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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: pdurbin22 on July 07, 2015, 04:11:19 PM
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James is killing it these days - not just for a man in his early 50's but for any singer period. His transformation from "Once in a Livetime" to "Score" is unbelievable, and he's been fantastic ever since.
I started thinking what other frontmen age 50+ are still bringing their A-game:
1) Bruce Dickinson (sure he can't hit every high note, but he's still pretty consistent and a hell of an entertainer)
2) Rob Halford (same as Dickinson; of course not the same as 30 years ago but still pretty damn solid)
3) Brian Johnson (he had some rough years but I'm impressed to hear him actually sounding better with age, and nearing 70)
4) Steven Tyler (his inability to produce new Aerosmith material notwithstanding, the dude is still great)
5) Sammy Hagar (in his late 60's and still light years better than DLR ever was)
6) Geddy Lee (still amazed by what he pulls off live between vocals, bass and keys - they guy is just unstoppable)
7) Paul McCartney (Watching a 70 year old legend belt out "Helter Skelter" 2.5 hours into a 3-hour set? Doesn't get much cooler than that)
8) Robin Zander (sounds as good as ever)
And had he not passed away 5 years ago, Ronnie James Dio would've been on this list for sure.
Who am I missing?
On the opposite end of the spectrum we have Ozzy, Axl and DLR.
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Klaus Meine. He has always had an incredibly powerful voice. He may have lost a lot of that, but is still pretty incredible from what I have seen online.
I would also add Michael Sweet. He has taken such good care of his voice, and I daresay he sounds better now than he ever did. He neither looks nor sounds 52.
On the opposite end of the spectrum we have Ozzy, Axl and DLR Geoff Tate.
Fixed. :D
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Klaus Meine. He has always had an incredibly powerful voice. He may have lost a lot of that, but is still pretty incredible from what I have seen online.
I would also add Michael Sweet. He has taken such good care of his voice, and I daresay he sounds better now than he ever did. He neither looks nor sounds 52.
On the opposite end of the spectrum we have Ozzy, Axl and DLR Geoff Tate.
Fixed. :D
I agree on Klaus Meine so much. To me, the difference between his voice on their most famous studio performances is minor since they always tried to make him sound a bit soft either way, so he still sounds impressively powerful for a man that's almost 70 years old (!). There's a huge difference between a 70's live performance of Sails of Charon and his current sound, of course, but that's obviously to be expected (there's that one amazing performance of this song by the way, blows my mind almost as much as '92 JLB every single time).
But man, his vocal range. So incredibly consistent. Rarely screws anything up, always in tone. That man is incredible.
I have to say that JLB impresses me far more than, say, Bruce Dickinson or Rob Halford. They're all amazing for keeping their tone and sound so late in their career, but James' ability to nail most of the notes, from the highest to the lowest, and hold his breath for as long as he needs every time, impresses me far more than, say, the way Dickinson has to force himself to alter the rhythms so often (with all due respect, and there's PLENTY). I just really think James goes above and beyond most other vocalists to maintain his health and voice over the past few years, and it shows so beautifully on stage...except for some off-nights here and there.
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On the opposite end of the spectrum we have Ozzy, Axl and DLR Geoff Tate.
Fixed. :D
The very first name came to my mind when I read this line. :lol
Yeah, I always put JLB in another place other than the rest of metal/rock singers. His timbre is unique. Sure, due to this kind of music he has some hard times trough the years but it's amazing to see him in a good shape. In better shape actually considering his 2004/09 times.
I agree the list OP has made with the exception of Bruce D. Sadly, he is just a frontman for me, not a singer. His last Istanbul performance was acomplete disaster that I didn't want to witness.
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Michael Sweet really stands out to me. He does sound better than ever
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Biff Byford :metal
He sounds better than back in the day.
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Biff Byford :metal
He sounds better than back in the day.
YES!
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I agree with pretty much all of the above (for their age) - the one that stands out for me , having seen him live in the not too distant past , is Tyler. I am just a casual Aerosmith fan but he was amazing.
The only one I would question is Zander who has been pretty awful the last couple of times I have seen him.
