On Tue, 10 Jun 2008, Swim Taxi wrote:

>
> I was listening to Chris Von Sneidern's Wood and Wire album, and I was
> thinking about how Chris does so many things well.  I wondered if anyone
> had ever used the analogy of a 'five tool' baseball player to refer to
> musicians.  That is, a musician who excels at all aspects of music
> making. For a baseball player, the five tools are hitting for average,
> hitting for power, baserunning/speed, fielding and throwing. What would
> the five tools be for a musician?  I figured singing, playing
> instrument(s), arranging, producing, writing lyrics, writing music (hmm,
> that's six).  I wouldn't lump lyrics and music into one skill.  They're
> different, and there are plenty of songwriters who are great at one and
> not so great at the other. I googled 'five tool musician' and yes, the
> analogy has been used before.  Who do you consider a five (or six) tool
> musician?  The names that came to mind to me: Chris Von SneidernBrian
> WilsonPaul McCartneyPrinceJohn Ashfield (of the Bobbleheads)Barry
> GibbJoy AskewLindsey BuckinghamCurtis MayfieldRichard HawleyLewis Taylor

Much as I love Brian Wilson, does he truly *excel* at playing an
instrument or writing lyrics?