Nobody has mentioned Guy Clark?

Halfway down the first page.

Glad somebody mentioned Smokey Robinson, came here to add him and how has no one mentioned Hank Williams or Tom T. hall yet?

FancyKetchup14 said:

---

He can't. But he wrote one of my favorite songs of all-time: Boots of Spanish Leather.

---

Such a great song. If you've never heard Mandolin Orange's version, check it out. One of the best Dylan covers ever done.

Also Regina Spektor is pretty fantastic.

I watched this a few months ago when I got into Mandolin Orange and absolutely love this cover. They nailed it. I frequent it quite a bit.

FancyKetchup14 said:

---

I watched this a few months ago when I got into Mandolin Orange and absolutely love this cover. They nailed it. I frequent it quite a bit.

---

This is the song that got me into them, as well. Really like their sound. I've got tickets to see them this Spring in Dallas.

They have a new album coming out next month (I think?). There are a couple singles on their Spotify channel.

Been listening to Steely Dan and Donald ***en's solo stuff this week. The Nightfly alone ought to get him a mention in this discussion.

TexjbA&M said:

---

MTAggie said:

---

Some good choices on this, but no Guy Clark? Really? Are you all communists?

---

And Billy Joe Shaver for that matter? Fun fact: Billy Joe shot a guy in the face outside a bar.

---

and got away with it.

Steve Goodman

This song was in my head all day long. Thanks to those that reminded me about this man's music.
I called my Mom today and told her I remembered every Sunday after church we would clean the house, A family tradition, and she would put on these records and we would sing along with the greatest artist. I read her the names listed and we both laughed because she still has all the records.

TVZ - his lyrics seem torn from his flesh, as someone once said

REK - I like his colorful characters and his turn of a phrase

For modern Americana, Josh Ritter is excellent

wow what a blast from the past. i was only thinking of my own favorites but you reminded me.... my mom used to do the same thing. the only time she really played music was if we had guests on a saturday night for cards/bridge/cocktail party Or Sunday in the afternoon just lounging around or cleaning, etc.

Her playlists were highly female oriented - she would dance around while cleaning or cooking etc.

Carole King
Dolly Parton
Anne Murray
Crystal Gale
Helen Reddy
Linda Ronstadt
Carly Simon


and some men
Glen Campbell
James Taylor
Smokey Robinson
Dan Fogelberg

great stuff brings back some memories.

Anne Murray!!! I can sing every song she sang. That was on the rotation.

Dylan is not a singer - he's a vocalist.

There have been plenty of excellent voices, including Nashville Skyline and the recent retrospective More Blood More Tracks.

My favorite vocal Dylan is pissed off 70s Dylan, such as Hard Rain. He was really, really good a few years earlier also with The Band, in Before the Flood.

In fact, Dylan is an excellent vocalist overall - if you understand that he has loved to troll fans and critics and the general public since the very beginning, lying about being a railroad hobo. That means croaking vocals just because he can - and then singing just fine when he wants to, such as covering Sinatra. The vocals are excellent on the very underrated (1999 mix) Street-Legal also. And of course the Grammy for vocal performance (Gotta Serve Somebody) was deserved.

What's most frustrating about him is that elite fans - myself included - would have been much better editors then him.

So many examples - such as leaving off Up to Me and Abandoned Love and Blind Willie McTell, and making songs a bit too long in verse, and not caring about studio work like he should, and the terrible album covers until Lanois, and selecting the wrong version of When the Night Comes Falling From the Sky, trolling too hard with Self Portrait...
I could have edited Shot of Love a masterpiece, and the Gospel years (many excellent vocal performances there) were especially badly selected.

It's annoying, but he can certainly sing (not referring to present time).

edit: I've gotten in some Dylan arguments, but have yet to lose one. The bottom line is that he's a vocalist who has occasionally been an excellent singer. Start with the crooning of his work from Nashville.

Ill mention BJ Barham, both solo and with American Aquarium. Definitely have to get used to his voice, but his songwriting reminds me of Isbell, who has produced a couple of BJ's records I believe. Unfortunate Kind is a heck of a tune.

Also a big fan of John Fullbright.

Ryan C. Whittenberg said:

---

Ill mention BJ Barham, both solo and with American Aquarium. Definitely have to get used to his voice, but his songwriting reminds me of Isbell, who has produced a couple of BJ's records I believe Unfortunate Kind is a heck of a tune.

Also a big fan of John Fullbright.

---

Can't say I expected anyone to mention either of these phenomenal artists. BJ/American Aquarium is routinely my most listened to artist on Spotify.

Zombie Jon Snow said:

---

wow what a blast from the past. i was only thinking of my own favorites but you reminded me.... my mom used to do the same thing. the only time she really played music was if we had guests on a saturday night for cards/bridge/cocktail party Or Sunday in the afternoon just lounging around or cleaning, etc.

Her playlists were highly female oriented - she would dance around while cleaning or cooking etc.

Carole King
Dolly Parton
Anne Murray
Crystal Gale
Helen Reddy
Linda Ronstadt
Carly Simon


and some men
Glen Campbell
James Taylor
Smokey Robinson
Dan Fogelberg

great stuff brings back some memories.

---

Great list...a lot of those weren't songwriters though....Anne Murray, Crystal Gale, Reddy, Ronstadt, Campbell...they didn't write their songs.

yeah that wasn't my point - the previous poster I replied to just reminded me of those artists when my mom used to play them.

my list was above.

but i apologize for dirtying up this thread with some performers.

I guess I missed the mention of Prince?

Tanya 93 said:

---

I guess I missed the mention of Prince?

---

I love Prince, but he's not the greatest songwriter in the world.

Bruce Almighty said:

---

Tanya 93 said:

---

I guess I missed the mention of Prince?

---

I love Prince, but he's not the greatest songwriter in the world.

---

thought about him but.... he's a more talented music writer and musician then a song writer. and i say that knowing he wrote prolifically for other artists too. I'm a huge Prince fan but would not consider him top 10 singer/songwriter. Top 10 performer though. Sure.

Topher17 said:

---

Ryan C. Whittenberg said:

---

Ill mention BJ Barham, both solo and with American Aquarium. Definitely have to get used to his voice, but his songwriting reminds me of Isbell, who has produced a couple of BJ's records I believe Unfortunate Kind is a heck of a tune.

Also a big fan of John Fullbright.

---

Can't say I expected anyone to mention either of these phenomenal artists. BJ/American Aquarium is routinely my most listened to artist on Spotify.

---

They're both up there for me as well. Another couple I enjoy are John Baumann and Travis Meadows.

Been really into 1970's-era Randy Newman lately. "Sail Away," Good Old Boys" and "Little Criminals" are just brilliant.

Thanks for the mention of Joni Mitchell. Her lyrics were pure poetry.