Mike Murdock
Avenger
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2014
- Messages
- 11,235
- Reaction score
- 728
- Points
- 73
I was thinking the other day how he can be seen as sort of an old school Tin Pan Alley type guy, like if he was a songwriter. more like a craftsman, or like you're saying "journeyman". but a good old fashioned working class writer.
For what it's worth, the song writers for the Monkees (who were basically Tin Pan Alley type guys) apparently have distinct styles. I've been told by someone who knows more about them than I do that you can tell one Monkees song writer from another just by listening to the song. And, for what it's worth, Whedon is probably the same way. I can certainly recognize a Whedon TV show or film. And I think Marvel wanted Whedon, Gunn, and Wright because they're recognizable in style. Although I agree that Whedon's background in both Marvel comics and TV shows helped make him easier to work with when it comes to Marvel.
Lou Reed started off in jobs like that, writing about doing the ostrich and stupid stuff like that. but look at the Velvets, first record, it's basically the same structures and songwriting stylisms as ostrich dance songs but in the context of New York avant garde art scene of the time. so it served him well, for sure.
Another good example, of course, is Jimmy Page, who started as a studio musician as well.