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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: Ħ on August 02, 2011, 09:32:29 PM
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Inspired by recent encounters with people who say they can't stand his voice. I personally think that he is brilliantly emotive. He isn't as operatic and overblown as metal vocalists, not as stereotypically husky sounding as most rock vocalists, and not as whiny as most alternative vocalists. He's easily in my top 3, but on some days he is without a doubt my favorite singer.
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He is a brilliant vocalist. I can't see why people hate him.
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Nope. Don't like it. There just aren't any qualities to it that really make me think "now that's a good voice." It's just kind of a voice.
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Yes, I like his voice a lot. He always sounds sincere and can pull off emotion very well.
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I can't fucking stand his voice at all and it is the sole reason why I can't get into his music.
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Will the haters shed a little more light on why they don't like it?
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Why are people hating on my voice?
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I really can't explain it. I can't even think of a way to describe it to you. It just really bothers me.
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:'(
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Can you point to a part you hate? Like, can you say "oh, look how he sang this line, this is my problem with it"?
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I really can't explain it. I can't even think of a way to describe it to you. It just really bothers me.
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He's not the best singer ever but he puts a lot of passion into his voice.
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:'(
:heart
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Why are people hating on my voice?
Your voice is terrible. Go learn to cook or something instead :neverusethis:
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I really can't explain it. I can't even think of a way to describe it to you. It just really bothers me.
Oh, I thought it was because you were having trouble coming up with why you didn't like it, so I was trying to help you out. But it turns out you legitimately don't know how to convert your thoughts into words. I'm sorry.
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I love it. He just has a great natural singing voice.
My younger brother absolutely cannot stand his voice. He always says, "He sounds like a dork," whatever that means. But my older brother is as big a Neal fan as I am, so we outnumber our youngest brother. :biggrin:
Generally speaking, his voice does seem to be a love or hate thing.
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"He sounds like a dork,"
Yeah, this is definitely not a reason why I don't like his voice. :lol
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Oh, I thought it was because you were having trouble coming up with why you didn't like it, so I was trying to help you out. But it turns out you legitimately don't know how to convert your thoughts into words. I'm sorry.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hjt__E4auS0/TQJyAxsOv4I/AAAAAAAAAt8/GLnmnr0bRQs/s1600/claimcryingbaby.jpg)
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There's nothing wrong with his voice. I don't think there's anything super passionate or emotive or amazing about it, but there's nothing that makes me want to rip out my eardrums.
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I love his voice! I think it's only gotten better with age, to be honest, and while he can't hit the high notes like he used to (due to recent down-tuning of older material), he still has a lot of soul and emotion in his singing.
His stuff with SB and TA, and his solo stuff, it's so good and his voice just bleeds and pours power and emotion. Anything with his singing on it, it's usually the first thing I pay attention to, despite who else is playing behind the singing, he's just that captivating to me!
-Marc.
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I like it just fine. It's hard for me to imagine how people could feel really strongly about it in either direction, because it sounds pretty innocuous to me. Like a guy who can sing and carry a tune but maybe hasn't had much of any vocal training or anything like that. But it has an "everyman" quality to it, as they say.
-J
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His voice is okay. Nothing amazing, but nothing awful either.
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For some reason I didn't like it when I first heard it, but now from listening to TA and SB for a while I've grown to like it.
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I like it.
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He's not the best singer ever but he puts a lot of passion into his voice.
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I can't fucking stand his voice at all and it is the sole reason why I can't get into his music.
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For me his voice is very nasally and earthy feeling, while not being too technical or skilled.
He's kind of like Jon Anderson, he's not talented in the sense that he has practiced a billion hours to hit the perfect notes, but he just has a natural timbre and vibe in his voice that sounds very pleasant to me.
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Love his voice. Love his melodies. Love his passion when he sings. His stuff on the Whirlwind is really really amazing.
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...it has an "everyman" quality to it, as they say.
