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#Post#: 9460--------------------------------------------------
Singers, style and voice
DIR By: Mac
Date: June 7, 2012, 11:34 am
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[glow=red,2,300]Singers, style and voice[/glow]
Something I’ve discovered about myself and the music I love
definitely leans towards groups that have unique and good
voices. Now that’s not to say an artist with a good voice I’m
going to like. The voice has to marry up with the music and
provide the chemistry that I’ve become attracted too. I look
back on the artists that I’ve grown to love vs. the ones that
never made it with me and find a distinct pattern. Music and
artists that I like today follow this pattern. Again, this is
not definitive. There are always exceptions to the rule.
Let me start off by shitting on music today. BAM
It’s not all music, in fact I get pretty damn excited when I
discover new music and that happens more and more. I believe a
great deal of music today is generated and ground through the
machine. Artist that sound like a million other artists. Songs
that sound like a million other songs. It’s then consumed by
masses who don’t seem to be too discriminating. Which in turn
fuels the cycle and it continues to poor out crap. I think
artists like Adele prove that the masses can appreciate good
music and jump on it when it becomes available. But if great
music is not there, then they just gravitate to what is
presented to them. A vicious cycle. I don’t have to watch
American Idol to hear the machine grinding on that one. I’m sure
there are some good singers on there, but I have to feel it.
What little I’ve heard, most of the singers sound the same with
the Maria Carey wailing. That’s to generalized I know. Sorry.
The only artist I think I had an interest in from American Idol
is Daughtry, and even with him, he sounds like Creed and few
other bands, and then keeps putting out the same song. Blehhh.
So in other words, American Idol has been on a long time with
lots of folks and produce nothing… for me. I’m constantly taken
aback what impresses people.
The drive time station I listen to is a talk show, but the
produce is an old time rocker and plays a variety of bumper
music. Most of it I don’t like or think meh. As I was thinking
about those artist he was playing, it came down to the singers.
The music was OK, some real good, but the singer just flattens
it for me. For instance, he loves to play Thin Lizzy. I’m sorry,
but I think Phil Lynott has a horrible voice. Some of the song
arrangements are good, but when I hear his voice, it just wilts
any enjoyment of the song. He plays bands that average to bad
singers.
Bob Dylan is prime example. I don’t understand the love for him.
In fact, it’s probably an extreme example of bad. As is the
Grateful Dead.
I just do not enjoy a mediocre, or middle of the road voice that
is indistinguishable from everyone else.
Speaking of, should we talk about Autotune? No, I don’t think
so. It’s one trick pony. A cheat and worst of all boring.
Which leads to all the ‘Now’ various artists release’s. I try
very hard to find and discover new music. It sounds like work,
but it’s not. It’s fun to seek these things out. So I thought
maybe these Now CD’s would be good, fast way to find something I
like. What I’ve discovered is they do reveal and reflects what
pop music is popular at the particular time it’s put out. I also
discovered this is music I don’t like. It’s not thinking like
maybe I’ll like it or get use to it. It’s definitively describes
irritating noise to my brain.
The bands I gravitate too typically have amazing voices. Journey
(don’t get me started about Journey singer evolution), Sting,
Jethro Tull, Boston, Yes, Asia, Robbie Wiiliams, Adele, Bruno
Mars, Motown, Elton John, Billy Joel and on and on. Not only are
their voices full of soul and passion, the music they write
compliments their voice so well.
On one hand I think I’m pretty open to a ton of a variety of
music and artists, yet I do find myself knowing my limits and
putting up walls. But in my defense, I think it’s good to know
what I don’t like and quit wasting my time learning to like it.
This all goes hand in hand with my recent review of Great
White’s Elation CD review and the article on Gen Y with quality
of music.
I don’t typically don’t vocalize my thoughts with regards to
music. I just feel it like lots of other folks. I do think about
it on occasion. Penny Can is just a great opportunity to have
those thoughts written down. Right, wrong or indifferent.
