Best Ever Albums

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

desh79 — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 09:01:17 GMT

Author: desh79

Posted: 12/22/2016 14:01

Possibly Ian Curtis. Some of his lyrics are among the best I've heard, especially considering he was only in his early 20s when he wrote them.

Patti Smith - at the very least she's on a par with Dylan.

Syd Barrett - again, like Curtis, had a genius grasp of the English language despite his relative youth (for now ignoring his excessive LSD use, which arguagly did help his creativity but ate his brain).

There are some rappers I consider fantastic lyricists. Kendrick Lamar, Chuck D are two I would rate very highly, although hard to say whether they're better than Dylan.

I didn't really rate Sufjan Stevens until I heard Carrie & Lowell, the sheer brutal honesty of which just blew me away.

I agree with many in this thread that Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits are two other great lyricists worth mentioning.

(This was just off the top of my head, there'll probably be numerous edits when I have one spontaneous "Eureka! So-and-so wrote amazing lyrics too!"-moment after another.)

1st EDIT: Joanna Newsom! Of course!

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 06:27:38 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 12/22/2016 11:27

Dylan writes very 'cool' lyrics, but I can't think of anything he's written that's made me stop dead in my tracks. They're all quite nice for the novelty, but he comes across more like a drunk poet than someone with any actual wisdom.

There's something about Leonard Cohen's lyrics I can't get behind. Feels as though he read a book on how to write poetry and is just following it to a tee. Maybe it's just oldscool, but it always feels very safe, and personal subjects (falling in love, broken heart, death so on) come across as very impersonal somehow. There's a lack of irony somewhere, I think.

I'm obviously a big fan of Mark Kozelek, but I think his best writing was in 2012/2013. Before then and it's mostly just standard, though very nice, indie stuff. I like his later more 'honest' work, but I don't know if I'd class them as lyrics. Felt like he poured most of his stories into Benji, then Universal Themes (which I prefer) got it right with those more quirky but poignoint moments in his life. His stuff on that Jesu album really sounded like he'd run of out stuff to say, probably started singing about his morning coffee at one point.

I think Sufjan Stevens might be one of my favourite lyricists. Gets just about everything right. So many great lines in Illinois and Adz that both hit home but also feel like Sufjan is expressing himself to his fullest. You can tell he's a very explorative, reflective person when it comes to environments and emotions. I felt like Carrie and Lowell lost something, though. It was almost too personal. Not sure. There's a different tone to hearing how he felt seeing a wasp on his arm as a child, to feeling at loss with the death of his mother.

Anyway. Tom Waits is probably my favourite lyricist. He's got that 'cool' factor Dylan has but feels like he actually has something to say, and there's actually a piece of him in everything he writes. Love almost all of his work in that regard. Plus, I've always had an affection for that kind of slurring 'I'm an alcoholic trying to get my life together' vibe.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

AfterHours — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 20:44:46 GMT

Author: AfterHours

Posted: 12/22/2016 01:44

Probably no one, though there's an argument to be made for the following (in no particular order)...

Leonard Cohen
Nick Cave
Joanna Newsom
Captain Beefheart

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

Daydreamer — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 17:59:02 GMT

Author: Daydreamer

Posted: 12/21/2016 22:59

No one.

There are a few close ones - Springsteen, Roger Waters, Tom Waits, Cohen, Lennon, Eddie Vedder, Win Butler.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

Fischman — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 14:27:20 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 12/21/2016 19:27

For me, that's a very, very long list. I suppose the one that the most folks might agree with would be Ray Davies.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

m39difain — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 08:39:28 GMT

Author: m39difain

Posted: 06/20/2015 12:39

Jónsi

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

manurock — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 04:52:55 GMT

Author: manurock

Posted: 06/20/2015 08:52

Already been mentioned but, though musically not as good in my opinion, I find some of Leonard Cohen's lyrics at least as good as Dylan's. But yeah, it's very complicated to find someone which beats Dylan, especially if we take in mind how many years he's been releasing them.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

jhuik — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 21:59:49 GMT

Author: jhuik

Posted: 06/20/2015 01:59

Courtney Barnett... so witty. Next time you need to apologise to someone, try:

