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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: KevShmev on March 18, 2017, 07:57:32 AM
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Those who have seen me do these kind of threads before know the deal. Every day (roughly), I will feature a pop or rock (or metal) singer that we can discuss.
As always, please let me do the featuring, that way it's not a free-for-all, and we can keep the focus on one singer at a time.
Here we go...
Ann Wilson
(https://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/ann-wilson-performing-2015-billboard-650.jpg)
The longtime singer from Heart still has countless moments that can give me goosebumps even though I've heard them many, many times. The last note in Dream of the Archer is just absurd, the rocking section of Mistral Wind is amazing, and pretty much the entire Dreamboat Annie record is a vocal tour de force. And unlike a lot of popular singers from the 70s, her voice has aged really well. Great voice, phenomenal singer.
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Ann can belt it out with anyone. One of the great voices in rock.
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While I'm not a fan of Heart's 80's output, I'll always pause what I'm doing to listen to Ann sing regardless of the song.
Good call on Dreamboat Annie. The first song I ever heard from Heart was Crazy On You, and I was just knocked over with the vocals (not to mention the song rocks). As I recall I was sitting in our front room writing a book report on Fahrenheit 451 and listening to the radio on my mother's Motorola console stereo--anyone remember those? I didn't really sit up and take notice until the first chorus kicked in and I was instantly hooked. The next time it came on, later that day, I went and grabbed my older brother to come a listen to it. He and I pooled our money and went to the record store that weekend and bought the album. We shared that album for a few years and then he lost interest. I just naturally inherited it.
I purchased Little Queen, Dog and Butterfly, and Magazine (1978) as they were released, but from then on I'd moved on to heavier music and stopped following Heart.
Still, like I said before, my love of the timber and power of Ann's voice has never wavered.
BTW, Heart has a great Christmas album. Her performance on that album is as great as anything she's ever done.
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She's the Freddie Mercury of female voices - arguably the best there is/was in the genre of rock.
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I have always enjoyed the Heart tracks on Classic radio, even as a kid, but just never felt the urge to buy a Heart album.
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Heart in essence shot their load on their first album - no album I have heard them do since has come close to being as great and consistent as Dreamboat Annie - but Ann Wilson's vocals were always amazing no matter what.
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She is a powerhouse who can finesse and how all women should sing. I love her voice.
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She's the Freddie Mercury of female voices - arguably the best there is/was in the genre of rock.
+1 Can't think of a female rock vocalist off the top of my head who comes even close to her in terms of voice, longevity and quality of output.
I don't why, but here in Australia Heart along with Styx and Journey never enjoyed the huge success they did in the States. As far as AOR in the late 70s - 80s in Australia, Foreigner, Toto, Survivor and even Loverboy got much more airplay and had a much higher profile. Having said that Barracuda still gets played fairly regularly on a couple of my local FM radio stations.
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My experience bundy (as a fellow Aussie) is that Heart got a lot more airplay than Styx (I was into Tommy Shaw's Ambition before I even knew who Styx were) ........in fact I can't remember ever hearing Styx on commercial radio. I would also have heard Heart far more than Loverboy - Working For The Weekend was big but that's about it.
Heart had plenty of big hits out here during their commercial AOR era............Alone , These Dreams, All I Wanna Do.........etc..
Without my own digging I wouldn't know that they had other less commercial material.
As far as Kev's selection...... :tup As far as female rock vocals go there really isn't much better.
EDIT - looks like Babe went Top 10 in Australia briefly in 1979 (when I was 5yo) and I do sorta remember that song on radio for a short while,. but the name Styx meant nothing to me until I got involved in AOR forums in the late 90's.
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Heart were huge in the 80s in the uk and I'd take the 80s/ early 90s output over the hippie, folkie Zep Ellis stuff of the 70s. The s/t, Bad Animals, Brigade and Desire Walks On (to a lesser extent) were great pop rock albums.
Ann is a great singer.
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the hippie, folkie Zep Ellis stuff of the 70s.
I get this reference. I snickered.
Then I >:(
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And not to be negative, but there cover of The Battle Of Evermore was obnoxious.
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Roger Daltrey
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Roger-Daltrey_in_Hamburg.jpg)
I don't think I've ever heard a Who song and thought the vocals stood out in a big way, but that is likely a testament to how good and consistent Daltrey was. He always brought his "A" game, and while there are certainly plenty of better rock singers, his voice is one of the most unique and iconic ever. His voice had a gritty and dirty element that was a perfect for the music that Pete Townshend always wrote.
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Yeah, I have total respect for Roger Daltrey. Unfortunately, I just don't totally connect with his voice, which is a shame, because I am well aware that I've missed out.
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Yeah, I have total respect for Roger Daltrey. Unfortunately, I just don't totally connect with his voice, which is a shame, because I am well aware that I've missed out.
I am sorta the same way. His scream near the end of Won't Get Fooled Again is often considered one of the most awesome moments in rock, but I've never thought that moment, or even that song, was that great. I mean, it's a good song, but I can name at least 20 Who songs I like more.
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So, you weren't fooled again? :D
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Yeah, I have total respect for Roger Daltrey. Unfortunately, I just don't totally connect with his voice, which is a shame, because I am well aware that I've missed out.
I am sorta the same way. His scream near the end of Won't Get Fooled Again is often considered one of the most awesome moments in rock, but I've never thought that moment, or even that song, was that great. I mean, it's a good song, but I can name at least 20 Who songs I like more.
:youfail:
Top 10 Classic Rock song of all time in my books. Maybe top 5.
:lhk:
Daltrey was one of those voices that was just right for the band, and contributed to the fact that the whole was greater than the sum of the individual parts of each band member. None were musicians I would consider Top 5 of their craft within the Classic Rock genre (maybe Moon), but The Who is definitely part of my 'big-5'
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And not to be negative, but there cover of The Battle Of Evermore was obnoxious.
Man, Besides Great White I love Heart covering Led Zep.
I love the Who and while Roger is a very good singer, hit frontmanship is outstanding.
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And not to be negative, but there cover of The Battle Of Evermore was obnoxious.
Man, Besides Great White I love Heart covering Led Zep.
I love the Who and while Roger is a very good singer, hit frontmanship is outstanding.
Indeed.
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His dammit.
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And not to be negative, but there cover of The Battle Of Evermore was obnoxious.
I love their version of Battle Of Evermore. What is this malarkey, TAC?
Daltrey was one of those voices that was just right for the band, and contributed to the fact that the whole was greater than the sum of the individual parts of each band member.
Definitely! What they each brought to the band was so unique and special and made The Who as legendary as they ultimately became. And while he does have great stage presence as the singer, I think of Pete as the band's "Frontman.'
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None were musicians I would consider Top 5 of their craft within the Classic Rock genre (maybe Moon), but The Who is definitely part of my 'big-5'
Entwistle is not Top 5? He was amazing!
Moon is overrated IMO.
I love their version of Battle Of Evermore. What is this malarkey, TAC?
It hurts my ears and makes me dislike the original. ;D
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None were musicians I would consider Top 5 of their craft within the Classic Rock genre (maybe Moon), but The Who is definitely part of my 'big-5'
Entwistle is not Top 5? He was amazing!
It's funny, as I hit 'post' I was thinking... 'ya know, I'm not sure I could think of 4 better bass players. JPJ, Geddy, Steve Harris, Squire.
Ok, maybe I could :lol. I'll grant ya that Entwistle is a better bass player than Townsend was a guitar player.
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Entwistle would be on my Mount Rushmore of bass players along with Geddy Lee, Chris Squire and Tony Levin.
And nice work, fellas, turning this thread about singers into a discussion on bass players. :lol :lol
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Entwistle would be on my Mount Rushmore of bass players along with Geddy Lee, Chris Squire and Tony Levin.
And nice work, fellas, turning this thread about singers into a discussion on bass players. :lol :lol
C'mon man... this isn't the first thread topic you've started that went off the rails. Now&Zen turned into a Plant discography discussion pretty quick. :lol
It's how we roll.
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:metal
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I'm not complaining; just chuckling at the fact.
These threads are always more fun when they go off the rails a bit. :biggrin:
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It's all good. Better this kind of discussion than getting crickets ... eh?
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My experience bundy (as a fellow Aussie) is that Heart got a lot more airplay than Styx (I was into Tommy Shaw's Ambition before I even knew who Styx were) ........in fact I can't remember ever hearing Styx on commercial radio. I would also have heard Heart far more than Loverboy - Working For The Weekend was big but that's about it.
Heart had plenty of big hits out here during their commercial AOR era............Alone , These Dreams, All I Wanna Do.........etc..
Without my own digging I wouldn't know that they had other less commercial material.
As far as Kev's selection...... :tup As far as female rock vocals go there really isn't much better.
EDIT - looks like Babe went Top 10 in Australia briefly in 1979 (when I was 5yo) and I do sorta remember that song on radio for a short while,. but the name Styx meant nothing to me until I got involved in AOR forums in the late 90's.
Pretty much the same here. I was in high school from 76 - 80 and at uni through the early and mid 80s. Can never remember hearing a single Styx song played on the radio. I was aware of them due to cool album covers which I noticed during my frequent visits to record stores. I'm thinking particularly of The Grand Illusion, Paradise Theatre and Kilroy was here. At that time though I was far more interested in listening to metal and prog rather than AOR. As for Loverboy, have you forgotten Turn Me Loose? That was played ad nauseum on radio at the time. I think it's a pretty cool track now, but it annoyed the crap out of me back then.
Roger Daltry - One of the great front men of his era IMHO. I would place him in the same class as guys like Plant, Paul Rodgers, Ozzy, Gillan, Jim Morrisson, Ian Anderson and Jagger. Pretty decent vocalist as well.
"I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.." :coolio
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Yeah I did forget Turn Me Loose - didn't hear that anywhere as much as WFTW but I do remember it. Maybe different radio stations :lol And I was just starting primary school so my memories aren't that vivid. At 6yo (1980) my listening was just whatever Dad was playing on the radio or from his record collection (mostly Chicago, Dire Straits , Doobies etc.........)
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And not to be negative, but there cover of The Battle Of Evermore was obnoxious.
So is spelling their like that. :-*
Here is my three cents about her. She has a great voice, but it's not my cup of tea.
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Moon is overrated IMO.
:hug: :hifive:
I agree.
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Daltrey is a hard one to peg isn't he. As a front man he often played second or third with Townshend (that's the correct spelling, BTW) flailing his arms around and Moon barely able to stay in his chair because his couldn't quite decide what to hit next. He didn't have an inspiring voice but it was very colorful at times, adding a sort of working class Englishman texture to the music. Still, there are some songs that wouldn't sound right without him as evidenced by covers. Behind Blue Eyes, Who Are You?, Substitute, and yes, even Pinball Wizard (my apologies to Elton).
Yeah, I have total respect for Roger Daltrey. Unfortunately, I just don't totally connect with his voice, which is a shame, because I am well aware that I've missed out.
Do you feel the same about Phil Mogg? They sound nearly the same... Careful how you respond, you may need to relinquish your UFO fanboy decoder ring if you let me down.
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I can totally see my post made by someone else and subbing Phil Mogg for Roger Daltrey.
Obviously I have mad love for Mogg and he has this wonderful charm in his voice. A warmth.
Plus lyrically, Mogg is amazing.
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I can totally see my post made by someone else and subbing Phil Mogg for Roger Daltrey.
That had crossed my mind but I decided to be nice. But seeing you raise it I think Mogg is competent and that's about it ;D
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Obviously I have mad love for Mogg and he has this wonderful charm in his voice. A warmth.
Plus lyrically, Mogg is amazing.
Okay, you can keep the fucking ring! :biggrin:
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Brent, your post is competent, but that's about it. :-*
What can I say,
Mogg is special to me. His is the voice of my life's soundtrack. But I maintain he is way underrated across the board.
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Brent, your post is competent, but that's about it. :-*
What can I say,
Mogg is special to me. His is the voice of my life's soundtrack. But I maintain he is way underrated across the board.
;D
I can relate to that. I grew up in the same way with Ozzy and I can understand people giving me a WTF about his vocals. Although I don't think anyone could say Ozzy's sound isn't unique :lol
I don't have a huge number of albums with Mogg on - maybe half a dozen - and I haven't spent a great deal of time with them but I have never really connected with him or found anything special that draws me to his sound. I enjoy him when he's singing a good song but that generally is more about the song than his performance. I have really only bothered with UFO in recent years (you and Paul likely gave me a nudge) - they were total unknowns here. If I had grown up with them it may be a different story I suppose.
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Recent UFO is the worst UFO. I am on record as saying the Vinnie Moore era has been a huge disappointment. They are really now just a (slightly) heavier Rolling Stones. Their last two albums have been pretty weak. Lyrically, it's been some of Mogg's most insane though. :lol
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Those who have seen me do these kind of threads before know the deal. Every day (roughly), I will feature a pop or rock (or metal) singer that we can discuss.
As always, please let me do the featuring, that way it's not a free-for-all, and we can keep the focus on one singer at a time.
Here we go...
Ann Wilson
And no one even mentioned her finest moment: "Wait For An Answer" off of Bad Animals. That ending - "Look at me now... look at me now... Where are you, how are you? I wait for an answer!" gives me chills to this day, and I've heard it easily hundreds of time. I love this woman.
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Roger Daltrey: Love Reign O'er Me. Unbelievable. Many have tried, some have even come close (Eddie Vedder) but that song is his and his alone.
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John Bush did a great job with it on the last Redemption album.
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Michael Jackson
(https://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/michael-jackson-billboard-650_0.jpg)
With all of his success, it seems like Jackson's ability as a singer was forgotten at times, because he was such an amazing dancer and entertainer....but the guy could sing his ass off. And it's a credit that his singing seemed so effortless and easy, like he could just open his mouth and out it came in such a natural way.
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The man had his own style that everybody knew who it was. Pure genius with demons.
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Who?
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Who?
(https://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss272/kingshmegland/7e57f1912f0eb57c7ece42c56ad0b689_zpsgpaagcd7.jpg) (https://s583.photobucket.com/user/kingshmegland/media/7e57f1912f0eb57c7ece42c56ad0b689_zpsgpaagcd7.jpg.html)
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Who?
Daltrey was yesterday, jackass. :biggrin:
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I said in this, probably not very articulately, in another thread, but I never liked all MJ's non-word vocal sounds. I don't know anything about music so never know what to call them. I know that was his style, but it was always a turn off to me.
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Who?
