Band... full of pain and vitriol with a very sparce musical backing.

Alex Chilton and Big Star... the Third album... the most bipolar album ever with harrowing tracks like 'Holocaust'.

Of course Roger Waters and the Floyd.... albums like Animals and The Wall.

Let's not forget the childlike whimsy of Syd Barrett on Floyd's psychedelic debut album... the classic The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Leonard Cohen's first three albums.... to me, way better than Dylan.

What do you say?

 

I'm looking forward to reading the replies to this

 

You'd make fun of me if I posted lyrical content that I really like.

however, Animals is pretty high up there.

(most Lou Reed too, obv)

 

I think Maynard James Keenan's songwriting in Tool is really good. Lateralus is probably the pinnacle of his songwriting and I really like Aenima as well. He has (on Lateralus in particular) an amazing ability to incorporate introspective, aggressive and mystical lyrics into their songs that are direct enough that you can relate with and vague enough that you can interpret in your own way. A rare quality in metal music.

I like Pink Floyd's songwriting. Dark side of the moon is the most introspective songwriting album by them but I like the themes of Animals and the audio story that is The Wall.

Bob Dylan is probably the best story teller songwriter and he has lyrics that get you thinking.

I think Jeff Buckley was a good songwriter too. I'm not sure if he was just such a good vocalist that it sort of made his lyrics seem more poignant but I really connect with some of his tracks.

 

Exactly how I feel about them. Lateralus is ridiculous and Aenima is not far behind.

 

Neil fuckin' Young. So raw. He only follows the Muse, and you can feel it.

 

Richard Thompson is good,although he is peculiarly English.Also Stephen Merritt from The Magnetic Fields.I highly recommend their album "69 Love songs".I also like Imogen Heap to throw in a female artist.

 

Fuck yes! How could I forget Merritt and that album -- one of my all-time favorites.

 

Does it have to be old and 'worthy'?

 

No it can be new and sparkly methinks odon.

 

Fair enough. I like:
Her
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQnEzyqfQ8"]Alanis Morissette - Empathy [HD] [Track 5 - Havoc and Bright Lights, 2012 New Album] - YouTube
Him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDKFcx1Z1H8&feature=related"]Jamie T - A new England - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLvmWPxU1Ik&feature=related"]Matthew Jay-Four Minute Rebellion - YouTube
and them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZkudjJU2UE"]Moloko - Indigo - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uOueyxpy-0E

Throwaway, perhaps.

 

Best?

Stormcock by Roy Harper. Past.

Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes. Present.

So goes my opinion anyway.

 

Since this thread appears to ask for quality song-writing as a whole, as a package, lyrics included, I will say the song Neon by the German electronic musician Michael Bundt, released in 1979 on the relatively famous Hansa label, is my favorite overall song and the one which contains lyrics that are the most meaningful to me. Of course this is a somewhat obscure release and the lyrics likely could not mean very much to most people, especially in this context, but it is something that is to my mind absolutely perfect, and the imagery is one from which I directly perceive him and, indirectly, the source of his inspiration from an earlier time in the artistic domain of consciousness. I guess you could say that this is the song that makes me feel like it was written specifically for me, and I never tire of it (nor the album altogether, it is entirely beautiful)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcJ-7_FlGPo"]Michael Bundt - Neon (Neon part 1) - YouTube


As far as more pop-oriented material, my favorite 'band' is Grauzone and both the instrumental songs like Film and Film 2 and the songs with lyrics like Wütendes Glas, Marmelade Und Himbeereis, In Der Nacht &c even if I only understand very little of them, are nothing short of mind-blowing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j91LF61V-g"]Grauzone - wütendes glas - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-_98jhpGSo"]Grauzone - Marmelade und Himbeereis (1981) - YouTube


I agree with some of the previous mentioned, such as Pink Floyd, especially the final two tracks on Dark Side of the Moon are deeply moving songs. Depending on my mood of course I generally swing back and forth thinking such diverse artists / groups as Ceramic Hello, Eyeless in Gaza, Richard Pinhas, Jean-Pierre Massiera, Michael Hoenig, John Foxx, Don Cherry, Liszt and Bach are the greatest ever's


And, let's not forget the ultra-prophetic masterpiece of Palais Schaumburg -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI876rqao8A"]Palais Schaumburg - Wir bauen eine neue Stadt - YouTube

 

What the fuck is that all about?

 

Peart.

 

I'm kinda partial to Steve Earle and Buddy MIller.

 

Buckley is one of my favourites too..more for the vocals than the writing...most of his stuff was covers anyway

he went way too young for sure..

 

Had no idea you were into Grauzone, too, John. I really love that album.

 

Yes, big time into them. I recently got an early bootleg pressing from Spain that excludes Schlachtet! in favor of an extended version of Eisbär, which I have very mixed feelings about. It is one of the albums I never tire of and continues to reveal itself as infinitely complex. A truly brilliant masterpiece, in my opinion.