OT: Rock and Roll lead singers

[Madmannsucks]

May I suggest a hearing check up?

Roger, good as he was in the 60s/70s, hasn't nailed a high note or his signature scream on WGFA in 30 years.

I saw them in March 2017. I was very impressed and wondering if Roger could carry a show. He DELIVERED!!!!!!

 

[Guapo]

May I suggest a hearing check up?

Roger, good as he was in the 60s/70s, hasn't nailed a high note or his signature scream on WGFA in 30 years.

"I hope I die before I get old" - living old person

 

[August_West]

May I suggest a hearing check up?

Roger, good as he was in the 60s/70s, hasn't nailed a high note or his signature scream on WGFA in 30 years.

this.

And I love Roger and appreciate his performances even today. But his range has been gone for decades. I dont think he even has a full octave left. And I can sympathize with that totally. It happens.

 

[August_West]

Should have included Daltrey in my original list, otherwise you're spot on if you also include Mick.

Mick is actually singing better than ever. quite amazing.

 

[storrsroars]

Mick is actually singing better than ever. quite amazing.

It's not like he was a great singer to begin with.

Sounds cynical, but compare peak Mick to say, peak Freddie or Steve Perry or even Paul Rodgers and Mick sounds like a drunk doing karaoke. Mick's frontman chops were not the voice, it was always the posing and "dancing".

 

[Guapo]

 

[Guapo]

It's not like he was a great singer to begin with.

Sounds cynical, but compare peak Mick to say, peak Freddie or Steve Perry or even Paul Rodgers and Mick sounds like a drunk doing karaoke. Mick's frontman chops were not the voice, it was always the posing and "dancing".

I mean, he's a fine singer but I think it's important to note that we're talking about the person who invented the idea of a frontman.

This discussion literally starts with Mick Jagger...

 

[August_West]

It's not like he was a great singer to begin with.

Sounds cynical, but compare peak Mick to say, peak Freddie or Steve Perry or even Paul Rodgers and Mick sounds like a drunk doing karaoke. Mick's frontman chops were not the voice, it was always the posing and "dancing".

No. But Im judging him against himself. Mick doesnt have a classically great voice. Never has. But it is wildly effective. From Beggars Banquet though Black and Blue (and especially on Sticky fingers and Exile) he was singing wonderfully, for him. Perfect for the band at least. Im (and have been for 45 years) a big stones freak. I saw them in 81 for the first time when I was 13. I HATED the way he sang from, say, 77-87. He really twisted his phrasing and was just shouting crap when singing live. Saw them a couple years ago again and he was hitting Exile stuff like the album in full voice and properly phrased. I was devastatingly impressed. The whole band really has filled out their sound beautifully in the later years.

 

[August_West]

And let me say this.

I have couple different definitions of "great vocals".

For example. (and Im 1 million percent serious) For me, in my opinion, this right here is the greatest live vocal performance in history.

I wonder if anyone would agree. and why.

 

[storrsroars]

I mean, he's a fine singer but I think it's important to note that we're talking about the person who invented the idea of a frontman.

This discussion literally starts with Mick Jagger...

That's only because James Brown was not really associated with a band. If he were, it would be no contest about who "invented the frontman". Every frontman in the 60s copied something from JB to some extent.

 

[Guapo]

That's only because James Brown was not really associated with a band. If he were, it would be no contest about who "invented the frontman". Every frontman in the 60s copied something from JB to some extent.

True.

I was wondering when someone would bring up James Brown.

However, it is what it is.

James Brown was probably influenced by someone, who was influenced by someone etc and you can go down that rabbit hole as far as you want.

For the purposes of this discussion, which has basically been "rock n roll frontman," it begins with Mick.

 

[storrsroars]

And let me say this.

I have couple different definitions of "great vocals".

For example. (and Im 1 million percent serious) For me, in my opinion, this right here is the greatest live vocal performance in history.

