[creekster]

I think some other good names have been raised. Cole Porter is a rather glaring oversight, IMO and I am glad CC pointed him out. As to the two lists presented by Requiem, I would agree with them but would plce Cole Porter in Paul Simon's place.

James Taylor? Sweet Baby James has a lovely voice, and he soothes very well, but his best stuff isn't particualrly important and when he tries to be important it hasn't been very good.

Billy Joel is another good writer. He tells a pretty good story and I always felt he should have been writing for Broadway. He just doens't quite make the top end cut, IMO.

Y-Ohi raises a good point. Given the diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds we find in this country can we have a single American Songwriter? Maybe not. I, for one, love the blues. There is nothing like a 12 bar perfromed with soul and emotion. Moreover, we havent' even talked about jazz. How can we discuss greta american songwirters and not mention Monk or Ellington or other jazz greats? In fact, one might argue that Jazz is the only truly original form of music born in this country and so is the only category that deserves to be considered when talking abotu a great American songwriter. So Y-Ohi's point has some merit.

Limiting the discussion to Great American Songwriters from the Perspective of a Middle Class White Guy Raised After WWII, I still stick with Guthrie, Springsteen or Dylan. The real merit of this thread is that we have identified some great wirters and composers to listen to.

Oh, btw, I have read some of Eminem's lyrics and I do nto see him as a great lyrcist, but I suppose that could be the bias of age talking.