#Post#: 9468--------------------------------------------------
Re: Singers, style and voice
DIR By: Chiprocks1
Date: June 7, 2012, 12:30 pm
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Well thought out Mac. I do agree that as a whole the singer AND
the music is what's going to make or break it with me. There are
a ton of female sings that can run their scales and hit octaves
without breaking a sweat, but what about the music that is
backing them up. I will give you a clear example: Christina
Aguilera. Love her or hate her, she has got the vocal chops to
back her s h i t up. But that's all she has in my eyes...and
ears. The music that she churns out is horrid, vomit inducing
tripe that sounds old the minute it comes out. Why? Because she
is another victim to the "in-house" mentality of Music
Corporations that rely on the same beats, producers and song
writers and it sounds dated because they are going with what is
"hot" at the moment.
I think if she were to go away for a year, write song after song
on an acoustic guitar or piano with no outside help and then
come back and record it live with just a couple of people she
could produce something quite memorable. The problem is, she
will always have an A&R Suit chirping in her ear, "if you want a
hit song, you're gonna need this, this, this, this......" And so
the cycle repeats itself.
#Post#: 9476--------------------------------------------------
Re: Singers, style and voice
DIR By: Mac
Date: June 7, 2012, 2:23 pm
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Good point. I don’t know Christina Aguilera’s work. Either
because I may have heard her and jumped to turn the station or
they just don’t play her on the stuff I listen to. What you said
makes me think of Alicia Keys. I really didn’t know anything
about her until I heard Empire State of Mind with Jay-Z (which I
learned about from Glee). Then I discovered she put out her
version of Empire State Of Mind, PT II, which today I find in my
top 5 songs evah. Then diving into her catalog of work… not so
much. Too much wailing and hip-hop. But, she did continue,
presented us with something different. I love her for that. I
think P!nk is masterful in covering a variety of styles and very
excited on what she has yet to bring us.
Speaking of in-house mentality, I have long thought about that
of radio stations. At one point, local radio was cool with it’s
freedom to play things. Today… unthinkable. Little boxes and
play within this boundary. I find rock radio extremely limiting,
boring and the lowest common denominator.
Sorry... jumped the track there.
#Post#: 26198--------------------------------------------------
Re: Singers, style and voice
DIR By: Mac
Date: February 13, 2014, 9:44 am
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So my wife turned on American Idol last night. I was a captured
viewer because I was sitting down to eat dinner and she had it
on.
Nothing's changed with regards to my 'hating' the show. Except,
the little bit I watched was even worse than what I've seen
before. First I watch two young girls compete against each other
because the judges can only pick one. WTF... I dunno. Anyway,
they have a solo sing-off right there. Not only did they sound
exactly the same, there was nothing distinctive about them vocal
wise. Boring.
Then a young man performs and he did have a distinctive style.
IMO, something akin to Chris Issak. He was far more interesting
than the cookie cutter singers.
The kicker was the way it was put together. The judges were
talking during the performance. The visuals were overlapping
images of the singer and judges in a very 'syrupy' pulling at
the heart strings presentation. I thought it was ridiculous.
Now mind you, I only watched about 15 minutes, but that was the
longest 15 hours of my life.
The sad thing is, I'm sure there is some talent out that should
be heard, but to wade through all that mediocre crap has zero
pull on me.
Just let me know when someone does well and makes a record...
OK.
#Post#: 26199--------------------------------------------------
Re: Singers, style and voice
DIR By: Chiprocks1
Date: February 13, 2014, 9:48 am
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I watched the first episode for this season (the last being
about 4-5 years ago). I only had it on because there was nothing
else to watch. You're right in that nothing has changed and with
the lack of talent on the show, I haven't bothered to go any
further with this season. I was planning on watching the
'rejects' episodes leading up to Hollywood week, but I lost my
interest, the same as before 5 years ago.
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