The Official David Bowie Thread (singer, instrumental, metal, pop)

[The Monkey]

I've only just started to scratch the surface of Bowie (I only got a best of album), but I love when I'm hearing so far.

[Piss Me Off]

Originally Posted by Rainard Jalen

I love Bowie but I think talent, when it comes to the playing of instruments, either means a really high degree of technical dexterity or else, evidence of substantial innovation and ingenuity in the actual usage of said instrument.

I hate it when, for example, people see Matt Bellamy from Muse and say "he's so multi talented" merely because he plays guitar AND (!!) keyboards.

I just think your conditions for talent are too high. I mean i'd say Matt Bellamy is a talented musician too, he knows how to play those keys!

[Rainard Jalen]

Originally Posted by Piss Me Off

I just think your conditions for talent are too high. I mean i'd say Matt Bellamy is a talented musician too, he knows how to play those keys!

I think one could play piano and guitar up to Grade 8 standard without necessarily having any particular distinguishing talent. Loads of kids get there just by being made to practise every week from eight years old to fifteen. There's a fair distance between competence and that little bit extra.

[Piss Me Off]

Well i'm going to say the extra is the songwriting bit in these cases. I'm really uncomfortable is saying these people aren't talented!

[ProggyMan]

I'm pretty sure he's been the main songwriter on everything he's done. If not then he's still solely responsible for several of the greatest moments in the history of Rock.

[boo boo]

Originally Posted by Rainard Jalen

Workman competence is one thing. When it comes to actual ability on instruments though, talent in my mind means spectacular.

Your standards are way too high.

Bellamy shows some very impressive chops as a guitarist, keyboardist AND a singer. To say he has no talent is ridiculous. So he chooses to play music thats hardly anything more than a throwback to 70s art rock, you're basically saying you don't like his style of music therefore he's not talented.

Theres a lot of music I hate but I can still appreciate that theres talent that goes into it. I can't stand most progressive metal music like Dream Theater but I appreciate that a lot of talent goes into it. More so than a lot of music I like.

Hell, musicianship-wise Journey were insanely talented, Steve Perry and Neal Schon especially, and just because I hate their music dosen't take away from that, talent should always be appreciated even if you don't like the music.

[Rainard Jalen]

Originally Posted by boo boo

Your standards are way too high.

Bellamy shows some very impressive chops as a guitarist, keyboardist AND a singer. To say he has no talent is ridiculous. So he chooses to play music thats hardly anything more than a throwback to 70s art rock, you're basically saying you don't like his style of music therefore he's not talented.

Theres a lot of music I hate but I can still appreciate that theres talent that goes into it. I can't stand most progressive metal music like Dream Theater but I appreciate that a lot of talent goes into it. More so than a lot of music I like.

Hell, musicianship-wise Journey were insanely talented, Steve Perry and Neal Schon especially, and just because I hate their music dosen't take away from that, talent should always be appreciated even if you don't like the music.

You ALWAYS misunderstand me. I sometimes wonder if it's intentional.

I was strictly talking about talent from the standpoint of playing instruments and nothing else. I certainly appreciate the point that Dream Theater are insanely good musicians, though I also hate the music. I also recognize that say, Danny Carey from Tool is an extremely innovative and talented drummer, though I don't really like the music.

I also didn't say Bellamy was not talented. Maybe he is. What I meant was that it is irritating to hear fans say that people like Bellamy are talented merely because they play three or so instruments, without any consideration for evaluating their degree of dexterity on each of the instruments. In other words, I don't think being able to simply play a number of instruments competently makes you "multi-talented", but rather the ability to play a number of instruments really bloody well.

And that is all.

Originally Posted by Piss Me Off

Well i'm going to say the extra is the songwriting bit in these cases

Then that'd make Bowie a talented songwriter, not a multi-talented instrumentalist

[boo boo]

Originally Posted by Rainard Jalen

I don't think being able to simply play a number of instruments competently makes you "multi-talented", but rather the ability to play a number of instruments really bloody well

Unless your standards of "really bloody well" are insanely high, he does. He's a really damn good guitarist and a good keyboardist. The guitar, keyboards and vocals are all a very important part of the bands sound. Add to that he's surprisingly really damn good live. He deserves some props.

[Rainard Jalen]

Speaking of Bowie, I was listening for the first time ever to his very first album today. Has anybody heard it? Oh my God. What a LOAD of absolute rubbish! It is pure music hall all the way through but not good music hall, probably the most awful music hall I've ever heard in my life! Thank heavens Bowie was on an entirely different page a couple years later!

[Piss Me Off]

I think i've heard a few tracks off of it, i struggled not to skip them.
He actually looked ever so slightly normal as well, where's the fun in that?