Having listened to Frank Zappa most of today and evening, I feel he's worth a mention here. Another one of my favorites would be, the late great John Martyn. For any of you unfamiliar with him, check out some of his stuff on youTube. He was a genius with an electric or acoustic guitar, and a wonderful songwriter.

Two of the very best.

I am a huge Leonard Cohen fan since "Suzanne".

I consider his masterpiece to be:

"Everybody Knows"

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died

Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long stem rose
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you've been faithful
Ah give or take a night or two
Everybody knows you've been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

And everybody knows that it's now or never
Everybody knows that it's me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
Ah when you've done a line or two
Everybody knows the deal is rotten
Old Black Joe's still pickin' cotton
For your ribbons and bows
And everybody knows

And everybody knows that the Plague is coming
Everybody knows that it's moving fast
Everybody knows that the naked man and woman
Are just a shining artifact of the past
Everybody knows the scene is dead
But there's gonna be a meter on your bed
That will disclose
What everybody knows

And everybody knows that you're in trouble
Everybody knows what you've been through
From the bloody cross on top of Calvary
To the beach of Malibu
Everybody knows it's coming apart
Take one last look at this Sacred Heart
Before it blows
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Oh everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows

Love Roger Waters lyrics. But since you asked for others. I'll say,

Neil Peart - Rush

Steve Harris - Iron Maiden

Queensryche - Especially the lyrics in Operation Mindcrime which I will add is also a concept album much inspired by the wall. They even tip their hats to Floyd by incorporating the riff from Empty Spaces in one of the segue ways.

I really like the Don Henley version of that song. I never knew (bothered to read) who wrote it.

Roger Waters

BREATHE

Breathe, breathe in the air
Don't be afraid to care
Leave but don't leave me
Look around and choose your own ground

For long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be.

Run, Run rabbit run
Dig that hole, forget the sun
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down it's time to dig another one

For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race towards an early grave.


WHAT GOD WANTS, Part I

What God wants God gets God help us all
What God wants God gets

The kid in the corner looked at the priest
And fingered his pale blue Japanese guitar
The priest said
God wants goodness
God wants light
God wants mayhem
God wants a clean fight

What God wants God gets

Don't look so surprised
It's only dogma
The alien prophet cried
The beetle and the springbok
Took the bible from its hook
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the lesson in his book

What God wants God gets God help us all

God wants peace
God wants war
God wants famine
God wants chain stories

What God wants God gets

God wants sedition
God wants sex
God wants freedom
God wants semtex

What God wants God gets

Don't look so surprised
I'm only joking
The alien comic cried
The jackass and hyena
Took the feather from its book
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the joke down in his book

What God wants God gets

God wants boarders
God wants crack
God wants rainfall
God wants wetbacks

What God wants God gets

God wants voodoo
God wants shrines
God wants law
God wants organised crime
God wants crusade
God wants jihad
God wants good
God wants bad

What God wants God gets

WHAT GOD WANTS, Part II

Do you believe in a better day
Do you have a faith in a golden way
If you do then we must come together this day
Come together as one united
Television audience
Brought together the sound of my voice
United united financially united socially
United spiritually and all possible ways
Through the power of money
And the power of your prayers

What God wants God gets God help us all

God wants dollars
God wants cents
God wants pounds shillings and pence
God wants guilders
God wants kroner
God wants Swiss francs
God wants French francs
Oui il veut des francs francais
God wants escudos
God wants pesetas
Don't send lira
God don't want small potatoes
God wants small towns
God wants pain
God wants clean up rock campaigns
God wants widows
God wants solution
God wants TV
God wants contributions

What God wants God gets God help us all

God wants silver
God wants gold
God wants his secret
Never to be told
God wants gigolos
God wants giraffes
God wants politics
God wants a good laugh

What God wants God gets God help us all

God wants friendship
God wants fame
God wants credit
God wants blame
God wants poverty
God wants wealth
God wants insurance
God wants to cover himself
What God wants God gets God help us all

WHAT GOD WANTS, Part III

Don't be afraid, it's only business
The alien prophet sighed
The vulture and the magpie took
The cash box from its hook
The monkey in the corner wrote
The figures in his book

