[DavidMahler]

Some artists just have something which goes way beyond anything learnable in music class. This goes for all genres. Some artists, you can just feel their soul right there raw before you without any covering, without any pretention.

Not every artist has this, and it doesn't necessarilly make you better if you do have it, it's just one feature of an artist that some have.

I thought it would be nice to list artists below where you feel their music presents their soul before you naked and unashamed....

I'll start with a few....

Neil Young
Elliott Smith
Charlie Parker
Gustav Mahler
John Lennon

 

[White_Noise]

^I agree with all of those, but there's one glaring omission:

Janis Joplin!

 

[DavidMahler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by White_Noise /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^I agree with all of those, but there's one glaring omission: JANIS JOPLIN!

I wasn't intentionally omitting her There's many....

I think Ray Charles and Sam Cooke are about as naked as can be......it's heart breaking.

 

[West726]

NWA
Public Enemy
Bill Monroe
James Brown
Muddy Waters
R.L. Burnside
Lightnin' Hopkins
Townes Van Zandt
Howlin' Wolf
Loretta Lynn
Nirvana
Lucinda Williams
Jeff Tweedy
etc.

This is too easy.

 

[DrBenway]

Eva Cassidy. Her recording of "Fields of Gold" is the most emotionally direct performance I have ever heard, without even a hint of histrionics.

 

[Galesden]

Julia Nunes
Not really well known. She isn't signed to a major label and she is mostly known from youtube. Ukulele ftw.

 

[jawang]

red hot chili peppers
- each album reflects the state of the band really well, which is saying a lot considering the things the band went through. I gained a lot more respect for the songs on californication after learning about frusciante's history (the album was recorded right after he returned from near-death heroine addiction)

lynyrd skynyrd
- I'm not sure if this counts, but a couple of their songs (especially freebird) just give me chills when I think about the plane crash and everything that happened afterwards. even without thinking about any of that, theyre still a rather definitive southern rock group

john mayer
- I know this one seems odd, but mayer's music has changed significantly over the years and every one those changes seem to parallel his career (and personal life) quite well. Most of his "pop"ish songs were written when he was a new and young artist. Compared to his more recent works, which are much more blues and soul influenced

 

[tintin47]

Jeff Mangum/Neutral Milk Hotel. "Oh, Comely" is home to the most heartfelt and heart breaking vocals that I have heard.

 

[n3rdling]

Ray Charles
Otis Redding
Johnny Cash
Hank Williams Sr.
Muddy Waters
Willie Nelson

 

[HONEYBOY]

Michael Jackson, I can tell every single emotion

 

[mcmurray]

+ YouTube Video​

ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

 

[Laokid18]

Radiohead
The Clash
Rage Against the Machine
Joy Division
Grizzly Bear
The Arcade Fire
Pinback
Public Enemy
Atmosphere
Shing02
Eyedea
Aesop Rock
Immortal Technique

 

[davidhunternyc]

Ali Farka Toure
Chet Baker
Chopin
Djivan Gasparyan
R.L. Burnside

Now I need to explain myself, don't I?

 

[Quinto]

Gustav Mahler
Ludwig van Beethoven
Dimitri Shostakovich
Glenn Gould
Jimi Hendrix
Ornette Coleman
John Coltrane
Bill Evans
Lenny Breau
Rostropovich
Lee Konitz

..

 

[Spyro]

Pat Metheny