Musicians that impressed you nearly instantaneously and then made you a fanatic.

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,567
2,626
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When listening to new music, some musicians simply just have the right sound and/or showcase of abilities that just sells you on their prowess.
Sometimes these moments are in mere seconds.

These whirlwind moments for me include:

Mariah Carey. One listen to "Always Be My Baby" and then I'm suddenly looping it on repeat for days. I go and quickly buy the album with the single on it. Also, I learned that she sang "Fantasy" and I had heard her first on Rush Hour and never knew it. HAHAHA.

Amy Grant: This is simply just timbre alone providing the appeal. I have been, intermittently for the past two years, been trying to listening to all the Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles and hearing her voice on "Baby, Baby". The song itself has some annoying tendencies but the voice was enough to mentally note "must listen to more for future considerations"

Jojo(Joanna Levesque) - here is one a modern high skilled prodigy. A Mendelssohn for R&B. While youtubing Old Town Road during its height of success, I came across derivative content from Conor Maynard's channel, a "Sing-off"(not actually live). Near the end, she does four measures of musical acrobatics that is also musically effective. First rapid scales and then a batch of slower notes, indicating an understanding of using short notes and long notes to achieve musical effectiveness and not just technical effectiveness.


Beethoven - 5th symphony. Opening bars. I was 13. It was a piano arrangement I wanted to play. The 4-bar standard, which by the way, JoJo passed with flying color and hence I makes similes with her and old masters.
 

[DHT]Osiris

Lifer
Dec 15, 2015
14,004
12,068
146
Tool, first time hearing them in the 90's on the radio. Pick a song, they're all stupendous.

Also Stefani Germanotta (Gaga) in this clip:
 
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DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
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mostly a bunch of people who you do not know.

here's a few you do not know but could possibly get som.. not weird stuff.

Guthrie Govan - Waves

hmm.. actually i don't think any of my music suits the human ear.

lots of John Zorn and Keith Jarrett.

Something more down to earth, if you can find it, The Power And The Glory, album by Jimmy Cliff. Easy-Listening reggae.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,834
5,713
126
This one EDM dude named Mitis.

I randomly came across one of his songs like 7 or so years ago on a Pandora playlist and then saw he had only this mini 6-song album out and I instantly bought it on Amazon.

I don't know what it is about his style but a lot of his songs just make me feel some sorta way. I also love when he incorporates the piano into some of his songs. Something about the piano in songs gets me. It may be subconsciously because my dad used to play it very well when he was alive.

Most of his songs don't have any vocals but some do. He doesn't sing at all himself to my knowledge.

I'm guessing most people won't like it.

 

dasherHampton

Platinum Member
Jan 19, 2018
2,543
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Obviously Eddie Van Halen. And Geddy Lee.

Lesser known? First name that comes to mind is Nuno Bettencourt, the guitarist from Extreme.

The guy's technique (at least back then ) was staggering. I used to listen to Get the Funk Out over and over again just to hear the guitar solo. Those arpeggios he plays are mind blowing.
 

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,999
1,396
126
Obviously Eddie Van Halen. And Geddy Lee.

Lesser known? First name that comes to mind is Nuno Bettencourt, the guitarist from Extreme.

The guy's technique (at least back then ) was staggering. I used to listen to Get the Funk Out over and over again just to hear the guitar solo. Those arpeggios he plays are mind blowing.

Funny that I watched this old song yesterday from Rush. Awesome music just from 3 guys. The video brings back memory as a kid for me....the mall, the sub, the arcade, and so on.


I like Two Steps From Hell (Star Sky, Black Heart, Victory) and Yanni (Within Attraction, Renegade) the first time I heard them. Saw Yanni in concern before but haven't with 2SFH. My list of favorite musicians is too long to list.
 
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LikeLinus

Lifer
Jul 25, 2001
11,518
670
126
Eddie Van Halen
Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
Page Hamilton (Helmet)
Stephen Carpenter and Chino Moreno (Deftones)
Mike Patton (Faith No More) - Probably the best singer I've ever heard. His range is legendary.

Speaking of Nuno Bettencourt, the guy is a beast.

 
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shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
I've never been a fanatic. Its just music. Music can inspire but its not the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.
I do like some of the angry shit from the 90's. It spoke to me and to much of Generation X.
 

repoman0

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2010
4,442
3,280
136
Nuno Bettencourt and Extreme are the most underrated of 80s hair bands and guitarists.

I really like Ron Thal — spent months learning this back when I was semi-decent at guitar. Thimble goes on pinky finger to hit the highest notes on the upper string.


edit: by the way, that’s a fretless neck on top and fretted on the bottom. My guitar teacher back in the day was good friends with this guy and had a fretless of his own. Had a funny story about how he’d always complain that he became known as Bumblefoot in his thick Brooklyn accent.
 
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Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,567
2,626
136
I've never been a fanatic. Its just music. Music can inspire but its not the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.
I do like some of the angry shit from the 90's. It spoke to me and to much of Generation X.
I see the casual has entered the chat. :rolleyes:

I went through 86 CDs to listen to a complete set of Beethoven works by Brilliant Classics. My labor must be appreciated. :p
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,054
12,241
136
The Pogues
Amanda Palmer
Me First & the Gimme Gimmes
Bloodhound Gang
Tenacious D
Wolf Alice
The Doubleclicks
Save Ferris

Well, those are the first handful that come to mind, before I move on :D
 

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,567
2,626
136

Not the first I listened to, but one of the better and "fresher" takes on the Symphony 5. Roger Norrington happened to spawn the "historically-informed" movement in classical circles. While I don't agree with everything in it, it does bring life to previous takes that some consider stale and boring.
 
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Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,567
2,626
136
congratulations, you got my first WOW emojy ever.
Let me guess, the ending was mind-blowing? The piccolo flute gave it a little extra spice.

Well, I'll try to nab another.

This time, Beethoven goes futuristic and bizzare(for his time) with the Grosse Fugue.

 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,678
11,019
136


Hell yes. Loved me some Stevie Ray.



Obviously Eddie Van Halen. And Geddy Lee.

Lesser known? First name that comes to mind is Nuno Bettencourt, the guitarist from Extreme.

The guy's technique (at least back then ) was staggering. I used to listen to Get the Funk Out over and over again just to hear the guitar solo. Those arpeggios he plays are mind blowing.

Geddy Lee's singing voice was always like nails on a chalk board for me.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,054
12,241
136
Nirvana and the Pixies.
Nirvana didn't actually start to attract me until I heard songs other than Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Good call on the Pixies, I'm not sure if I actually heard them before I ordered Surfer Rosa, but that was a purchase that made me very happy.
Geddy Lee's singing voice was always like nails on a chalk board for me.
Yep, it took a bit of listening before I could get past his voice, but 2112 was worth it.
 
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MtnMan

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2004
8,722
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I guess the one that really gobsmacked me was a raspy voiced old man with a guitar. I don't know how I had missed not hearing his music up until I heard this on the radio. Didn't catch the artist name when the song started, and this was before the internet was around so online search wasn't an option. Ended up calling the radio station to get the artist name. Still pissed that he fell victim to COVID. Own everything he ever released, and went to see him whenever he had a concert anywhere nearby.

This is the first song of his I ever heard, or at least that I remember.


 
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