Daltrey was yesterday, jackass. :biggrin:
Well played.
Until MJ became a caricature of himself, he was the Freddie Mercury of Pop. He absolutely earned the "King of Pop" title based on his 80s. Then, it went all down hill.
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Even though I'm a metalhead at heart, I love MJ. I took guitar lessons for about six months, and the first song the guy wanted to teach me was "Rock With Me". I kick myself to this day for not paying more attention.
"Don't Stop Till You Get Enough".
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:smoothcriminal:
:billiejean:
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Wow, digging deep today, Chad.
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Until MJ became a caricature of himself, he was the Freddie Mercury of Pop. He absolutely earned the "King of Pop" title based on his 80s. Then, it went all down hill.
Yep. I've said it many times, unless you were alive and old enough to have a clue what was going on, you just cannot understand how powerful the Michael Jackson phenomenon was in 1982 and 1983. I imagine it was similar to when the Beatles came to America in the 60s.
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It was an amazing time, for sure. It just all turned out so sad.
Ill leave it to Podaar to address the Beatles experience. ;D
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Until MJ became a caricature of himself, he was the Freddie Mercury of Pop. He absolutely earned the "King of Pop" title based on his 80s. Then, it went all down hill.
Yep. I've said it many times, unless you were alive and old enough to have a clue what was going on, you just cannot understand how powerful the Michael Jackson phenomenon was in 1982 and 1983. I imagine it was similar to when the Beatles came to America in the 60s.
Agreed. Like the Beatles and Elvis before him, he rally transcended music and entertainment. If I was asked to name one figure that defined the 80s, it would probably be MJ. While I've never been a big fan, I certainly appreciate the guy's talent. My favourite MJ stuff would probably be what he did with his brothers in the Jackson 5. Lets also not forget that in his own way he was arguably (apologies to any Shirley Temple fans here ;)the greatest child prodigy in the entertainment field of the 20th century. The dance moves he could pull off as a little kid were extraordinary.
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Well said, bundy. :tup :tup
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Paul McCartney
(https://www.rockhall.com/sites/default/files/styles/header_image_portrait/public/paulmccartney1976_gruen_webuseonly.jpg?itok=sb6fImtj)
The greatness of Sir Paul McCartney, as both a singe and a songwriter, pretty much goes without saying. He had the warmest voice of any of the Beatles, although he could still crush you with grit like in Oh! Darling. A song as simple and understated as Yesterday wouldn't have worked without a singer as good as McCartney.
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Yeah, it's hard not to love Sir Paul's vocals. His Beatles output is great but for me he really took off with Wings. Band On The Run, Jet, Live and Let Die, the entire album of Venus and Mars. All great stuff!
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I saw him in Philly in 2010 at the Wells Fargo Center. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/paul-mccartney/2010/wells-fargo-center-philadelphia-pa-13d5a119.html
38 songs, over three hours. I was standing on the floor, towards the back, and the 35th song - not a mistake; THIRTY FIFTH - was "Yesterday", a song I sang to my daughter each night before bed. It was him and a guitar and it was note perfect. I stood there with tears running down my face, and I turned to the woman beside me (I was by myself) and she looked at me... with tears running down her face. By just his voice, he had 20,000 people in the palm of his hand (this after performing probably 10 of the most well known songs in the rock and roll catalogue, including Let it Be, A Day In The Life, Hey Jude, and Something). And then... he proceeds to nail the SHIT out of "Helter Skelter", as if he was 26 again (when he recorded the version we know from The White Album).
He's 74 now, but I hope he does one more, because my kid needs to see that at least once. My vote for greatest living rock musician at this point.
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Sorry for regressing a bit, but how was it that Daltrey was a frontman? Townshend was the frontman, no question. Even Moon when he was alive interacted with the crowd more than Daltrey. Personally, I liked RD's stage persona, with the 1000 yard stare and whatnot, but he was a background player.
Also, I saw Phil Mogg last weekend and he put on a fine show. And I agree with Tim about Vinnie Moore. He's a good player but I don't like him in that role.
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Oh, love Wilson and Daltrey. Hate Jackson, though respect his talents. Always thought the Beatles were overrated, both as a group and individually, though I still enjoy some of their music. There was a narrow window around Revolver where they were between their early pop and latter psychedelic phase and blended the two nicely.
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Also, I saw Phil Mogg last weekend and he put on a fine show. And I agree with Tim about Vinnie Moore. He's a good player but I don't like him in that role.
He'll be 69 next month!
I'm not into the Beatles in any way, but I haven't really heard a Wings song that I didn't at least enjoy.
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Also, I saw Phil Mogg last weekend and he put on a fine show. And I agree with Tim about Vinnie Moore. He's a good player but I don't like him in that role.
He'll be 69 next
I'm not into the Beatles in any way, but I haven't really heard a Wings song that I didn't at least enjoy.
Vinnie Moore is my favourite guitarist but I know what you mean. The problem is, I expect to hear Schenker on the classic UFO songs so nothing else will sound right.
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Lowdz, please fix the quote so I may respond properly. ;D
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38 songs, over three hours. I was standing on the floor, towards the back, and the 35th song - not a mistake; THIRTY FIFTH - was "Yesterday", a song I sang to my daughter each night before bed. It was him and a guitar and it was note perfect. I stood there with tears running down my face, and I turned to the woman beside me (I was by myself) and she looked at me... with tears running down her face. By just his voice, he had 20,000 people in the palm of his hand (this after performing probably 10 of the most well known songs in the rock and roll catalogue, including Let it Be, A Day In The Life, Hey Jude, and Something). And then... he proceeds to nail the SHIT out of "Helter Skelter", as if he was 26 again (when he recorded the version we know from The White Album).
Great story! :tup :tup
I will forever kick myself for not going to see him in '92 or '93 (cannot remember which year it was he toured). My parents got four free tickets and offered the other two to me and my buddy Matt, but we were already intent on going out that night to drink. :facepalm: :facepalm:
Sorry for regressing a bit, but how was it that Daltrey was a frontman? Townshend was the frontman, no question. Even Moon when he was alive interacted with the crowd more than Daltrey. Personally, I liked RD's stage persona, with the 1000 yard stare and whatnot, but he was a background player.
I don't think a band is only allowed one frontman persona. It is easy to argue that three of the four members of the Who were frontmen, while Entwistle was the calm one on stage, playing and staying still as the other three caused mayhem.
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Lowdz, please fix the quote so I may respond properly. ;D
Done. Sorry mate.
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Also, I saw Phil Mogg last weekend and he put on a fine show. And I agree with Tim about Vinnie Moore. He's a good player but I don't like him in that role.
He'll be 69 next
I'm not into the Beatles in any way, but I haven't really heard a Wings song that I didn't at least enjoy.
Vinnie Moore is my favourite guitarist but I know what you mean. The problem is, I expect to hear Schenker on the classic UFO songs so nothing else will sound right.
Yeah, and iconic ones, at that. I wouldn't demand that he recreate all the solos perfectly, but the outro solo to Lights Out is a gold standard moment in classic rock. Hearing Vinnie play something completely different is jarring as hell. And while I'm not enough of a UFO fan to know all of the guitar parts, that jarring thing occurred a lot. He just doesn't seem right. Despite almost certainly being the most talented one in the band, I though he was the week link.
I don't think a band is only allowed one frontman persona. It is easy to argue that three of the four members of the Who were frontmen, while Entwistle was the calm one on stage, playing and staying still as the other three caused mayhem.
I absolutely agree with the premise. The thing is that the four or five times I've seen The Who, my recollection of Roger is always him staring through the back wall into the parking lot while Pete entertains the crowd. He seldom calls much attention to himself singing, and between songs he's a statue.
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Vinnie Moore is my favourite guitarist but I know what you mean. The problem is, I expect to hear Schenker on the classic UFO songs so nothing else will sound right.
It's not even hearing him on the classics, it's the Moore era output that is extremely lacking.
Plus, they have had the most stagnant setlists during this time period. Pick 3 classics that you MUST play but then rotate out the rest.
Yeah, and iconic ones, at that. I wouldn't demand that he recreate all the solos perfectly, but the outro solo to Lights Out is a gold standard moment in classic rock. Hearing Vinnie play something completely different is jarring as hell. And while I'm not enough of a UFO fan to know all of the guitar parts, that jarring thing occurred a lot. He just doesn't seem right. Despite almost certainly being the most talented one in the band, I though he was the week link.
I don't know what the problem is either. I thought he would inject a ton of life into the band, and it seems the life has been sapped out. They've gotten worse on each of the 5 albums he's done with them.
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Not sure how a thread featuring Ann Wilson, Roger Daltrey, Michael Jackson, and Paul McCartney has a concurrent UFO thread running through it. :lol
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I know why...... :lol
I tend to grab for Paul McCartney solo more than the other 3 members of the Beatles solo material.
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I don't think a band is only allowed one frontman persona. It is easy to argue that three of the four members of the Who were frontmen, while Entwistle was the calm one on stage, playing and staying still as the other three caused mayhem.
I absolutely agree with the premise. The thing is that the four or five times I've seen The Who, my recollection of Roger is always him staring through the back wall into the parking lot while Pete entertains the crowd. He seldom calls much attention to himself singing, and between songs he's a statue.
Well, he is pretty old now :lol. but if you watch footage of the Who back in their prime (aka, when Keith Moon was still alive), he was all over the place on stage. I mean, he is known for that swinging microphone thing, FFS. ;)
I tend to grab for Paul McCartney solo more than the other 3 members of the Beatles solo material.
Same here, although Harrison's All Things Must Pass is pretty excellent.
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Agree with your comments re Daltrey aas a front man Kev. In my post I thought it was apparent from the contemporaries I listed that I was referring to the Keith Moon era of the band. As you said, if you watch film of the band during that era, Daltrey really had significant stage presence. Many bands have had more than one obvious front man. Bon Scott era ACDC (Bon and Angus) immediately come to mind.
That brings us to Sir Paul. The Beatles with both Lennon and McCartney are another example. Like MJ, PM is another true legend. Very good vocalist, brilliant lyricist and a terrific stage presence. Always much preferred his solo stuff to Lennon's. Without wanting to turn this into a merits of the Beatles debate, I really can't see how people dismiss them as pretty ordinary. While much of their stuff seems fairly pedestrian today, listen to what popular music was like prior to (I'm going to say Revolver rather than Sgt Pepper's) and then listen to how it evolved after the release of those two albums. Their impact on music and popular culture can never be overstated. A metaphor I would use is they were the musical equivalent of black and white TV becoming colour TV or silent movies becoming talkies. For this alone all music fans are indebted to McCartney, Lennon and Harrison. (Ringo was probably lucky to be there for the ride, but that's another thread :smiley:)
Loving this thread Kev! :tup Is Phil Collins next? I'm pretty sure you would be aware of the unique record he, PM and MJ share.
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What record is that?
Phil Collins
(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/10/13/1413218114282/Phil-Collins-014.jpg?w=1920&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=182d0abf4dbe7e5fc1593f31c83d7f70)
Collins was probably a better singer than many detractors gave him credit for being, but I am not sure he really stood out in any real way. While he could so the soft, pretty vocals fairly well, almost to the point where it made his cheesy solo songs even cheesier, I usually preferred when he sang with a bit of attitude in his voice, like in Genesis' Mama or I Don't Care Anymore.
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I thought no jacket was required, yet here he is wearing one.
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Yeah, Mama is the only song I that I can say I enjoy, and that's probably because it sounds so twisted. I never got the appeal of his voice or his solo career...well, I remember thinking "In the Air Tonight" was cool about the first million times I heard it, once the second trillion kicked in I actively started running from it.
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It's weird, but when I hear Against All Odds, it stops me in my tracks.
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It's weird, but when I hear Against All Odds, it stops me in my tracks.
Well, it is very difficult to vomit while walking. So, I can understand that.
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There are some PC solo songs I love and others I don't even care to listen to. I like his voice a lot but some of his solo work is fair at best.
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My listening stops with '...But Seriously'. My roommate in college, being a huge PC fan, got 'Both Sides' the day it came out. We sat in the room and listened to it and just stared blankly at each other during each song. What a piece of crap that was! I think that was the last time he listened to the album.
That said, I love his first 4 albums.
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Love his 80s output - solo, or with Genesis. After that, not so much.
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I didn't take enough notice to be able to tell you what is Phil Collins solo and what is poppy Genesis but as a young whipper snapper I did love Don't Lose My Number. I prefer his more rocking tracks , although as per Tim (digging up an old post)
I had almost forgotten how much I like Phil Collins' voice in the right song until I heard Against All Odds the other day
At some point I totally switched off - I think it might have been the first time I heard Groovy Kind Of Love ;D
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I know the record! I know the record! (And I didn't have to look it up, I swear!)
Only three artists to have sold 100 million records as a solo act, AND as a member of another act.
I can take or leave the more treacly, preachy stuff but I make no apologies for loving Phil's solo stuff. The first three records, especially, are stellar (my fave is probably the second one, though if you strip out the two obnoxious - because they were overplayed - hits Sussudio and One More Night, NJR is stronger). I even like the Disney stuff (the Tarzan material). In any other context that would be a killer song. I also prefer Phil-era Genesis, to be honest (W&W is one of my top ten favorite records ever, and Abacab is in there too).
I think it's a crime against humanity that he isn't in the RnRHoF as a solo artist, and Peter is. I get it, Peter has the indie cred and he's more overtly liberal (which is a thing for the Wenner-led RnRHoF) but the guy is a musical genius. I'm just now getting into the Brand X stuff from the late 70's. Yeah, it sounds a little dated, but there's some stellar playing on those records.
But back to the vocals: please, please, please check out the "Classic Albums" doc for Face Value. There's a snippet of Phil singing "Please Don't Ask", just him and a piano, that I guarantee will make you cry (PDA and Misunderstanding were written along with much of the rest of Face Value, including In the Air Tonight, and Banks and Rutherford chose PDA and Misunderstanding for Genesis; Banks has gone on record saying he wished he chose ITAT).
Kev, you're firing on all cylinders, man. Ann Wilson, Macca, Phil... you're halfway to my list of favorite singers of all time, ever. (You just need Mercury, John (Elton), Bono, and Rogers (Paul))
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Love most of his 80s output - solo, or with Genesis. After that, not so much.
FTFM
Great singer, performer, drummer and song-writer, sometimes too sappy.
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Great singer, terrible discography.
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I know the record! I know the record! (And I didn't have to look it up, I swear!)
