Originally Posted by: R. ShackleferdI guess I haven't ever thought about it to that depth, but I pretty much agree. I don't like most of my favorite players' influences. Slayer for instance...they loved early punk. And Billy Gibbons (a renowned blues historian/connoisseur himself) goes to the roots of the blues all the way to Africa with their tribal music.
Then again, you might listen to anything "old school" and still take it to your own next level, regardless of another's previous results.

Yep. I agree. When I first expressed an interest in writing, a friend of mine who is well on his way to becoming a very well respected writer, told me that in order to learn to write well, you have to read. Read the classics. Read the great writers. Become familiar with what made them great. How they turned a phrase. How they described physical and emotional characteristics of a person...etc. Read them, learn from them and then follow your own path.

I think that's true when it comes to music too. You learn from the greats. That doesn't mean you parrot them but you learn from them and then set about trying to become someone that others will want to learn from in the future.