Most Overrated Musicians

Who are the most overrated musicians in the folk singer/songwriter world?

My number 1 is Judy Collins. She is one of the giants in the field and she just doesn't do much for me. Her best songs are covers and in every case I prefer the original. I'd much rather hear Joni Mitchell sing Clouds than Judy Collins.

I'd talked about John Meyer before. What is there to get excited about? Yeah he's really good on the guitar but he's no Richard Thompson.

The one that will get me in trouble here is Girlyman. Now I like them. I voted for them in the emerging artist showcase at FRFF. I've invited them to play the Budgiedome. I just don't think they are great.

See, I've always thought Richard Thompson was really overrated. The Vincent Black Lightning song is really good, but none of his other material has ever grabbed me, and as a performer he really does nothing for me.

I'll add Eddie From Ohio to the list. They're fine, but I don't understand the legions of super-devoted fans. Ditto Great Big Sea, especially their material after "Play" and "Up". They're great performers, but their music has become really dumbed-down.

I really don't understand the comedy band appeal. They're funny for a show or two, but I can't imagine why they'd get a devoted following. Jokes aren't a tenth as funny the second time you hear them. File the Arrogant Worms and DaVinci's Notebook (and really, almost any acapella) types in this category.

Part of the problem with this is the meaning of overrated. Now though I couldn't disagree with you more Richard Thompson is an interesting pick because he is considered one of the greats. He made Rolling Stones list of ton 20 guitarists.

Now I'm not so sure about EFO. They have a very loyal fan base which has a large overlap with fruheads but outside of them do people think of them as a great band? I pretty much never hear them on the radio and outside of FRFF I don't hear people talking about them. Of course the same might be said of my choice of Girlyman.

They are highly rated by this community and that counts.

The comedy band discussion might be a good forum on its own. I happen to be a fan of comic music at least as far back as Tom Lehrer.

WERE ABOUT 9!  I just don't get it.  They are good singers and musicians, but my god!  Their songs are like tourcher!  I just wish they would break up so they can join bands and put their tallent to better use.

I agree with you on John Mayer, but I like the man.  When he dressed up in a bear costume and heckled his band was awesome!  Also, his apperance on the CHipele show was awesome.

Holly Near, the reason why I hate Folk Music.

Toby Kieth, he just sucks.

John Mayer has a bad reputation, mostly just because of the music he was doing at the height of his popularity (wimpy acoustic pop-rock for crying girls). Go back and take a listen to his mostly solo acoustic demo CD; it's really a great recording.

And as far as great guitarists, after he dropped the wimpy tearmaker act and picked up a Strat, he really started shining for the monster guitarist he is. Yeah, I don't like blues so I don't really listen to it, but he's one of the best technical guitarists out there.

Plus, he's probably done more to bring acoustic music back to the masses than anyone.

see, there's this Canadian band from a while back that had lots and lots of fans. people who would travel hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of miles to see their shows and follow them night after night on a tour.

and they had some damn good songs, and some damn good harmonies, and their live show was definitely one of the best around, but the reverence a lot of us treated them with was kind of ... um, insane?

Moxy Früvous were a great band, but the way some people talked about them (probably myself included) you'd think they had cured cancer and solved world hunger or something.

They did cure cancer but the dark forces of the medical industrial complex have suppressed the treatment. You can't blame the band for that. They also invented velcro and pasta. Mike's mother invented whiteout.

Don't forget, Al Gore Stole the invention of the internet from Murray.

Lawrence has a point, but that is because they never quite got it together in the studio.  Most of their albums, besides Wood, sound like they rushed into the studio and cranked it out for the money.  Wood, although it's a brilliant album doesn't nessasarily catch the Fruvous Sound.  It is a sliver of what they can do.  Which is why You Will Go To The Moon is my favorate album, because it does capture the fruvous sound, however it suffers from that rush to record.

I just started to write a movie that begins and ends at a Fruvous show.  It's called right now "College Romance."

wrong mike,  and wrong 4 guy band. 


:P

Since I stopped going to Fruvous shows I've kinda stopped listening to new folk music and only listen to those that I've already liked (Nields, Susan Werner, EFO)...but IMO one of the most overrated bands out there today is Dave Matthews Bands *ducks*. I just don't get them. To me all their songs sound the same and their just boring. I know many will disagree...but variety is the spice of life, neh?

Word, word, word. I can't stand DMB. And Pandora keeps telling me I should like them, but I just plain don't.

Thirded. I truly don't get DMB.

same could be said about Phish too

Fourthed.

wow...and here I thought I was the only person in the world that's doesn't have the common sense to like DMB...at least that's how i feel sometimes round here (as in where I live, not FHDC - you guys obviously have good taste ^_^)

so I will speak my truth.

Dan Bern.

Was stuck at a couple of his shows to see other acts on the bill with much more talent. Found him not to be funny, not be be genius, can't stand him. I did think his band had talent vocally and instrumentally. I know people worship him, and I will never get it. EVER.

On the WFUV Poll I voted for him as the Future Essential Artist.

Differences of opinion are what makes horse races.

If somebody's overrated band is one of your favorites say so here.

If I had to choose the one artists I to see live it would be Richard Thompson. I'm not sure if he's my favorite, It is hard to say anyone is better than Dylan, but I can see him under much smaller venues and without it being a zoo. d

I have as good a time seeing Great Big Sea as I do anybody.

When Fruvous started their temporary hiatus I pretty much replaced them with Da Vinci's Notebook. They were the band that I followed around. I got a lot friendlier with DVN than I ever did with Fruvous. They called me a Stalker, but in a nice way.

As a songwriter, Dylan's great.

The Dylan concert I saw was hands-down the worst show I ever attended, though.

Fruvous was the SECOND band I followed. But the one I was able to follow the most often. I think Fruwench and I made something like 35-36 concerts in a little over a year and a half.

(the first being a massively under-rated english goth/progressive rock band that had a reputation of excess, giving absolutely fantastic concerts, prefering smaller venues and getting close with their fans, and, well, self-destructing on the North Amercan leg of their tours... Oh, I'm going to be in London in February '08)

Don't really get what's special about John Gorka... or Lucy Kaplansky. There's nothing particularly wrong about them, but I'm not sure what's so right about them.

I agree with you about Lucy. I love her singing harmonies with other people but not her own material.

To me John Gorka is about his songwriting. His lyrics are subtle and work on many levels at once. Even his saddest songs, have some humor in them.

that is all.

Good choice. Of course you feel guilty about saying it since one of them is sick. they are like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to me. I never know which is which. People whose taste I really respect love them but I don't see it at all.