Popel Vooje
|
Acts whose music is ruined by the vocals
Feb 19, 2003, 13:17
|
Just been reading the Nick Cave thread. Whilst I am agnostic with regards to Cave himself - made a few good albums back in the late 80s/early 90s but has been coasting it ever since in my opinion - I'd be interested to know if other HHers have ever come across acts whom they feel they could like, if it wasn't for the fact that all bets are off once the bloody awful singing starts.
My nominations will possibly upset a few people here, which is not my intention, but as Fitter said during the Cave thread, each to their own and all that.
The first one would have to be Family. A couple of months ago, a friend copied me "Music In A Doll's House", telling me he thought it would be up my street. I admit, the first few bars sounded promising. But then ... this horrible, strangulated, bleating gargle (apparently emanating from the throat of one Roger Chapman) started bellowing out over the top, throwing the whole thing out of kilter and rendering it unlistenable to me. I've played that album five times so far and whilst the music is fine and dandy I'm afraid the voice still ruins it for my ears.
Joan Baez - Unlike some HHers, I've nothing against folk music per se. I could listen to Bert Jansch or Shirley Collins anytime. But this woman seems unable to open her mouth without emitting a tone shrill enough to crack wine glasses. Everything is bellowed out at the same histrionic, over-emoted level with no dynamics or contrast. You get the impression that if her producer instructed her to try singing quietly for once, she'd probably have an orgasm out of sheer frustration.
The Incredible String Band - Again, as with Family, some of the music is highly interesting and evocative, but try as I might I just can't stomach Robin Williamson's silly hippie burr (although Mike Heron's voice on it's own is not too bad).
Lou Reed's late 70s material. On the four highly uneven albums he recorded for Arista, Lou seems to have decided to experiment with becoming a proper singer for a change. Biggest mistake of his career, in my opinion. Should have stuck to the dry, half-singing, half-talking deadpan that helped make his early work, not to mention the "New York"/"Songs For Drella"/"Magic And Loss" trilogy so great. If you want a proper singer, look to John Cale.
|
PaulMakesMusic
|
Re: Acts whose music is ruined by the vocals
Feb 19, 2003, 13:47
|
|
The Blue aeroplanes... Sublime guitar work, shite vocals.
|
Squid Tempest
|
Re: Acts whose music is ruined by the vocals
Feb 19, 2003, 15:26
|
|
I used to quite like Roger Chapman's vox...kind of like Joe Cocker being strangled while gargling brimstone. Rather fetching I thought (each to their own etc etc...)!
|
grrr
|
Re: Acts whose music is ruined by the vocals
Feb 19, 2003, 15:33
|
The Pogues when Shane isn't singing.
The others can write good songs (thousands are sailing), but sure as hell can't sing 'em
|
I Faustus
|
Re: Acts whose music is ruined by the vocals
Feb 19, 2003, 16:24
|
Brain Donor. Julian's voice is the weakest thing about an already tenuous concept.
Has no balls to it at all. Sorry. He should stick to probably drinking tea and talking.
Faustus
|
Squid Tempest
|
Re: Acts whose music is ruined by the vocals
Feb 19, 2003, 16:26
|
have you come to the right site?
Do I detect a whiff of troll?
Squiddo
x
|
Severin
|
Re: Acts whose music is ruined by the vocals
Feb 19, 2003, 18:04
|
Def.agree with you on Baez and ISB (don't disagree on the others,just not as familiar)
Add to that..most everything I've heard by Amon Duul
Ash Ra Tempel's 7 Up..eeesh
(that is the one with "right hand lover" and all that,right?..2nd track is fine)
Others,but I think I'm repressing them at the moment..can't even get past the "A's" '-)
Good idea for a thread though...
|
TightPurpleShirt
|
Re: Actually
Feb 19, 2003, 18:45
|
I'm in agreement with Mr Faustus.
Brain Donor just doesn't have balls. It thinks it does, but it's wrong.
If i want to listen to some guitars i'll get me Mainliner albums out. Not only do they have balls, but they have big hairy throbbing ones.
I could mention Musica Transonic too. The balls they posses makes Buster Gonad look like a pre pubescent choir boy.
TpS
|
TightPurpleShirt
|
Re: Actually
Feb 19, 2003, 18:47
|
I reckon one of the best things about the ISB is the vocals...
....'if i was a witches hat...sat on your head like a parafin stove... ooooooohhhohohohoh' and so on and so forth
fanfuckintastic, i love em
TpS
|
Vybik Jon
|
Re: Actually
Feb 19, 2003, 18:48
|
|
Are you sure you've got the right CD in? I mean, with all your previously admitted disorder you might have put Robbie on.
|
