Most versatile musicians in prog

as for me I admire and perceive sorts of really versatile talents in Daniel Gildenlow, Steven Wilson, Mikael Akerfeldt, Neal Morse, Devin Townsend, Trevor Rabin, Adrian Belew, Francis Dunnery, John Mitchell, Patrik Lundstrom, Arjen Lucassen, Ken Hensley, Jeff Lynne, Kerry Livrgen, Steve Hackett, Geddy Lee...

- usually singers and/or great multiinstrumentalists, driving forces and persons with wide musical inspiration

Synchestra wrote: Daniel Gildenlow. He has an amazing range, his growls aren't the best but they do the job (he can scream though) he can also rap quite well, especially since I don't think english is his first language, and he writes most of the music for PoS (hes heavily influence by mike Patton though so its expected) and did I mention his incredible range?   Not many vocalists can pull the highs and lows he pulls (often one after the other)   Steven Wilson is also fairly versatile. I think both these musicians are sort of their band, as the bands simply wouldn't exsist without them (although Gavin Harrison is an incredibly important part of PTree now I think, Steven still IS PTree)   Wish I could think of more but everyone else I know has been mentioned... Townsend definately, Akerfeldt, Peter Hammil, GG, even prince though he isn't prog

Henning Pauly.  Guitar, Bass, Keys, excellent producer and when he couldn't afford to pay his brother to play drums on his last album, he did them himself and quite well.  But he can't sing.

fuxi wrote: unclemeat69 wrote: funny nobody mentions Zappa if only for his composing-skills Hey uncle, did you read my post above?

oops, missed that....

unclemeat69 wrote: funny nobody mentions Zappa if only for his composing-skills

Hey uncle, did you read my post above? You're right of course, Zappa wrote and arranged pop, straightforward rock, symphonic prog, jazz, blues, disco, reggae, ska, doowop, avant-garde sound collages, music for chamber ensembles, music for symphony orchestras, music for synclavier and heaven knows what else. Apart from that he was also a gifted vocalist, a superb guitarist, an Italian baroque pasticheur, a perenially controversial lyricist, a tireless defender of "freedom of speech", and very nearly (if I remember correctly) a prominent adviser to the Czech government.

Beat that, ye olde hippies!

Daniel Gildenlow. He has an amazing range, his growls aren't the best but they do the job (he can scream though) he can also rap quite well, especially since I don't think english is his first language, and he writes most of the music for PoS (hes heavily influence by mike Patton though so its expected) and did I mention his incredible range?   Not many vocalists can pull the highs and lows he pulls (often one after the other)

kingfriso wrote: TGM: Orb wrote: Peter Hammill never gets mentioned quite as soon as I'd like in these threads... anyone familiar with a few of his solo records will probably understand just how diverse the material he's sung, written, composed and performed is (from exquisite one-man overdubbed acapella to musique concrete to electronic to singer-songwriter to progressive rock to his bleak 80s rock and synth rock material... even with some attempts at world-inspired and opera material...).As a singer, he's remarkably versatile without feeling a need to drop into the conventions of a genre he's borrowing from. As a musician, he's played keys, guitar (his electric playing has become rather better since the mid-70s VDGG records, and his acoustics shine rather more on some of his late 70s live recordings and The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome rather than the more obvious albums), bass, drums and harmonica, as well as producing/engineering his own records. I agree with most of input, but I can't say Peter Hammill is a good guitarist. Their latest live footage from the Melkweg Holland shows his qualities on the guitar are quite poor. He's a good keyplayer and an angelic vocalist (in a certain way), but I've always though his composition style is his greatest quality.

Saw him in the Melkweg too a few years ago with VdGG, and solo some times. He is a good composer. I saw a Dutch tv special where he sat at the piano at his home and he stroke some unusual chord, and said it was the inspiration  for a song. I was surprised. The chord did sound very strange, but when he played the song around it, all seemed to fall into place. Fascinating artist.

Still, my vote for most versatile artist would still be Steve Hackett. I can't think of anyone who used more different styles than he did.


Edited by Moogtron III - February 05 2010 at 06:39

aginor wrote: Prince nough said

Or Todd Rundgren?

Steve Hackett's an excellent example, as Ivan's list clearly shows, and you could easily do something similar with Mr. Frank Zappa!

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote: Versatile.......Steve Hackett.   He has released albums and/or songs.   1.- Prog 2.- Pop 3.- Rock 4.- Jazz 5.- Blues 6.- Classical 7.- Acoustic Guitar 8.- Avant Garde 9.- Spanish Guitar 10.- Folk   Iván

That's what I wanted to say as well.

The thing is, some musicians say: I like blues, maybe I should make a blues album some day, but they never do, they stick to their style. Steve Hackett did make a blues album, and a Satie album, and an album with an orchestra, and solo acoustic guitar albums, and an album remakes of Genesis songs etc etc.

And even his 'regular' albums have groundbreaking work. Steve's the most versatile musician that I know