RT123
268 posts
Feb 17, 2012
11:32 AM
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OK, well maybe not that scientific, but I did put a fun twist on this. With all the chatter on Adams post about the "New Top 10". I tried to look at it a different way.
I took adams 5 catagories
Orginality
Influence
Technical Mastery
Soulfulness
Recorderd Evidence
I gave each player a score in each catagory on a scale from 1-10, 10 being best. After I did that in each category I added up the 5 scores for them with a highest possible score of 50.
I used all of the people listed on adams list of top 20 and I added 2 more just for fun. John Popper and Bob Dylan. I know they are not considered traditional blues but they had performed blues and what the hell, its all in good fun, right?
I was very surprised by the results I came up with and to be honest it doesnt look much like I thought my list would.
Let me know what you think and let me know your results if you try a similar thing.
1 Sugar Blue 47 points
2 Kim Wilson 46 points
3 John Popper 46 points
4 Billy Branch 45 points
5 Bob Dylan 44 points
6 Charlie Musselwhite 43 points
7 Howlin' Wolf 42 points
8 Magic Dick 42 points
9 Little Walter 41 points
10 James Cotton 41 points
11 Paul Butterfield 41 points
12 Jason Ricci 41 points
13 George "harmonica" Smith 40 points
14 Big Walter 40 points
15 Jimmy Reed 39 points
16 John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson 38 points
17 Rice Miller "Sonny Boy Williamson" 38 points
18 Carey Bell 37 points
19 Junior Wells 37 points
20 DeFord Bailey 37 points
21 Paul Delay 37 points
22 Sonny Terry 36 points
23 Alanis 36 points
I found Bob Dylan to be at the top crazy but it happened. He had the lowest score in Technical Mastery with a 6 but his originality and influence made up for it.
EDIT TO ADD ALANIS BY POPULAR DEMAND
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2012 12:32 PM
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MrVerylongusername
2217 posts
Feb 17, 2012
11:45 AM
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I'm getting tired of all these lists where every single one omits the harmonica genius of Alanis:
Originality: somewhat derivative of the "Neil and Bob" style, but unmatched in the genre of whiney female singer songwriters, so I give her an 8.
Influence: Again within the niche-sphere of whiney female singer songwriters her influence is high. 7.
Technical Mastery: Fair enough, not much dressing this up. 4.
Soulfullness: A tortured, whiney soul, but a soul nonetheless. 10.
Recorded Evidence: Plenty here, every album features her harmonica talents. PLenty of live footage to back it up too. 7.
So Alanis gets 36 which puts her level pegging Sonny Terry.
Remember folks this is scientific - you can't argue with science!
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RT123
269 posts
Feb 17, 2012
11:48 AM
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I cant believe I forgot one of the greats. I have edited my list to add Alanis. Thank you for letting me know of my oversight :)
LOL
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Honkin On Bobo
952 posts
Feb 17, 2012
11:58 AM
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I'm just glad to see Alanis getting some run. About time. I've totally copped her senseless, aimless draw/blow riff. Took me 3 solid months of woodshedding, but I got it.
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2012 11:59 AM
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MrVerylongusername
2218 posts
Feb 17, 2012
12:12 PM
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Fair do!
Seriously though...
Don't be too surprised by Dylan scoring highly by your system - his technical mastery score is presumably pretty low, but more than compensated for by his indisputable influence and the huge body of work which constitutes the recorded evidence. I hope you appreciated how his style is basically aping Woody Guthrie's though and therefore not too original, however identifiable.
I wonder where Stevie would appear by your system? Very high on all counts I'd say.
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RT123
270 posts
Feb 17, 2012
12:18 PM
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You are correct. Stevie would top the list!
I have to be honest, I had no idea how this would turn out and thats why I did it. I knew the results would mean nothing more than another list but it was really fun. I tried my hardest to score everyone as honest as I could even if I wasnt a huge fan.
Its just opinion as any other list would be, but I did try to be as fair as possible and let the results be what they are. It was fun to do it and I hope eveyone accepts it for just that, fun...
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KingoBad
1043 posts
Feb 17, 2012
12:31 PM
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I would like to see your raw scores...
I think you have given Big Walter the shaft here...
I am glad to see Alanis up there... Having her absent from the list hurt me like a jagged little pill...
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Danny
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2012 12:32 PM
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RT123
271 posts
Feb 17, 2012
12:35 PM
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I have them on a scrap paper. Just took it out of the trash. I am not going to go back for all of them because its really not important, but here is what I had for Big Walter.
Orginality 7
Influence 8
Technical Mastery 8
Soulfulness 9
Recorderd Evidence 8
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2012 12:35 PM
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jodanchudan
509 posts
Feb 17, 2012
12:47 PM
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Alanis on MBH. Isn't it ironic?
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nacoran
5250 posts
Feb 17, 2012
12:58 PM
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I'd only give Alanis a 1 for technical mastery (and a 1 only because she didn't hurt herself playing, otherwise we'd have to remove her from the list entirely, which would be ironic, but only in an Alanis sort of way.) I think giving Dylan a 6 for technical mastery is a bit much too, although I guess it depends on how you are weighting it. If you are assuming a 1 is someone who has never played before and has only recently regained the ability to hear after a long period of deafness that's different than if you are weighting a 1 as someone who might be considered a harmonica player. Using the 'harmonica player standard' I think Dylan probably loses at least 3 points on technical mastery, which drops him several places. I'd also wonder if you'd scored his 'originality' based on his harp playing or his total package. And is influence harmonica influence or general musical influence.
I might score Dylan like this: Originality (harmonica only) 4, Influence 10, Mastery 3, Soulfulness 8, Recorded Evidence 3 (and here I'm using recorded evidence as evidence of something positive on harmonica, not just a long discography). 28 (If I was rating his lyrics instead he'd be 8/10/8/8/10).
Alanis, I think, using my stricter interpretations of each category, I'd give a 2/3/1/2/3. (Although as a performer in general it would be more like 7/7/7/8/8). I doubt Alanis considers herself a harmonica player (although I haven't heard much of her more recent playing, she is certainly a talented enough musician to get good at harmonica if she tries.)
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Nate
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MrVerylongusername
2222 posts
Feb 17, 2012
12:59 PM
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Dontcha think?
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nacoran
5254 posts
Feb 17, 2012
3:02 PM
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MrVLUN, a little too ironic.
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Nate
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MrVerylongusername
2228 posts
Feb 17, 2012
3:06 PM
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Sorry to take the thread in the wrong direction, but...
I always failed to see much irony in "Ironic". Cutlery-mismanagement and bad-luck are nothing to do with irony
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isaacullah
1805 posts
Feb 17, 2012
3:51 PM
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http://theoatmeal.com/comics/irony
Nacoran, I think you, especially, will enjoy that.
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nacoran
5255 posts
Feb 17, 2012
4:26 PM
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LOL. I actually was in a English theory class one day when the subject of Ms. Morissette came up. Enlish lit theory and an hour to kill...
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Nate
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Frank
268 posts
Feb 18, 2012
8:48 AM
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Well, for the record - I have heard Ms. Morissette's more recent harmonica playing and I've hipped her to Adams recent competition announcement..We'll just let her entry do the talkin, nuff said!
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timeistight
351 posts
Feb 18, 2012
9:32 AM
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You don't need no English theory; the Walters never had none.
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