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I wouldn't say James was "killing it" every tour since Score, but he does seem very consistent ever since they streamlined the way they do setlists.
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James ultimatum post 6DOIT has helped. He has always kept care of his voice via the warm water and honey, and apparently after 6DOIT was 10 years after his Awake tour food poisoning. That was I guess how long it took to heal unless he took time off. Also factoring in him becoming healthier. I have felt that since the summer break tour during ToT recording, he has been pretty consistent yes.
He is also able to hit old high note's occasionally without screaming. For whatever more rounded full he had back in the day, and the range, he would never from what I heard hit his highest notes without screaming. Now when he goes after one and is able to do it, it's clean.
Geddy Lee's voice has of course deepened, so I cannot put him where other vocalists are. But factoring in what he also does while singing, I never hold it against him. Dude is always in the top rock player discussion.
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Michael Kiske definitely deserves a mention. Yea, he's only 47 but damn some of the highs he can still nail are just insane. For example, the final long "Freeeeeeee" in I Want Out. Just crazy. :metal
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Ralph Saenz. Can't believe the guy is 50.
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James has sounded terrific on recent tours, and part of that is because the band has gotten really smart about picking songs he can sing. They may need to retire certain portions of their catalog soon because they're just impossible to perform live for a vocalist.
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Ralph Saenz. Can't believe the guy is 50.
As big a fan as I am of DLR in his prime , Van Halen could tear the roof off with this guy out front.
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Ralph Saenz. Can't believe the guy is 50.
As big a fan as I am of DLR in his prime , Van Halen could tear the roof off with this guy out front.
I had no idea who you were talking about until I googled him and saw who it was. Still has great pipes, even just messing around on camera.
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James has sounded terrific on recent tours, and part of that is because the band has gotten really smart about picking songs he can sing. They may need to retire certain portions of their catalog soon because they're just impossible to perform live for a vocalist.
I don't think that's the case. They may have decided to play certain trying songs less frequently or to place them early in the sets, but I don't think that at the current state of things any song is to be considered retired for this reason.
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Oh I forgot to add Glenn Hughes. The man is 62 and can belt out notes better then Geoff Tate could in his late 20's :D His voice is stronger than ever and shows what you can do if you take care of your voice properly.
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Correct on Glenn Hughes! Amazed that after years of drug and alcohol abuse he was able to turn himself around and come back so strong.
Also correct on Geoff Tate. Queensryche was right to ditch him on so many fronts. Now only if they could get DeGarmo back...
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James has sounded terrific on recent tours, and part of that is because the band has gotten really smart about picking songs he can sing. They may need to retire certain portions of their catalog soon because they're just impossible to perform live for a vocalist.
I don't think that's the case. They may have decided to play certain trying songs less frequently or to place them early in the sets, but I don't think that at the current state of things any song is to be considered retired for this reason.
Sadly, there are songs JLB just can't swing well anymore, such as Another Day. That's not a knock on him at all - Those songs are crazy hard to sing, and the dude's into his 50s now. He's still a great vocalist, he just has limitations, unlike his 25 year-old self, who was a straight badass.
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I agree. Except that even 25 year-old JLB couldn't really sing Another Day either. And that's not a knock on James. The vocal lines are just impossible to duplicate live.
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Well, they pulled Another Day for a one off encore performance three years ago, and it wasn't even that bad. For a unreharsed song, and as bosk said a very hard one, tackled after 2 hours of singing, James actually did pretty good.
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With all due respect, there is no way on God's green earth that Rob Halford is still bringing his A game. Not even close. Sure, for his age, and given the style he has always had, the fact that he has any voice at all left is something I suppose, but he is major shell of his former self.
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I would take Michael Sweet over every other "elder" statesman frontman right now if the decision were based only on vocal ability.
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I would take Michael Sweet over every other "elder" statesman frontman right now if the decision were based only on vocal ability.
Nothing against the man at all. Everything that I've read and seen about him seems like he's a really awesome person. But I don't think that he has toured nearly as much as many of the other singers that have been mentioned. I can only imagine what years of extensive touring can do to a vocalist.