Only three artists to have sold 100 million records as a solo act, AND as a member of another act.
Ah, okay.
Kev, you're firing on all cylinders, man. Ann Wilson, Macca, Phil... you're halfway to my list of favorite singers of all time, ever. (You just need Mercury, John (Elton), Bono, and Rogers (Paul))
All in due time. I cannot feature all of the best ones right away. :coolio
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I know the record! I know the record! (And I didn't have to look it up, I swear!)
Only three artists to have sold 100 million records as a solo act, AND as a member of another act.
That's it. :tup
Really enjoy Collin's vocal work with Genesis (TotT) is my favourite Genesis album, although that's probably more down to Banks work than Collin's vocals. It's amazing that an already established and very successful band, having lost their vocalist and arguably (apologies to Bank's fans) creative driving force, were able to find a replacement vocalist from within the existing membership and go on to even greater success than they had already achieved. I can't think of another more obvious example.
As for his solo stuff. It does absolutely nothing for me. I think a lot of that is down to the production. In the Air Tonight is an example of the production than I really dislike.
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Stevie Wonder
(https://mm-group.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/StevieWonder_01.jpg)
A very unique and pleasant sounding voice. I don't visit his material a lot, but whenever I do, I am reminded of why he was so popular. Not just a good songwriter, but a really good singer. He's a legend for a reason.
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And just for the record, I know this is a "singer's" thread, but his drumming... there are three drummers in the world that I listen to JUST for their drumming. Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, and... Phil Collins. I bought the first, what, four Brand X albums just to hear Phil's drums. I like the first two Plant albums largely because of Phil's drumming. His drums on In The Mood... just stellar.
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Man in the 70's Stevie ruled the world. Can't say enough good things about his singing and writing.
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What's my favorite Stevie song? "Lately" was the first to come to.mind. But that's not it. Then I remembered "Overjoyed." But that's not it either. Then I remembered.
It's "Knocks Me Off My Feet" ;)
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He's not my favorite singer of all time, but I have to say, whenever he plays, it's always just FUN. I forget what show, but he was on an awards show not long ago and he played "Sir Duke", and the place was just rockin'. I was watching it and I realized about halfway in that I had a huge smile on my face.
Plus "Ebony and Ivory" has to be the greatest song McCartney ever wrote*.
* No, no it's not. It's also fun, but a sorely unrepresentative example of both men's talent. :(
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I thought it was Ian Gillan when I saw the title. I first heard Living For The City done by him. :biggrin:
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He's certainly a good one but his Happy Birthday song is a crime against humanity :xbones
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I thought it was Ian Gillan when I saw the title. I first heard Living For The City done by him. :biggrin:
Pretty sure we won't see Scarabus in the thread title!
I loved Eddie Murphy's Stevie on SNL.
But much respect to Stevie Wonder.
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And just for the record, I know this is a "singer's" thread, but his drumming... there are three drummers in the world that I listen to JUST for their drumming. Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, and... Phil Collins. I bought the first, what, four Brand X albums just to hear Phil's drums. I like the first two Plant albums largely because of Phil's drumming. His drums on In The Mood... just stellar.
I've lost track of how many puzzled looks I've gotten from people over the years after I've said what a great drummer Collins was. So many think of him as just a singer.
He's not my favorite singer of all time, but I have to say, whenever he plays, it's always just FUN. I forget what show, but he was on an awards show not long ago and he played "Sir Duke", and the place was just rockin'. I was watching it and I realized about halfway in that I had a huge smile on my face.
I can see that.
I had never heard the song Living for the City until one day it was on VH1 or something like 15 years ago, and not that I really watched that station a lot, but I just happened to turn the station on when it was playing and I was pretty floored by what a great song it was. It was one of those "wow, this song is awesome" moments. I am also a huge fan of He's Misstra Know It All.
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I bought the first, what, four Brand X albums just to hear Phil's drums. I like the first two Plant albums largely because of Phil's drumming. His drums on In The Mood... just stellar.
Collins is a great drummer. He has a unique style. He's someone that I can enjoy watching play. Too bad I cannot listen to Genesis.
That said, Cozy Powell absolutely owns Like I've Never Been Gone.
What is Brand X? I've never heard of that.
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I liked the "You'll Be in My Heart" song that Phil Collins wrote for the Tarzan movie (didn't he actually collaborated in writing most of the soundtrack for Tarzan?). His voice had a good amount of warmth and comfort that fits the song theme.
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Don't listen to much Stevie Wonder, but i do really enjoy his vocals. As has been mentioned he's a fine songwriter as well. Love the stuff he wrote with Jamaican reggae band Third World (Try Jah Love and You're Playing Us Too Close).
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Alanis Morissette
(https://popcrush.com/files/2012/08/Alanis-1.jpg)
I was not a fan of her at all when she hit it big in the 90s. I thought her singing style was too "yelpy" or shouty, if that makes sense. I came around a little bit when she did the background vocals on a couple of Dave Matthews Band songs in the late 90s, and I eventually came around to liking a few of her songs, most notably, Thank You, Hand in My Pocket and You Learn. I am still not a big fan, but I can appreciate her style a little more now, and she definitely made her mark.
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I love Alanis. Not for the singing style but for the attitude of her songs. It fits in the early 1990s angsty music of my teenage years.
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Interesting choice at this point.
In the 90's I went through an Ice Age in my life, and during this period I wore out Jagged Little Pill. Even saw her in concert.
Not generally a fan of that style, but with all that was going on in my life at the time, that album spoke to me.
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Interesting choice at this point.
It would be boring to just list rock male singer after rock male singer. I intend to bounce around quite a bit as much as I can, although male rock singers will definitely be the most heavily featured, for obvious reasons.
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Of all the people, TAC not only knows this person, but was a fan?!
I remember that album being huge. I never got in to it, though I could probably quote whole song lyrics, as some of her songs her played everywhere.
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I quite like Jagged Little Pill. Not heard anything else by her.
She doesn't understand irony though...
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Of all the people, TAC not only knows this person, but was a fan.
Isn't it ironic? ;D
Dontcha think?
:neverusethis:
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I find much of her stuff like nails on a chalk board. :)
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I find much of her stuff like nails on a chalk board. :)
So I'm not the only one.
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I agree,when I first heard her by she toned it down a little as time went on. Her album So Called Chaos is a top 50 album for me.
None of her other albums match up to it.
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Well, I had hoped for more feedback for the non-rock singers, but given the limited amount of postings for the last two singers, I might have to (mostly) stick to throwing red meat to my target audience. :biggrin:
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Don't change that Kev. Tell them to buck up. Plus it's the weekend. People are on less over the weekend.
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Heh, true. I tend to post a little more on the weekend, especially this weekend with it being one of the five weekends this year I am on call for work, so a little more activity would have been nice. Oh well, my own fault. :lol :facepalm:
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You
You
You oughta know.
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I would comment, sorry Kev, but I'm just not familiar with her work nor am I fan of Wonder's. I just thought it was better not to say anything.
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Yet you still posted? ;D
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Paul Rodgers
(https://cdn-04.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/article34903611.ece/3441d/AUTOCROP/h342/PANews%20BT_P-6988ce31-a2c8-4e39-8974-ee1e26866120_I1.jpg)
I've always like Rodgers' voice a lot, but it never dawned on me that some would consider him one of rock's greatest singers until I saw that opinion tossed around quite a bit over the years, which, quite frankly, surprised me, and still surprises me. I mean, I think he is a really good singer, and has a good natural voice, but that is where I leave it with him. I will say, however, that Ready for Love is one of my favorite classic rock songs of the 70s, and his voice is a big reason why. Tremendous songs, and tremendous vocals in that one. :hat
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I would say a very consistent singer. I like his deep, smokey voice. It's works for all the bands he played with sans Queen.
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Bad Company sure had some classic songs.
Ok, I don't mean to do this, but when I was a kid and I was getting into UFO, I could never understand why they weren't more popular, especially Phil Mogg, and I would always point to Rodgers/Bad Co as being overrated.
I appreciate and all. Seems Rodgers has done remarkably little since Bad Co., no? I mean The Firm seemed like a big waste of time.
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I never knew much by the Firm, but their hit, Radioactive, alway got on my nerves.
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I liked their 2 albums.
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I liked their 2 albums.
(https://i.imgur.com/HVNBWD5.gif)
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I don't care what you think! You want our responses!! :lol
Radioactive was different for its time from the frettless bass leading the song to the weird riff from Page but I dug it.
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As a big Jimmy Page fan, The Firm was a disappointing to me too.
As for Bad Company, yes they had a handful of stellar tunes that almost makes one greatest hits album, but they could've been so much more. They underachieved.
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I don't care what you think! You want our responses!! :lol
Touche. :lol :lol
As for Bad Company, yes they had a handful of stellar tunes that almost makes one greatest hits album, but they could've been so much more. They underachieved.
Most of their classic rock mainstays are good, and they have close to a dozen, but I remember buying their first five albums on CD way back when and none of the deep cuts grabbed me at all. And really, of those dozen or so mainstays, there are only a few I ever listen to anymore. I hope I never hear Feel Like Makin' Love ever again.
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I had Desolation Angels on 8 track.
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Another fine choice :tup I've read similar articles (I remember one in one of the very early Classic Rock issues) rating Rodgers as one of THE great rock singers. I really like his voice, but like you Kev, I probably wouldn't rank him quite that high.
Can't believe no one has mentioned Free yet. A criminally underrated band, the one Rodgers really made his name in, and to my mind, the best work he did.
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Alanis Morissette
(https://popcrush.com/files/2012/08/Alanis-1.jpg)
I was not a fan of her at all when she hit it big in the 90s. I thought her singing style was too "yelpy" or shouty, if that makes sense. I came around a little bit when she did the background vocals on a couple of Dave Matthews Band songs in the late 90s, and I eventually came around to liking a few of her songs, most notably, Thank You, Hand in My Pocket and You Learn. I am still not a big fan, but I can appreciate her style a little more now, and she definitely made her mark.
You HAVE to hear the "acoustic" Jagged Little Pill. No Dave Navarro, true, but excellent nonetheless, with a sort of "reigning in" of the vocal quirks and the "rage". Really puts the album in a nice perspective, and makes it less of an oddity (if you're not in that headspace).
Probably my favorite record by her.
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Another fine choice :tup I've read similar articles (I remember one in one of the very early Classic Rock issues) rating Rodgers as one of THE great rock singers. I really like his voice, but like you Kev, I probably wouldn't rank him quite that high.
Can't believe no one has mentioned Free yet. A criminally underrated band, the one Rodgers really made his name in, and to my mind, the best work he did.
I won't say "the best" (that's Mercury) but Paul is in my top three favorite singers for sure. "Wild Fire Woman" off of Straight Shooter. UNBELIEVABLE. I'm a fan of The Firm, so "Together" is great, and their live version of "Live In Peace" is classic too (it's off the "Radioactive" 12-inch single).
There's also an appearance he made on "Later... with Jools Holland", where he did a little interview and sang a song with Jools accompanying on piano. Really good stuff. His voice is still strong, and still has that warmth, without sounding shredded like, say, Elton John.
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I've always enjoyed Rodgers tunes which probably has a lot to do with All Right Now being such a big hit when I was a kid. His Bad Company output hit its high water mark, for me, with Burnin' Sky (both the song and the album) which is a personal favorite. I'm not really familiar with much after that...I know I bought the first Firm record but I don't remember anything about it.
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I've always enjoyed Rodgers tunes which probably has a lot to do with All Right Now being such a big hit when I was a kid. His Bad Company output hit its high water mark, for me, with Burnin' Sky (both the song and the album) which is a personal favorite. I'm not really familiar with much after that...I know I bought the first Firm record but I don't remember anything about it.
Simple Man. When he climbs to his higher register for the "Freedom is the only thing...." part... man, gives me chills. The thing I loved about his voice was that his range wasn't in "pieces", like, say, Halford's. No knock on Halford, but he has like three or four voice, the growl, the regular (Evening Star), and the scream/falsetto (Screaming for Vengeance). Paul's voice seems like it just never ends. There is no limit.
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James Hetfield
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2NJJ1UCYAAAiWs.jpg)
It seems hard to believe that a band that plays in the style Metallica does could be so popular, but I honestly think Hetfield's voice is the biggest reason. He sings with attitude and swagger, while still managing to have a lot of warmth that can drawn you in, even on their most metal songs. Many didn't like it when he started to sing in softer and more melodic tones in the 90s, but it proved that he was a more diverse singer than one would have thought from what was originally a thrash metal act. Mad props to James Hetfield, THE catalyst for making Metallica a household name. :metal
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James is awesome. I don't even know how to respond. It's like where would I begin.
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I don't even know how to respond.
And yet you did.
It's like where would I begin.
Allow me to help.
James is awesome.
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Trapped in a Jamesavarium.
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Another top choice Kev. :tup
Along with the attitude and swagger that you mentioned, Hetfield is proof that a singer can spit venom, angst and fury without needing to sound like the cookie monster, or that they're about to vomit.
SEEK AND DESTROY!!!! :metal :metal :metal
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His voice sounds great on the new album. There are moments where I can picture 1988 James singing.
Most notably in " creates another He-ellll " in Halo On Fire.
I just picture : (https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2729/4310864264_452bee8959_m.jpg)
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Not in my top ten favorite singers, but that's okay, because he is certainly in my top THREE coolest, bad-ass mofos in rock and roll (and probably the coolest still delivering the goods on a nightly basis).
He is what Kerry King wishes he was (if he wasn't such a cartoon).
I think even Chuck Norris would think twice about messing around with Het.
Man among men.
He's probably the one guy I want to see a solo album from; him, an acoustic guitar, no thrash, but more like...an album full of songs like his cover of the classic Waylon Jennings song "Don't You Think This Outlaw Things Done Got Out of Hand". He's the quintessential outlaw, without actually being one.
Can I stop now?
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I never was a real fan of his voice but I always loved his presence. Big and imposing, lurking over his prey, the audience.
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I know most Metallica fans hate 90s James when he toned down the yelling and posturing and began to sing...
...But I prefer it massively to screaming, crotch-grabbing chest-beating James.
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James is one of the greats, no question. His voice and charisma helped set Metallica apart from so many other metal bands.
Not in my top ten favorite singers, but that's okay, because he is certainly in my top THREE coolest, bad-ass mofos in rock and roll (and probably the coolest still delivering the goods on a nightly basis).
He is what Kerry King wishes he was (if he wasn't such a cartoon).
I think even Chuck Norris would think twice about messing around with Het.