I must confess I've made a mess of what should be a small success, but I digress, at least I've tried my very best.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

jhuik — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 21:46:24 GMT

Author: jhuik

Posted: 06/20/2015 01:46

He's already been mentioned a few times but have to say Mark Kozelek is a great lyricist. Great lyricists has to include great storytellers. The lyric to 1936 alone is just one of many great examples.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

reverendgreen — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 19:16:48 GMT

Author: reverendgreen

Posted: 06/19/2015 23:16

SingingPeasant96 wrote:

Can I ask you which are your favourite lyrics by him? a song or lines

the first 3 tracks on Your Funeral My Trial are packed with great imagery

'I ran my tin cup heart along the prison of her ribs', 'A bauble moon did mock, and trinket stars did smile'

one of my favourites is I let love in from the album Let love in: 'the door it opened just a crack but love was shrewd and bold... a life sentence sweeping confetti from the floor of a concrete hole'

Murder Ballads is great lyrically I think of it more as gruesome epic poetry.

I haven't explored all of his material but in the stuff I've heard his metaphors for love and loss are brilliant and he's not afraid to be brutal.
Although Dylan's characters are perhaps better, Cave develops his characters into stories better I think

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

jhuik — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 18:28:13 GMT

Author: jhuik

Posted: 06/19/2015 22:28

Kiki wrote:

I never thought Bruce Springsteen like that nutso42. He mostly recorded rock music and the lyrics are rarely more than that. Those two albums do contain some sadder songs though

Wow, so wrong.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

jhuik — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 18:26:43 GMT

Author: jhuik

Posted: 06/19/2015 22:26

nutso42 wrote:

I can only think of two that approach him. Bruce Springsteen (especially on the Nebraska and the River albums) and Tom Waits.

I find it hard to believe that it took until page 4 for someone to mention Bruce.

Some great input here for my still-in-progress Best Lyrical Albums chart at
http://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=25411

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

sethzzzzz — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:59:09 GMT

Author: sethzzzzz

Posted: 06/19/2015 14:59

Time x Quality there is nobody that can surpass Dylan. Of course this is all entirely subjective, and i'd attempt to make personal cases for certain artists like Elliott Smith, Cobain, Lennon etc but they'd pale in comparison due to Dylan's sheer body of work

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

SingingPeasant96 — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:30:22 GMT

Author: SingingPeasant96

Posted: 06/19/2015 14:30

reverendgreen wrote:

only Nick Cave

Can I ask you which are your favourite lyrics by him? a song or lines

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

reverendgreen — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 04:14:09 GMT

Author: reverendgreen

Posted: 06/19/2015 08:14

only Nick Cave

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

SingingPeasant96 — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 01:47:46 GMT

Author: SingingPeasant96

Posted: 06/19/2015 05:47

personally there're only two: Stephin Merritt and Jeff Mangum

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

antisecurity — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 16:43:02 GMT

Author: antisecurity

Posted: 06/18/2015 20:43

Kate Bush.

Why? Because of the unrivaled way she inhabits her songs' respective characters so convincingly and selflessly. There's (largely) no ego in her music, just a profoundly beautiful desire to empathize with someone else entirely. And the range of characters in her music is wide-ranging, too. I can't think of any other singer-songwriters who have been the likes of guerrilla terrorists, ghosts and a rueful bank robbers in their music and have it speak to the human condition so indelibly.

And I think it would be great if more people elaborated on their choice(s).

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

AAL2014 — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 14:13:01 GMT

Author: AAL2014

Posted: 06/18/2015 18:13

When it comes to Bruce Springsteen's body of work, I don't think he's as complete of a lyricist as Dylan, but the lyrics on the Born to Run album always get me.

Peter Gabriel's lyrics (Genesis or solo) are great, I don't care who thinks he's cool or uncool.
Neil Peart of Rush has some INCREDIBLE and touching lyrics and I like his overall more than Roger Waters.
Robert Plant had some poetic moments too.

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

ShaneSpear — Thu, 14 May 2015 20:22:56 GMT

Author: ShaneSpear

Posted: 05/15/2015 00:22

Aesop Rock

Re: Which lyricist would you rate over Bob Dylan?

poppmusic — Thu, 14 May 2015 20:14:40 GMT

Author: poppmusic

Posted: 05/15/2015 00:14

Nobody.