Id come back as myself with better rooms to record in and all the drawmer and neve gear I want. Also an automatic distribution deal.
Alternatively: Mahler. His "songs of a wayfarer" are the among most tragically beautiful songs every written. Same for his symphonies which I listen to at least once a day.
Schubert died at 31, from syphillis. He got syphillis from a prostitute. That prostitute was the first girl he had, as he was 4,11 and fat (almost as tall as axl rose) and not famous until after he died.
I'd like to come back as Beethoven (he wrote a lotta songs too) and kick the bloody shit out of chapman in a barroom/prison brawl. Roll over Beethoven!
In the classical realm...I like Schumann, Satie, Bartok, Poulenc, Debussy... piano (I play keyboards). Simple, but not, if you see (hear?) what I mean.
Varese, Penderecki, Cage for organized sound...
Hindemith, Greig...to name a few.
As much as I hate to give credit to the classical masters, because I think they had an unfair advantage. If you consider the body of work created by Beethoven after he was deaf!!
Many of the classical composers just plain bore me to sleep. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy thier work. But when I think of all the work of our generation and the past 40 plus years. I'd rollem all up in a big fat one and have to smoke it!!!!!!!!!!!!!