Man among men.
He's probably the one guy I want to see a solo album from; him, an acoustic guitar, no thrash, but more like...an album full of songs like his cover of the classic Waylon Jennings song "Don't You Think This Outlaw Things Done Got Out of Hand". He's the quintessential outlaw, without actually being one.
Can I stop now?
:lol Great post. Seriously though - I've had conversations with buddies about the coolest rock stars or whatever (this was mostly back in college after several beers) and I always point people to the Metallica Moscow 91 gig. That to me, is one of the most captivating performances by a rock/metal performer (James specifically) ever. Period.
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Mucho respect for Papa Het!
I don't think I would have thought to put him on this list if I were Kev, but I can't really argue with it.
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I don't find him as charismatic as many people do, he's not one of my favorite front men, but he' still pretty badass. As a singer, he is fine. :tup
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I don't find him as charismatic as many people do, he's not one of my favorite front men, but he' still pretty badass. As a singer, he is fine. :tup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yKvp_fsP18
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^ Energetic!
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James is one of the greats, no question. His voice and charisma helped set Metallica apart from so many other metal bands.
Not in my top ten favorite singers, but that's okay, because he is certainly in my top THREE coolest, bad-ass mofos in rock and roll (and probably the coolest still delivering the goods on a nightly basis).
He is what Kerry King wishes he was (if he wasn't such a cartoon).
I think even Chuck Norris would think twice about messing around with Het.
Man among men.
He's probably the one guy I want to see a solo album from; him, an acoustic guitar, no thrash, but more like...an album full of songs like his cover of the classic Waylon Jennings song "Don't You Think This Outlaw Things Done Got Out of Hand". He's the quintessential outlaw, without actually being one.
Can I stop now?
:lol Great post. Seriously though - I've had conversations with buddies about the coolest rock stars or whatever (this was mostly back in college after several beers) and I always point people to the Metallica Moscow 91 gig. That to me, is one of the most captivating performances by a rock/metal performer (James specifically) ever. Period.
I started a thread over at another place, and the premise was: ROCK STARS. Not "famous people in rock and roll", but ROCK STARS. Those guys that are a breed apart. The kind of guys that could wear dumb shit - like spandex - and still make it cooler than crap. The kind of guy that women drooled over, men idolized, and if they came to your house, drank your dad's liquor, banged your girlfriend, and pissed off the back deck, after they left all you could say was "Dude that was so fucking cool. I love that guy."
David Lee Roth: ROCK STAR
Eddie Vedder: NOT a rock star
Freddie Mercury: ROCK STAR
Rob Halford: NOT a rock star
Jimmy Page: ROCK STAR
Nils Lofgren: NOT a rock star
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I started a thread over at another place, and the premise was: ROCK STARS. Not "famous people in rock and roll", but ROCK STARS. Those guys that are a breed apart. The kind of guys that could wear dumb shit - like spandex - and still make it cooler than crap. The kind of guy that women drooled over, men idolized, and if they came to your house, drank your dad's liquor, banged your girlfriend, and pissed off the back deck, after they left all you could say was "Dude that was so fucking cool. I love that guy."
David Lee Roth: ROCK STAR
Eddie Vedder: NOT a rock star
Freddie Mercury: ROCK STAR
Rob Halford: NOT a rock star
Jimmy Page: ROCK STAR
Nils Lofgren: NOT a rock star
Beautiful, I love the list. Seems just about right.
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Jimmy Page: ROCK STAR
No better proof than the "Dragon Suit". Anyone else wearing it would look like a nozzle.
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/64bea083a246f229e1c105bb0250edcb/tumblr_inline_mk6p87KgHx1qz4rgp.jpg)
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Jimmy Page: dragon suit, raging heroin addiction, and Alistair Crowley disciple, and convinces a 14-year-old's parents to let her come live with him while on tour.
ROCK STAR.
Three of the four of those would have gotten me time and a felony record.
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The thing about Hetfield is that he is a great host. It's like this is his party and we're all invited.
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The cool thing about James is that he's doing all the impressive rhythm guitar work while singing and Kirk is being useless.
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The cool thing about James is that he's doing all the impressive rhythm guitar work while singing and Kirk is being useless.
Kirks' rhythm is fine. It's his lead playing that has deteriorated.
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Jimmy Page: dragon suit, raging heroin addiction, and Alistair Crowley disciple, and convinces a 14-year-old's parents to let her come live with him while on tour.
ROCK STAR.
....and sold his soul to the devil. Super rock star.
The cool thing about James is that he's doing all the impressive rhythm guitar work while singing and Kirk is being useless.
I won't touch the Kirk thing, as Kotow said, his rhythm playing has actually always been really good live. He just gets compared against the greatest right hand in metal, Hetfield. But more to your point about his impressive guitar work, that might be the thing I think is most impressive about James' vocals. He's singing while playing those guitar parts. I struggle to play some of his stuff sitting by myself in the basement, not singing. To do both at the same time is pretty rad.
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When I saw the Die! Die! Die! In the title I came here expectingThe Mighty Eric Adams.
:metal :metal :metal
Yeah, James is fine.
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When I saw the Die! Die! Die! In the title I came here expectingThe Mighty Eric Adams.
:metal :metal :metal
Me too! :rollin :rollin :rollin
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I started a thread over at another place, and the premise was: ROCK STARS. Not "famous people in rock and roll", but ROCK STARS. Those guys that are a breed apart. The kind of guys that could wear dumb shit - like spandex - and still make it cooler than crap. The kind of guy that women drooled over, men idolized, and if they came to your house, drank your dad's liquor, banged your girlfriend, and pissed off the back deck, after they left all you could say was "Dude that was so fucking cool. I love that guy."
David Lee Roth: ROCK STAR
Eddie Vedder: NOT a rock star
Freddie Mercury: ROCK STAR
Rob Halford: NOT a rock star
Jimmy Page: ROCK STAR
Nils Lofgren: NOT a rock star
Well done. :tup :tup
I don't think I would have thought to put him on this list if I were Kev, but I can't really argue with it.
To be clear, this is not a thread of the best pop/rock singers ever; it's a list of pop and rock singers, good or bad. In theory, there are so many that I could do one every day and make this thread last years. :eek :eek
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Stadler AND Kev...How in the hell is Rob Halford NOT a rock star?? This guy single handedly set the heavy metal fashion trend.
I know you guys know better.
I mean maybe..
The kind of guy that women men drooled over, men women idolized,
...but still.
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I was going by the standard Stadler set. Halford strikes me as the major rock star on stage, but not the banged your girlfriend and pissed off your deck kinda guy. Now...David Lee Roth...yeah. :lol :lol
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Speaking of singers with attitude...
Pat Benatar
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FEQTqcsINe8/TDaFTj4ePkI/AAAAAAAAAEY/UNjwihr97Bo/s1600/benatar.jpg)
Pat Benatar brought a swagger and attitude, in both her stage demeanor and singing, which hadn't really been seen in rock music from a female singer. I'm really not a big fan of that many of her songs, although Shadows of the Night is one of the greatest pop rock hits of the 80s, but she had some pipes. That chorus to Shadows of the Night could have fallen flat in the throat of the wrong singer, but Benatar sang it with such power and such energy that it became one of the greatest choruses I have still ever heard.
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Her first two, and half of her third are amazing stuff. Amazing.
But Myron Grombacher was the strangest drummer going. Still have trouble trying to air drum to songs I've heard for over 35 years.
The Lovely Mrs TAC is a huge Pat Benatar fan, so it's not uncommon for us to have her on in the car.
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My top 2 female singers of all time (Ann Wilson being #1). She can belt it out and she is amazing live.
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Stadler AND Kev...How in the hell is Rob Halford NOT a rock star?? This guy single handedly set the heavy metal fashion trend.
I know you guys know better.
I mean maybe..
The kind of guy that women men drooled over, men women idolized,
...but still.
Nah, see, Kev has it. I had this same problem last time I did this. As I said, I don't mean "Famous guy - star - in rock and roll". I mean the euphemism "Rock star". I mean the guy that wears his bandmates girlfriend's panties (not HIS girlfriend, because he either doesn't have one or has like 15, and not the girl he banged 18 minutes ago, because she wasn't wearing any) around and you think it's cool. The guy who gives an interview, and you sort of wonder if perhaps in printing, they screwed up the "Questions" part and the "Answers" part. Or, more likely, doesn't give interviews at all, because the bottle of Jack keeps jingling against his rings and makes it impossible to record the conversation.
I'll give you that Halford is close - only a rock star can walk out on stage, trill his "r's" and claim, while dressed in a full sub bondage outfit, to be the "Mettle (because that's how he pronounces it) God". But he's far too normal off stage. "Rock stars" in this sense don't play golf, and don't live in Arizona. They live in a castle somewhere where there were human sacrifices back in 1677. Or a block off Sunset (Lemmy! Rock Star! Walks around wearing Nazi memorabilia, and no one ever accuses him of being an anti-Semite. EVER.)
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Benatar is an AMAZING singer, but she suffers with me because of her material. Shadows... is a great song, as is Hit Me... But she lost me with "Love Is A Battlefield" and "We Belong". I don't know; maybe I was too into Zeppelin and Maiden then. But she's the female Rod Stewart; UNBELIEVABLE singer, but not a lot of material - songs - I want to listen to.
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after you started the thread with Ann Wilson, the next name that popped into my head was Pat Benatar.
both are great singers.
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Stadler AND Kev...How in the hell is Rob Halford NOT a rock star?? This guy single handedly set the heavy metal fashion trend.
I know you guys know better.
I mean maybe..
The kind of guy that women men drooled over, men women idolized,
...but still.
Nah, see, Kev has it. I had this same problem last time I did this. As I said, I don't mean "Famous guy - star - in rock and roll". I mean the euphemism "Rock star". I mean the guy that wears his bandmates girlfriend's panties (not HIS girlfriend, because he either doesn't have one or has like 15, and not the girl he banged 18 minutes ago, because she wasn't wearing any) around and you think it's cool. The guy who gives an interview, and you sort of wonder if perhaps in printing, they screwed up the "Questions" part and the "Answers" part. Or, more likely, doesn't give interviews at all, because the bottle of Jack keeps jingling against his rings and makes it impossible to record the conversation.
I'll give you that Halford is close - only a rock star can walk out on stage, trill his "r's" and claim, while dressed in a full sub bondage outfit, to be the "Mettle (because that's how he pronounces it) God". But he's far too normal off stage. "Rock stars" in this sense don't play golf, and don't live in Arizona. They live in a castle somewhere where there were human sacrifices back in 1677. Or a block off Sunset (Lemmy! Rock Star! Walks around wearing Nazi memorabilia, and no one ever accuses him of being an anti-Semite. EVER.)
Then take Jimmy Page off the list, then.
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Benatar is an AMAZING singer, but she suffers with me because of her material. Shadows... is a great song, as is Hit Me... But she lost me with "Love Is A Battlefield" and "We Belong". I don't know; maybe I was too into Zeppelin and Maiden then. But she's the female Rod Stewart; UNBELIEVABLE singer, but not a lot of material - songs - I want to listen to.
Not me. I would listen to Pat Benatar sing my grocery list.
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Benatar is an AMAZING singer, but she suffers with me because of her material. Shadows... is a great song, as is Hit Me... But she lost me with "Love Is A Battlefield" and "We Belong". I don't know; maybe I was too into Zeppelin and Maiden then. But she's the female Rod Stewart; UNBELIEVABLE singer, but not a lot of material - songs - I want to listen to.
Not me. I would listen to Pat Benatar sing my grocery list.
Really? Seems like "Scotch....Cigars.....let the wife pick up everything else" would get boring after a bit.
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lol
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One of the best female rock singers out there (IMO). Her 1993 album, Gravity's Rainbow, is a really solid rock album. That's probably my go-to of hers. And, she can still belt it out.
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Great voice, awesome live (to this very day), and her long lasting love affair with Neil is one of the best stories in rock and roll.
Much respect for Patricia!
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One of the best female rock singers out there (IMO). Her 1993 album, Gravity's Rainbow, is a really solid rock album. That's probably my go-to of hers. And, she can still belt it out.
I love that album.
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Greg Lake
(https://ll-media.tmz.com/2016/12/08/1208-greg-lake-getty-8.jpg)
Amongst the all of the craziness of ELP's 70s music, one of the first things that caught my ear about them was how amazing Greg Lake's voice was. For all of the bombast, Lake's voice was often like the calm around the storm. I remember seeing footage of them and was hard to believe that such a powerful voice came out of such a little man (this was before he blew up in the 90s :lol :lol). Despite his recent passing, he is a guy who still doesn't get his due as one of rock's greatest singers ever.
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Did ELP have any "hits" as such? The only stuff I own with Lake on it is with Gary Moore. Funnily enough , supposedly not knowing any ELP , I just checked someone's "best of" on Youtube and his No 2 was Fanfare For The Common Man . Sports shows down here were using that for highlights packages all through my childhood and I never knew it was ELP :lol
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I don't think Lake was that great. I liken him to Rodgers actually. Very steady and identifiable.
I actually saw ELPowell in 1986. While not owning a single ELP album, I enjoyed the show very much.
The only stuff I own with Lake on it is with Gary Moore.
Nuclear Attack! :metal
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Really enjoy Lake's work. As with those who've already posted, I wouldn't consider him one of the GREAT vocalists, (Mercury, Dio, Jon Anderson, David Surkamp) but for me, he's pretty damn good. As a whole I actually prefer his work with KC to what he did later with ELP. Favourite tracks (thinking Lake's vocals here rather than the track as a whole) :
KC: Epitaph, In the Wake of Poseidon
ELP: Pirates
"In air, fire, earth and water
World on the scales.
Air, fire, earth and water
Balance of change
World on the scales
On the scales." :hefdaddy
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From the first time I heard it when I was kid, to just last week, I get chills every time I hear, "Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside."
Props from me. :tup :hefdaddy
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Did ELP have any "hits" as such? The only stuff I own with Lake on it is with Gary Moore. Funnily enough , supposedly not knowing any ELP , I just checked someone's "best of" on Youtube and his No 2 was Fanfare For The Common Man . Sports shows down here were using that for highlights packages all through my childhood and I never knew it was ELP :lol
The biggest was probably Lucky Man (which Lake wrote)
But these were all played fairly regularly on Classic Rock radio for a while:
From The Beginning
Still... You Turn Me On
Karn Evil No. 9: First Impression, Part II (the "Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends..." part)
I loved his singing. LOVED it (and Wetton's too; they both had that warm tenor voice. It's no surprise they were interchangeable in two bands!). One of my concert going highlights was seeing ELP in New Haven in '93, being third row center (Palmer winked and pointed at me with a drum stick at one point. Of course it was me! Who else would it be??) and having Mr. Lake sing "Pirates", one of my favorite ELP songs, from 20 feet in front of me. CHILLS, I say, CHILLS.