-J
That was what I was thinking. I don't listen to SB or TA, but have heard him enough to say I like his voice, but nothing stands out about it to make it great. It just serves the music very well, which is ultimately the goal of the vocalist, right?
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His voice is okay. Nothing amazing, but nothing awful either.
This. I don't hate Neal Morse's voice, but it's just not "memorable", I guess. Just kind of bland. But he gets the job done, and usually the music that accompanies it is fantastic, so I don't really have a problem with him.
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I enjoy his voice and range, but I understand how others may not like it.
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I really can't get into his singing. It's only slightly better than Steven Wilson, which is too bad because I would love to get into Transatlantic and Porcupine Tree. The music is certainly good enough.
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I really can't get into his singing. It's only slightly better than Steven Wilson, which is too bad because I would love to get into Transatlantic and Porcupine Tree. The music is certainly good enough.
I agree with part of this post.
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It's hard to listen to it for awhile with his solo stuff. I love Transatlantic though.
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Yes, I love his voice. His voice is a large part of what makes Transatlantic so good.
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I love his voice. certainly not the GREATEST VOICE OF ALL TIME, but its a very calming and natural voice. and he doesnt try to do anything crazy. its just good.
then again what do i know.. i love Timo Kotipelto's voice...
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I do like is voice. It's not the greatest, but that adds to it for some reason.
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Oh, I thought it was because you were having trouble coming up with why you didn't like it, so I was trying to help you out. But it turns out you legitimately don't know how to convert your thoughts into words. I'm sorry.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hjt__E4auS0/TQJyAxsOv4I/AAAAAAAAAt8/GLnmnr0bRQs/s1600/claimcryingbaby.jpg)
Holy crap, I lol'd so hard.
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Inspired by recent encounters with people who say they can't stand his voice. I personally think that he is brilliantly emotive. He isn't as operatic and overblown as metal vocalists, not as stereotypically husky sounding as most rock vocalists, and not as whiny as most alternative vocalists. He's easily in my top 3, but on some days he is without a doubt my favorite singer.
It's sort of a love hate relationship for me, there are times where I think he sounds fantastic and other times where his voice sounds too nasal-y and cheesy. But, for the record I do love most of the projects that he's been involved with.
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Poll needs a "meh" option. I don't particularly like his voice, but I don't particularly dislike it, either.
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No, I don't like his voice.
I love it
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I really like his voice. Not because he is very technically sound, but because it is unique and has a very.... hm... some one else said earthy. I like that term. His voice is very intimate and carries emotion well.
I tend to like singers who aren't necessarily great singers, but that have a very unique and distinct quality. Bjork, Peter Furler, Imogen Heap, Chris Martin, etc....
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No, I don't like his voice.
I love it
Neal approves of this statement...
(https://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4761/getinlineaspxmessageid7b.jpg)
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I really can't explain it. I can't even think of a way to describe it to you. It just really bothers me.
Oh, I thought it was because you were having trouble coming up with why you didn't like it, so I was trying to help you out. But it turns out you legitimately don't know how to convert your thoughts into words. I'm sorry.
So you make a thread asking opinions about his voice and someone says that they don't like it and now you're all up in arms. Interesting.
Well anyway, Neal's voice has always been a big mehhh for me. Nothing special but not bad either.
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I really can't explain it. I can't even think of a way to describe it to you. It just really bothers me.
Oh, I thought it was because you were having trouble coming up with why you didn't like it, so I was trying to help you out. But it turns out you legitimately don't know how to convert your thoughts into words. I'm sorry.
So you make a thread asking opinions about his voice and someone says that they don't like it and now you're all up in arms. Interesting.
It's only interesting if you ignore the other people in the thread that've said they don't like his voice which he had no issue with and if you find reading to be a tad difficult.
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No, I don't like his voice.
I love it
Neal approves of this statement...
