Paedantic Basterd

To be fair, there's a lot of music in the world, and many people are probably comparably well-versed in genres that you may not even know exist.

Burning Down

I agree. I'm pretty well versed in classical, rock, and jazz and most of the sub-genres of each (classical and jazz have sub-sub-sub-sub genres even, heheh). But beyond that, I'm not all that knowledgeable. MB is a great place for me because I'm constantly learning about genres and artists I have never heard before.

Trollheart

Yeah I agree. This questionnaire is very heavily based on "older" music, from jaz to blues and right back to classical. Had he asked who plays bass in Slayer or name both Iron Maiden guitarists, or maybe what was The Pet Shop Boys' most successful album, I think a lot more people would know these things. Like Necro says, even he and I, at the fifty-year mark, are stumped by some of these questions, so how are kids going to know?

I think it's too one-sided and certainly does not answer the question "how much do you know about music" unless you qualify that by inserting either the word "older" or "certain types of". It needs to be more comprehensive. Look at the list: how many questions refer to music/artistes less than 40 years old in terms of how long they've been around. I mean: Scott Joplin? Give me a break! Seriously. More "modern" questions will give you a far fairer and more balanced result.

Can I have my tuppence worth back now please?

Oh, and my Sherlock Holmes comment was of course a joke...

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Burning Down

It's not about age though. You don't have to be "old" to know this stuff just like you don't have to be "young" to know everything about music released in the last 10 years. I'm 23 and would honestly not be able to answer the questions you're suggesting here, without turning to Wikipedia. I know about things that I like, so obviously this sort of thing can be very subjective.

I think that if more modern questions were included along with these questions, yes there would be a more balanced result. Most MB members are seriously lacking in basic knowledge of classical music (in this case, Western Art Music), and jazz (did I just read that someone doesn't know who Miles Davis is? ), so I think the results would still be fairly unbalanced.

You're welcome to make up a similar questionnaire

Necromancer

That is what I always thought the main function of any music forum was, to gain more insight and knowledge from other members.

It would be sad if the lounge forum was the most popular forum, at any music site as far as that goes.

Lord Larehip

Apparently, I'm ORDERING people to listen to stuff.

Urban Hat€monger ?

I wouldn't say you were ordering people to but comments like this...

Make me think you have unrealistic expectations of people.

__________________

Lord Larehip

Why? Do you think a 14 yo Justin Bieber fan knows he is a throwback to Eddie Holman? I don't. And you know why she won't know that? Because nobody told her.

Lord Larehip

I have no interest in helping anyone pass. I'm interested in what musical foundation they stand on because that tells me how good of a job we do passing on our musical legacy.

Nothing if we don't teach them about it.

Hopefully none. Our musical legacy is far, far older than that. You can't determine how well a 14 yo girl has been educated musically by questioning her about Justin Bieber. Of course she knows who he is. But does she know what made his music even possible? I seriously doubt it (I doubt Bieber knows either). For example, do you think Bieber might own a HUGE debt to this man?


EDDIE HOLMAN hey there lonely girl original video - YouTube

And if I meet a 14 yo girl and ask her why she listens to Bieber trash and she says, "He's carrying on a great crooning tradition that goes back to Eddie Holman and Smokey Robinson and Clyde McPhatter and Nolan Strong" I'd have to conclude this person is no idiot. But as of right now I can't conclude these girls that listen to him are anything else but idiots.

That would be missing the point entirely. I'm asking about Joplin because people should know about Scott Joplin. Why? Because he is one of the most important composers that ever lived. How? Because he inspired people like Irving Berlin to write "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (actually, Berlin stole part of a Joplin piece and used it in the song for which Joplin was highly displeased) and a million singers have done that song which is what gave you the later artists you think I should be concentrating on. Joplin's rags were loved by a cornetist named King Oliver so much that he had the sheet music bound into one volume so he could practice them. When he took on a student, he taught that kid how to play them because he wanted the kid to learn the difference between jazz and blues. That kid was Louis Armstrong--one of the most important musical figures EVER.

So would it kill a person to go back and listen to Joplin? That's what I did and I became a Joplin devotee. In fact, I became a ragtime devotee. I am far more musically enriched because of that than I could ever have been had I never bothered. Who is a better pianist--a kid who can only play Lady Gaga and Alicia Keyes or one who can play that as well as Beethoven, Joplin and Art Tatum (and if you haven't listened to Art Tatum prepare to be astounded)?

David Lee Roth is all well and good but he himself said in interviews that people really should hear this version:


Louis Prima - Just a Gigolo - JazzAndBluesExperience - YouTube

Wouldn't it be a shame if the only version we remember for posterity is Roth's--oh, wait!--that IS how we remember it.

Or how about this?


TINY BRADSHAW ~ THE TRAIN KEPT A-ROLLIN ~ 1951 - YouTube

Wouldn't you rather do a little deeper musical exploration? Isn't that at least partly why you're here?

Gavin B.

I did okay on the quiz but I would definitely flunk a quiz with questions about contemporary pop artists like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, and Mumford and Sons.

Most of the artists on your quiz were before my time but any person with a curiosity about music should know about Scott Joplin, Cole Porter, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington.

Some of the roots music questions are challenging even to the musically educated forum members. Few people outside of acoustic guitar players know what the Carter lick is. I know Carter lick is, but I can't explain it to a lay person unless I have a guitar as a prop. It's like trying to explain what hammer-on or a pull-off is without using a guitar to demonstrate the techinques.

Holland Dozier & Holland were Motown's top songwriting team but Norman Whitefield, Barrett Strong, Deke Richards Smokey Robinson and Motown president Barry Gordy were also prolific composers for Motown. I know that Lamont, Dozier and Holland wrote most of the Supreme's big hits but I'd have to do a fact check if you asked me to name a Lamont, Dozier, and Holland song, excluding the Supreme's biggest hits. It's a tough question even for a person with a knowledge of soul music.

I'd be surprised if over 20% of MB forum members percentage know who Blind Willie McTell, Charley Patton and Fred McDowell are. Of course I'd be among the ignorant had one of your questions had been about mariachi music or gangsta rap.

The title "King of the Delta Blues Men" is a dubious one because Robert Johnson, Son House, Willie Brown and Charlie Patton have all been called the "King of the Delta Blues Singers" at one time or another.

Patton was playing a full decade before Son House or Robert Johnson. However Patton's generational peer, Willie Brown was a better singer and guitar player than Patton. But Willie Brown lost his claim to "king" when he only recorded 8 songs and disappeared into obscurity forever, while Patton recorded nearly 100 songs.

__________________
There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff.
Townes Van Zandt