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KC: Epitaph
Nice call. Excellent choice.
ELP: Pirates
I swear, I wrote my previous post before I read this. I absolutely LOVE that song, and seeing it live was a real treat.
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None for me, thanks.
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Thanks Stadler..........just checked out Lucky Man and no luck :) - never heard it on radio out here.
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Fanfare For The Common Man . Sports shows down here were using that for highlights packages all through my childhood and I never knew it was ELP :lol
Neither did I. Mind = Blown.
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I used to listen to Pirates so much that I still know all of the lyrics to it. And there are A LOT of them. :lol
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Lady Gaga
(https://peopledotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/lady-gaga10.jpg?w=450)
Even though I think she tries too hard at times to sound like Madonna, there is no denying that she's got some pipes. I can't say I ever go out of my way to listen to her, outside of a couple songs, but she never would have gotten as big as she has if she couldn't sing.
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:corn
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bad romance is the best pop hit song of the modern era
not my favorite, but the best
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Lady Gaga is awesome; definitely my favorite modern pop singer.
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I like her and I like her voice, but I haven't been able to get into her music outside of a couple of songs.
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Even though I think she tries too hard at times to sound like Madonna, there is no denying that she's got some pipes. I can't say I ever go out of my way to listen to her, outside of a couple songs, but she never would have gotten as big as she has if she couldn't sing.
I think what really made her big is not the voice per se, but her ability to write songs. This helped her create a distinct identity with songs that fit her voice. It's her big advantage over other pop stars.
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bad romance is the best pop hit song of the modern era
not my favorite, but the best
Well, no, that's "Wildest Dreams" by Taylor Swift, but you're on the right track. ;) :)
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Oh, and anyone holding back the inevitable "She's crap, she's manufactured, she's this, she's that..." Google "Lady gaga Howard Stern Edge of Glory" and it should be the first video. Not only does she look relatively hot, it's just her and a piano, and she sings the SHIT out of that song. I heard it live, when she performed it (I was driving to Erie from Philly, a five hour drive, a five hour drive) and I remember after she finished, there was a good 20 or 30 seconds of dead silence, which if some of you know, is DEATH on the radio. But the studio was just STUNNED at what they just saw/heard.
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Google "Lady gaga Howard Stern Edge of Glory"
Solid suggestion. :metal
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She's great and quite talented. Her music isn't my thing, but I don't turn away from it. I think she is quite deserving of her fame, which I don't think is true for most.
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Excellent performance, Stadler, thanks for linking.
This video was recommended on the conclusion of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNow_5yzwL0 - rather fantastic delivery of the first two lines of Black Dog.
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Lady Gaga is awesome. No objections here.
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Big Gaga fan.
If any of you have a chance, youtube her performance of New York New York.
I'd post the link, but I'm too lazy to do the thing I'm currently telling you all to do.
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Brad Delp
(https://www.gonnahitcharide.com/images/stories/Articles/General/news-delp3.jpg)
I can still listen to a lot of Boston songs and get utterly floored by how amazing Brad Delp's voice was. I suspect some of their songs are not covered more because good luck doing justice to his original vocal parts. More Than a Feeling is one of the most popular songs ever, yet you rarely hear it covered, probably because what singers out there could actually sing it and not wreck the hell out of it? Not many. One of my favorite concert memories is still being 5th row center back in the mid 90s and seeing Delp nail the chorus to Hollyann. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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Yeah, great call, Kev. Those Boston albums are simply amazing. Their debut is simply timeless. A shame that he is gone.
Back when MP was still in the band, whenever a conversation here came up about what albums would you like to see covered, I always posted that the one album I'd love to see DT cover would be the Boston s/t.
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Delp has a god level voice.
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Otherworldly. His singing always had that, too good to be true, quality to it. Even live.
What Hef said.
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Delp has a god level voice.
Agreed... he is on a level reserved for but a few. Not only are those 3 Boston albums gold, I really loved RTZ. These "vocal only" YT vids really highly just how brilliant his voice is/was.
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Brian Wilson
(https://img.wennermedia.com/article-leads-horizontal/rs-196616-84884189.jpg)
Because he was such a great songwriter and an innovator in regards to sound and production, it is easy to overlook that Brian Wilson was a damn good singer, in a band full of them. You Still Believe in Me is such a great tune largely because of the vocal performance by Wilson. The Beach Boys were a tour de force from a vocals standpoint, and more often than not, during their prime, Brian Wilson led the charge.
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Oh, and anyone holding back the inevitable "She's crap, she's manufactured, she's this, she's that..." Google "Lady gaga Howard Stern Edge of Glory" and it should be the first video. Not only does she look relatively hot, it's just her and a piano, and she sings the SHIT out of that song. I heard it live, when she performed it (I was driving to Erie from Philly, a five hour drive, a five hour drive) and I remember after she finished, there was a good 20 or 30 seconds of dead silence, which if some of you know, is DEATH on the radio. But the studio was just STUNNED at what they just saw/heard.
My sentiment as well when it comes to Lady GaGa. She's the only female pop artist of the past 20 years that I really enjoy. In terms of quirkiness, originality and talent she is this generation's Kate Bush.
I only listen to my Boston albums once in a while, but every time I do, I'm floored by how good they are and ask myself why I don't listen to them much more regularly. Delp is a damn fine vocalist, Scholz a great guitarist and songwriter and their harmonies are terrific.
Don't listen to The Beachboys much at all, but I do enjoy both their music and Wilson's vocals. I'll have to get around to buying a copy of Pet Sounds some day. (So much music, so little money :( )
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Can't comment on Lady Gaga .
Brad Delp is amazing but I've never been fully on board with Boston. And AOR/melodic rock was my thing for much of my music life so they should be , but I remember buying their Greatest Hits in my teens and thinking "If that's their best.............". I love More Than A Feeling but not much else has taken my fancy.
Brian Wilson is great too. I don't own any Beach Boys but unlike many big artists from the US they DID get huge play in Australia. Whenever I hear them it takes me back and brings a smile to my face , even though I would never go out of my way to play them.
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Otherworldly. His singing always had that, too good to be true, quality to it. Even live.
What Hef said.
That's the thing: he did it LIVE too. I saw them once, and was expecting the worst (Scholz, studio wizard, blah blah blah) but he delivered.
We did Peace of Mind in my band in high school. I was the singer, and we'd play it, and the drummer would always go "it's missing something", and I would always go "Yeah, Brad fucking Delp. Can we do Smoke on the Water again?". Kind of a running joke, but not really. You can sing the words, carry the melody, but so few people have that crystalline, clear ringing tone that he had. So good.
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Brian Wilson is great too. I don't own any Beach Boys but unlike many big artists from the US they DID get huge play in Australia. Whenever I hear them it takes me back and brings a smile to my face , even though I would never go out of my way to play them.
Since Brent brought up airplay in Australia, Kev, do you have any Aussies in your list? I just realized that a lot of music I heard growing up were Australian. That's why I don't see them on MTV. :lol
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Brian Wilson is obviously a genius when it came to songwriting and arrangement.
I can't really speak about his voice. When I think about the Beach Boys, I think about ALL the voices, in harmony.
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Brian Wilson is great too. I don't own any Beach Boys but unlike many big artists from the US they DID get huge play in Australia. Whenever I hear them it takes me back and brings a smile to my face , even though I would never go out of my way to play them.
Since Brent brought up airplay in Australia, Kev, do you have any Aussies in your list? I just realized that a lot of music I heard growing up were Australian. That's why I don't see them on MTV. :lol
Tina Arena up next :metal (I have a vague memory of you mentioning her during an email in my roulette?)
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Brian Wilson is great too. I don't own any Beach Boys but unlike many big artists from the US they DID get huge play in Australia. Whenever I hear them it takes me back and brings a smile to my face , even though I would never go out of my way to play them.
Since Brent brought up airplay in Australia, Kev, do you have any Aussies in your list? I just realized that a lot of music I heard growing up were Australian. That's why I don't see them on MTV. :lol
Tina Arena up next :metal (I have a vague memory of you mentioning her during an email in my roulette?)
Yeah, but I was thinking more about Air Supply. :lol
And we had a bunch of pop hits in the early 1990s from Australian artists. Rick Price, Indecent Obssession, and Souther Sons. ;)
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Indecent Obssession;)
yikes :lol
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Brian Wilson is great too. I don't own any Beach Boys but unlike many big artists from the US they DID get huge play in Australia. Whenever I hear them it takes me back and brings a smile to my face , even though I would never go out of my way to play them.
Since Brent brought up airplay in Australia, Kev, do you have any Aussies in your list? I just realized that a lot of music I heard growing up were Australian. That's why I don't see them on MTV. :lol
I'm not saying he SHOULD be, but if Michael Hutchence was to appear on this list, I'd have no beef with that. Listen to "The Stairs". Epic.
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Can't comment on Lady Gaga .
Brad Delp is amazing but I've never been fully on board with Boston. And AOR/melodic rock was my thing for much of my music life so they should be , but I remember buying their Greatest Hits in my teens and thinking "If that's their best.............". I love More Than A Feeling but not much else has taken my fancy.
Brian Wilson is great too. I don't own any Beach Boys but unlike many big artists from the US they DID get huge play in Australia. Whenever I hear them it takes me back and brings a smile to my face , even though I would never go out of my way to play them.
Don't look Back just sort of appeared in our house when I was a kid. My mum and dad both say they didn't buy it, but there it was in the record player unit. Something of a mystery. Genesis' And Then There Were Three was there too.
As a kid I loved the cover. I really like the album, much prefer it to the 1st album. It doesn't really rock though.
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Michael Hutchence
(https://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/michael-hutchence-1985-performance-billboard-650.jpg)
Back in 1987-1988, Kick was my favorite cassette to listen to, and while I didn't give much thought at the time, the voice of Hutchence was a big reason why. He never struck me as being a great singer per se, but he had a great voice and had a style that was almost seductive, which I am sure drove the girls nuts. :lol
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I actually thought he was great. Obviously I didn't listen to INXS, other than radio/MTV, but I thought he had a style all his own. A shame he's gone.
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Michael is not an all-time great singer, but he is great in the field he chose to play in. I remember watching Rockstar INXS and all I can think of is how futile the exercise is.
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As a young kid I really enjoyed stuff like Burn For You and Listen Like Thieves but could not stand repetitive drivel like Suicide Blonde. So love/hate for me but Michael was a great front man and I never got sick of their best songs despite being bombarded with them constantly (being an Aussie - they were HUGE here)
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I saw INXS several times in the 80s and early 90s. First time was at the 1982 Adelaide University O Ball when they were the support band for Men at Work. Saw them again in Hobart (Dec. 1986) when they were the headline act of the Australian Made Tour.
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/inxs-and-jimmy-barnes-back-together-in-restored-rerelease-of-local-rock-movie-australian-made/news-story/9db9c00b13bdcecfa42bb38ead07e07a
Saw them a couple of more times in Darwin at the Gardens Amphitheatre.
Although they were a pretty good live act, and Hutchence was a charismatic frontman, I don't rate him as a great vocalist. Having lived through all the hype of INXS, I never really understood the God- like status that the Australian press and public afforded him. There was a even a very hyped TV miniseries here a couple of years back. As far as grea Aussie frontmen, I wouldn't put him in the same class as Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel), Doc Neeson (The Angels), Angry Anderson (Rose Tattoo) or Bon Scott (ACDC). The guy certainly had a way with the women though.
Favourite INXS tracks:
Speed Kills (Hutchence co-wrote this with Cold Chisel's Don Walker and it's on the Don Walker soundtrack album for the movie Freedom)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAH27QY1Kos
Don't Change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLm3Khusq_8
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The verses to "Don't Change" are awesome, but again, please take a listen to "The Stairs" (and you have to listen to the whole thing, because it's not a "verse, chorus, verse, chorus" song; it builds). What a great vocal.
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Obviously I didn't listen to INXS
Why "obviously"?
Anyway, he was OK, but certainly not an all-time vocalist by any means. Lots of charisma and style, which goes a long way, but his chops were average at best, IMO.
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I've got the greatest hits album but haven't played it in 20 years or so. One of those purchases from the single days in case of bringing a lady home :o
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He had a Jim Morrison vibe and style to him. Slinky and sultry and could command the room. Like it was said earlier, I loved when they were more rock (Don't Change, Listen Like Thieves ect..) than the dance beat songs. (Suicide Blonde...)
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Obviously I didn't listen to INXS
Why "obviously"?
Cuz I was a metal dude :metal
;D
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please take a listen to "The Stairs" (and you have to listen to the whole thing, because it's not a "verse, chorus, verse, chorus" song; it builds). What a great vocal.
I had never heard that before, but nice little tune. :tup :tup
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Steve Winwood
(https://thebestmusicyouhaveneverheard.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/steve-winwood.jpg)
I am not sure how to describe Steve Winwood's voice, other than it has a very unique, husky quality to it. He's not somebody you'd hear and be blown away by, but he had a very distinct voice and he knew how to use it. Gimme Some Lovin', The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Valerie are three very different songs, from three different eras and decades, yet Winwood's voice helped carry all of them, albeit in different ways. Good singer and musician.
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:corn
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... she is this generation's Kate Bush.
Sorry, but is Kate Bush big enough for anyone to be any generation's Kate Bush? I don't think I even know who Kate Bush is.
I played the shit out of my INXS Kick cassette too, but not sure I could tell you three of their songs now.
Not sure Winwood's vocals made his/Traffic's songs better than they would have been otherwise.
Maybe we need a WAR ranking or some sort of Sabermetrics for musicians to quantify their talents.
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... she is this generation's Kate Bush.
Sorry, but is Kate Bush big enough for anyone to be any generation's Kate Bush? I don't think I even know who Kate Bush is.
Seriously? ???