(https://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4761/getinlineaspxmessageid7b.jpg)
Are you Neal Clooney? Seriously, you look like you're related to Neal Morse AND George Clooney
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I like Neal's music but his voice is bland and has little character.
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I like his voice but maybe its because of how he sings in his upper register, sometimes he sounds a little strainy when singing high but I love everything he has done with transatlantic and solo.
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Kind of torn. I guess I'm just in the middle. I kind of like it, but it also kind of bugs me.
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He's alright. Not my favorite or anything, but I usually enjoy his vocal work.
Though I do prefer Nick's singing most of the time.
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Of course, I love it.
I'll defend it by saying that, like others have said, it's very earthy, and organic. Very real and "every man"-ish. He doesn't pretend to be some amazing, out of this world, "that guy must be sent from the heavens for he is an ANGEL" singer. In fact, it feels quite relatable. And he can match many styles of music with his voice, and has good range (Rose-Colored Glasses on The Whirlwind - "That city in the skyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" for example).
That said, it can get repetitive, I'll admit, and I can also see why the timbre of his voice would annoy some. Basically, you know when Neal is singing if you were given a song where you don't know who the vocalist is yet. Same with JLB. So if you like them, you're gonna be inundated with their tones throughout, variety added, of course...but if you don't, go listen to Porcupine Tree, because chances are you dream of the mucus in Steven Wilson's mouth. ;)
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I'm a "like it". His voice works perfectly for the kind of music he does and he has a lot of emotion in it, as others have mentioned. My wife thinks he's horrible. I have to be alone to listen to him. . . But that's all good, I don't need my wife ruining my listening experiences :metal
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Yeah, fuck her.
....you know what I mean.
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No, I don't like his voice.
I love it
Neal approves of this statement...
*me*
Are you Neal Clooney? Seriously, you look like you're related to Neal Morse AND George Clooney
:lol I always got Clooney till I joined this place and posted my pic.
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I can't unsee it. Lonestar you sexy son of a bitch
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No, I don't like his voice.
I love it
Neal approves of this statement...
*me*
Are you Neal Clooney? Seriously, you look like you're related to Neal Morse AND George Clooney
:lol I always got Clooney till I joined this place and posted my pic.
True mark of a prog forum:
Regular people: "Man, lonestar, you look like George Clooney!"
DTF: "OMFUCKINGG -- he looks exactly like NEAL MORSE" *faints*
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So true. :lol
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i voted no and i've never heard his voice before
please be mad
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It's only interesting if you ignore the other people in the thread that've said they don't like his voice which he had no issue with and if you find reading to be a tad difficult.
''ok''
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Neal, judging from that pic, I'd lay off the late nights and the bottle for a bit. Just sayin'...
On topic, yeah, I really like his voice for a lot of the reasons that have been mentioned in this thread. But it's funny. Before Tertimony 2, I never in a million years could have possibly predicted you would EVER hear a death growl from Neal. As diverse as he can be, that is one style I just never would have guessed you'd hear on a Neal Morse album (although I suppose if I would have taken a bet as to whether you'd ever hear a death growl on one of his albums, I guess technically I would have won, since there are actually two of them on T2). But I honestly can't tell if it's him or Mike (or both). Judging from when he and Mike do it during Stranger In Your Soul on the Whirlwind Live DVD, it could be either one of them. I haven't watched the whole T2 doc yet. Maybe they show it in there?
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Some parts of One always seemed a bit on the side of "harsh" vocals to me. Not really, but he's at least yelling, if not outright growling.
Anyway, love his voice. It's so emotive, and his sense of melody is fantastic.
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I've never heard anything remotely resembling an actual growl until T2. (and there, it blends so well with the instrumentation that I didn't even actually notice it until last week when I was driving in my car and it just jumped out at me. I was like, "Wait...did he just...he didn't...NO WAY! :lol"
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(https://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50514_37279815070_7955_n.jpg)
VERY YES
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Wait, where is this supposed death growl on T2?
