# The God-Like Genius Awards - now accepting nominations...



## Guest (Jul 22, 2018)

I just recently discovered that NME (New Musical Express) has been issuing a "God-Like Genius Award" for the past 23 years... NME? - Seriously? - Who ever cared about what NME thought about anything?

In Canada we use to pronounce "NME" as if it were the word "enemy" - we hated it almost as much as we hated "Melody Maker" and we hated "Melody Maker" almost as much as we hated NME.

We still bought both... but only one of us would and then we would pass them amongst ourselves. They would arrive in Canada about 3 or 4 weeks after the cover date and they were so expensive that for a dollar more you could actually buy an album.

NME and Melody Maker hated everything that we loved and we hated everything that they loved.

They wrote reviews of Uriah Heep's "Demons and Wizards" and "The Magician's Birthday" in 1972/73 that were so scathing in their contemptuous dismissal that I still have not forgiven them for having done so and I fully intend to carry that grudge to the very grave itself.

And so NME has been issuing "God-Like Genius Awards" for the past 23 years...

Check out these past recipients -

https://www.nme.com/photos/22-glorious-years-of-nme-s-godlike-genius-award-1417150

Now the point of this thread is not to disparage the previous award winners (who cares what NME thinks about anything?) - a third are well deserved - a third are debatable - and the last third are dubious at best but that's not the point.

_*We*_ should be the one's to award "God-Like Genius Awards" - not NME - who knows more about music than we do? Let's give the award to... well... actual "God-Like Geniuses".

Every artist within every genre is eligible for nomination and there are no limits as to how many awards we can hand out but we have to make it clear to the winners that the orchestra will play them right off the stage if their acceptance speech lasts too long. And by "too long" I mean like 30 seconds tops - and then get the hell off the stage because it's late and we all have to go to work in the morning...

My nominees for "God-Like Genius" are the following -

Classical - J.S. Bach

Opera - Maria Callas

Jazz - Louis Armstrong

Popular Vocals - Frank Sinatra

Blues - Robert Johnson

Rhythm and Blues - Ray Charles

Soul - James Brown

Country - Hank Williams

Rock and Roll - Elvis Presley

Rock - The Beatles

Hard Rock - Led Zeppelin

Soft Rock - Fleetwood Mac - vintage '77

Country Rock - Gram Parsons

Yacht Rock - Loggins and Messina

Glam Rock - David Bowie

Progressive Rock - Yes

Folk - Bob Dylan

Folk Rock - The Byrds

Disco - The Bee Gees

Punk - The Clash

New Wave - Talking Heads

Contemporary Instrumental/Vocals - Enya

Forum Poll Creation - Sydney Nova Scotia (just checking to see if anyone is still reading this)

Note: you can create your own genres - jazz country punk or disco folk opera - who cares, eh?


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2018)

Zeuhl - Magma (got to be!)


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Whatever Yacht Rock might be, I've never been on a yacht.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2018)

Bulldog said:


> Whatever Yacht Rock might be, I've never been on a yacht.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yacht_rock

This album cover is literally the genesis of the name... seriously -

View attachment 105895


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2018)

dogen said:


> Zeuhl - Magma (got to be!)


Agreed but Shub-Niggurath and Weidorje were like thisclose on my list...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Bulldog said:


> Whatever Yacht Rock might be, I've never been on a yacht.


Familiar music for well off old farts.


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2018)

starthrower said:


> Familiar music for well off old farts.


Clue you in on a little secret... being "well off" is really pretty freaking cool - trust me...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm sure it is but sometimes unfortunate circumstances can make it difficult or impossible to work hard enough to be well off. Even if I had the money, I wouldn't spend it on cruise ships laying around drinking, overeating, and listening to lounge bands. But I realize "Yacht Rock" is a stupid marketing term concocted by music business people. It's basically soft rock for aging boomers. Jimmy Buffet, Bread, and all that other innocuous stuff.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Classical - probably the hardest category to come up with only one. Bartok, Schoenberg, Carter would be in the running.

Jazz - Coltrane. More contemporary - Steve Coleman

Fusion - Allan Holdsworth or Chic Corea

Progressive - PFM (love those Italian bands!)

Prog-metal - Pain of Salvation

Zeuhl - Magma

Avant-prog - Thinking Plague


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Sydney Nova Scotia said:


> Agreed but Shub-Niggurath and Weidorje were like thisclose on my list...


I would also put Eskaton very close.

4 Visions is one of the best Zeuhl recordings, ever!


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2018)

Continuing the God-Like Genius Award nominations...

Broadway Musicals - Ethel Merman

Hollywood Musicals - Marni Nixon

Reggae - Bob Marley

Southern Rock - The Allman Brothers

Surf Music - The Beach Boys

Space Rock - Hawkwind

Thrash Metal - Metallica

Shoegazing - My Bloody Valentine

Zydeco - Clifton Chenier

Violin - Jascha Heifetz

Fiddle - Mark O'Connor

Banjo - Béla Fleck

Dobro - Jerry Douglas

Accordion - Myron "The Happy Norwegian" Floren - The Lawrence Welk Show Band

Spoons - Artis the Spoon Man

Harmonica (Blues) - Little Walter

Harmonica (Rock) - Magic Dick - The J. Geils Band

Pan Flute - Zamfir - "Master of the Pan Flute" 

Tambourine - Davy Jones of The Monkees

Xylophone - Teddy Brown

Makeshift kazoo made with a comb and tissue paper - Jimi Hendrix - "Crosstown Traffic"

Genuine kazoo - Pink Floyd - "Jugband Blues"


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