Best Ever Albums

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Listmeister — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:12:44 GMT

Author: Listmeister

Posted: 09/11/2013 17:12

lethalnezzle wrote:

What am I reading?

Anyway, Bob Dylan does have a pretty voice, maybe not conventionally, but pretty to me. It brings to mind a far clearer story and much more interesting imagery than Lightfoot's snoring. Also, assuming that he had a conventionally pretty voice, he still would've written great songs, because as an artist he wanted to challenge himself and others, musically and lyrically. He wasn't simply content with releasing MOR hogwash with the aim of offending the least amount of people possible, as Mr. Lightfoot clearly was. He was an artist, not simply a cheap knock-off merchant. His songs were vast Renaissance frescos, Lightfoot's merely cheap, ship-in-a-bottle type tat, and Dylan having a conventionally pretty voice would not have been a catalyst for him being an artist as unassuming as the largely forgettable and almost intolerably bland Gordon fucking Lightfoot. In short, no.

In all seriousness, that was a clear and eloquent answer, and now I understand what you were saying no to. Sorry I had to get all snarky to pull it out of you.

I'm going to drop it now.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:12:32 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 17:12

EDIT: I'm dumb again.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:12:19 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 17:12

EDIT: ^ He's dumb.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:11:38 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 17:11

EDIT: I'm dumb.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:07:04 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 17:07

swedenman wrote:

What if Bob Dylan WAS Gordon Lightfoot? :shock:

Who the hell is Gordon Lightfoot? He sounds like a hobbit.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:05:41 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 17:05

What if Bob Dylan WAS Gordon Lightfoot? 😲

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:03:50 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 17:03

Listmeister wrote:

No, what? Mr. Alnezzle? No, Dylan actually has a pretty voice? No, he would never be Canadian? No, he could never dream of achieving Mr. Lightfoot's mellow baritone? No, he's not in the same league as John Denver?

If you would elaborate a bit, tell me which bit you disagree with, I wouldn't have to go all Jon Stewart on your ass.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

RockyRaccoon — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:57:38 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:57

Noir wrote:

What if John Denver

This is the question that's been on everyone's mind.

What if John Denver?

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:53:25 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:53

What if John Denver

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:51:19 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:51

Listmeister wrote:

No, what? Mr. Alnezzle?

🤣

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Listmeister — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:49:11 GMT

Author: Listmeister

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:49

Listmeister wrote:

If Bob Dylan had a pretty voice, and was Canadian, he'd be Gordon Lightfoot.

If he stays American, he'd be John Denver.

lethalnezzle wrote:

No.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:47:19 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:47

Regarding the one random person part, I think they were talking about people who you never would have heard about here. Like Barry becoming a bus driver in 1982, Janet having a ski accident in 1988 or Martin doing whatever in 1996. Some random event they may have gone either way and music was at a great loss because of it. Except, no one and very likely even themselves never knew how much of change they were to bring.

Writing today however does make me wonder if its... well... not really interesting. It goes without saying. No one remembers the person who got up and did nothing. Still... is it worth thinking about such might have beens? All the best albums in our overall chart were people in the right places making the right choices and they could have been replaced by new groups and new artists even if one simple change was made to the past?

I... I'm sorry if I'm making little sense with all that. 😲 The entry in the book was of a different nature the rest and pretty much began with the idea we would have no idea what would happen.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:36:52 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:36

Listmeister wrote:

Also, if he could sing pretty he'd have had less time for writing songs.

Oh, that's true.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Listmeister — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:35:05 GMT

Author: Listmeister

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:35

swedenman wrote:

I sure hope we're not pretending like Gordon Lightfoot and John Denver are the same caliber of songwriter as Bob Dylan.

Of course we're pretending. That's what what-iffing is all about. Also, if he could sing pretty he'd have had less time for writing songs.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to run away from an angry mob of Dylan fans. I'm worried that they'll stone me when I try to go home.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:11:37 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:11

lol "leeth"... that one's sticking

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:10:27 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:10

Listmeister wrote:

can I call you leeth?