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I didn't like his voice at first, but it has grown on me so much.
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He might be referring to The Truth Will Set You Free.
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No never been a fan of his voice.
First time I heard SB I hated them, because of his voice.
I can't explain why, but probably the same reason why I don't other things, personnel taste.
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Definitely, he's got a lot of talent but his voice is very accessible and "everyman", which makes it so emotive and relateable.
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Wait, where is this supposed death growl on T2?
This.
And yes, I love his voice.
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Okay, if this supposed growl is that brief thing at the end of The Truth Will Set You Free, that is not a death growl by any stretch of the imagination; it is barely even a scream (which Neal does well on occasion..see: right before the last chorus in SB's Devil's Got My Throat).
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No, I don't like his voice.
I love it
+1,000,000
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I actually first happened upon Neal whilst listening to Transatlantic. His voice was the very first drawing point for me. I fell in love with his voice then and never looked back.
My first song was We All Need Some Light.
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Neal is a great vocalist in my opinion. Add his keyboard, guitar and compisition chops and you have one skilled musician. Even if you're not a christian, Testimony 2 is an album you simply must hear.
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Wait, where is this supposed death growl on T2?
The Truth Will Set You Free at 5:30-5:35. The second one is at the end.
Okay, if this supposed growl is that brief thing at the end of The Truth Will Set You Free, that is not a death growl by any stretch of the imagination; it is barely even a scream (which Neal does well on occasion..see: right before the last chorus in SB's Devil's Got My Throat).
Um...no. Watch the section of Stranger In Your Soul on The Whirlwind Live after the instrumental jam where Neal and Mike are goofing around trying to do death growls, and then listen to this section again.
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I wouldn't call those death growls. Doing pale imitations of death growls doesn't make them death growls. Besides, a real death growl will feature singing actual lyrics while growling, as opposed to what Neal does, which is more or less a wordless vocal with some roughness to it.
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Doing pale imitations of death growls doesn't make them death growls.
:lol I don't see much point in that distinction, but whatever. By the same token, I don't see much point in continuing to argue whether they are or aren't. But I will say, again, check that part of Stranger that I referenced if you don't recall it. Whether they are doing a good job of it or not, Mike and Neal certainly think they are doing growls, because they even say so. And it is exactly the same sound you hear on TTWSYF.
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Okay, but that is a growl that almost any decent singer could do. Heck, I could do a growl like that. It wouldn't sound good, but I could still do it.
Either way, I would never use that as a reason why Neal is such a good singer. Not that you necessarily did either, but I am just saying. ;)
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It's a growl but not a death growl.
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I present my case:
Bridge Across Forever
The Land of Beginning Again
Made Alive
I rest my case.
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Wait, that wasn't a picture of Neal Morse?
Also: Yeah, I enjoy his voice, it's good. It fits with whatever he's trying to apply it to. Same for Steven Wilson's voice. I love that too, as it fits anything he likes to apply it to.
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Neal Morse isn't a singer whose participation in a project makes me want to listen to it because of his singing. He's an amazing songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose voice suits the music he writes. He's not a top tier, amazing OMG vocalist, but then I don't think anyone claimed he was. :lol
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Neal has one of the most exceedingly pleasant, inoffensive singing voices I have ever heard. It helps that he's able to stack genuine emotion on top of it.
At first, I didn't notice his voice much. Now it's one of my favorites in prog. It's rare for someone in the genre to have an overtly "friendly" voice, but Neal really does, and it perfectly matches any project he's ever undertaken (especially Spock's Beard). It also makes those moments when he goes absolutely crazy ("The Light," "Lay Down Your Life," the entirety of "Sola Scriptura") really stand out.
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Even if you're not a christian, Testimony 2 is an album you simply must hear.
No, I mustn't.
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No, I don't like his voice.
I love it
+1,000,000
+1,000,001