“The 3” - A bit of a game

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Drew D. Saur, Oct 19, 2015.

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  1. bagofsoup

    bagofsoup Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Keith Urban
     
  2. Aggie87

    Aggie87 Gig 'Em!

    Location:
    Carefree, AZ
    Chris Rea.
     
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  3. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy

    Location:
    USA
    Not the words
     
  4. Maggie

    Maggie like a walking, talking art show

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    You know, I have no use for Sting's music -- any of it -- but you've made a pretty good case for him being a triple threat. He's undoubtedly an influential and sought-after singer, and I am aware that his bass playing is well regarded, but it's his songwriting that he's best known for, arguably.
     
  5. HarborRat

    HarborRat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Vince Gill, absolutely!
    Outstanding in all three categories: Beautiful voice (if you're not a country fan, listen to him sing "Surf's Up" at the All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson), great songwriter, and a guitarist so good that Clapton invited him to perform at his Crossroads guitar festival.
     
  6. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Yes, absolutely. There are actually a number of country stars who I think fit into The 3....
     
  7. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Interesting. I had read about his drumming but not his guitar playing. If you can, please post some links with more information - that will be illuminating, I think. Thanks!
     
  8. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    It's always subjective. That's why we need more people to come in and voice agreement and dissent for each artist before coming to firm conclusions.
     
  9. Ted Dinard

    Ted Dinard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston suburb
    I would say Brian Setzer, if I didn't think his songs and voice were cheesy.

    But he's written hits and has a voice people know and (I guess) like, and nobody disputes his playing in that idiom.

    EDIT: By the way, I have a hard time hearing McCartney as a "world-class" bass player or player of anything else. He's fine, he does the job, he's a good player in a band, but really. If he were in some band that people weren't as invested in as the Beatles, he'd be considered good and not much more. For that matter, his voice is nice, but if he weren't famous for being in the Beatles, it would be undistinguished.
     
  10. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I love it! Even though his voice remains a controversy in regard to this game, it's information like that that makes "The 3" worth playing for me.

    When I wrote my original post here, there were a whole mess of interesting observations about the game that I left out. The reason I never started "The-3.com" was because of analysis paralysis. I wanted to explain not just the basic rules, but also the joy of playing the game with others, and I had written many paragraphs about this, and realized that it would all jsut get in the way of the basic premise. I'm glad I left that out in my initial post here.

    BUT: While there are a few obvious artists in "The 3" — like Stevie Wonder — it is the less-obvious artists who, if we as a group decide to add them, become illuminating for many people who didn't realize this, that, or the other thing about some of them. I have pretty broad musical tastes, and nearly 50 years of listening experience, but there is still an awful lot for me to learn (which is what I love best about music as a hobby, to be honest).

    Here's something interesting to posit: what about some of the great classical composers? We know many who were great instrumentalists as well - but were any of them also great singers?

    There is much to explore in this game.

    Keep on playin', and sharing your knowledge. That's what makes the game so fun!

    Drew
     
  11. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Yup, he's one of the others on my list of contenders....We need some more votes and discussion about it.
     
  12. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    It always feels a little like living on the edge to say things like that in these forums :) But thank you for doing so. It's as an important counterpoint to this game as Paul's playing was to The Beatles.

    As I have stated previously, The Beatles are my favorite band, and I love each of them. Being a Beatles fan is a little like being a Mets fan, in that there are things you can take solace in (the songwriting, the invention, etc.), but it can be hard sometimes. It used to be that, as a Beatles fan, you knew that none of your guys was a home-run hitter when it came to singing or playing. True, in time, we all realized that they were all (much) better than average at these things, but it wasn't instrumentation or knock-out vocals that made them special. That's what Led Zeppelin and The Who brought to the table (among many, many other bands who followed).

    I am willing to say that Paul's bass playing was amazing because he kind of led the way in creating bass lines that were actually contrapunctal or melodic, rather than just an underlying accompaniment to the beat. But, personally, I think what you say about his voice has validity.

    That said, it seems to me that, of The Beatles, Paul's voice is the one that gets the most nods, and of course that makes him a successful vocalist. His voice has aged pretty darn well, too.

    So that's why I am willing to concede that he should be in "The 3." It's not just my decision; it's about what a large number of people think.
     
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  13. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Here's another tip for playing "The 3." Start with a list of the world's best vocalists. Then, look at time-honored lists of the world's best [guitar/bass/drum/whatever] players and see if there is any crossover. Then, investigate the results for songwriting chops, perhaps by visiting http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/.

    That won't help with classical artists, unfortunately. But it can be illuminating.

    It's just one of many perspectives you can take when playing "The 3."

    Keep it up! I love this! Thanks!

    Drew
     
  14. robbieplatter

    robbieplatter Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warszawa, PL
    Stevie Wonder possibly the only one that should be on that list.

    I don't think Paul McC should be on the list, sorry, that's my vote.
     
  15. Ted Dinard

    Ted Dinard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston suburb
    Yeah, I guess if I were putting it less provocatively, I'd say this.

    There has to be a difference between being a singer with a voice you love, a beloved voice, and a singer who is a world-class vocalist.

    I love the Stooges and the Replacements but I couldn't claim that Iggy Pop or Westerberg were world-class vocalists. For me, they're something better: the true spirit of rock and roll, passionate screamers, etc. Being a world-class vocalist in that kind of music would be inhibiting and a liability.

    And yes, McCartney played great on Beatles albums. But did he originate the idea of using melodic bass lines in rock and roll? Hmmm. He certainly popularized them.
     
  16. bagofsoup

    bagofsoup Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Mark Knopfler even tried to convince him to join Dire Straits.
     
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  17. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Yup, he's a contender, and in the "30 or so" contenders I alluded to.
     
  18. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Here's another: Billy Preston. Was Bruce Fisher the person more responsible for his well-loved songs? I don't have the background, and would like some input.
     
  19. Aggie87

    Aggie87 Gig 'Em!

    Location:
    Carefree, AZ
    Billy Preston hasn't written enough famous songs to qualify, and even then his most famous he only co-wrote (You Are So Beautiful), which disqualifies him.

    Not a world class singer, either.

    So by the original criteria, he's not a "3".
     
  20. Jonboy

    Jonboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cape Town
    I'd like to second this - Rea has an excellent voice IMO and is obviously a great songwriter, but what I've been most struck by recently is his playing - really top notch.

    A definite contender in my book.
     
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  21. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Yes Joni gets accolades for her unique tuning. She doesn't need to be a guitar hero to express her music. It's subtle in a lot of ways yet totally expressive.
     
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  22. Drew D. Saur

    Drew D. Saur Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Anyone care to reflect on Dolly Parton, who I mentioned earlier?
     
  23. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    Judy Collins. Classically trained pianist who has written some amazing songs ("My Father" covered by Melanie and "Since You Asked" covered by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg) and is also a superb interpretive vocal stylist.
     
  24. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    A fine singer and writer, but only a rudimentary instrumentalist.
     
  25. Ted Dinard

    Ted Dinard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston suburb
    She's a great songwriter and serious artist, a national treasure. I wouldn't want her voice to be anything other than it is, but again I get hung up on "world-class vocalist." Is she that? When I think of "world-class vocalist," I think (apart from opera singers) of people like Sam Cooke or Karen Carpenter. Parton has an iconic voice, a very fine voice--but I don't know about "world-class."

    And does she have "breathtaking chops" on guitar? Like Setzer or Hendrix or some of the Nashville guys mentioned here? I'd say no. Maybe she plays better than you might expect, but that's different from being a world-class instrumentalist.
     
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