The James Labrie Appreciation Thread

[Occasional_Madman]

He makes me enjoy being trapped-in-side-this-oc-ta-var-i-um.

[jsem]

"Actually, if you've watched this whole commentary, you need to get a fucking life."

One of my favourite lines

JLB: "What are you playing there, John?"
JM: "Umm... bass...."

Epic commentary.

MP: Hey, Derek! What are you doing today, man?
DS: Making history, and you?

[Ħ]

In Forbidden Dreams, JLB introduces JMX as "the bass player from Hell."

[Kura]

He makes me enjoy being trapped-in-side-this-oc-ta-var-i-um.

I second this! James rocks!!

[Algo Fonix]

I think he gives the best interviews out of anyone in the band.  He says what's on his mind, and I find that very cool.  Oh, he also has a bangin' voice.

[Occasional_Madman]

I think he gives the best interviews out of anyone in the band.  He says what's on his mind, and I find that very cool.  Oh, he also has a bangin' voice.

Same here. I love his interviews. I think he's just a very interesting character overall.

[Dublagent66]

Wow, Static Impulse gets way better with more listens.  I'm lovin' this album.  It's catching up with EoP bigtime.

[Keyboardframe]

best metal singer to be honest. noone in metal comes close. but thats my opinion.

[Dublagent66]

Just got Static Impulse -best album I've bought in ages - absolute stormer!

Yeah, SI is good, but Elements of Persuasion is still much better, I think.

Ok, I jumped the gun here again.  After giving SI a lot more attention recently, I'm totally loving this album bigtime.  What an outstanding progression from EoP.  JLB is doing top notch work here.  I hope he brings some more of his great ideas to DT's next album.
Great stuff.

[Jarlaxle]

I have never listened to any of DT's side-projects. They're are never in music stores where I am, and I don't want to download them.

[Dublagent66]

I have never listened to any of DT's side-projects. They're are never in music stores where I am, and I don't want to download them.

Dude, Amazon is your new best friend.  I never download music.  I have a CD to backup every album in my PSP Go.

[jonny108]

BUMPING because James is awesome 

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Nobody does it better than James labrie.

Did YouTube take that video off recently? Nobody does it better than James LaBrie had to be the coolest video ever.

[JimmyJava]

James is awesome. Not only do I love his voice, his presence stage is really good (although he's not your typical rockstar-front man, he has this way of saying that he appreciates everyone coming to the show and he's partying with you, not for you). Also, he has a really cool personality, laidback and seems very well-spoken and intelligent. James for president! 

[krands85]

James 

As others have mentioned, he also seems pretty cool from interviews etc. as well as chatting to fans on Facebook.

[JLa]

Necrobump, but whatever.

I came across this recent clip of James singing Innocence Faded, acappella (Cameo). I got to admit, I was a bit nervous, but ... he still got it lads. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX0k8oRuiOY

From the comment section, "1.25x speed and you have the exact song from 20 years ago" ...

[DTA]

Hopefully the couple years off from touring has allowed him to rest his voice and work on his technique a bit more. I'm no singer but his singing in that clip, while replicating the original vocal line pretty well, looks absolutely painful with excess strain. I could easily see him passing out after this video from lack of oxygen

[JLa]

Here's another fairly recent one. Learning to Live. His voice is in good shape nowadays! That's promising for the upcoming tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o0P49FG_nY

[porcacultor]

I do appreciate his tuning skills on these cameo videos.

On many a capella videos with Bruce Dickinson (like in his spoken word shows where he's sung bits of songs), he'll settle for singing melodies in a whole 'nother key (which isn't a problem, he doesn't have a pitch reference onstage).

What gets me is that James manages to nail the keys without having the song on headphones or whatever – and either he listened to the passage a few minutes prior to recording the video or he just went from memory. Either way, even though he's singing the songs at a slower pace, he's definitely got the right notes in his head.

Go, James!

[Volante99]

Say what you want about JLB; I still remember the moment I first heard him belt out “WATCH THE SPARROW FALLING…” during Pull Me Under and it was like a slap across the face, a “holy shit” moment where the whole band suddenly clicked for me and I’ve been a fan ever since.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Say what you want about JLB; I still remember the moment I first heard him belt out “WATCH THE SPARROW FALLING…” during Pull Me Under and it was like a slap across the face, a “holy shit” moment where the whole band suddenly clicked for me and I’ve been a fan ever since.

That specific line has been one of his more hit-or-miss moments for a while.

[Setlist Scotty]

Either way, even though he's singing the songs at a slower pace, he's definitely got the right notes in his head.

In the recent interview he did with Peter Orullian, he talked about how he'd sing the songs at a slower pace and (I'm paraphrasing) said that he was doing so to give more bang for the buck to the person that requested the cameo instead of just trying to get over with it as fast as possible. The interview as a whole was very insightful and worth checking out if you haven't done so already:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJkh3aAZvAM

[Ben_Jamin]

Either way, even though he's singing the songs at a slower pace, he's definitely got the right notes in his head.

In the recent interview he did with Peter Orullian, he talked about how he'd sing the songs at a slower pace and (I'm paraphrasing) said that he was doing so to give more bang for the buck to the person that requested the cameo instead of just trying to get over with it as fast as possible. The interview as a whole was very insightful and worth checking out if you haven't done so already:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJkh3aAZvAM

I really enjoyed that insight. I really appreciate him going into how he utilizes he vocals and how he chooses what to sing.

Just shows how difficult it is to sing these songs, night after night without wearing out the vocals by the end of the tour.

[DT1138]

I like his singing and I think it sucks that, not only do a lot of people not like it, but he also takes so much crap for it.  I've played DT for a few people I know and the first words out of their mouths is always something like "I'm not sure about that singer" (as if they could do better).  One of my friends likes the band, but as soon as JLB comes on she completely bails and refuses to listen to anything he sings.