She was huge in the late 70s and through the early/mid 80s. She wrote Wuthering Heights along with most of the other tracks off her debut album including The Man with the Child in His Eyes, when she was 18. I don't know if you're a Peter Gabriel fan, but she did the duet "Don't Give Up" with him. As well as achieving great commercial success, many critics raved about her and continue to rave about her. Prog magazine even had her on their cover a couple of years back. Perhaps you haven't heard of her as she has not been particularly prolific. Her only albums have been https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Bush_discography
If you're less than 30 though and living in the US though, I suppose I can understand you're never having heard of her though, given that she didn't achieve the same chart success there that she did in Europe and Australia. Believe me, she was huge here for a few years in the late 70s, early 80s.
To show why I made my original statement comparing her to Lady Gaga.Remember she wrote these tracks (the first two when still only 18), did her own choreography and played a big part in the creation of the film clips.
Wuthering Heights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs
The Man with the Child in his Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAj8suae3WY
Babooshka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xckBwPdo1c
Cloudbursting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pllRW9wETzw
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Kate Bush was great :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZjhMDPzlfs
These guys were a bunch of local lads I knew at college who enjoyed taking the piss out of pretty much everything - note the band name and album title. Good times haha
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I don't think I even know who Kate Bush is.
I'm positive I don't know who Kate Bush is.
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I'm positive that Kate Bush is not currently the featured pop/rock singer of the day. :P
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:)
Winwood certainly has a distinctive voice (half the battle) and Valerie is the obvious song that comes to mind when I think of him. Nice enough voice. I didn't know about all his other exploits until I saw him playing with Eric Clapton and looked into his history.
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... she is this generation's Kate Bush.
Sorry, but is Kate Bush big enough for anyone to be any generation's Kate Bush? I don't think I even know who Kate Bush is.
Seriously? ???
She was huge in the late 70s and through the early/mid 80s. She wrote Wuthering Heights along with most of the other tracks off her debut album including The Man with the Child in His Eyes, when she was 18. I don't know if you're a Peter Gabriel fan, but she did the duet "Don't Give Up" with him. As well as achieving great commercial success, many critics raved about her and continue to rave about her. Prog magazine even had her on their cover a couple of years back. Perhaps you haven't heard of her as she has not been particularly prolific. Her only albums have been https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Bush_discography
If you're less than 30 though and living in the US though, I suppose I can understand you're never having heard of her though, given that she didn't achieve the same chart success there that she did in Europe and Australia. Believe me, she was huge here for a few years in the late 70s, early 80s.
To show why I made my original statement comparing her to Lady Gaga.Remember she wrote these tracks (the first two when still only 18), did her own choreography and played a big part in the creation of the film clips.
Wuthering Heights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs
The Man with the Child in his Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAj8suae3WY
Babooshka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xckBwPdo1c
Cloudbursting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pllRW9wETzw
Not to be argumentative, but the reality is somewhere in between, at least in America. You should know who she is - I was there then, and her rep was that she was big in the UK and here she "was going to be legend" but never really stuck like the promise said she would. She was arguably more famous here for that Gabriel song - you called Bush "huge"? SO was HUGE - and her involvement with David Gilmour than anything she actually did. Very talented, sure, cute, sure, but "huge"? I'm not going that far.
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I'm positive that Kate Bush is not currently the featured pop/rock singer of the day. :P
HAHA, nice! :)
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:)
Winwood certainly has a distinctive voice (half the battle) and Valerie is the obvious song that comes to mind when I think of him. Nice enough voice. I didn't know about all his other exploits until I saw him playing with Eric Clapton and looked into his history.
I've seen a couple posts that said that "Hutchence wasn't a great singer", and from the standpoint of "six octave range", you're probably right, but his voice was clear, and not at all pedestrian. I'd actually put Winwood in the "wasn't a great singer" category before Hutchence. I get it, Winwood is a legend (that Blind Faith record... ) but he never really clicked with me as a singer in the same way that, say, Elton John or Paul Rodgers did.
If you can't tell, I don't really like that scruffy, blue-eyed soul sound. I was listening to Chris Stapleton on the Country Music Awards show and I was like "Ok, so your voice is scruffy and hard; that doesn't make you a great singer, or any more talented". I actually think it's harder to sing in that clear, sustained way that, say, Sting does, or Elton John did back in the day (listen to "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" or "High Flying Bird" for what I'm talking about).
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Yeah, Kate Bush is definitely not "huge" here in the U.S. and never has been.
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I wouldn't have a clue who Kate Bush is if she hadn't done Don't Give Up with Peter Gabriel. And the live version with Paula Cole is miles better anyway.
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She was on MTV a ton in the 80's.
Winwood has this slight rasp that made his voice very recognizable.
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I hear/see Kate Bush's name and the only thing I can relate it to is "running up that hill...."
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As Kate Bush hasn't been a featured vocalist in this thread, I'll refrain from further comment. :P
Steve Winwood:A pretty decent singer. I really like his work with Traffic and he has worked with an impressive list of people over the years. Mr Fantasy, the debut Traffic album would be my favourite Winwood album.
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Ronnie James Dio
(https://www.invisibleoranges.com/files/2010/05/dio-sabbathhorns-thumbnail.jpg)
A legend in metal circles. I have never really personally connected with his voice, to where I was ever really wowed by it, but there is no denying that the guy was a helluva singer. I guess for me, he just never sang on a lot of songs I liked. Aside from Sabbath's Heaven and Hell, which is a stellar record, I can only name a handful of other songs that I like that he sang. Regardless, his legend status is well earned.
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I have never heard of any of those Kate Bush songs, even the ones with Gabriel and Gilmour. And after watching them on youtube, I kinda wish I still hadn't heard any of them.
So yeah, Dio is one of the best. And likewise I (sadly?) never got in to much of his material.
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Dio....what can I say, the man is amazing. So many great performances. I would recommend some of the Rainbow stuff if anyone feels he is too metal. Rainbow's On Stage is a magnificent live album.
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Dio....what can I say, the man is amazing. So many great performances. I would recommend some of the Rainbow stuff if anyone feels he is too metal. Rainbow's On Stage is a magnificent live album.
NICE! I was going to post that the three "complete shows" from the German tour (that provided some of the material for On Stage) are must listening, even if Dio was still working on some of his stage banter. ;)
I know it's sort of a cliché (it's the LONG SONG!) but his vocals on Stargazer are so integral to that song. "Look, look, look... on the horizon"; every time I hear that, I picture him pointing and I feel I have to turn around and look, as if the rainbow will actually be there. I was lucky enough to see him perform that live - one of his solo tours, opening for Maiden on a summer shed tour, early to mid 2000's - and it was as classic as it sounds.
Also, huge fan of the live versions of "Catch The Rainbow".
It also has to be said: while he might have been a dick to his band(s) (in my humble opinion, we've forgotten that he fell out with Blackmore, Iommi/Butler, AND Campbell) he really was the nicest guy in the world to his fans. My buddy saw him with Sabbath on the Dehumanizer tour, and it was February in Connecticut, and Dio stood outside the bus for a good 45 minutes in sub-freezing weather signing everything that was put in front of him. My bud got his ticket signed, but to this day - that was what, 20 years ago? - he still talks about how "Dio talked to him!". It wasn't just a scribble and run.
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Never cared about Dio. Undeniably great metal voice, but I never really liked any of the bands he was in or any of the songs I heard from them.
*shrugs*
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Dio....what can I say, the man is amazing. So many great performances. I would recommend some of the Rainbow stuff if anyone feels he is too metal. Rainbow's On Stage is a magnificent live album.
The voice of metal. Legend.
Rising, Heaven & Hell, Holy Diver. The holy trinity. And plenty of other awesome albums. For a good 15 years he could do no wrong. :metal 🤘🤘
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Stevie Nicks
(https://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120608030917-fleetwood-mac-10-horizontal-gallery.jpg)
Nicks' raspy voice just has this great quality that you can't help but love. As much as I love the guitar playing of Lindsey Buckingham and think he is a damn fine singer, too, it's no coincidence that my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs are ones that feature Nicks on lead vocal: Gypsy, Dreams & Rhiannon. Drugs and a rigorous touring cycle damaged her voice at a young age and she was never quite the singer again that she was in the 70s, but that doesn't erase how good she was in her prime.
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I know it's sort of a cliché (it's the LONG SONG!) but his vocals on Stargazer are so integral to that song. "Look, look, look... on the horizon"; every time I hear that, I picture him pointing and I feel I have to turn around and look, as if the rainbow will actually be there. I was lucky enough to see him perform that live - one of his solo tours, opening for Maiden on a summer shed tour, early to mid 2000's - and it was as classic as it sounds.
Not sure if you saw the Lock Up the Wolves tour but he broke into Stargazer and I literally lost my mind.
Also, huge fan of the live versions of "Catch The Rainbow".
:hefdaddy
Oh yes.
And Cozy Powell is simply amazing on Catch The Rainbow. Playing both loud and soft. Incredible.
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RJD = Legend :hefdaddy
One of the cases where an artists talent and output really does match his reputation. Seeing him perform in Perth Western Australia on the Heaven and Hell tour was one of those bucket list moments fulfilled. His voice was still excellent. Although he's a legend of metal, it's some of his more laid back tunes that are my favourites and to me highlight what a great vocalist he was:
Rainbow: Catch the Rainbow
Sabbath: Over and Over
Hardin, Glover etc (The Butterfly Ball album): Sitting in a Dream, Love is All
For those unfamiliar with the Hardin/ Glover collaboration, check out the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOakKYtF6SY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaNII5aLiOM
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Stevie was great. I enjoyed her solo career too. The duo with Tom Petty was fantastic.
That photo you chose, Kev... the way she's caressing the mic... while her lips lightly touch the tip... good thing it's not a Telefunkin U47!
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I know it's sort of a cliché (it's the LONG SONG!) but his vocals on Stargazer are so integral to that song. "Look, look, look... on the horizon"; every time I hear that, I picture him pointing and I feel I have to turn around and look, as if the rainbow will actually be there. I was lucky enough to see him perform that live - one of his solo tours, opening for Maiden on a summer shed tour, early to mid 2000's - and it was as classic as it sounds.
Not sure if you saw the Lock Up the Wolves tour but he broke into Stargazer and I literally lost my mind.
I'll check; it was one of those later solo tours. It was a triple bill: Motorhead, Dio and Maiden, and it was a great show. Not the best show I ever saw, but it was probably the best value for money. Legend opening, legend following, and legends headlining!
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I love Stevie Nicks, and I'm sorry, she's still good looking for her age (she's what, 70?)
Gold Dust Woman gets me every time: "Rulers make bad lovers; better put your kingdom up for sale!"
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As a teen I've never wanted to see a woman's legs more than Stevie's.
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Always really enjoyed her work in Fleetwood Mac, and I also really like the Buckingham Nicks album, but I never cared that much for the rest of her solo work.
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That photo you chose, Kev... the way she's caressing the mic... while her lips lightly touch the tip... good thing it's not a Telefunkin U47!
:lol :lol :tup :tup
Gold Dust Woman gets me every time: "Rulers make bad lovers; better put your kingdom up for sale!"
Yep, great tune.
As a teen I've never wanted to see a woman's legs more than Stevie's.
:coolio :hat
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I recall someone here calling her voice "Goaty," presumably to mean "sounding like a goat." Somehow I can agree with that statement, and still appreciate her singing. Though aside from a few FM gems, I prefer her vocals when sung with Lindsay.
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Stevie Nicks is all kinds of awesome!
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Only fitting to feature this man after last night...
Jon Anderson
(https://assets.teamrock.com/image/9da5a87e-c909-45be-b742-272877f34611?w=800)
Anderson's angelic voice is one of the most beautiful things the rock and roll genre has ever seen. It has this otherworldly, ethereal quality to it that made Yes' songs, which were already dynamite musically, that much better and powerful. Plus, his lyrics always has this kind of mystical quality, which came across as fascinating as heck when coming from his voice, even if they occasionally looked like pure gibberish on paper. To me, the Mount Rushmore of classic prog conversation begins and ends with Jon Anderson.
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Voice of an angel. One of my all time favorite singers.
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He is the main reason why I cannot listen to Yes.
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He is the main reason why I cannot listen to Yes.
Sort of this. I can listen to it but the complete bollox he's singing puts me off more. I'm a casual Yes fan at best though.
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Voice of an angel. One of my all time favorite singers.
+1
While Anderson he rightly remember for his core role in Yes, lets not forget his work with Vangelis. The Jon and Vangelis albums Friends of Mr Cairo and Short Stories are essential IMHO if you're a Jon Anderson Fan and Private Collection is also very good. The Vangelis album Heaven and Hell features So Long Ago So Clear, my personal favourite of anything Anderson has done vocally, for me rivalled perhaps only by Soon and Wonderous Stories.
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He is the main reason why I cannot listen to Yes.
(https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/41208484/soup-nazi-youre-pushing-your-luck-little-man.jpg)
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Not a fan either. In fact, I was perusing the Yes thread here, and while my knowledge of them is pretty limited, it seems like for a legendary and flagship band in the genre, they only have a couple stellar albums, and decades worth of material that is marginal at best and garbage at worst. True?
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Not true. Yes had four stellar albums in the early to mid 70s, all of which were integral in popularizing the subgenre now known as progressive rock (I do not believe it was called that at the time). The fact that they have been a mess for much of the last 20 years doesn't erase what they did in their prime.
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How is that much different from what I said? I didn't say anything about their legacy, intentionally, as that cannot always be measured by volume. Hell, I love Floyd and The Who beyond words, and I think they only both put out 4 stellar albums. And they are as integral to the popularity of rock as anyone.
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Yes' output is way more consistent than they get credit for. Their 4 best albums are really high up there, but it's not like the rest is throwaway. Lots of less talked about gems like Drama, Talk, and The Ladder. Even Fly From Here from 2011 was really good.
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I love Yes, but the best I can say about Anderson's voice is, it fit some of the music. Mostly, I just found myself listening beyond Jon. I can't shake the feeling that he's got a big gob of mucus stuck in his throat. I always have to suppress an urge to clear mine when I listen to him sing.
His lyrics make an odd kind of sense if you just listen to them as words that are appropriate for the music. Tune out the message, is the best advise.
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Not a fan either. In fact, I was perusing the Yes thread here, and while my knowledge of them is pretty limited, it seems like for a legendary and flagship band in the genre, they only have a couple stellar albums, and decades worth of material that is marginal at best and garbage at worst. True?
Not true, and even if it was (but it's not) they are SO big as to make it a moot point. But few people realize that even in America, they were a STADIUM band (which for prog... neither Genesis, Crimson, or ELP were stadium level bands as headliners [ELP played stadia as openers a fair amount] during their heyday).