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John Corabi, while not touring as much as some of these other guys is still insane, and has retained his signature rasp.
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With all due respect, there is no way on God's green earth that Rob Halford is still bringing his A game. Not even close. Sure, for his age, and given the style he has always had, the fact that he has any voice at all left is something I suppose, but he is major shell of his former self.
Halford has never been a consistently great technical/live singer but fwiw reports seem to be that he is currently in the best form in many a year , after a few average years.
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Not buying it. You don't destroy your voice for decades like he did and then all of a sudden see your voice improve when you are well into your 60s. That is simply not realistic. I suspect these reports are by fans with live ear goggles, ya know, the ole "He sounded awesome live," and then you hear a bootleg and it was like someone else was singing. I have seen similar reports about JLB and Geddy Lee in recent years, and all of those bands have the advantage of being so rocking live that when you are at the live show, it is so easy to get swept up into the euphoria that you think everything looks and sounds awesome. Been there, done that. :lol :lol
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I agree with pretty much all of the above (for their age) - the one that stands out for me , having seen him live in the not too distant past , is Tyler. I am just a casual Aerosmith fan but he was amazing.
The only one I would question is Zander who has been pretty awful the last couple of times I have seen him.
I caught Cheap Trick a couple weeks ago and he was on. I had also seen some pretty bad performances prior but he really shocked me. Hit every note and gave a great performance.
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I have seen similar reports about JLB and Geddy Lee in recent years, and all of those bands have the advantage of being so rocking live that when you are at the live show, it is so easy to get swept up into the euphoria that you think everything looks and sounds awesome. Been there, done that. :lol :lol
Boston DT show was like that. Bad PA, way too loud, plus adrenaline = "he is perfect!!"
Bootleg recording painted a somewhat different picture.
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Sorry, but you got to put Ray Alder in there. I know he doesn't hit the high notes anymore, but his emotional range in the lower registers is still fantastic.
Also, dare I say it? John Motherfucking Arch. Are you kidding me? At that age?
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Not buying it. You don't destroy your voice for decades like he did and then all of a sudden see your voice improve when you are well into your 60s. That is simply not realistic. I suspect these reports are by fans with live ear goggles, ya know, the ole "He sounded awesome live," and then you hear a bootleg and it was like someone else was singing. I have seen similar reports about JLB and Geddy Lee in recent years, and all of those bands have the advantage of being so rocking live that when you are at the live show, it is so easy to get swept up into the euphoria that you think everything looks and sounds awesome. Been there, done that. :lol :lol
*cough* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZtS_IcSfM
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Not buying it. You don't destroy your voice for decades like he did and then all of a sudden see your voice improve when you are well into your 60s. That is simply not realistic. I suspect these reports are by fans with live ear goggles, ya know, the ole "He sounded awesome live," and then you hear a bootleg and it was like someone else was singing. I have seen similar reports about JLB and Geddy Lee in recent years, and all of those bands have the advantage of being so rocking live that when you are at the live show, it is so easy to get swept up into the euphoria that you think everything looks and sounds awesome. Been there, done that. :lol :lol
*cough* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZtS_IcSfM
Why are you coughing? Him talking through much of the song in that deep voice and then shrieking at the end of nearly line didn't impress me at all. If anything, that video supports my "he is a shell of his former self" statement.
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I have seen similar reports about JLB and Geddy Lee in recent years, and all of those bands have the advantage of being so rocking live that when you are at the live show, it is so easy to get swept up into the euphoria that you think everything looks and sounds awesome. Been there, done that. :lol :lol
Boston DT show was like that. Bad PA, way too loud, plus adrenaline = "he is perfect!!"
Bootleg recording painted a somewhat different picture.
Which Boston show? The one they released as Breaking the Fourth Wall? I thought he sounds pretty good on DVD o-o
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This thread should not exist without DENNIS DEYOUNG. He's 67, and unlike most of the names mentioned, he's actually at least as good as ever. Tommy Shaw is also a HUGE stand-out in this regard.
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Except that even 25 year-old JLB couldn't really sing Another Day either.