No.

Listmeister wrote:

If Bob Dylan had a pretty voice, and was Canadian, he'd be Gordon Lightfoot.

If he stays American, he'd be John Denver.

No.

swedenman wrote:

I sure hope we're not pretending like Gordon Lightfoot and John Denver are the same caliber of songwriter as Bob Dylan.

It's really rather worrying.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:08:04 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 16:08

Listmeister wrote:

If Bob Dylan had a pretty voice, he'd be Gordon Lightfoot.

Okay, leeth, (can I call you leeth?) your profound insight and logical argument has convinced me I'm wrong.

If Bob Dylan had a pretty voice, and was Canadian, he'd be Gordon Lightfoot.

If he stays American, he'd be John Denver.

I sure hope we're not pretending like Gordon Lightfoot and John Denver are the same caliber of songwriter as Bob Dylan.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Listmeister — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:49:05 GMT

Author: Listmeister

Posted: 09/11/2013 15:49

If Bob Dylan had a pretty voice, he'd be Gordon Lightfoot.

lethalnezzle wrote:

No.

Okay, leeth, (can I call you leeth?) your profound insight and logical argument has convinced me I'm wrong.

If Bob Dylan had a pretty voice, and was Canadian, he'd be Gordon Lightfoot.

If he stays American, he'd be John Denver.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Listmeister — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:43:26 GMT

Author: Listmeister

Posted: 09/11/2013 15:43

Awesome thread, an_outlaw!

an_outlaw wrote:

"What if Elvis was drafted earlier into the army and spent the rest of his days a support act?".

Las Vegas would be full of Carl Perkins impersonators.

Quote:

"What if riot police had to be used at Woodstock and the love and peace movements image was greatly tarnished"

Psychadelia would have been greatly reduced; art rock (psychadelic's immediate successor) might not have gained the momentum it did.

Quote:

"What if the 27 curse was broken"

Nick O'Malley of the Arctic Monkeys didn't go "Whew!" last July 2. (Good luck, T-Pain, only 29 more days to go)

Quote:

"What if MTV was shunned by the public and hip hop never reached the mainstream'

That's two separate questions. If MTV was shunned by the public then non-pretty non-dancing musicians would have a shot at the big time. When was the last time there was a new music superstar that was not drop-dead gorgeous?
The only way hip-hop doesn't reach the mainstream is if there's something else that African-Americans embrace as their own music. They are too big a segment of the population for it to be otherwise. On the other hand, judging by the low number of hip-hop albums on BEA's top 100...

Quote:

"What if Religion beat The Beatles"

They would have stopped touring in 1966.

Quote:

"What if the idea of recording music never took off with artists at the start of the last century and live performances were still a privilege."

I can't imagine a world that has the technology to record music and it not being a huge factor in the culture. It's like asking what if technology stopped progressing in 1870.

Quote:

what if one random person died and they were to give a great contribution to music. Someone who was in the position (opposed to someone less opportunities) to give something amazing but one mistake or decision cost them. Is it worthwhile feeling sad over this? What about just being aware of the potential we are missing out on? Should such an idea breed sober thoughts about are place in these things, being one music listener and possibly musician?

Other musicians arose in the place of Random Person. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there'd have been Carl Perkins (see the above Elvis-related question). If no Beatles, their fame gets distributed among several bands in America and several completely different bands in England. No British invasion, but instead California music takes over the country. You get the idea.
As to speculating about might-have-been music, I can't keep up with the actually-is music. And I'm constantly discovering music that sounds amazing but that nobody ever heard of, that, if a little space opened up in this universe's music scene, might-have-been-huge, but instead is just actually-is.

Re: The Big What Ifs...

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:04:58 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/11/2013 15:04

meccalecca wrote:

What if Bob Dylan had a pretty voice?

Listmeister wrote:

He'd be Gordon Lightfoot.

No.