Most egotistical genre ;)

Andy

Honorary Member
Not my usual subject for a thread, but one we can have some fun with I think.

This is inspired by a light hearted conversation I had with a jazz drummer friend of mine. He's a well respected jazz player, but also immersed in other music forms, most notably R&B + R&R. He claimed that (outside of music politics) traditional jazz was by far the most ego driven music form because of the structure of revolving solos. The need for every band member to carry a solo, he sees as not serving the music, but pandering to the individual player's need for limelight. I guess he has a point, at least, on the surface. So that lead me to think of other music forms where solos are part of the fabric, as well as overt shows of virtuosity & "hamming it up" to the audience. Prog immediately springs to mind. In some respects, the need to complicate the piece as a means of displaying virtuosity. Then hair metal bands in terms of show/stance/attire. Maybe metal with respect to individual chops (actually, on the surface, no different to many jazz solos?). How about gospel?

Essentially, any activity that's designed to feature the individual artist that doesn't directly benefit the music in the eyes/ears of the non musician listener. But hang on one minute, isn't the "show" the totality of the presentation? Going round in circles here, so, & just for fun, which genre do you believe to be feeding the biggest egos, & why? :) Video clip examples encouraged.

Back in a week ;)
 
My two choices for biggest ego genres are jazz and hair metal. Difference is that jazz is good music whereas hair metal is bad all around. Bad lyrics, dress, riffs, then there's the makeup. At one point there was a plethora of bands in the 80s with the name "poison" in their name somwhere ..

For Twisted Sister to have a hit with "We're Not Gonna Take It" is beyond comprehension. I'd take Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing" anyday over that junk...
 
Rap and hip-hop, what with the "all my money, candy painted cars, bigger house than yours, most expensive clothes/shoes/liquor, look at me! look at me! look at me!" lyrical content.

Doesn't mean I don't enjoy it though.
 
Singers - Hair Metal, John Mayer, Rap/hip hop, country

Drummers - progressive, jazz, fushion

string instruments - metal, rock, classical
 
I'm afraid there are inflated egos across the spectrum. I have met a few
 
It has to be jazz. If you weren't trained in jazz, play jazz, understand jazz and want to be in a jazz band, then you are less of a musician. Obviously this isn't a ubiquitous sentiment shared by all jazz musicians, but I have been looked upon enough in my drumming career to know that it exists.
 
I'm with Grunt. They're ALL egotistical. Think about it, artists don't write for anybody else - everything they do is for themselves (Geddy Lee said that). Just that some artists are humble and grateful that people play along and buy their stuff. But artists aren't into this to make others feel good, their happiness comes first.
 
...Essentially, any activity that's designed to feature the individual artist that doesn't directly benefit the music in the eyes/ears of the non musician listener....


I can't really think of any ^^^^.


Now, if you morph the concept into egotistical - as in an individual having a big ego - that's a whole 'nother can of worms.
 
I'm going to agree with Bo and Grunts here.I've met some huge egos,from many different genras.Some of these people are just that way,and self deprication,just has no place in their lives.

My youngest son wanted to learn sax,so I signed him up for some lessons,at a local reputeable music store.The owner was the one giving lessons in sax,french horn and piano.

I don't see how this guy was able to fit his head through a normal doorway.He also insisted on being called "professor"...by everyone.

So,I did a little digging,cause,it's what I do,and lo and behold,the "professor",didn't even have a 4 year degree.

I also met a younger player one time,that didn't have his own drums,and used a rehearsal studios backline kit to practice.This "kid" actually had a handler with him.Picture the whole James Brown/cape thing.

This kid and his "handles" got to the studio,10 minutes early ,and wanted me and my guitar player buddy,to vacate the premisis,because.....he was "unusually inspired" that day,and wanted to get these new parts down.

He even sank to the floor,and began rocking,when we told him to "hold your horses",and then started to "play the floor" with his custom made sticks.This kid was wound tighter than a tic.

Stories abound on the net,with what some performers "requier" where that stay and perform.

Then there's guys like Joe Morello and Bill Chapin,who were just down to earth,regular guys,who loved to play,sans ego,and share their immence knowledge with those who would listen.

It's just a matter of perspective.

Steve B
 
I vote prog. Either on the rock or metal size. I can say this because I was in some bands that played very technical prog metal and a rush cover band that was extremely precise, and I found the worst people were in prog metal. I couldn't hang out with the guys during off time because of their horrific attitudes - the way they debased and humiliated musicians or fans of other genres.

Jazz, Rock, Funk, Latin, Reggae, and R&B guys always seemed to be the coolest and most open minded from my experience. The Jazz guys were the most forgiving with me especially knowing I was not a Jazz drummer, but I did my best to accommodate the music and they appreciated that effort and vibe.

I think it boils down to just being a decent human, and the rest follows. Even the greats like Greb, Weckl, Dejohnette, Stubblefield, and etc are really laid back and without attitude.

Just my 2 pesos.
 
Someone mentioned Jazz with its rotating solos. Now, I like Jazz and have many recordings, but what hacks me off at a lot of live gigs is the audience applauding a solo while the song is still going on!!!!!!

Surely a solo, any solo, is part of the song and should enhance it and take notice of the mood. The applause while the song is still progressing ruins the mood for me, why not wait for the song to finish and then show your pleasure, or displeasure, In the appropriate way?