I'm a huge fan. I think his voice is unique and angelic, and it's one of the few cases where no one can really sing those songs like he can. Starship Trooper, Your Is No Disgrace, And You and I... magic.
Lyrics? Well, I don't mind them, even like some of them (Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you!) but it's not meant to be high philosophy. I posted a thread at another site not long ago asking, "who was the greatest prophet of rock and roll? Jon Anderson or Ronnie James Dio?" Haha.
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Who cares about lyrics, really? If you wanna muse on what the words mean or whatever, poetry's probably more up your street than music. Lyrics are just words for a vocalist to add their melody to.
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Who cares about lyrics, really? If you wanna muse on what the words mean or whatever, poetry's probably more up your street than music.
HEAVILY disagree.
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I'd say it's 70-30 in favour of music over lyrics in terms of importance.
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Lyrics are pretty damn important to me.
I mean, I can still listen to Rhapsody and Ayreon despite their awful lyrics, but I will always value a band like PoS much more because of their amazing lyrics.
It's like saying, who cares about notes and rhythm? It's just noise for the singer to put his poetry over.
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. But few people realize that even in America, they were a STADIUM band (which for prog... neither Genesis, Crimson, or ELP were stadium level bands as headliners [ELP played stadia as
When did they play stadiums? I don't remember that. Do you mean arenas?
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Geoff Tate
(https://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~bigoleg/queensryche/pictures/metal_hammer_geoff_tate.jpg)
Despite being a monster tool bag whose voice has deteriorated into something awful, we cannot forget how great a singer he was in his prime. That kind of metal howling is rarely my thing, but he had a style and timbre that just made it sound great. I always liked when he would go really low with the singing; he could hit it out of the park doing that kind of singing. It is really is sad to see how far he has fallen, but we'll always have that decade plus (mid 80s to the mid 90s) when he was absolute money.
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O:M is one of my three favorite vocal performances. Amazing.
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None for me. I know their "classic" run of albums is held in high regard, but QR mostly never did it for me.
I liked the Empire album OK, I guess.
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I think the cracks were even evident on Promised Land. A shame. Nobody could touch him. But his career as a totality ends up being quite disappointing, no?
I look at James Labrie, and at least on the studio albums, he is still quite excellent, even though he can be iffy live.
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Tate has been pretty decent live in recent months from what I have seen - quite a recovery in terms of his "ear". He has certainly lost a fair bit in terms of range but him sounding poor is as much to do with the songs as his voice deteriorating IMO. Some of the shite he has been singing since Promised Land would sound rubbish with anyone on vocals.
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Does Australia have like an extra 12 hours per day than the rest of the world? Who has the extra time to sample current Geoff Tate??
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. But few people realize that even in America, they were a STADIUM band (which for prog... neither Genesis, Crimson, or ELP were stadium level bands as headliners [ELP played stadia as
When did they play stadiums? I don't remember that. Do you mean arenas?
'76, they were playing stadia. There is a legendary boot of them at JFK in Philly, for example. Yale Bowl in New Haven. RFK in Washington. It wasn't a pure stadium tour, like Buffet does - some markets were arenas - but still.
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. But few people realize that even in America, they were a STADIUM band (which for prog... neither Genesis, Crimson, or ELP were stadium level bands as headliners [ELP played stadia as
When did they play stadiums? I don't remember that. Do you mean arenas?
'76, they were playing stadia. There is a legendary boot of them at JFK in Philly, for example. Yale Bowl in New Haven. RFK in Washington. It wasn't a pure stadium tour, like Buffet does - some markets were arenas - but still.
OK. I would have had no idea. It is still hard to believe. Of course I wouldn't remember that anyway. A little before my time.
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I think the cracks were even evident on Promised Land. A shame. Nobody could touch him. But his career as a totality ends up being quite disappointing, no?
I look at James Labrie, and at least on the studio albums, he is still quite excellent, even though he can be iffy live.
That can certainly be argued, when you take into account that his professional singing career is now over 30 years and he has sucked ass for a pretty good percentage of it now. Still, his prime really was something else.
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Mick Jagger
(https://i1.wp.com/encouraging-quotes.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mick-Jagger.jpg)
While I would never call Jagger a great singer, he sang with a swagger and an attitude that made his vocal style pretty unique and certainly innovative in rock and roll history. I simply cannot imagine The Rolling Stones having had anyone else singing all of those songs.
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When Roger Daltrey came up, we talked a lot about a band's "front man." Mick is the quintessential front man. Enough so that he jacked the band away from its intended front man Brian Jones. His live performances were always terrible, but he was good enough a vocalist to help make their albums legendary. At least until 1974 or so.
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A living legend.
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Over the past year or so I've really fallen in love with The Stones after not paying them much attention for years. I agree that Mick's not the greatest singer, but I'd say nobody in the band is really phenomenal or anything, it really is the sum of everything that makes it so good, and Mick's voice is an integral part of that. Love in Vain is just fantastic, I haven't been able to get it out of my head the past couple days.
Are Mick's solo albums worth listening to? I've never really felt the urge to check them out.
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A living legend.
Great way to put it.
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I was never fond of Mick's voice but the man has charisma on stage. No doubt.
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I love Sympathy for the Devil. I can't imagine it sung by anyone else. :tup
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I only have three Stones' CDs: Tattoo You, Emotional Rescue, and Some Girls. I'm good with those. Have never felt the need to get anymore.
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Until I was about 30, I much preferred The Beatles to the Stones. Over the past 2 decades though, I've done a full 180. Much prefer the Stones, particularly from Aftermath through to Let It Bleed. Even though I don't rate Jagger as a great vocalist, he is brilliant on tracks like Paint it Black, Mother's Little Helper and Under my Thumb. As I posted earlier in the thread when discussing Roger Daltry, for me, Jagger is certainly one of the great front men of any band. :hat
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James LaBrie
(https://leeenysmien.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/131205-james-labrie-674x941.jpg)
For as much as the fan base bags on him for his live performances, which can be pretty inconsistent at times, LaBrie is always money in the studio, and in the 90s was one of the greatest singers in the world. Images & Words has to go down as one of the best vocal performances ever from a full album standpoint. He is the voice of Dream Theater, and I cannot imagine them having been nearly as successful with any other singer. All hail JLB! :metal :metal
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Totally. I & W is one of my Top 3 vocals ever. (You already have 2 of the 3 in the thread!).
He could be Inconsistent live. He can be both karaoke and on the money. But out the course of DT's discography, he has proven himself without question. Even on albums where they didn't ask a lot of him, he was flawless.
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Hmmm, now I am curious as to what your number 1 vocal performance is (you said Mindcrime and I&W are both top 3, so we are missing number 1).... I would guess something from Maiden.
But yeah, about JLB, you are correct. Even though it is impossible to nail live, I would put Take the Time up there with just about anything as far as greatest rock vocal studio performances go.
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Well I have a Top 3. O:M and I&W are two of them.
Not Iron Maiden! ;D
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I had to google what song that was from. Thought it would be Neal Morse.
Anyhoo, first heard DT/James in 1992(?) with Pull Me Under on the radio. Never heard a vocalist deliver like that. Been a fan ever since. JLB's last 3 solo albums are great too! Never cared for the Mullmuzzler ones.
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I feel the exact opposite about JLB solo. Muzzmuzzler albums awesome. Last three not so much.
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Huge fan of LaBrie; when I bought Images and Words back in '92, it was Portnoy's drumming and LaBrie's singing that hooked me, and to this day, that is a top ten all time album for me.
As for Jagger, huge Stones fan - I have almost the complete catalogue which is saying something - and you have to see him live to get it. I know it's easy to mock him for a lot of things - his solo albums are forgettable, as are most Stones videos - but I saw them on the Bigger Bang tour, two and a half hours in a stadium, and yet, when the entire place was bathed in red, and he was out on the catwalk singing "Sympathy For The Devil" it was captivating. Almost dangerous (I can only IMAGINE what that was like seeing that in '71 or '72...), or at least as dangerous as you could feel watching a 60+ year old man in a football stadium in Connecticut. He also has - and this isn't to be underestimated - an amazing knack of channeling the music he's playing. He can sing blues - Delta blues, British blues, Chicago blues - rock, dance, disco, punk, country... few singers have that level of breadth without sounding out of place or like a cheap caricature (which he also has on rare occasions).
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Obviously a big fan of James.
Jagger? No thanks.
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Yep, James is great. :tup
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For me, James LaBrie's best vocal performances (studio and/or live) did not involve DT, but more on his performance on Ayreon's The Human Equation. He was really on point with the emotions and mannerisms that locks into the character of Me. He killed it in the studio album and he shined really well in the opera-like setting of The Theater Equation and the surprising part was that a month prior to The Theater Equation, we saw that he had a rather subpar performances in the Wacken Live stream.
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Annie Lennox
(https://img.wennermedia.com/660-width/rs-134963-annie-lennox.jpg)
I probably cannot name more than 6-7 original songs Lennox ever sang, but her voice has always stood out to be as being pretty awesome. Here Comes the Rain Again has been a longtime favorite of mine since I was 10, largely because of her wonderful voice (and the bad ass synths), and out of all of the singers Queen brought out for the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert, Lennox was in the handful who knocked it out of the park. Great voice, great singer.
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I'm a big Lennox fan. Her voice is fantastic and I really like her style.
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I love her voice too. Not as keen on her style - too Bowie-ish for me - but the woman can sing. I'm old school, so I'm partial to the earlier, Eurythmics stuff like "Would I Lie To You?" than her more sparse solo stuff.
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Annie Lennox can do no wrong.
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Chris Cornell
(https://loudwire.com/files/2012/07/chriscornell.jpg)
I was never much of a fan of Soundgarden or grunge in general, but Cornell was obviously a really good singer. Even a grunge disliker like me could tell that. That's all I got.
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I was in the PNW when grunge took off in the early 90s, and was never a big fan of it. *shrug*
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I'm a huge Soundgarden fan, and even had tickets for the... I think it was the Down on the Upside tour, and the show was cancelled. I've seen too many dodgy performances - there was one on SNL where Chris sounded like he was singing a different song - and so he was always a personal favorite but I never thought him to be among the "greats".
Then I saw "Temple of the Dog" in Madison Square Garden. I was far back on the floor and when the lights went down I did the mad dash (even hopped a barrier, and I'm almost 50!) and got to within about five rows of the stage. Cornell blew me away. He sang the Temple songs - recorded 25 years ago - note perfect, he sang about five Mother Love Bone songs (and Andrew Wood has a VERY different voice than Cornell) and covered Ozzy, Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, AND Robert Smith (The Cure). Their version of Achilles Last Stand is possibly the best Zeppelin cover I've ever heard (the only one close is the Kennedy Center "Stairway..." by Heart that made Plant cry) and that was in large part to Cornell's vocals.
Plus, his recent acoustic album is just STELLAR. Really good stuff.
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Cornell has a phenomenal voice, but I never really cared for a lot of the music he has made (Soundgarden, Audioslave).
But Temple of the Dog was mostly awesome. Say Hello 2 Heaven remains one of my favorite songs ever, and his vocal there is tremendous.
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Cornell is a personal favorite.
I'd probably enjoy listening to him sing the phone book, but I'd much prefer him singing his bizarre lyrics. Black Hole Sun is so weird it's wonderful. Evocative. I also really like the lyrics to Outshined, "I just looked in the mirror, And things aren't looking so good, I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota". Hell, for that matter, all of Badmotorfinger is just fantastic, lyrically.
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Cornell is a personal favorite.
I'd probably enjoy listening to him sing the phone book, but I'd much prefer him singing his bizarre lyrics. Black Hole Sun is so weird it's wonderful. Evocative. I also really like the lyrics to Outshined, "I just looked in the mirror, And things aren't looking so good, I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota". Hell, for that matter, all of Badmotorfinger is just fantastic, lyrically.
One of my favorite moments in music is the beginning of "Searching With My Good Eye Closed".
"A rooster says... here is a pig... the devil says..." and then this epic scream by Cornell into a midtempo verse, then the prechorus of "Is it to the sky?" that repeats three times, rising higher each time ('to the sky')... that song gives me chills every time I hear it.
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Cornell is amazing!
Personal favorite performances of his are "Birth Ritual" and "Jesus Christ Pose". Seeing JCP performed live by them at NY's Roseland Ballroom on the Down On The Upside tour was amazing.
Audioslave was "hit or miss" for me. He was fine enough on the releases. It was more the songs not doing it for me.
Of his solo albums, I only have Euphoria Morning, which is great.
And, Temple of the Dog was incredible. The album is solid enough. But, the MSG show Stadler was at was one of the best shows I've ever been to. The stage was bare-bones. But, the music, especially Chris' vocals was so powerful. And, as Stadler said, their performance of Achilles Last Stand is probably the best I've ever heard someone else rock a Zeppelin tune live.
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Chris Cornell is one of my favorite singers. I saw soundgarden live in Hellfest 2014 and he nailed the show. Great performance. Aside from the most known stuff, 4th of July is one of my favorite performances by him, the doubled vocal lines in it sounds amazing.
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I was sold on his voice with "Jesus Christ Pose". He just goes all out in that song.
Always been more of an Audioslave fan than a Soundgarden one, honestly, but Chris Cornell's great.
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Always been more of an Audioslave fan than a Soundgarden one, honestly, but Chris Cornell's great.
This is me too, I feel like most people are the other way around (they like Soundgarden more), but for me, I dug Audioslave's stuff and never could really get into SG.
Chris is great though - the first Audioslave album is just fantastic.
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Aside from the most known stuff, 4th of July is one of my favorite performances by him, the doubled vocal lines in it sounds amazing.
Actually, Superunknown has a few hidden treasures. 4th of July, Limo Wreck and Like A Suicide are pretty great.
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As an aside, is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while Soundgarden stands by watching a bit of a crime? I know, I know, Eddie Vedder, but c'mon.
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I think the longevity and how Pearl Jam is in the public eye that pushed them ahead of Soundgarden.
BTW, I love Cornell but his style of singing is not conducive to father time. Has anybody heard his solo work where he doesn't sing the hard falsetto? He's got a wonderful voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaxI41Oqdfw
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Can't stand him. Never could. He even ruined a song on Alice's Last Temptation album.
As an aside, is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while Soundgarden stands by watching a bit of a crime? I know, I know, Eddie Vedder, but c'mon.
The RNRHOF is a joke, and would continue to be by putting Soundgarden in.
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Huge Cornell and Soundgarden fan. Hands All Over was the song that sold me.
