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What are your musical influences...


garybrun

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Having a few older siblings, as a kid I heard a  lot of Motown, James Taylor, Moody Blues, Simon & Garfunkel, Carole King & The Beatles.

In the 70s I would listen to most stuff but 10cc (not considered cool), Supertramp, The Eagles and Queen were stand outs. I discovered prog (and Genesis specifically) in 1978 and subsequently became a big follower of their stuff and Hackett's solo career. 

I kind of passed on the whole Punk and New Romantics vibe but Simply Red, Dire Straits, Alison Moyet, Billy Joel, Elton John and Level 42 were all on my play list, together with Chris De Burgh (especially his less commercial stuff).

My kids say I stopped buying music in the 80s ? (they're probably not far wrong there), but I was also blown away by an eclectic mix of artists from Oasis, Anita Baker and Beverley Craven to the possibly more obscure like Mike Silver, and Gretchen Peters. 

Real songwriting craft does it for me, every time.

Other notables include Stevie Wonder, Bowie, Deep Purple, George Benson and George Michael (but not in his Wham days)! ?

I think I've been influenced to a greater or lesser degree by any number of the above, but in recent years I have really got into classical music - mainly because it's brilliant to work to and blocks out external sound without the distraction of lyrics - but that's a whole different thread...

Andy

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Great question.  There were so many:

The Beatles (#1 by far),  James Taylor,  Big Star,  Emitt Rhodes,  CSNY,  Neil Young,  Simon and Garfunkel,   Zep,   Queen,  Badfinger,  CCR.  And zillion others I'm just not thinking of at the second.

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+1 for Emitt "Recorded At Home" Rhodes.  Why?  For planting the idea that I can do multi-tracking stuff at home, and for some musical phrases I stole for some jams (e.g. the intro from Fresh as a Daisy, among others).  

Also, Robert Fripp.  Why?  Because he also paved the way for doing fun, whacky things.

Oh, yeah. Almost forgot Terry Riley.  Why?  For sonic imagery in "A Rainbow in Curved Air," among others.

Not to forget Jimi Hendrix. Why? Because he showed me how to put emotionalism in sounds as sound, for groovy progressions, etc.  Yeah--he also took conventions of music and showed how to do new and fun things with the same old same old. 

Edited by User 905133
to add a missing work - "took"
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