This is pretty spotless, man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uMGJFdIGLU
Rob Halford was pretty good in Belgrade in 2011 (not just the live goggles, believe me) but I wouldn't know about the state of his voice right now.
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Except that even 25 year-old JLB couldn't really sing Another Day either.
This is pretty spotless, man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uMGJFdIGLU
Okay, I stand corrected. That was pretty legit. :tup Even though I still don't like the song, I may have to concede that that may be the best vocal performance of his life right there. Flawless.
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Except that even 25 year-old JLB couldn't really sing Another Day either.
This is pretty spotless, man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uMGJFdIGLU
Rob Halford was pretty good in Belgrade in 2011 (not just the live goggles, believe me) but I wouldn't know about the state of his voice right now.
That was an impressive performance
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Michael Kiske definitely deserves a mention. Yea, he's only 47 but damn some of the highs he can still nail are just insane. For example, the final long "Freeeeeeee" in I Want Out. Just crazy. :metal
Biggest Kiske fan here and that "free" is UN freaking believable. But I would say that Kiske has a great advantage in that there are not nearly as many miles on his voice as there are on the others in this thread.
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Michael Kiske definitely deserves a mention. Yea, he's only 47 but damn some of the highs he can still nail are just insane. For example, the final long "Freeeeeeee" in I Want Out. Just crazy. :metal
Biggest Kiske fan here and that "free" is UN freaking believable. But I would say that Kiske has a great advantage in that there are not nearly as many miles on his voice as there are on the others in this thread.
Didn't he go many many years without any type of touring or live performances?
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Can someone send me a link of a good one? I am not familiar with him.
EDIT: Never mind. I just found this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_8ubYz9GhY Pretty good. I never heard of these guys, but I might have to check them out.
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Bosk find the original to Helloween's I Want Out. 3/4 of the way through he sings the line "Leave me aloooooooooooooooooooone". I lose my breath just listening to it.
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I am shocked that nobody has mentioned Kip Winger ;)
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:spitcoffee:
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Daltrey and Townsend of the Who still kicked ass when I saw them in 2013.
2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn5OSqa_ZYE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn5OSqa_ZYE) Daltrey is 71 here.
2013 tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QhB411bMuU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QhB411bMuU)
Barry Hay and George Kooymans from Golden Earring (in fact, Golden Earring as a whole are kicking ass with the same formation since 1970).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0v-44vNxlM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0v-44vNxlM) Great singing by George, he's 66 here (2015).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlL5c3QAcqA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlL5c3QAcqA) Hay rocking Radar Love when he was 61 (2010). Not the easiest song.
Aaand if we are counting <50 guys, the fanboy in me wants to leave this one:
Hansi, 48 here, absolutely nailing some classic harsh vocals and screams (1:51 for example) in the song guardian of the blind (warning: phone bootleg quality).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub4VzJR5NDU#t=0m35s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub4VzJR5NDU#t=0m35s) Even though the are more melodic nowadays, Hansi is king at those raw speed metal vocals.
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Not buying it. You don't destroy your voice for decades like he did and then all of a sudden see your voice improve when you are well into your 60s. That is simply not realistic. I suspect these reports are by fans with live ear goggles, ya know, the ole "He sounded awesome live," and then you hear a bootleg and it was like someone else was singing. I have seen similar reports about JLB and Geddy Lee in recent years, and all of those bands have the advantage of being so rocking live that when you are at the live show, it is so easy to get swept up into the euphoria that you think everything looks and sounds awesome. Been there, done that. :lol :lol
*cough* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZtS_IcSfM
Why are you coughing? Him talking through much of the song in that deep voice and then shrieking at the end of nearly line didn't impress me at all. If anything, that video supports my "he is a shell of his former self" statement.
Well I liked it :'( :'( Personally prefer his current grunty voice to his nasally voice of the past
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To each his own. :)
I saw Priest on the tour where they did all of British Steel ('09?), and it got to a point where I was bracing my ears, almost turning my head down so I wasn't facing dead forward, whenever I knew a scream of his was coming. It started to hurt after a while, which wasn't helped by the fact that that show was ear-splitting loud (easily one of the 3-4 loudest shows I've ever been to).