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As an aside, is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while Soundgarden stands by watching a bit of a crime? I know, I know, Eddie Vedder, but c'mon.
Soundgarden definitely had success and is a great band. But, as far as 90's Grunge/Rock goes, if you weren't talking about Cobain, you were talking about Vedder. Cornell and Co. definitely took a back seat.
More importantly...
Is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while [Deep Purple/ Iron Maiden/ Judas Priest/ Whoever Else You Can Think Of] stands by watching a bit of a crime?
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Can't stand him. Never could. He even ruined a song on Alice's Last Temptation album.
As an aside, is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while Soundgarden stands by watching a bit of a crime? I know, I know, Eddie Vedder, but c'mon.
The RNRHOF is a joke, and would continue to be by putting Soundgarden in.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a0/09/76/a009763ae0d1d7dd0b9bbf0988cf2843.jpg)
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Since the convo is going that way, let's get him out of the way...
Eddie Vedder
(https://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/eddie-vedder-pearl-jam-1992-nyc-performance-billboard-650.jpg)
I actively dislike his voice. It is the main reason I do not like Pearl Jam. 12,008 songs in my iTunes currently, and not a single one by Pearl Jam...because of his voice. Just not a fan.
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I actively dislike his voice. It is the main reason I do not like Pearl Jam. 12,008 songs in my iTunes currently, and not a single one by Pearl Jam...because of his voice. Just not a fan.
+1
Even Flow makes me want to clear my throat of phlegm..
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Ditto the above
https://youtu.be/jj8FIUGLgDM
Every time I hear Vedder I think of Hootie and the Blowfish.
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Vedder is pretty much revered around here. I said earlier I never got in to grunge, and the grunge vocal style, while not being the primary turn-off, didn't help any.
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I liked his voice in one of Pearl Jam's track in their last album, Future Days. Builds a nice light-hearted mood that suits well with that acoustic-like track.
As for Chris Cornell, I find myself wanting more and more to sing karaoke tracks from Soundgarden, especially Burden in my Hand. I do think he deserves all the praise he gets as a vocalist. His solo album, Higher Truth, was great. Nothing groundbreaking. Just Cornell playing well in the solo-songwriter role as he should be.
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Can't stand him. Never could. He even ruined a song on Alice's Last Temptation album.
As an aside, is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while Soundgarden stands by watching a bit of a crime? I know, I know, Eddie Vedder, but c'mon.
The RNRHOF is a joke, and would continue to be by putting Soundgarden in.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a0/09/76/a009763ae0d1d7dd0b9bbf0988cf2843.jpg)
:rollin
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The 80's Strikes Back
(https://s24.postimg.org/vw5haz1qd/uyours.jpg)
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Sorry guys, I liked Pearl Jam. The only time I wasn't fond of their music was the few albums after Yield. Too Neil Young influenced. Their last 3 albums have been great.
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I like some Pearl Jam, and think Vedder is effective for their kind of music, but i'm not a big fan of his singing.
As for grunge singers, apart from CC, my favorites were Layne Staley, Mark Lanegan and Scott Weiland. CC and LS are the better ones, Lanegan has a distinct voice and grit (and the best solo career) and Weiland had that chamaleonic thing, he could sing in different styles and get away with it.
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I like some Pearl Jam, and think Vedder is effective for their kind of music, but i'm not a big fan of his singing.
Well said, this is me.
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I don't quite understand the hate for Vedder. There are plenty of other singers who have vocal styles not to everyone's liking, some of which are revered on this site. Perhaps it's more what he represents over his musical abilities.
Personally, Ten and Vs. were played ad nauseum by me my freshman and sophomore years in college when they came out. At the time, it was something new and different from what I had been listening to. He emotes more feeling in his voice than a lot of other singers. His performance on Pearl Jam's MTV Unplugged is fantastic. I love Ten, Vs. and Yield. The rest of their catalog is spotty for me - some really good, others unlistenable. I really like his Into The Wild material, too.
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As an aside, is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while Soundgarden stands by watching a bit of a crime?
No crime, makes perfect sense to me.
Nothing wrong with Vedder's voice, but nothing awesome about it either. He's a band singer.
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Even though I'm not into them, I have total respect for Pearl Jam.
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As an aside, is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while Soundgarden stands by watching a bit of a crime? I know, I know, Eddie Vedder, but c'mon.
Soundgarden definitely had success and is a great band. But, as far as 90's Grunge/Rock goes, if you weren't talking about Cobain, you were talking about Vedder. Cornell and Co. definitely took a back seat.
More importantly...
Is it just me, or is putting Pearl Jam in the RnRHOF first ballot while [Deep Purple/ Iron Maiden/ Judas Priest/ Whoever Else You Can Think Of] stands by watching a bit of a crime?
Of course it's a fucking crime, because most of those first-balloters - U2, REM, RHCP, Pearl Jam - besides being politically correct in the literal sense of the term (anyone that doesn't think that "at least moderate adherence to the radical Liberal politics of Jann Wenner" isn't a criteria for admittance isn't paying attention) would, if being honest, absolutely say that "we wouldn't even BE there if it wasn't for Deep Purple/Iron Maiden/Judas Priest/Whoever Else You Can Think Of". Yes, even REM; when my friend saw them in New Haven on the Murmur tour - might have been Reckoning, but still "pre-Man On The Moon Epic Success" - Peter Buck was not ironically wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt.
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I don't quite understand the hate for Vedder. There are plenty of other singers who have vocal styles not to everyone's liking, some of which are revered on this site. Perhaps it's more what he represents over his musical abilities.
Personally, Ten and Vs. were played ad nauseum by me my freshman and sophomore years in college when they came out. At the time, it was something new and different from what I had been listening to. He emotes more feeling in his voice than a lot of other singers. His performance on Pearl Jam's MTV Unplugged is fantastic. I love Ten, Vs. and Yield. The rest of their catalog is spotty for me - some really good, others unlistenable. I really like his Into The Wild material, too.
Ten is a legendary record, by almost any standard. LEGENDARY. I think the key to Pearl Jam is something Stone Gossard said in the "20" documentary. He and Ament had been together since '84, starting with Green River, and they always wanted something more. They didn't want to be a niche regional band, they wanted to be rock stars, even if it was "rock star with a conscience". They hooked up with Andrew Wood to further that goal. Stone did a lot of the songwriting, and Jeff did a lot of the "other stuff" (it's not a coincidence that the art styles of the MLB releases, the Tempe of the Dog releases, and the first Pearl Jam record were similar; that's Jeff Ament). Even "10" was largely all written (musically) prior to Ed joining. Pearl Jam was CLEARLY the Stone and Jeff show, with Ed singing. Then they exploded, and around... Vitology (might have been later than that) the dynamic changed, and Stone/Jeff had a choice: we either fight for 'our band' and see where it goes (including having to likely find a new singer) or we let this become Ed's band and we go along for the ride. I think you can guess where the choice went.
I love his singing, I don't really like HIM. I think he's a little too far up his own ass if you ask me. I've seen Pearl Jam three times, all very good, and certainly as an early DT fan, there are a lot of similarities (no two setlists alike, the ability to play almost anything at any time, long epic shows with well-thought out setlists) but there's an air of "church" to them and not in a good way. It seems like every show is at some point a platform for Ed to spew his personal beliefs and not in an inclusive, tolerant way (unless you're with him). I think that's why I loved the Temple of the Dog show so much; it was Pearl Jam without Ed and with Chris, and it was so... FREE. Where else are you going to hear "Temple", "Mother Love Bone", "Bowie", "Black Sabbath" (and War Pigs at that), "Harry Nilsson", and "Led Zeppelin" (and Achilles Last Stand at that), all followed by a quiet, solo acoustic performance of "Seasons" by Chris. It was FUN in a way that Pearl Jam isn't.
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I can totally see what you're saying. Thankfully, I've only seen them once and stopped paying attention to Ed a long time ago (somewhere around Ticketmaster battle). So, I only have the albums to go off of. But, even with the Ed "sermons" onstage, they've done some epic shows. I have a show they did in Philly (the last concert at the Spectrum) in 2009. They played for about 3.5 hours that included Devo's "Whip It" and MLB's "Crown Of Thorns" and ended with red, white and blue confetti being dumped on the arena. Pretty cool.
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Steve Perry
(https://bravewords.com/medias-static/images/news/2017/58E7D641-steve-perry-will-perform-at-least-one-song-with-journey-tonight-at-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-induction-bands-setlist-revealed-image.jpg)
Perry was obviously a fantastic singer in his day, although I never quite connected with it on the level that many others did. That isn't to say that I don't like a lot of songs he sings, because I do. While they obviously wrote some iconic songs back in the day, I think it is easy to argue that Journey never comes close to the status they got without Perry. I cannot imagine any other singer making songs like Who's Crying Now, Separate Ways or Don't Stop Believin' as great as they are. And as schmaltzy as it is, Foolish Heart, from his solo career, is not a song many rock singers could successfully pull off. Perry, despite his ego, is a guy who earned his status as one of rock's great singers.
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I was okay with him on Infinity. After that, I progressively became irritated with his voice until my attitude was thoroughly in line with Matt and Trey's (see also, BASEketball).
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Perry was terrific. His voice was almost perfect for the kind of AOR that Journey were doing. His work on Wheel in the Sky is :hefdaddy for my ears.
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Perry was terrific. His voice was almost perfect for the kind of AOR that Journey were doing. His work on Wheel in the Sky is :hefdaddy for my ears.
Amen, brother.
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My distant cousin.
His voice is one of the most recognizable in all of music. That power he put out was intense and I still enjoy listening to Journey every now and then. For me, AOR begins and ends with them. Half of the other AOR groups are just bad journey knock-offs.
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Hail to the king, baby.
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Apparently Kev's been listening to instrumentals the last couple of weeks...
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Apparently Kev's been listening to instrumentals the last couple of weeks...
I've been thinking the same thing.
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And........we're back.
Axl Rose
(https://ultimateclassicrock.com/files/2012/07/Axl2002.jpg)
Rose was almost much more of a miss for me than a hit, when it came to singing, but he does have some good moments. I always thought Patience was a really good song, and he gives a very nice vocal in that one. I get that he can "this many" octaves and all that jazz, but he has that screechiness to his voice that often is like nails on the chalkboard. Take the end of November Rain, where he wails over Slash's solo, severely lessening the climatic ending of what was otherwise a really good tune. I always tend to laugh a bit when someone says this guy is one of rock's best singers ever, but I won't deny that his vocal style was a perfect fit for GNR's original style of L.A. hard rock.
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And........we're back.
Axl Rose
(https://ultimateclassicrock.com/files/2012/07/Axl2002.jpg)
Rose was almost much more of a miss for me than a hit, when it came to singing, but he does have some good moments.
Pretty much this, although for me his good moments are very few and far between. Patience, One in a Million, Paradise City and Welcome to the Jungle. I'll admit he's probably one of the great frontmen of his era, but that whine of his and low stuff he does makes, a lot of Guns 'n' Roses almost unlistenable for me. November Rain which to me is G'nR trying to do a Jim Steinman epic, has the potential to be an absolute classic, but is for me almost unlistenable in some parts due to his whining and as for their cover of Dylan's Knocking on Heaven's Door...don't get me started - without doubt the worst cover of a classic by a big name band that I can think of.
As I said, excellent entertainer and front man, but as far as a vocalist, I think I'd sooner listen to most metal growlers that his whining voice. I cannot think of another band where the vocalist spoils it for me more than G'nR.
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Take the end of November Rain, where he wails over Slash's solo, severely lessening the climatic ending of what was otherwise a really good tune.
In Slash's book, he talks about how Axl took the Illusion tapes and after one night in the studio, added all sorts of stuff to it. Slash was upset, because he thought it did exactly what you mentioned.
For some reason, Axl's voice on those albums had not aged well. But Damn, Appetite is still such a timeless album.
Saw them 6 times between '87-'93, including a great Appetite club show.
I kind of ignored these recent reunion shows, but I'd be interested if the Axl/Slash/Duff lineup made an album.
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and as for their cover of Dylan's Knocking on Heaven's Door...don't get me started - without doubt the worst cover of a classic by a big name band that I can think of.
As I said, excellent entertainer and front man, but as far as a vocalist, I think I'd sooner listen to most metal growlers that his whining voice. I cannot think of another band where the vocalist spoils it for me more than G'nR.
But to his credit, it's hard to hear that song now without throwing in the "ow-oo-our" at the end of "door"; he made it his own. What ruins that song for me is the "rank subjugation, Jack!" dialogue dropped in the middle.
I saw the "Club Tour" after the release of Chinese Democracy. Thousand seat club in Philly (The Electric Factory) and he SLAYED. Really, really good. Started at 11, and I left about 2:15, they were still playing. He was on stage for the entire time except for during Dizzy Reed's piano spot, so he put in the work, and his voice held up the entire time. I was really impressed. If you don't like the sound/tone of his voice, it was what it was (I don't mind it myself), but in terms of performance, unbelievable.
As for "November Rain", I have a bootleg of two demos of that song back when they were recording Appetite, one on piano, and one on guitar, and it's such a haunting song. I knew then it would be epic, and it is, but the released version sort of lacks the immediacy of the demos.
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I am officially sticking a fork in this thread. Too bad for the many singers who I would have featured, but doing a daily write-up for only a few replies isn't worth it. Thanks to those who did participate on a regular basis! :tup :tup
And for some of the greats who weren't featured...
(https://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/content/docs//2016/04/Queens-Freddie-Mercury-in-014.jpg)
(https://ultimateclassicrock.com/files/2014/07/Steve-Walsh-Kansas.jpg)
(https://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/10/111025_CB_U2-1987_EX.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg)
(https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4695680746_7f01602045.jpg)
(https://assets.blabbermouth.net/media/devintownsendmarch2015dvd_638.jpg)
(https://12thstreetbeat.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/peter-gabriel-inducted-to-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-2014.jpg)
etc.
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Not to mention these guys:
(https://www.cffpics.com/mempics/FB/carrzkiss/carrzkiss_10575557162016671.jpg)(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/25/article-1297458-0A8FC2CB000005DC-688_306x433.jpg)
(https://d2z9n6dxqzav0p.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Alice_Cooper_Some_Folks_Shot.jpg)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Kiske2013.jpg/220px-Kiske2013.jpg)
...and of course, the man that almost singlehandedly hijacked the early part of this thread:
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d4/92/b8/d492b8a90e631affe2eca7edc3289a51.jpg)