Rant over.
 
Someone mentioned Jazz with its rotating solos. Now, I like Jazz and have many recordings, but what hacks me off at a lot of live gigs is the audience applauding a solo while the song is still going on!!!!!!

Surely a solo, any solo, is part of the song and should enhance it and take notice of the mood. The applause while the song is still progressing ruins the mood for me, why not wait for the song to finish and then show your pleasure, or displeasure, In the appropriate way?

Rant over.


this very thing used to drive Mingus crazy

you can hear him on many live recordings say .... please hold your applause until the end of the tune please

in a not so pleasant tone

he was know to be quite abrasive
 
Someone mentioned Jazz with its rotating solos. Now, I like Jazz and have many recordings, but what hacks me off at a lot of live gigs is the audience applauding a solo while the song is still going on!!!!!!

Surely a solo, any solo, is part of the song and should enhance it and take notice of the mood. The applause while the song is still progressing ruins the mood for me, why not wait for the song to finish and then show your pleasure, or displeasure, In the appropriate way?

Rant over.

this very thing used to drive Mingus crazy

you can hear him on many live recordings say .... please hold your applause until the end of the tune please

in a not so pleasant tone

he was know to be quite abrasive

Telling the audience when to applaud, and becoming irritated with them because they find enjoyment in certain parts of the song and want to show their appreciation right then and there seems a bit like ego to me. After all, as musicians we are there to entertain THEM, and THEY are the ones who are responsible for our popularity (or not) and how much we get paid (or not). Being snide with the audience, or telling them how and when to enjoy themselves is a big no-no in my book.
 
I contend that character flaws trancend musical genres...

...and any conclusion otherwise is purely illusion.
 
Most solos don't seem egotistical when you can hear how they really follow the form of the parent song and the feel thereof, but when some soloists take any 'solo section' to equal their chance to show off how many dumb licks they can play, I get mad. It's a giant waste of my time. It happens in all music.

But if we're going to talk about musicians with enormous egos - Larry Graham. He puts anyone to shame. He's almost earned it though :). He doesn't play with too much of an ego... he makes it work for him musically.
 
I'd say it's a toss up between traditional jazz and whatever current niche the hipsters are into.
 
There is a pretty well-known outdoor festival in our area every spring that hosts 3 stages and bands rotate at certain times on each stage. I think the event is organized by a junior woman's civic organization or something like that.

If you corner the booking agent for this thing at the right time, put some drinks down her, she'll spill all kinds of horror stories about certain bands and egos they have to put up with over the years. Every band gets paid fairly well and depending on their popularity and genre, they have a band pay scale. If they like your band's music, you are signed for the festival. Every band must sign a contract to protect themselves plus the festival promoters. Fair enough, right?

One such band comes to mind. An out-of-town rock band, fairly popular at the time in the area, but by no means a household name in town, was drafted to play. Due to egos and such, their demands were almost impossible to meet. Like havnig a certain brand of terrycloth face towel available for the band members to wipe their faces with and each time they wiped their faces, it HAD to be a new towel, etc.
 
A very interesting thread...

... we'll have many opposite opinions, but being egocentric is a trait of character, in music and in any other aspect of life, no matter how good (or bad for that matter) you can play an instrument and/or a solo, musical genre doesn't really come into the equation, certain individuals are very much over the top, some a little less, some not at all... some become egocentric because of their fame and become trapped in an ego trip.

But it's how it's perceived by the listener, the audience... it's what attract the public to an artist or band, they just perform their music or "show" and we (musicians and non-musicians) are being judgemental about their performance and categorize them as egocentric or playing an egotistical genre.

So for me it's not about a specific genre of music, but more about individuals, names like Billy Cobham, Jojo Mayer or Thomas Lang come to my mind, while their playing is absolutely phenomenal, their persona tells another story, these guys love themselves thoroughly.

Here's a good example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rxYw7Y45Eo, how much it is egotistical, how much it is virtuosity or how much it is pure genius, perhaps a healthy mix of all 3 with a good measure of musicality, I don't know, we all hear it and judge it differently.

I'm afraid there are inflated egos across the spectrum. I have met a few

Agreed... but I've also met really down to hearth people.

They're ALL egotistical. Think about it, artists don't write for anybody else - everything they do is for themselves...

Yes artists write for themselves, but often are playing with musicians who didn't wrote the music, they just interpret it... sometimes it tames the ego of the writer and sometimes it makes it even worse, Jeff Beck's live at Ronnie Scott is a prime example, Vinnie's on an ego trip like there's no tomorrow.

Telling the audience when to applaud, and becoming irritated with them because they find enjoyment in certain parts of the song and want to show their appreciation right then and there seems a bit like ego to me. After all, as musicians we are there to entertain THEM, and THEY are the ones who are responsible for our popularity (or not) and how much we get paid (or not). Being snide with the audience, or telling them how and when to enjoy themselves is a big no-no in my book.

Agree, when you play live, you play to an audience, they are the barometer of your performance, if they enjoyed it, they let you know... straight away, probably the best compliment we can receive... at least it's good for our ego :)

I contend that character flaws trancend musical genres...

...and any conclusion otherwise is purely illusion.

Exactly.
 
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