The Greatest Prog Lyricist
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=67998
Printed Date: December 02 2024 at 06:02
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Topic: The Greatest Prog Lyricist
Posted By: Anthony H.
Subject: The Greatest Prog Lyricist
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 22:15
| What prog musician do you think writes the best lyrics? I'd go with Peter Hammill; runner-ups include Neal Peart, Steven Wilson, John Anderson, and Kevin Moore. |
Replies:
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 22:19
| Damo Suzuki |
Posted By: Tarquin Underspoon
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 22:22
|
Ian Anderson. ------------- "WAAAAAAOOOOOUGH! WAAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHH!! WAAAAAOOOO!!!" -The Great Gig in the Sky |
Posted By: Dorsalia
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 22:56
|
Either Ian Anderson or Tim Smith.
------------- "Es ist übrigens unmöglich, eine Meinung zu haben, ohne dass es unerfreuliche Überschneidungen gibt. Die Grünen sind für den deutschen Wald, die NPD ebenfalls." |
Posted By: Dorsalia
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 22:57
Oh wait, Roine Stolt. 
------------- "Es ist übrigens unmöglich, eine Meinung zu haben, ohne dass es unerfreuliche Überschneidungen gibt. Die Grünen sind für den deutschen Wald, die NPD ebenfalls." |
Posted By: Misomex777
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 23:19
| Peter Sinfield |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 23:22
Bingo! ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Misomex777 wrote:Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 23:30
| Jason Byron (it's more like poetry than lyrics, but whatever) |
Posted By: Jake Kobrin
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 23:49
|
Peter Hamill, Maynard James Keenan, Rodger Waters, Peter Sinfield. If anyone says Steven Wilson, James LaBrie, Neil Peart, or Jon Anderson, I'm going to scream RAPE!  f**k, didn't read the OP... Too late.  ------------- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Neil-Kobrin/244687105562746" rel="nofollow - SUPPORT MY FATHER AND BECOME A FAN Jacob Kobrin Illustration |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 23:56
| Roger Waters. |
Posted By: Proletariat
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 01:25
|
Collin Meloy (Decemberists) ------------- who hiccuped endlessly trying to giggle but wound up with a sob |
Posted By: Falx
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 01:29
Christian Vander 
------------- "You must go beyond the limit of the limit of your limits!" - Mr. Doctor "It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the limits of our abilities do not exist." - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin |
Posted By: BlindGuard
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 01:33
| Hammill!!! |
Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 02:15
| Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter. |
Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 02:18
Erm - who else wouldst thou call more like poets? |
Posted By: b_olariu
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 02:34
| Peter Hammill is a great one, among the best, but I like very much Ian Anderson,Neil Peart, and more others I can't remember now. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 02:58
You sure you're not forgetting Roger Waters and Ian (not Jon) Anderson????
     With Hammill, that's my top three, followed by Gabriel
who's Kevin Moore, and what is Steven Wilson doing here ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: JemJem714
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 03:12
| Peter Hammill gets my vote. |
Posted By: Anirml
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 03:16
|
Jon Anderson, Damo Suzuki and Peter Sinfield
------------- 
|
Posted By: Green Shield Stamp
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 05:37
|
Roger Waters
Ian Anderson
Peter Gabriel
Robert Wyatt
Frank Zappa
Fish Dave Cousins (The Strawbs)
------------- Haiku Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 05:46
| Peter Sinfield, Peter Hammill, Ian Anderson, Neil Peart, Fish. |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 06:06
+ Mike Patton |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 06:14
|
Neil Peart ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 06:16
|
Greg Markel
http://www.alteredstate.com/lyrics.html - http://www.alteredstate.com/lyrics.html ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 06:34
|
Neil Peart
Roger Waters
Peter Hammill
Fish
Peter Gabriel
------------- 
|
Posted By: Floydfreakinfan
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 09:07
| Favorite- Roger Waters |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 09:12
------------- 
|
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 09:22
|
Dante Alighieri http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bt6S71dI8A - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bt6S71dI8A ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Ronnie Pilgrim
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 10:07
| Peter Gabriel, Ian Anderson, Peter Sinfield for me. |
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 10:09
| Peter Hammill, Peter Sinfield (sometimes), Steven Wilson (pre-Deadwing), Maynard James Keenan, Roger Waters. |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 11:05
|
1. Roger Waters 2. Fish 3. Steve Hogarth 4. Peter Gabriel 5. Neil Peart 6. Peter Hamill 7. Jon Anderson 8. Peter Sinfield 9. Thom Yorke 10. Roger Hodgson/Rick Davies ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Mr. Maestro
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 11:27
|
Roger Waters (before the Wall)
Neil Peart
Kerry Livgren
Peter Gabriel
------------- "I am the one who crossed through space...or stayed where I was...or didn't exist in the first place...." |
Posted By: Morningrise
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 11:42
| Ian Anderson, Peter Hammill, Peter Gabriel are the ones that come to my mind right now. |
Posted By: Kojak
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 12:38
| Maynard James Keenan - tops, Thom Yorke, Pete Sinfield....mmm, I'll add more if I can think of any.. |
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 12:40
| Ian Anderson, Peter Gabriel and Fish! |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 15:06
|
Hi,
This is not an easy topic, because it tends to reach into favoritism and commercialism.