Crazed the checkout lady's fingers
Flash across the till
And the captain posts
The menu of the day
And in banks across the world
Christians Moslems Hindus Jews
And people of every
Race creed colour tint or hue
Get down on their knees and pray
The racoon and the groundhog
Neatly make up bags of change
But the monkey in the corner
Well he's slowly drifting out of range

Christ it's freezing inside
The veteran cries
The hyenas break cover
And stream through the meadow
And the fog rolls in
Through his bottle of gin
So he picks up a stone
That looks like a bone
And the bullets fly
And the rivers run dry
And the fat girls sigh
And the network anchor persons lie
And the soldier's alone
In the video zone
But the monkey's not watching
He's slipped out to the kitchen
To pile the dishes
And answer the phone


4.56 AM (For the First Time Today - Part 1)


For the first time today
I feel it's really over
You were my everyday excuse
For playing deaf, dumb and blind
Who'd have ever thought
This was how it would end for you and me
To carry my own millstone
Out of the trees
And I have to admit
I don't like it a bit
Being left here beside this lonesome road.
Lonesome road
Lonesome road


ECLIPSE

All that you touch
All that you see
All that you taste
All that you feel
All that you love
All that you hate
All you distrust
All that you save
All that you give
All that you deal
All that you buy
Beg, borrow or steal
All you create
All you destroy
All that you do
All that you say
All that you eat
Everyone you meet
All that you slight
Everyone you fight
All that is now
All that is gone
All that's to come
And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon.[/b]

_________________
"If you're on a path that's beaten, it's not your path." Joseph Campbell

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

"All that is impossible remains to be achieved."
Jules Verne

www.stratcollector.com

Some of my favorites.

John hiatt
Radney Foster
Rodney Crowell
Tom T. Hall

Yea i know this is kinda out of left field ( so to speak ). But these guys are good,..real good.

Out of left field by no means! I told you my favourites, I wanted to hear what you liked. So, it's exactly what we need here.

_________________
"If you're on a path that's beaten, it's not your path." Joseph Campbell

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

"All that is impossible remains to be achieved."
Jules Verne

www.stratcollector.com

Amused to Death... what a phenomenal Record. Jeff Beck is truly amazing on that Record. Personally i don't care for Pros and Cons due to .... don't banish me for saying this... i can't stand Clapton's work on this record. His tone is boring and his solos seem like pentatonic exercises rather than thought out solos and riffs that help to tell the story.

I love the lyrical content on Animals,

i'm with snowy on zappa gotta love some of his early stuff and i'd like to mention another scotsman alex harvey sensational or what

_________________

I agree! On everything! I love "Amused to Death"! And Jeff Beck's solo on "What God wants, part III" is incredible! I love it! Ah, "Prons and Cons of Hitchhiking"! I was just listening to it yesterday, and all the way through it, I was thinking "It's a great record"! But, whenever Clapton would come in, I was like "What the hell is he playing"?! I had a feeling as if Clapton was only jamming a bit. By himself. Because, I don't really like at all what he played on that record. I don't like the tone of his guitar either. Don't get me wrong, Clapton is...well Clapton, but I don't like what he did with Waters there. He was totally unprepared for it. But that's just my opinion.

And "Animals"! Yeah! I love it too. Both, musically and lyrically.




I haven't really listened to Zappa earlier, and I am not very familiar with his work, but I got interested in it through his son Dweezil Zappa. I think he's a great musician, Dweezil! I am certainly going to explore Zappa much closer! Zappas actually!

_________________
"If you're on a path that's beaten, it's not your path." Joseph Campbell

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

"All that is impossible remains to be achieved."
Jules Verne

www.stratcollector.com

goranm , check out the mothers of invention they rock

_________________

Thanks alanssaab! I'll do that! What great things you learn here! I love this forum!

_________________
"If you're on a path that's beaten, it's not your path." Joseph Campbell

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

"All that is impossible remains to be achieved."
Jules Verne

www.stratcollector.com

I've always liked Don Walker and Ian Moss (Cold Chisel fans will know them). A couple of examples:

- Flame Trees
- Cheap Wine
- Bow River

Without good lyrics, you've only got half a song.

You can have a beautiful instrumental piece and it's a joy to listen to, but nothing can save a song with crap lyrics.

_________________
"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Chris Cornell
Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell
Corey Taylor
Scott Weiland - STP, VR and solo
Lenny Kravitz
Michael Jackson