What's the best & worst compliment you've ever gotten

[BellyBoy]

A guy once said to me... "You don't look like you'd be that good"

[celtobilly]

Worst compliment: "That was great, but you're all, like, lawyers, right?"
Best compliment: "Man, y'all are gonna get me laid tonight!"

[GoldieLocks]

I had a lady tell me after a gig "You sang really good tonight". That would of been great if I actually sang at the time!?

I've had quite a few people tell me I sound just like S.R.V.?! My wife always laughs (she knows I sound more like Black Sabbath & Brian Setzer) But everyone thinks they're a knowledgable music critic. Esecially when they only own 3 blues C.D.'s.


I hate to say it, but I'm the king of backhanded compliments. Its hard to be involved in Church music and not be verbally supportive of lazy musicians. here some of my lines (sorry if i've used some of them on you):

"You sounded WAY better than the last time I heard you"
"Your instrument was loud & clear"
"I like your NEW amp much better than the last one"

[trag-o-caster]

The worst would've been in the late 80's, when a Poison fan told me that I play ALMOST but NOT QUITE as good as C.C. Deville.

The best is a tie between Larry McCray saying that I'm his favorite local player, and Mark Farner's brother, Rick telling my oldest son "You're dad's the greatest guitar player that I've ever heard". That was an ego boost!

Now if I could only make it pay!

[Abe]

I used to play supper clubs with an acoustic guitarist. One night a guy who was a regular at the place we were playing came up on his way out, laid a quarter on my amp, and loudly announced "You guys didn't suck so bad tonight!"

Of course, it was probably only a week later at a bar gig that a guy came up during break and told me that playing "Wonderful Tonight" might have saved his marriage.

[Tele Fan]

I got what I think was a compliment from a jazz singer from here in Louisville: "You've got a voice like a freight train, it just goes right through you." I still can't figure out if that's a good thing.

[FirstBassman]

Worst (Best Backhand): The first time I sang at Fur Peace’s student performance I played and sang “High Flying Bird” and I was terrible. As I was coming off the stage, Jack Casady leaned over to me and said “You’re a very brave man.”

Best (feeling from audience reaction): I was playing at a small place a couple of weeks ago. We had just done an original song of mine (about the Sago mine disaster). It is only the third original song I’ve performed in public. After the song there was a little delay as I had to switch instruments and I often “chat” and make jokes between songs and I made a point of acknowledging the applause. Just then the applause got louder and more vociferous. I hate to admit it, but it was a great feeling.

[Lerb21]

Worst: "Hey, you sound like a young Bob Dylan!" (Note that I have a Baritone Voice and had just finished a Johnny Cash song.)

Best...?: "I didn't know anyone could make a Tele sound so good!"
(I was naturally confused at this point, but said thank you. I'd seen the guy play before and he was pretty dang good.)

[stantheman]

Back in 1980 at a rehearsal an irate neighbor (Woman) called up screaming that we were making the neighborhood sound like the ghetto.
Still the best compliment though not meant to be one I've ever received and I've gotten one or two others in my life.

[scoots]

an old girlfriend and myself were at a watering hole and i sat in to sing with the band, after i was done she told the main guy in the band that i was a better guitar player than a singer...that might cover both of them, i think.

[mlove3]

too many worst, a sample:

after finishing a set of rock covers a coworker's wife asks "do you play rock and roll?"

one of my recurring faves , "what other songs do you play?"

"you're not as bad as last week's band"

"If you were good you'd be able to play (insert knucklehead's favorite band here)"

and the ALL TIME BY FAR best compliment, "it would be impossible to not be entertained by your band".

I'll take that one any day!

[wilkat1]

One of our shows was attended by a few members of another band who just won the local Battle of the Bands. "Your version of I've Got a Feeling was great! We were thinking about doing that song but you do it better so we're going to leave it alone."

Vocally I've been compared to both Bob Seger and John Fogerty. You can decide what's a compliment and what ain't.

[Larry F]

After playing a recording for my mom, "Is that supposed to be good?"

[Larry F]

Here's one i heard twice. First, as a guitarist at a jam session. Then 15 years later in a composition lesson. Same exact quote: "Where did you find those notes?"

I had written a new work for clarinet a couple of years ago. In the rehearsal for the New York premier, another musician said, "You're a wild man!" My wife was there, so I scored points with that.

On the down side, as a student, I once asked a visiting musician what he thought of my guitar playing. The answer was short and sweet: "You're out of tune." I never forgot that.

