80s Glam/Metal Vocal Showdown #11: Keith vs Keifer

[jingle.boy]

Couple of guys that really had a lot of soul and blues in their voices.  Both really lay on the raspy-ness at times - Keifer really comes through that way in the cover of Janis Joplin's Move Over.  Tesla was obviously the bigger band, and continues to prove so with the fact they are coming up on their third release in the 2000s, while Cinderella is nowhere to be found.  Cinderella always struck me as that band that should've broken through and made it bigger, but for some reason just didn't.

Got a feeling this one will be over quick.

Keith gets the nod from me.

[Kwyjibo]

Jeff Keith all the way. He has a cool rocking rasp in his singing whereas Keifer has more of a screech which sometimes can be annoying. And although I do like me some Cinderella, Tesla beats them in all categories.

[Jaq]

This is gonna be another one sided beat down. 

Keith, beyond the shadow of a doubt.

[Lolzeez]

I hate Keifer and like Keith. Easy choice.

[TAC]

Jeff Keith all the way. He has a cool rocking rasp in his singing whereas Keifer has more of a screech which sometimes can be annoying. And although I do like me some Cinderella, Tesla beats them in all categories.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I love Tesla, but it's Keifer, without question.

[jingle.boy]

I love Tesla, but it's Keifer, without question.

That's three in a row that you're bucking the trend.  Way to stand up for your principle's... even when they are WAAAAYYY out there! 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

   And it WOULD appear that I'm doing it on purpose, but I'm totally not.  Tesla was without question one of the better bands I've seen.  But Cinderella was without question one of the even better bands I've seen.  First year we went to M3, the Scorpions were the closer.  A lot of the talk I read online was that Cinderella stole the fucking show that day, and for good reason.  Tom Keifer just released a solo album, also.

[bosk1]

Man, this is a tough call.  When me & the guys get together to jam, there are two bands from the '80s that I won't touch.  These are those two bands, and the two guys that are the subject of this thread are the reason why. 

Keith had (I say "had" because, unfortunately, his voice is greatly diminished nowadays) a naturally high voice that was hard to beat. 

Keifer's high more obviously incorporates a lot more falsetto.  But I feel Tom's voice is a lot more varied, as evidenced by the rare glimpses at his lower, more natural register.

Still hard to decide, so I'm going to have to go to the tiebreaker:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XOWYe9TgaU  Tom wins.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

[TAC]

It's easy to see the Steven Tyler influence on both.

[Podaar]

I wasn't a huge fan of either band but I can say this much: What I did love about Tesla had nothing to do with the vocals. What I did love about Cinderella had everything to do with the vocals.

Tom Keifer.

[Lowdz]

Jeff Keith all the way. He has a cool rocking rasp in his singing whereas Keifer has more of a screech which sometimes can be annoying. And although I do like me some Cinderella, Tesla beats them in all categories.

Saves me typing. I agree with all this.
Keith always felt to me like a singer with a rasp whereas Keifer was a rasp who could sing a bit. Not much variety with Keifer; ballad, rocker, country song- he sounds the same on them all. Saying that I do like Cinderella- I like Tesla a whole lot more.

[jjrock88]

Very close but the slight edge goes to Tom

[bosk1]

I'll just add:  Another interesting thing about this matchup is that if I had to do a top 10 '80s metal/glam albums list, both of these bands would definitely make the list.

[Dittomist]

They are both amazing vocalists and it's really hard to pick a winner, but I have to go with Tom Keifer. I always felt Cinderella are one of the most underrated hard rock bands ever, and that Keifer has a voice so interesting, versatile, and powerful that he's on a completely different level from all of the other "glam metal" singers. For proof, just listen to his performance on the title track of "Long Cold Winter." It gives me chills every time.

[TAC]

I'll just add:  Another interesting thing about this matchup is that if I had to do a top 10 '80s metal/glam albums list, both of these bands would definitely make the list.

I am not sure Cinderella would make mine. I honestly can't listen to Kiefer for too long.

[bosk1]

I'll just add:  Another interesting thing about this matchup is that if I had to do a top 10 '80s metal/glam albums list, both of these bands would definitely make the list.

I am not sure Cinderella would make mine. I honestly can't listen to Kiefer for too long.

Long, Cold Winter definitely makes mine.  In no particular order, I think my top 10 would be:
Badlands - self titled
Cinderella - Long, Cold Winter
Def Leppard - Pryomania
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Scorpions - Love At First Sting
Stryper - To Hell With The Devil
Tesla - The Great Radio Controvery
Whitesnake - self titled
Y&T - Black Tiger
Y&T - In Rock We Trust
(yes, I know.  But these go to 11)

[King Postwhore]

I've heard both live recently (on TV) and I like Keith more but he has lost his voice that's for sure.

[TAC]

Top 10 80's hard rock/Glam?/hair metal albums? That deserves its own thread!

[bosk1]

Top 10 80's hard rock/Glam?/hair metal albums? That deserves its own thread!

I think it does.  Do you want to do the honors?

[Lowdz]

Top 10 80's hard rock/Glam?/hair metal albums? That deserves its own thread!

I think it does.  Do you want to do the honors?

Ahh, thought my top 50 was hard- narrowing down that decade of my life to 10 albums? Almost impossible.

[Kwyjibo]

Not that it adds anything meaningful to this thread but the verb "keifen" in german means nagging, so a "keifer" would be someone who's nagging constantly 

[TAC]

Top 10 80's hard rock/Glam?/hair metal albums? That deserves its own thread!

I think it does.  Do you want to do the honors?

Thank you. But I'm on vacation right now and would have trouble participating.