Take away some of those people and you have almost a no-list at all ... which tells you that there are not enough people listening to other things to even have any idea ... that there are other folks out there that also write songs, music and poetry.
Probably the best lyricist out there is Roy Harper. There is no second when it comes to the amount of poetryhe has written and sung about/with. If there is a second one out there, I would say Peter Hammill.
The third one, is a person that we don't like to discuss here because it isn't prog. But Bob Dylan is probably the only one that will be remembered forever for his words -- that will not be listed here!
In general, almost ALL rock music lyrics, progressive or otherwise, are pretentious and have very little literary value. The 20th century has been about breaking that down and I accept that and to me Roy, Peter and Bob are the TS Elliots, the veritable best poets of the century ... however, their medium in rock music is not (YET!) accepted as a proper literary and poetic medium that it should be treated with. I think this will change in the future.
All in all, Jon Anderson is a good lyricist, when the muse hits him, and a very bad lyricist when he is not into it and is simply doing "Yes music" ... it's just a song! Frank Zappa is a tough addition in terms of lyrics because a lot of his lyrics were actually improvised and added on many times over the songs, and sometimes some lyrics stuck and sometimes they didn't. Frank didn't necessarily sit down and write the lyrics on top of the 10 staffs of music! The stuff that Napoleon sings, he came up with, not Frank! It just fit the feeling and the nature of the music ... and Frank was intelligent enough to allow and help the music to shape itself off the lyrics and the words, something that most "lyricists" DO NOT do! And folks like Peter Hammill and Roy Harper made their living doing just that.
In terms of some of the other rock lyricists, there is too much words to a song, instead of poetry or real lyrics. And while poetry sometimes repeats things to make a point, the rock'n'roll use of codas and refrains to continuously say nothing about the song or the lyrics, is, eventually quite boring and not acceptable when it comes to "progressive music". Sorry ... Rush fails!
As I said above, this is a very tough area. I, personally do not think that some of the names mentioned are that important in terms of "literature" ... they maybe in rock music ... but a lot of rock music is going to be wasted because the ability of anyone to discuss the work intelligently and good sense ... and simply listing "favorites" is not a good show ... at all! Bob is not one of my favorites at all, but one can not deny the poetry ... and how others have been able to express it. Peter is self explanatory. Roy is even more so!
The rest ... not very good at all in my book! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Lizzy
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 15:31
|
The usual suspects in my list too: Ian Anderson, Roger Waters and the Peter holy trinity: Gabriel, Hammill and Sinfield.
------------- Property of Queen Productions... 
|
Posted By: Zebedee
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 16:06
|
Ian Anderson, Fish, Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel.
