Get your wallets ready: Ed Sheeran signature tele announced

crunchman

breakstuff said:

In trying to be a better person in my older age,I’ve learned to forgive a lot of the horror that other human beings are capable of dishing out to others,however some things are beyond such generosity.






Galway Girl being one such example.

Does it make me old when I think of this when someone says Galway Girl?

Lestratcaster

Lol jokes aside I do like the Strat he play for some tunes (most notably Thinking Out Loud" which I believe is an Eric Clapton signature?

He is good at what he does I can't deny that its just the whole popstar gimmick thing that surrounds him I don't like. I heard somewhere he is very competent on the guitar, not a shredder but very widdly but was told by labels to tone it down.

darthed1981

horse said:

darthed1981 said:

horse said:

darthed1981 said:

I think the cynicism of his songwriting is horrific to almost Robbie Williams levels personally and have very little time for his music

I think for some people the objective of the songwriting craft is writing for the mainstream rather than creating great meaningful art, so whilst I won't be buying any of his material I don't necessarily think of the writing as cynical - he's just doing a job and doing it well by his own measures

I agree that's what Ed does, I just think it is a bit cynical, almost by definition, "writing for the mainstream" could easily be considered a synonym for "writing for the average numpty", which is pretty cynical.

Nothing wrong with being cynical, as you say none of us are obliged to buy it or listen to it and he is doing very well out of it.

He's probably right, it hardly could be considered the best thing for him to be arty-farty and making concept albums three of his mates will pretend to "give a listen" to as opposed to being globally huge writing the way he does.

The most egregious example of what I'm referring to really is "Castle on the Hill", designed and aimed at people in their early twenties who still wish they were 18 like a cruise missile aimed at the middle east.

Hope he has spared a few quid for his mate who "is just barely getting by" if he means that much to him!

I suppose I used to think similarly, but having played in a variety of bands with differing musicians over the years, some of whom specifically try to write ''hits' which will have mainstream success, I view and respect talent and application more broadly than I used to.

I cynically try to be a good project manager in my work so that they pay me - wish I had the talent to write and play cynically for a living instead, even if that meant selling out to do so

What makes you think that I don't respect Ed's talent and application...?  I've literally said nothing about his talent and application.   

I said his songwriting was "cynical", and then said I think that's fine but his work isn't for me.

To clarify for your benefit, Ed is clearly very talented and hard working or would never have gotten where he is, and I respect that, but it has fig all to do with what I feel about the songs he makes.

Respecting someone and liking their work are completely different things surely?

Iamnobody

I think you are all reading to much into it.

He plays a one of those tiny acoustics so the meme just takes it a step further. I thought it was funny.

HAL9000

I'd put Tom Petty's, Bob Dylan's, Bruce Springsteen's songwriting as being several orders of magnitude over Ed's, but their signature guitars would all look much the same.

horse

@darthed1981 - I wasn't trying to bash your views mate, so sorry if it came across that way. I suppose I just mean that to Ed he may just be doing what he naturally wants to do because mainstream success is his goal, and so I don't see that as any more cynical than me trying to my day job well. I'll stop harassing you now! :-)

darthed1981

horse said:

@darthed1981 - I wasn't trying to bash your views mate, so sorry if it came across that way. I suppose I just mean that to Ed he may just be doing what he naturally wants to do because mainstream success is his goal, and so I don't see that as any more cynical than me trying to my day job well. I'll stop harassing you now! :-)

No worries @horse appreciate you saying so.

p90fool

We cover a couple of his songs in my band and have to learn the odd extra one for weddings, they're ok. 

There's nothing cynical about writing popular songs, a lot of people like his songs and there's every reason to think he likes them too. 

I don't buy the idea that people who write mainstream music are all secret Frank Zappas who are cynically suppressing their REAL talent just to make pots of money. 

Maybe they just write music they like, and big surprise, others like it too?  

richardhomer

I’d imagine an Ed Sheeran signature PRS Strat-alike would probably break the Fretboard....

tony99

His face and his music are equally detestable

horse

p90fool said:

We cover a couple of his songs in my band and have to learn the odd extra one for weddings, they're ok. 

There's nothing cynical about writing popular songs, a lot of people like his songs and there's every reason to think he likes them too. 

I don't buy the idea that people who write mainstream music are all secret Frank Zappas who are cynically suppressing their REAL talent just to make pots of money. 

Maybe they just write music they like, and big surprise, others like it too?  

I think that's a better way of expressing what I was trying to say, and it never occured to me that this could possibly be the case until I played with musicians who it turned out actually liked what I'd always thought of as mainstream crap.

Nikc

I had the misfortune to watch top of the pops on new years eve (I was so ill I didn't have the strength to turn the tv off) I got why he is popular the rest was just dirge. 

Danielsguitars

I really don't get the sheeran thing, I hate his music, shit comes to mind 

I'm not that into guitar music as such I just like good music and it's not on most popular radio for me

There are good bands out there getting nowhere because it's not mainstream, it's now all internet based imo 

ICBM

horse said:

I think that's a better way of expressing what I was trying to say, and it never occured to me that this could possibly be the case until I played with musicians who it turned out actually liked what I'd always thought of as mainstream crap.

I like an enormous amount of mainstream crap... just not Ed Sheeran . Although to be fair there's an almost equally vast amount that I dislike as well.

But whether or not it's 'mainstream' is not even remotely a part of why I like or don't like music.

lewism

As much as I dislike Ed Sheeran’s music, much of the discussion reminds me of an old joke;
Q: What’s the difference between a Rock musician and a Jazz musician?
A: A Rock musician plays 3 chords in front of 10,000 people. A Jazz musician plays 10,000 chords in front of 3 people.

Plectrum

p90fool said:
Maybe they just write music they like, and big surprise, others like it too?  

I think that's what actually happens. Personally I find his songs in the main to be sickly-sweet pop of the worse kind but the Facebook/Instagram generation seem to lap it up. Having said that, awful as his music is it's still an awful lot better than heavy metal

p90fool

I think this is a good pop song, we certainly have a ball playing it, you can ham up the dynamics and it has fun breaks in it. 



How the bulk of this forum can find this inferior to hookless, humourless, dirgy chugging with comedy cookie monster vocals will forever remain a mystery to me, but that's guitar players I guess. 

Play those opening chords of Sing with conviction and impeccable timing to a club full of dancers and a ripple of excitement buzzes instantly buzzes around the room, and a good band will lift the roof off. 

Good luck trying that with Cannibal Corpse or even Bob bloody Dylan. 

stickyfiddle

Decent songwriter and clearly a great live act imo. He's been alright by me ever since he put Ron Weasley in one of his videos. 

monquixote

I would imagine 95% of people on here would struggle to play one of his tracks live with a looper.

Just because he doesn't go diddly diddly dee in all his songs doesn't mean he isn't an extremely skilled musician.

Not personally a fan of his output but appreciate the skill and work that's gone into it.

hobbio

I really, really like Ed Sheeran. Great voice, great songs, great talent. He deserves every bit of his success imho.