To each their own, I guess.

I can't imagine another voice for DT's music - it cuts through all of what is otherwise a barrage of sound.

The Captain gets my vote every time! 

[geeeemo]

I like his singing and I think it sucks that, not only do a lot of people not like it, but he also takes so much crap for it.  I've played DT for a few people I know and the first words out of their mouths is always something like "I'm not sure about that singer" (as if they could do better).  One of my friends likes the band, but as soon as JLB comes on she completely bails and refuses to listen to anything he sings.

To each their own, I guess.

I can't imagine another voice for DT's music - it cuts through all of what is otherwise a barrage of sound.

The Captain gets my vote every time! 

For the life of me I will be never understand this sentiment. The first time I heard his voice, I will never forget. I thought, this is the best rock voice I have ever heard. Now I understand tastes vary, but his voice is just beautiful. Frankly the low and edgier rock voices are just boring to me by comparison. To much the same.

[KevShmev]

For the life of me I will be never understand this sentiment. The first time I heard his voice, I will never forget. I thought, this is the best rock voice I have ever heard. Now I understand tastes vary, but his voice is just beautiful. Frankly the low and edgier rock voices are just boring to me by comparison. To much the same.

Same here.  I doubt I would have been drawn to DT back in 1993 if not for JLB's voice. 

[Dream Team]

For the life of me I will be never understand this sentiment. The first time I heard his voice, I will never forget. I thought, this is the best rock voice I have ever heard. Now I understand tastes vary, but his voice is just beautiful. Frankly the low and edgier rock voices are just boring to me by comparison. To much the same.

Same here.  I doubt I would have been drawn to DT back in 1993 if not for JLB's voice.

I am sure he was awesome to hear then. The problem is that 99% of the people hearing James the first time aren't hearing that version of him which is why it's hard for people to get over the hump.

[geeeemo]

For the life of me I will be never understand this sentiment. The first time I heard his voice, I will never forget. I thought, this is the best rock voice I have ever heard. Now I understand tastes vary, but his voice is just beautiful. Frankly the low and edgier rock voices are just boring to me by comparison. To much the same.

Same here.  I doubt I would have been drawn to DT back in 1993 if not for JLB's voice.

I am sure he was awesome to hear then. The problem is that 99% of the people hearing James the first time aren't hearing that version of him which is why it's hard for people to get over the hump.

Still, if I were a newby and for the first time listened to any of the MM albums, I would not be turned off by his voice.

[KevShmev]

For the life of me I will be never understand this sentiment. The first time I heard his voice, I will never forget. I thought, this is the best rock voice I have ever heard. Now I understand tastes vary, but his voice is just beautiful. Frankly the low and edgier rock voices are just boring to me by comparison. To much the same.

Same here.  I doubt I would have been drawn to DT back in 1993 if not for JLB's voice.

I am sure he was awesome to hear then. The problem is that 99% of the people hearing James the first time aren't hearing that version of him which is why it's hard for people to get over the hump.

Still, if I were a newby and for the first time listened to any of the MM albums, I would not be turned off by his voice.

Despite his increasing live struggles, he still sounds really good on the studio albums, and while it is matter of personal preference, I think he has a terrific natural and pleasant sounding voice.  That is why I love songs like Far from Heaven and Wait for Sleep, as he is singing in a more subdued manner, but has such a great natural voice that the songs work extremely well. 

[TAC]

Far From Heaven is AMAZING! And it's all James!

[MrMike]

As someone who only really became a DT fan this year, I can say I was one of those who had trouble appreciating James at first.  I kind of ignored the band for many years, not only because I had trouble connecting with the music (especially the overindulgence at times), but I also sort of (unfairly) lumped JLB in with other screeching "hair metal" singers that I was very tired of by the end of the 80s.

Fast forward to 2021 and as I finally warmed up to the catalog, I realized how wrong I was about James.  Not only did I become able to accept him, I began to see just what a strength he is in the band's overall presentation.  He has such a versatile voice and is really the perfect fit for DT and all the different moods their music taps into.  Now I can't imagine, nor would I want, to hear anyone else behind the mic.

[DoctorAction]

Love his voice. He has something no-one else does.

Vocals are so subjective. You can primally react either for or against them super-fast. James connects with me.

[gzarruk]

To those still unsure about James, just imagine what would've happened if DT chose John Arch (who did audition for them) instead... yikes!

Arch is probably the no. 1 in my "completely unlistenable vocalists" list (along with most death metal growlers out there)

[Madman Shepherd]

To those still unsure about James, just imagine what would've happened if DT chose John Arch (who did audition for them) instead... yikes!

Arch is probably the no. 1 in my "completely unlistenable vocalists" list (along with most death metal growlers out there)

That's pretty harsh. I love John Arch BUUUUUUUUTTTTT...I can see why some people wouldn't like his voice. There are very few vocalists I don't appreciate. I can love everything from King Diamond to Alice Cooper to some of those death metal growlers.

[gzarruk]

To those still unsure about James, just imagine what would've happened if DT chose John Arch (who did audition for them) instead... yikes!

Arch is probably the no. 1 in my "completely unlistenable vocalists" list (along with most death metal growlers out there)

That's pretty harsh. I love John Arch BUUUUUUUUTTTTT...I can see why some people wouldn't like his voice. There are very few vocalists I don't appreciate. I can love everything from King Diamond to Alice Cooper to some of those death metal growlers.

Not trying to be disrespectful to Arch, he surely can sing well and has his very own distinctive sound, I just can't listen to him. I've tried with early Fates, his Twist of Fate EP and the Arch/Matheos band and nope, can't even manage to listen to a full song start to finish