------------- 
Friendship is like wetting your pants: everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth. |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 16:28
|
I didn't even have to think about this for a second. Peter Hammill. |
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 16:32
Just to annoy you, I will again! Steven Wilson is by far my favourite prog vocalist. ------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while... |
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 16:36
1) The anchor that weighted down Dream Theater to the ground, so they didnt go and start showing off. 2) Because he's the best modern prog lyricist, songwriter, singer, and guitarist! ------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while... |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 17:39
|
Hodgson / Davies Goodley and Creme and Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman fantastic singer songwriters |
Posted By: nahnite
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 19:11
|
1/Neil Peart
2/Peter Sinfield
3/Peter Gabriel
4/Jon Anderson
5/John Petrucci (better known as a guitarist, but the dude writes some AMAZING lyrics!)
|
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 19:34
And their history goes way further than just 10CC ... but no one here ever heard "Hotlegs" ... or thought it was progressive! ... or we can talk about Neil Sedaka!   ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 19:36
|
Hi,
So strange to see Fish listed as a lyricist ... his main gift is that he is a wonderful actor with words ... and made Peter Gabriel look like a kid in the zoo of costumes ... that can't sing! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 22:46
| Gabriel, Fish, Waters, Ian Anderson. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 01:19
|
Peter Sinfield, Richard Palmer-James, Jon Anderson, Peter Gabriel, and David Cousins top my list. Oh, don't forget Thijs van Leer! *yodel yodel yodel yodel bump bump bah!!*
|
Posted By: SayYes
Date Posted: June 05 2010 at 05:45
|
Ian Anderson
Peter Gabriel Peter Hammill
|
Posted By: Klogg
Date Posted: June 07 2010 at 15:25
[2]
|
Posted By: CrypticRick
Date Posted: June 07 2010 at 17:55
|
Kerry Livgren Peter Gabriel Roger Waters Roine Stolt Neil Peart ------------- Rick Duncan www.crypticvision.net www.myspace.com/crypticvision |
Posted By: Terry
Date Posted: June 07 2010 at 21:46
| Definitely NOT Jon Anderson but would certainly agree with Ian Anderson and Neil Peart (sometimes) |
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 03:16
Neil Peart - he plays awesome drums and writes great lyrics and we don't have to listen to him sing. An intelligent drummer! He gets the credit, Geddy takes the blame.  Corky Laing will hold him (NP) up as the example that proves the rule (about growing up or being a drummer.)Neil Peart's backing band is quite good too... |
Posted By: BlueManLou
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 03:33
Kerry Livgren ------------- Blue Man Lou http://www.myspace.com/dreamersedge http://dreamersedge.arjis-connect.com http://www.myspace.com/lousblues http://www.myspace.com/goodtroublers http://www.playlist.com/bluelou |
Posted By: dantd95
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 06:05
|
I would personally choose Ian Anderson, Pete Sinfield, Peter Hammill and Roger Waters. Though honorable mentions should go for Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Christian Vander. |
Posted By: Mr. Maestro
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 12:30
|
I actually discovered VdGG after reading such positive remarks about Peter Hammil's lyrics on this very thread. I went and listened to "Man-Erg" and "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers." Now he's one of my favorites, too! ------------- "I am the one who crossed through space...or stayed where I was...or didn't exist in the first place...." |
Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 12:49
|
Ian Anderson. His lyrics remind me Albert Camus.
|
Posted By: stopthismadness
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 20:10
| neil peart |
Posted By: TheGrandWazoo123
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 15:30
|
Damo Suzuki does have his moments, but I can't really consider someone who improvises a lot of his material better than an introspective philosopher like, oh, say, Peter Hammill. As commonplace as it sounds, I really do think that Gabriel and Hammill are probably the best lyricists, partially because they can incorporate their lyrics into their music really well. Can't say the same for Fish, unfortunately. Oh, and Eno. He doesn't get enough recognition for writing lyrics. He doesn't do it a lot, but when he does, they are buh-rilliant. |
Posted By: Toolishness
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 16:03
|
Maynard James Keenan, Steven Wilson.. and I am a big fan of Mikael Akerfeldts lyrics. why hasn't he been mentioned? ------------- happy holidays |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 17:10
|
^Steven Wilson is possibly the worst lyricist of our time. I don't know how great any of the french, italian, german etc... lyrics out there are, so only english suggestions: Greatest for me, or the ones I enjoy the most are: The Residents, Robert Wyatt, Peter Hammill (but he's really not that strong all the time), Ian Anderson, Chris Cutler and I have a soft spot for High Tide's lyrics.
