American Songwriter, Lyric of The Week

[Hophead]

Unless MK has a renaisance like Johnny Cash did before he died I dont think he will be leaving a lasting legacy. Can you really see a film being made about him. Hes not cool, totally unfashionable, avoids limelight and has not been shot dead, or died in a cocaine fuelled orgy. These are the things that make legends.

Sorry Banjo99uk...but I must disagree...these are the things that make a celebrity...not a legend. A legend is someone who's reputation precedes them...as an artist. A legend is someone who...upon the mention of their name in conversation...eyebrows are raised in appreciation. A legend is someone who still...after more than 40 years creating art...has their artistic output referred to by critics with the utmost of superlatives. A legend is someone who would categorically deny all of the aforementioned..despite being deserved the praise. Sounds like Mark to me.

[Banjo99uk]

Unless MK has a renaisance like Johnny Cash did before he died I dont think he will be leaving a lasting legacy. Can you really see a film being made about him. Hes not cool, totally unfashionable, avoids limelight and has not been shot dead, or died in a cocaine fuelled orgy. These are the things that make legends.

Sorry Banjo99uk...but I must disagree...these are the things that make a celebrity...not a legend. A legend is someone who's reputation precedes them...as an artist. A legend is someone who...upon the mention of their name in conversation...eyebrows are raised in appreciation. A legend is someone who still...after more than 40 years creating art...has their artistic output referred to by critics with the utmost of superlatives. A legend is someone who would categorically deny all of the aforementioned..despite being deserved the praise. Sounds like Mark to me.

I completely agree with you and was being very cynical. I still dont think you can call MK a legend to non MK nuts/fans. The well known music know it all Paul Gambacini once said, the only modern writers who will leave a legacy like Beethoven and his contemparies are Lennon and Mccartney. He also described MK as a virtuoso during his radio commentary of the montserrat concert. I dont agree with him about the writers, I dont think anybody will be listening to our eras pop writers in 100 years.

[superval99]

Just a thought!    "A Life in Songs" was in the BBC4 Legends series!   

[JF]

Just thinking about the label "legend" or "legendary".   It is so over-used and inappropriate in most cases.   Shouldn't the person be dead to be a legend?        In that case MK/DS may be legends eventually!   

I don't think it's necessary to be dead to be called a "legend"

for example, I'd say that BB King is a legend, (in the world of music/blues, of course), but a living legend.
I'd say that Dylan is a legend too.

I'd say Mandela is a legend, well not sure...

Of course, it depends what you mean by the word "legend", and it seems that nobody has the same meaning in head

[JF]

It seems that in his attempts to ensure a more peaceful life for himself and his family and his responsible behaviour too, he has been the master of his own downfall in terms of being labelled "legendary."

100% agree, and this is a side of his character that we all love, don't we ?
the paradox is that most of us prefer the period of his career when he was more "rock star", when he was less "shy" or "peacefull"

[JF]

I still dont think you can call MK a legend to non MK nuts/fans.

100% agree

The well known music know it all Paul Gambacini once said, the only modern writers who will leave a legacy like Beethoven and his contemparies are Lennon and Mccartney.

agree, but I would add Dylan and maybe Hendrix

I dont agree with him about the writers, I dont think anybody will be listening to our eras pop writers in 100 years.

well, how can we know ?
Who would have told in 1600-1700-1800 that music from this era will be still famous now ?

I realize that the terms "famous" "well known" etc... differs a lot from countries  sides of the world

In France, DS doesn"t have the same aura, as it has in NL, Italy or Germany.
The "hits" or "cult tunes" aren't necessarily the same ones. For example, I'd say that walk of life is more famous than MFN in France.
But I guess that when you ask in UK the DS best known song, evrybody answers MFN, right ?

I once read that "yesterday" was the 2nd best ever known song in the world, just after Girl from Ipanema.
I remember it did sound strange to me. Of course I know this song, but I wouldn't say it's the most famous song in the world.

But of course, it's my french point of view...maybe if you ask some african, asian, south american people, maybe it's the case ? I don't know

I remember a Stariani itw, where the journalist said something like "the ever best known riff in music is smoke on the water", and Satriani answered "no ! it's Beethoven 5th symphony overture ! That's the best HIT in music !"

[superval99]

  Beethoven's 5th Symphony Overture ? 

[twm]

Developing accurate but practical defintions is rarely that easy.

Here's a set of definitions for "legend" from one dictionary, as quoted in one of the on-line sources - Definition 4 is the relevant one here:

legend [?l?d??nd]
n
1. a popular story handed down from earlier times whose truth has not been ascertained
2. a group of such stories the Arthurian legend
3. a modern story that has taken on the characteristics of a traditional legendary tale
4. a person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticized tales or exploits
5. an inscription or title, as on a coin or beneath a coat of arms
6. explanatory matter accompanying a table, map, chart, etc.
7. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms)
a.  a story of the life of a saint
b.  a collection of such stories
[C14 (in the sense: a saint's life or a collection of saints' lives): from Medieval Latin legenda passages to be read, from Latin legere to read]

The same source also provides a slightly different definition from another dictionary [note Definition 2]:

leg

[dmg]

I personally don't think that it matters how well know the person is at all.  What matters is their contribution to their field and how much they are respected by their peers.  If fame mattered then Mark could have been a controversial character, taken drugs etc in his younger days - that would have guaranteed him legend status.

[Banjo99uk]

  Beethoven's 5th Symphony Overture ?

Many many many pop/rock songs have taken there riffs/melodies from classical music. I have a book naming loads of them.

[superval99]

  Beethoven's 5th Symphony Overture ?

Many many many pop/rock songs have taken there riffs/melodies from classical music. I have a book naming loads of them.

Yes, I know that, but what exactly is Beethoven's 5th Symphony OVERTURE?   

[Banjo99uk]

  Beethoven's 5th Symphony Overture ?

Many many many pop/rock songs have taken there riffs/melodies from classical music. I have a book naming loads of them.

Yes, I know that, but what exactly is Beethoven's 5th Symphony OVERTURE?   

Pass, over to you Superval.

[superval99]

A symphony doesn't have an overture.  It is music played before an opera, or a symphonic poem. 

[Banjo99uk]

Thanks Superval, I never knew that. Clever stuff.

[superval99]

Thanks Superval, I never knew that. Clever stuff.

That's OK!  I think Satriani or JF might have meant 1st movement rather than overture!