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Opinion, only, but for my money there are three guys that sound almost identical to their "heyday", and since one of them has a "heyday" that is almost ten years before the other two, well...
Steven Tyler
Gene Simmons
Paul McCartney
Billy Joel might be on the list, but since he hasn't put out anything fresh since 1876 I can't tell if it is really that his voice is the same or it's just the way he sounds live (he's always been a little rougher live even back in the day).
I know, I know, no one will ever accuse Gene of being a "singer", but I like his voice, and when he sings "Deuce" live, well, it sounds like 1974.
As for McCartney, his set at the Wachovia Center in Philly in '08 (I think) was, to this guy who has seen over 400 concerts in his day, possibly the single greatest vocal performance I've ever seen. Not only did he do "Helter Skelter" 2.5 hours into the set, it was about the 30th song, it was immediately after a performance of "Yesterday" that made me cry, literally, and immediately before eight more of some of the most iconic music ever created. Almost 40 songs in over three hours, and he sang 'em all. No John to help, no George, and no Ringo.
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John Bush deserves a mention
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Maybe they were never A listers but Paul Rogers and Sammy Hagar are both in their 60's and are probably 80 % of their prime.
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I know this thread is over 3 years old but I am a new member of this DTF forum now and I'm going back through some old threads to see where I might be able to contribute. I have been a lurker on this forum for the last 5 years or so but have been a DT fan since 1992 shortly after IAW was released. i have seen DT a total of 3 times now including on both TA tour(2nd row center) as well as the IAW 25th Anniversary tour(front row).
In addition, I have seen live all but 2 of the bands whose vocalists I have listed below, most of them multiple times. In fact, I have seen most of these guys in the last 3 or 4 years plus heard many different versions of You Tube clips so my opinion is based primarily upon recent shows rather than what these guys were doing in the 70's/80's/90's.
I tend to pay particular attention to the quality of the vocals when I go to these shows and focus not only on if the vocalist can still hit the high notes but also whether or not they are "flat" in their regular register.
For the record, I only am including bands who are still doing shows fairly regularly("Active") so that wouldn't include someone like Glenn Hughes who isn't with a touring band.
BEST-SOUNDING HARD ROCK VOCALISTS(Actively Touring)--April 18, 2018
1. Dennis DeYoung(ex-Styx)
2. Dave Meniketti(Y & T)
3. CJ Snare(Firehouse)
4. Klaus Meine(Scorpions)
5. Robin Zander(Cheap Trick)
6. Steven Tyler(Aerosmith)
7. Bruce Dickinson(Iron Maiden)
8. James LaBrie(Dream Theater)
9. Rob Halford(Judas Priest)
10. Tommy Shaw(Styx)
11. Udo Dirkschneider(ex-Accept)
12. Alice Cooper
13. Phil Mogg(UFO)
14. Sammy Hagar
15. Biff Byford(Saxon)
The top 3 guys listed all still sound as good now as they did 30 to 40 years ago but even the other 12 guys listed are still at 85% of their game IMO which is amazing as all but one(JLB who is the youngster and will only be 55 next month) of these guys are 60 or older(Bruce will be 60 in 4 months).
I hope that this produces some discussion here on the board during this slow time of waiting for another DT album...
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Ralf Scheepers anybody? The guy is 53 and can still belt it out like a mofo (his highs are incredible).
B.Lee
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BEST-SOUNDING HARD ROCK VOCALISTS(Actively Touring)--April 18, 2018
1. Dennis DeYoung(ex-Styx)
2. Dave Meniketti(Y & T)
3. CJ Snare(Firehouse)
4. Klaus Meine(Scorpions)
5. Robin Zander(Cheap Trick)
6. Steven Tyler(Aerosmith)
7. Bruce Dickinson(Iron Maiden)
8. James LaBrie(Dream Theater)
9. Rob Halford(Judas Priest)
10. Tommy Shaw(Styx)
11. Udo Dirkschneider(ex-Accept)
12. Alice Cooper
13. Phil Mogg(UFO)
14. Sammy Hagar
15. Biff Byford(Saxon)
The top 3 guys listed all still sound as good now as they did 30 to 40 years ago but even the other 12 guys listed are still at 85% of their game IMO which is amazing as all but one(JLB who is the youngster and will only be 55 next month) of these guys are 60 or older(Bruce will be 60 in 4 months).