Roy Harper is a true poet. http://www.justsomelyrics.com/1331365/Roy-Harper-McGoohans-Blues-Lyrics - McGoohan's Blues No one in rock can match that. No one! Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen might not be on par with Dylan, but they still interest me more. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 17:14
 ------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while... |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 17:32
|
The Greatest Prog Lyricist.....hmmmm
Who cares!!!!
Ok I'll play...
Neil Peart, James LaBrie, Steven Wilson, Mike Portnoy, Ian Anderson, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Benny Hill, Richard Pryor, Elvis Presley......and GOD. -------------   
|
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 17:49
JLB really isn't a big songwriter in DT. |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 18:14
|
Daniel Gildenlöw - I don't agree with many of his political standpoints, but his stories and psychological conceptual albums are fantastic! Fish - His stuff with Marillion has some of the finest lyrics I've ever heard. Pure genius! Peter Gabriel - Supper's Ready, Get 'Em Out By Friday, Cinema Show, The Musical Box, Watcher of the Skies, and countless others are simply lyrical masterpieces. Neal Morse - Call them cheesy and whatever else you may want, but I love his narrative approach to lyrics. I don't consider myself to be a Christian anymore, but his lyrics are very personal and I can always relate to, and appreciate, his Christian-oriented approach. ------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: enigma
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 18:36
|
Roger W
Peter H Fish |
Posted By: Geizao
Date Posted: June 11 2010 at 02:53
|
Roger Waters Peter Sinfield Peter Hamill Peter Gabriel Jon Anderson |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: June 11 2010 at 03:42
Good point Christer
We've only talked so far about English-written lyrics.
I won't speak about German texts, because iften the written lyrics are absent and I don't have sufficient knowledge of the language to judge
For the French texts (excluding the Kbaian dialect
), I really liked Ripaille's sole album.... but the greatest lyricist are Jacques Brel, Claude Nougaro and Georges Brassens (Jean Ferrat is also good), but I wouldn't qualify their works a proggy. For prog and rock groups, I must say that only Noir Desir's Bertrand Cantat's are quite above the packFor Italian texts, I get a good idea (via my Frech) of the lyrics when they are available (plus Andrea"s reviews are very helpful in that regard) and I'd say Banco and Jumbo's lyrics are above the rest.
Bizarrely enough, despitea good written knowledge of Spanish, I haven't ^paid much attention to Spanish texts since the rock group of Heroes Del Silencio. I'll have to investigate why I haven't.
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: June 11 2010 at 09:53
Go to page one...Jake Kobrin is who I was playing along with. He mentioned LaBrie.......albeit maybe his name does not get "printed" on their albums as writer..but I guarantee you he has much input on lyrics. Portnoy's ego gets in the way and his name appears on everything.
IMHO -------------
|
Posted By: nahnite
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 15:49
|
Topping my list would be Peart.
But there's also:
2/Jon Anderson
3/Ian Anderson
4/Peter Gabriel
5/Peter Sinfield
6/Mikael Akerfeldt
AND
7/James LaBrie (if he wrote more, I might like DT more.)
|
Posted By: sydbarrett2010
Date Posted: August 09 2010 at 04:42
| roger waters |
Posted By: sydbarrett2010
Date Posted: September 15 2010 at 06:14
| peter sinfield |
Posted By: Anderson III
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 11:30
He's right, though.  ------------- "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent" - Victor Hugo |
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 11:42
|
Hammill would be my top lyricist, but I also enjoy Peter Gabriel, Neil Peart, and recently, Fish. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 17:19
|
I like the lyrics of Fish (with Marillion, his solo works I do not know good enough). Also some of the lyrics of Davies/Hodgson touch me (if it is not "Breakfast in America"). And of course Richard Palmer-James: "Cigarettes, ice cream, figurines of the Virgin Mary" - what else do you want? Probably Adrian Belew gives the answer: "sex sleep eat drink dream..." |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 17:28
|
The guys in canvas solaris are great lyricists. So are the ones in liquid tension experiment. ------------- 
|
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 17:59
|
Jam Carrot, oops I mean Djam Karet have the sort of lyrics I like. Exactly what is a prog rock lyric? I shall now sit down and compose a lyric in the progressive rock style. So maybe Christain Vander with his Kobaian themed albums that is also incomprehensible (unless one is fluent in Kobaian - and it has been known...) means he is the greatest. Yeah, Adrian Belew's ideas... Oh yes, that reminds me, anyone remember when his anti abortion mention in the great disasters of the 20th C lyric divided the KC cKommunity and meant Lark's 4 coda was performed instrumentally. |
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 20:52
|
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 21:12
I agree....end of topic -------------
|
Posted By: Harry Hood
Date Posted: September 16 2010 at 22:25
|
Peter Hammill. The OP got it right for once. Leagues ahead of any native english speaking lyricist. Runners up: John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats) Peter Nichols (of IQ) Roger Waters (For Amused to Death, The Final Cut and Animals, everything else he did is just kind of okay)
That was actually a Robert Fripp lyric, and the only lyric Fripp contributed to King Crimson. And it's far better than anything Richard Palmer James wrote.
