Brian Jones.... Greatest Musician of Our Time?

The Golden Miller

Whatever about songwriting, it's well known this guy could play about any instrument he put his hand to. I'm only 30, and went through the Stones back catalogue, and it is very noticeable the difference before and after Jones.

What he added to "She's a Rainbow" for example is magic. The array of sounds he brought were very diverse. The Stones were good after him, but lost that magic.

Was there anyone as talented as him, in terms of being able to put their hands to any instrument and excel?

Jimi Hendrix was far more talented.

ILoveYourVibes

Kate Bush.

Ipso

Prince

Rothko

Mike Oldfield.

When he recorded Tubular Bells he played piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, bass, glockenspiel, farfisa organ, tin whistle, honky tonk piano, lowrey organ, tympani, hammond organ and, of course, tubular bells. All this at the age of 19.

I Am Nobody

Not to mention Brian May,who was recently voted greatest guitarist.

PTH2009

The best of 'this and that' is such a broad statement and everyone possibly has a different answer

The Golden Miller

PTH2009 wrote: »

The best of 'this and that' is such a broad statement and everyone possibly has a different answer

True. Think he's often forgot though, Stones pushed him out for whatever reason you want to believe at the time. But have pretty much cut out his existence in the band since. Never mentioned by any of them. Think it annoys Jagger/Richards that Jones was the founder and its his band really. He was exceptionally talented anyway

la ultima guagua

The Golden Miller wrote: »

..... "She's a Rainbow" for example is magic. ....

Yup

Most of the early Stones songs are good, with great lyrics.

e.g. 'Flowers' album

( Not much has changed in over 50 years )

irishguitarlad

I'd say Prince, could play 27 instruments, designed his clothes, the stage show, co-ordinated the dancing of the dancers, everything. Also was an incredible songwriter.

biko

That's nice, but is he considered the master of blues?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82yNxiF-T4A

kingtiger

Fela Kuti was definitely up there as one of the best

so good he created the Afrobeat genre

scoobydude

I Am Nobody wrote: »

Not to mention Brian May,who was recently voted greatest guitarist.

By who? Brian May is far from the greatest

Sky King

irishguitarlad wrote: »

I'd say Prince, could play 27 instruments, designed his clothes, the stage show, co-ordinated the dancing of the dancers, everything. Also was an incredible songwriter.

You could say that Nothing Compares to Him.

Conall Cernach

Jimmy Page or John Paul Jones or John Bonham for me. All three would rank high on anyone's list.

I Am Nobody

scoobydude wrote: »

By who? Brian May is far from the greatest

Guitar Magazine vote him that.But IMO GeorgeThorogood was one of the greats.

SEPT 23 1989

69-74 with Mick Taylor was their best sound

PTH2009

Conall Cernach wrote: »

Jimmy Page or John Paul Jones or John Bonham for me. All three would rank high on anyone's list.

pity Zepplin wont play together again

Saw Robert Plant last year with a band called Saving Grace, very good show but only a small snippet of 'In My Time Of Dying' was all the Zep we got

GoatBoy74

Paul McCartney.

Filmer Paradise

The Golden Miller wrote: »

True. Think he's often forgot though, Stones pushed him out for whatever reason you want to believe at the time. But have pretty much cut out his existence in the band since. Never mentioned by any of them. Think it annoys Jagger/Richards that Jones was the founder and its his band really. He was exceptionally talented anyway

Tom Scholz would be another. Did all of Bostons albums in the basement of his house. Only assembled a band for touring purposes.

Brian Jones started the Rolling Stones in pretty much the same way that John Lennon started the Beatles. He was the best musician in the band and would have continued to lead the group forever, only for 1 small event............. The Beatles arrived in their patch from Liverpool.

They had a recording contract & were clearly ahead of the Stones, not least in the money that were earning. Mick Jagger wanted some of this success & asked their manager how it could be done.

Songwriting was the name of the game now. Any group needing to be taken seriously now need to write their own material.
Jagger & bandmate Keith Richard developed their own songwriting team to achieve success. Brian had no talent in this direction, so the balance of power in the band changed quickly.

Brian didn't take it well & took lots of drugs and drank a lot. He also became unreliable. His drug busts made it impossible for him to get a visa to travel to the USA.

That was the final straw. Mick & Keith now ran the show & knew Brian was bad for the 'business'. So out he went.

Ex-Stone Brian drowned in his swimming pool a few months later.

o1s1n

PTH2009 wrote: »

pity Zepplin wont play together again

Saw Robert Plant last year with a band called Saving Grace, very good show but only a small snippet of 'In My Time Of Dying' was all the Zep we got

Saw Page and Plant in 1995 in the Point on the No Quarter tour doing Led Zeppelin tracks with a rock band, classical orchestra and Egyptian folk musicians.

I was only 11 but it's still one of the greatest gigs I've ever been to

Saw Robert Plant again on the Might Rearranger Tour, think that was about 2004. Also pretty fantastic!

thesultan

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

69-74 with Mick Taylor was their best sound

Agree, savage sound.

Although saw him at the Rory Gallagher festival once and it was dour.

PonchoMcHoncho

David Gilmore for me.

J Mysterio

Rory Gallagher

iamstop

Eddie Hazel

chicorytip

The fellah outta Foster and Allen.

mr_edge_to_you

Tom Morello
Dave Grohl
Drummer in Coldplay

Deebles McBeebles

Prince or Frank Zappa.

Your Face

Venga Boys.

Rothko

iamstop wrote: »

Eddie Hazel

Such an underrated guitarist.

thesultan

McCartney is the man, with Townshend very close

Filmer Paradise

thesultan wrote: »

McCartney is the man, with Townshend very close

Brian Wilson could be in the same company.

George Martin, the Beatle's producer said that he was the only true genius in popular music.

paddythere

Frank Zappa

tdf7187

Am I the only one for whom this thread brought to mind Psychic TV's ode to Jones, 'Godstar'?

Rothko

There's also Sufjan Stevens. On Illinois he played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, Wurlitzer organ, banjo, flute, saxophone, accordion, glockenspiel, tambourine, triangle, recorder, vibraphone, oboe, drums, sleigh bells, electronic organ and keyboards.

Rubberchikken

Rory Gallagher.
Eric Clapton.