[Telenator]

I sat in with a band saturday night and the singer's producer was in attendance. (She's in the middle of recording an album)

He came over and said, "wow, a real rhythm player! I enjoyed your playing."

Becoming a better rhythm player has been a big part of my focus over the past few years and it was so nice to be recognized for it!

[Durtdog]

Several times I've had good musicians say something like, "You leave space in the songs. You really know when not to play." I didn't tell them I just couldn't think of anything to contribute to the song at those moments.

After many years, I've convinced myself it was a compliment. Who knows.

[Jeffscreamedcorn]

The great John LaPorta once told a student, "There's good news and bad news. The good news is that you have tremendous technique. The bad news is that you have tremendous technique."

[swooda]

About twenty years ago we had the house band gig at the hot spot in town. We had the place packed and had just finished a song halfway through the last set when this guy walks up to the stage. I'm trying to hear him over all the cheering going on while he's going on about how he knows this local keyboard player/singer who's well know in the New Orleans area and was a personel friend of mine. I'm thinking the guys setting himself up to set in with the band. He then goes "I just wanted to tell you, this is the worst band I've ever heard in my life." He turns around, makes his way through the crowd and walks out the door. I was so dumbfounded I just stared at him while he left. Thats stuck with me to this day.....

[getbent]

my favorite faint praise comment is the famous Buddy Emmons quote where he says to a steel player coming off the stage "I really appreciate what you are trying to do up there."

I hadn't been able to think of one I'd had.... until yesterday! We led off our 4th set with an original that I wrote (and sang, which is pretty scary) it is a swing tune called "tastes like chicken" anyway, the place came alive and we got everyone dancing and some singing along and we extended the solos and so at the end of the song, the fiddle player mentions that it is an original... at the break I had two different people come up and say 'heck, you made that up? it sounded like a song someone good woulda written' (or words to that effect.)

The good news is the boys said I could bring another original song to the band... watch out!

[mudbean]

Originally Posted by getbent

... it is a swing tune called "tastes like chicken" ...

I love you, man!

mud

[JoshSkelton]

I was once on a gig with a songwriter and a really fantastic bass player who's been a close friend for many years. His musicianship is unparalleled which is what made these sincere compliments from the sound engineer, just after the show, especially hilarious:

To the songwriter: "Great songs!"
To me: "Tasteful playing!"
To my friend: "Nice bass!"

To this day, ten years later, I'll still compliment his bass every time every time his ability comes up.

Also, on a gig as a young player learning jazz I lost my place in the changes of Freight Train for several measures. Afterward, the drummer (not realizing what had happened) complimented me with "great use of space." Haha.

[Fret Wilkes]

Several times over the years I've gotten the question: "can you play something good now?".

This comment typically follows a tune that was particularly hot for us that evening. My stock response is "no, we play the B-sides of all the songs you hate".

Fret

[jonzer]

I can't think of a compliment and insult in the same sentence...I'm sure I've gotten them.

The closest I can come to is cartooning. This girl, who's married to a cartoonist, told me about ten years ago "that's a good cartoon...if you keep this up you'll be good someday".

Recently I was talking to this guy who tours small dive clubs with a band that's really just noise without melodies or hooks. I told him I'd love to do the van tour thing he was doing and he goes "yeah, but you can't do it sounding like Green Day". This guy weighs about 78 lbs and I just wanted to throw him across the bar. I was just thinking this innovator of crap is going to insult me?

Last Summer at a gig in D.C., this stripper's in the audience and she didn't have any opinions about the band but she wanted to take my sister home, liked my shoes, thought my guitar was pretty and wanted to wash my drummer's hair with her feet.

[jonzer]

Those two old critics in the balconey on the Muppet Show for the Weezer video.

Hey, that wasn't half bad.
I know...it wasn't half good either. HAHAHAHAHA.

[bassocaster]

Best: The early 30's cute cashier girl at my morning coffee stop told me that me that I made her feel warm and fuzzy.

Worst: Im at a fish fry and was wearing a Martin Guitar t-shirt (which I don't have one, went to the factory). This kid asked if I played. "Yes", I replied. He asked what guitar(s) I had. I tell him in no specific terms, "Three Telecaster's, a Stratocaster, and a couple of acoustics". He replied with a smirk, "Well I hate to tell you this, but no one will take you seriously unless you play a Dean or a Schecter". He was 17, do the math.