 ------------- 
|
Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: September 17 2010 at 07:36
Yes, you are right, I just found out, that it is the only line that Robert Fripp wrote. But I like the comment on commercial activities, that is written around it. |
Posted By: Deleuze
Date Posted: September 17 2010 at 07:40
|
Christian Vander and Frank Zappa.... thank you. ------------- 
|
Posted By: JonteJH
Date Posted: September 17 2010 at 10:40
|
Thomas Haake -------------  
http://www.lastfm.se/user/JonteJH http://soundcloud.com/jontejh |
Posted By: progvortex
Date Posted: September 18 2010 at 00:36
|
Fish
------------- Life is like a beanstalk... isn't it? |
Posted By: Atoms
Date Posted: September 18 2010 at 06:51
| Ray Thomas |
Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: October 02 2010 at 18:47
|
Ian Anderson, especially on Thick As A Brick
------------- He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball! |
Posted By: resurrection
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 01:43
| Peter Hammil is a very good suggestion; but I'd go for Billy Ritchie (Clouds) by a mile.....then again, who chose that band name? If there was a new topic for naff names of bands, Clouds would be high on the list. |
Posted By: LateralMe
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 11:19
|
Peter Hammill hands down.
------------- A Flower!? |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 11:55
|
There are a lot of good German lyricists and songwriters, but unfortunately not in prog. The lyrics of singers like Franz-Josef Degenhardt, Hannes Wader, Wolf Biermann or Reinhard Mey, for example, are excellent, but they, like many others, joined the Liedermacher fraction, which is basically "me, my songs and my guitar"
-------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 11:58
|
Kerry Minnear, Derek, Ray and Phil Shulman -------------  
|
Posted By: Sotiris
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 12:20
| Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel and Neil Peart, in my opinion. Then again I haven't listened to as much stuff from most of the other often mentioned names here, or not paid attention to their lyrics. |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 13:10
Friede was too decent to name herself as a lyricist, but since it is very doubtful that the music of the Bald Angels can be calleld "prog rock" it does not matter much. her lyrics, however, are excellent, whether she writes in German or in English. here are the lyrics of one song of her of which she made an English translation, in both languages; for those who speak both it will be interesting to compare them.Eilig vorwärtshastend, -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 13:36
|
Maynard most definitly, followed by Hammill and Waters
------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
|
Posted By: Xanatos
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 16:25
| Vander and Zappa nuff said |
Posted By: Libor10
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 17:07
|
Peter Gabriel and Neil Peart. BTW Daniel Gildenlöw isn't bad too...
------------- 
|
Posted By: Jazzywoman
Date Posted: November 02 2010 at 11:42
|
Neil Peart, Ian Anderson, Peter Hammill all really stand out for me. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: November 02 2010 at 12:19
------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: November 02 2010 at 12:47
|
Nobody had mentioned Adrian Belew, just only one of you (God knows why) underrated Richard Palmer-James.
So, let me introduce Vladimír Václavek and his past band Dunaj, listed here as RIO/Avant. His English lyrics are very minimalistic but pretty good:
------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: Billy Pilgrim
Date Posted: November 02 2010 at 16:16
| Maynard Keenan, Peter Hammill, and Roger Waters in my opinion. |
Posted By: masonandy
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 04:50
| Peter Hammill & Peter Gabriel. |
Posted By: LSDisease
Date Posted: December 23 2010 at 10:21
| Ian Anderson the ultimate winner. |