I hope that this produces some discussion here on the board during this slow time of waiting for another DT album...
That's a good list, rascal. Biff Byford sounds amazing, in studio and live. And I'm with you on Dennis DeYoung as well.
Being maybe the biggest UFO and definitely the biggest Alice Cooper fan on the forum, what Alice and Phil Mogg have done is find a sweet spot where they can maintain their strength. They have each lost loads of range, but their experience has helped them manage to still be effective.
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I'm as big a Dave Meniketti fan as we have on this board, but I have to say that he has lost A LOT in the last decade or so. Not that he doesn't still bring it. But I could never say that he sounds as good now as he did 30 to 40 years ago.
Speaking of whom, wow, I just realized it has been over a decade since that one infamous show. Man, where does the time go?! :eek
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James isn't very good these days. He just isn't. He's good at singing ballads and soft stuff but literally anything that requires more than that sounds painful to me. It's been noticeably bad since the Chaos In Motion DVD. At least with Dream Theater. His solo albums sound great and he sounds good on Ayreon but man Petrucci just sucks at writing stuff that really brings out his strengths on the heavy stuff. Somehow Matt Guillory can, though.
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I am a Stryper and Michael Sweet fan, but I completely disagree. His high end is completely shot. He sounds great on the band's newer material, because it is dropped a bit. But when I saw Stryper do the THWTD anniversary tour a year or so ago, he sounded downright horrid on the live performance of that record. But he sounded GREAT on all the other stuff they played.
Normally, I would have chalked it up to a cold or something. But the start difference between performing THWTD in its original tuning, and the rest of the set was pretty eye-opening.
Very few singers have translated well into their 50s and beyond. Michael Sweet sounds good, but he doesn't have the same ability he once did. Same goes for James, and many others. They are all still good. But they clearly don't have what they used to have (at least live, perhaps they can do it in-studio).
The exceptions I have seen recently are Glenn Hughes (freak. of. nature), and Corey Glover. I'd also like to add Myles Kennedy. Dude isn't 50, but he's in his late 40s, and after seeing an incredible performance by him with Alter Bridge back in December (I was at the Spokane show where they did Words Darker Than Their Wings, and he hit and held the high note at the end with incredible power), that man is at the top of his game. Gary Cherone comes to mind as well...
But all I am referencing here is range. Most of these guys are all technically better singers than they were in their 20s. It's pretty obvious most of them really focused on maintaining what they have. James struggles with that old stuff, but he really works at his craft, and I respect the hell out of the effort he puts in.
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Jon Anderson is in his seventies and still sounds as good as ever.
Roger Daltery, David Gilmour, and Tommy Shaw are all still at the top of their game.. 😎
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Jon Anderson is in his seventies and still sounds as good as ever.
Yeah, he was terrible in his 20's too. ;D
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He'll hit puberty one of these days!
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He'll hit puberty one of these days!
Is that when his periods stop?
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You guys got that one WRONG! Jon Anderson is an amazing singer/songwriter and we'll rounded musician. Show a little respect damn trolls. :biggrin:
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You guys got that one WRONG! Jon Anderson is an amazing singer/songwriter and we'll rounded musician. Show a little respect damn trolls. :biggrin:
I always pay John Pemberton respect. Wait, it's the wrong guy, right? :biggrin:
Back to topic, Jorn Lande is almost 50 and is still kicking ass! :metal
B.Lee
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I have one to add to the list, however he is not quite 50 (he is currently 49)
Pat Monahan from Train. My gf is a big Train fan so I've seen them live a bunch and the guy is an animal when it comes to singing. I saw them cover all of Led Zep II live and it was as perfect as it can get.
