So can you hear the influences of your favorite artists in their music?

Question

I know I can. For example, when I listen to the Deftones, I can hear that they were collectively influenced by 70's hard rock and metal, New Wave and even some of the "shoegazer" bands. While certain songs may tip their hats more towards one genre, overall they are a reflection of their very mixed musical pasts.

I think that to be influenced as a musician, and to have your music show this, is not necessarily a bad thing.

Can you hear who inspired your favorite musicians when you listen to them?

Excellent point, Dani...there is a huge difference between influencing and copying. Influencing - good, copying - bad.

MachPen - music, like math, is a universal language. Your answer makes perfect sense to me. :)

Answer 1

Well Ya'll may think I'm crazy but I hear echoes of Floyd and U2 in Coldplay
Waxing and waning keyboards, echoing guitar chords. Trademarks of Coldplay Pink Floyd and U2

Answer 2

I believe that many bands are mixed breeds of predecessors and their influences. I find this incredibly fascinating. And I know I'm gonna seem like an absolute nut for answering your question in equations, but upon serious thinking, I came to the conclusion that ...

Radiohead = Blur influence

Wolf Parade = Modest Mouse = Talking Heads+Frank Black

Pixies (Frank Black) = Violent Femmes + David Bowie

*And I also find it really cool how you can hear the subtle David Bowie influence in some of Wolf Parade's songs...but that would only make sense since Frank Black was influenced by Bowie...does that make sense?

edit: of course, Wolf Parade could have very well been directly influenced by David Bowie, too


DARTH MAUL: I also hear a heavy Sting influence in ColdPlay ...

Sookie - I knew you'd understand :-D

Answer 3

Jeff Buckley - Van Morrison, Nina Simone, MC5, Velvet Underground,Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Led Zeppelin and prog rock of the 70s were among his greatest influences.........really hard to pinpoint sometimes exactly where you can hear it clearly in most of his songs. Its pretty much a mash up of all the things and put together.


Days of a New.....not my favorite band, but just listen to Touch Peel and Stand.........it sounds like an Alice In Chains rip off.....not necessarily a bad thing, but its more of copying rather than influencing.



Silver: I love him.....I actually discovered him via Jeff Buckley on the live at Sin-e album.......his cover of Yeh Jo Halka Halka Saroor Hai is amazing

Answer 4

Yeah.

The thing is, the most blatant example I think think of at this moment is Green Day being influenced by the Ramones.

Dropkick Murphys, I can hear the Clash in them.

Of course, you can hear Zeppelin and Sabbath in Wolfmother, everyone says so.

And the White Stripes, influenced heavily by various old blues artists.

And, lastly and most clear, Stevie Ray Vaughn influenced by Hendrix.

As long as an artist comes up with their own ideas, such as riffs, lyrics, melodies, etc., I think it's great to hear their influences in them. Especially when they mix influences, it gives a very unique effect, yet strangely familiar.

Answer 5

Through the stages of Dinosaur Jr.'s catalogue, you could definitely hear the influence of The Stooges and their raw aggressive style on the band, as well as a healthy dose of Neil Young and Black Sabbath. As time went on (unfortunately without Lou Barlow) you could hear more by paying attention to the covers they performed by artists such as Bowie and The Cure and J Mascis's solo covers of Gram Parsons and Lynard Skynard tunes. To me, my favorite part of their career has been the early stages where they mixed their influences along with their hardcore base they started out with when J and Lou both played in Deep Wound and J's time in Upside-Down Cross.

That was a horribly written paragraph but I hope my point came across clear enough.

Answer 6

As soon as I heard Goldfrapp, my first thought was : T.Rex.

And when I listen to Blackmore's Night, as well as the obvious hints of Deep Purple and Rainbow, there are moments when I can hear shades of Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span.

And {this could just be me being weird!}, listening to one of the songs from the last RB's Rainbow album, there's a small section in it that *really* reminds me of The Beatles song
'I Saw Her Standing There'.


Dani ~ you are the only other person on here I have ever seen mention Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan!




np: 'Too Late For Tears' ~ Richie Blackmore's Rainbow

Answer 7

Sometimes. Sometimes it's more of a style or an attitude as opposed to a sound. I mean, when I listen to Kiss, I don't necessarily hear The Who or Led Zeppelin or Cream, but I know that's the sound they were trying to capture. It's more about that bombastic guitar sound. However, with Aerosmith, you can definitely hear the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin influences in their music.







NP: "Spun in Lost Wages" - Voodoo Hill

Answer 8

Good question.....sometimes I think its blatant like new Boy Bands attempting to sound like 60's doo wop groups. Boys to Men is a primary example. A lot of Hair bands (White Lion, Mr Big, Warrant, etc) appeared to be copying formulaic groups like Bon Jovi.

Answer 9

Sometimes, Sometimes not. Immediately I thought of Emanuel though. You can hear their influences on their new cd such as Deftones, Quicksand, Sunny Day Real Estate, Nirvana, etc.

Answer 10

Not really, but I *have* heard more than a few Velvet Revolver songs that sounded really Guns N' Roses-ish. The sound, the feel, the message, even the playing.. all of it.

Matt, Duff, and Slash I guess have a distinctive sound that follows them whoever their lead singer might be.

(Hear that, Axl?)