[ToySoldier#34]

Originally Posted by grilldanmo

I stumbled across this today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq9XBj8UO4A

They get a bit of stuff wrong in the beginning, but it's interesting...sorta. Nothing earth shaking, but one might forget how many folks picked up the guitar as a result of hearing DMB.

Yet despite that initial influence, Dave as a guitarist, songwriter, and singer is so unique and the magic of the original five guys is inimitable. Mraz, Mayer, and quite a few others that were obviously inspired by DMB/Dave (and have admitted as much) were far simpler and traditionally "guitaristic" in their playing and writing (in general), as well as more "normal" in their vocal quality.

I never wanted to play like Dave, I just wanted to be able to play some of the tunes and work up a rhythmic ability to match his. And I feel like that's the best we can do. If we try to write and play like him it sounds instantly derivative and less good.

As I've also stated before, that inimitability of Dave and band is not always a good thing. They are an island and they might well get overlooked in the long run. This is why despite my placing no real value in the rock hall, them getting in secures a legacy of musical relevance, import, and influence. That said, I'm just glad they came to be and we get to listen them.

I understand where you are coming from and it's important to be original but I will say I think a lot of people hear musicians initially through the space that they are used to, from most of the music they typically listen to. In the last couple years if you see a singer songwriter doing beat boxing type stuff while looping they automatically get linked to Ed Sheeran, I'm sure years ago if someone did a lot of fingerstyle and sang in a folk type way they got linked to James Taylor or others like him. People tend to connect what they typically listen to to what they hear for the first time while having no idea where the inspiration for the artist comes from.