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James isn't very good these days. He just isn't. He's good at singing ballads and soft stuff but literally anything that requires more than that sounds painful to me. It's been noticeably bad since the Chaos In Motion DVD. At least with Dream Theater. His solo albums sound great and he sounds good on Ayreon but man Petrucci just sucks at writing stuff that really brings out his strengths on the heavy stuff. Somehow Matt Guillory can, though.
Totally disagree with this. I think Matt Guillory is a fine song writer, but I think JP is better in every way, and that includes the vocal melodies. The heavy stuff on the last 3 DT albums sounds awesome (and prior to that too, when someone else wasn't trying to ruin it with his backing vocals...)
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James isn't very good these days. He just isn't. He's good at singing ballads and soft stuff but literally anything that requires more than that sounds painful to me. It's been noticeably bad since the Chaos In Motion DVD. At least with Dream Theater. His solo albums sound great and he sounds good on Ayreon but man Petrucci just sucks at writing stuff that really brings out his strengths on the heavy stuff. Somehow Matt Guillory can, though.
Totally disagree with this. I think Matt Guillory is a fine song writer, but I think JP is better in every way, and that includes the vocal melodies. The heavy stuff on the last 3 DT albums sounds awesome (and prior to that too, when someone else wasn't trying to ruin it with his backing vocals...)
You know what else sounds totally awesome? No more of those backing vocals :lol
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I'll drink to that. :)
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Danny Bowes of Thunder still sounds great at 58.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPfXDwBVTGY
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I am a Stryper and Michael Sweet fan, but I completely disagree. His high end is completely shot. He sounds great on the band's newer material, because it is dropped a bit. But when I saw Stryper do the THWTD anniversary tour a year or so ago, he sounded downright horrid on the live performance of that record. But he sounded GREAT on all the other stuff they played.
Normally, I would have chalked it up to a cold or something. But the start difference between performing THWTD in its original tuning, and the rest of the set was pretty eye-opening.
Very few singers have translated well into their 50s and beyond. Michael Sweet sounds good, but he doesn't have the same ability he once did.
I haven't seen them in quite awhile (last time was the show you and I went to, actually). But a lot of YouTube clips I have seen have been pretty solid. Not all--he definitely has his struggles at times. But even though he may have lost some range, as all singers do, I still think that, overall, he sings better now than he has. His studio performances are STILL out of this world. I don't really knock him for not being able to nail the crazy parts in The Way. (although this performance ain't bad at all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SRo5TRzuQY [epicness at 3:26])
I mean, I hear what you are saying, and I can't really argue that anybody who pushes the limits of what they do and is at the ages Michael and a lot of these other guys are haven't lost a step from where they were in their 20s. But still, there are plenty of them (Michael included, IMO) that are still outstanding, even if they may have lost some range or, at minimum, at least the ability to hit all parts of their range at will.
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bosk,
I wouldn't dare say that Michael is not as good a complete singer - he is. Better, even. I am just saying that his range has declined. We saw them on The Covering tour. He was sick then. I just saw them on the THWTD anniversary tour, and I mean, like I said, there was a shocking difference between hearing that record live, and hearing the rest of the set. Michael just couldn't do it. The other stuff - excellent. But THWTD? No.
And range-wise, that's life. I don't begrudge the man. Like I said, I think he's a better singer now technically than he's ever been. But that high end is seriously on the decline. Frankly, I hope they drop the older stuff so he can sing it better (if it doesn't sound like mud - it really depends on the song).
I have a ticket to see them in the fall. Looking forward to it.
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Yeah, and I'm not really disagreeing. Just offering a slightly different take notwithstanding the things you mention.
But, yeah, there are a lot of things they could do to help him out with some of the harder older stuff. Maybe tune one or two songs down, like you said. Maybe let Oz sing lead on a couple during strategic points in the show.
I had forgotten about that show in the Fall. I may go to that as well. I'll have to see how the budget/time shake out.
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I'd say I prefer Joey Belladonna's voice nowadays rather than during his first period with Anthrax. His lines in Worship Music and For All Kings are amazing!
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I'd say I prefer Joey Belladonna's voice nowadays rather than during his first period with Anthrax. His lines in Worship Music and For All Kings are amazing!
Can't really disagree. These two albums are awesome.