I wonder if anyone would agree. and why.

You like Arby's. And Texas Roadhouse.

To me, doesn't look like Dylan is trying all that hard or that his heart is totally into it. Seems to me it's just another song on the setlist to get through. Might as well post John Lydon from the same year.



fwiw, there are a few times I did like Dylan's voice, like on Hurricane.

Also, Lydon was a pretty damned good frontman himself. Saw him with PIL at the Capitol in PC in late 80s. White linen suit, dance moves that hinted at some choreography, some actual range. Same fuque it attitude though.

 

[Guapo]

And let me say this.

I have couple different definitions of "great vocals".

For example. (and Im 1 million percent serious) For me, in my opinion, this right here is the greatest live vocal performance in history.

I wonder if anyone would agree. and why.

Not sure if I agree this is the greatest live vocal performance ever haha; however, I do agree that classically defined "good vocals" are overrated in this discussion.

Imagine "You Really Got Me" if Davie's vocals were perfect or "House of Rising Sun" if Burden's voice was smooth and on pitch.

I, for one, love listening to John tear apart his vocal chords on Twist and Shout.

 

[Yardigan]

Mick Jones

 

[August_West]

You like Arby's. And Texas Roadhouse.

To me, doesn't look like Dylan is trying all that hard or that his heart is totally into it. Might as well post John Lydon from the same year.



fwiw, there are a few times I did like Dylan's voice, like on Hurricane.

Also, Lydon was a pretty damned good frontman himself. Saw him with PIL at the Capitol in PC in late 80s. White linen suit, dance moves that hinted at some choreography, some actual range. Same *it attitude though.

It’s the perfect marriage of lyrical content and delivery evoking the exact same mood.

His ( soon to be ex ) wife was sitting front row and maybe you can’t hear it ( and that’s fine) but to me he is absolutely spitting invective with the same fire the original lyrics intended.

 

[Husky25]

The title of the thread is "Rock & Roll Lead Singers."

I stand by my 14 month old assertion that in terms of Van Halen, Sammy Hagar was (and still is) a much better singer. DLR might be a better "front man" than Hagar*, but this point is moot. The true front man of Van Halen was/is/will always be Eddie.

*Even this is debatable. - Take a look at the video for "Just Like Paradise," off the Skyscraper record. The point of videos was to promote the record just as much as radio airplay and Steve Vai got just as much camera time (on a song he didn't write and didn't particularly care for) as Roth, as a solo artist...Of course the Eat'm & Smile and Skyscraper backing band was a monster in its own right.

 

[Husky25]

Came across the "Rock & Roll" Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight.

Has anyone mentioned Mark Knopfler?

 

[storrsroars]

Came across the "Rock & Roll" Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight.
Has anyone mentioned Mark Knopfler?

No, because I think the intent was to limit this to guys who mostly just sing and have a few moves like Jagger, Stewart, etc.

Nobody mentioned David Gilmour either. And while I'm not going to put him up there as a front man, I'm just going to post this because at 70, unlike pretty much every other name mentioned here (including Bruce), he was still writing relevant music and actually improving his game. This tune has his best solo since Comfortably Numb and is probably the only song that actually tells a story about what it's like to kill someone remotely by drone strike. The solo has more emotion in it than anything I've heard in the past decade or two.

 

[tentoes4rings]

In no order, as style,attitude ( the want to be the lead) and moxey , has as much to do with this as pure talent :
Jim Morisson
David Lee Roth
Axl
Kurt Cobain
The Boss
I wanted to say Prince as well. But his career was as much solo with the same band he started with.

I can’t believe it took 8 pages for someone to mention Axl. Had a short run compared to many of the others but Appetite for Destruction is a phenomenal album and Axl’s vocals are fantastic then. Also, Ian Astbury of The Cult is vastly underrated in my opinion.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Mick Jones

The Only Band that Matters. Awesome stuff. Him and Strummer put out some great stuff. Mix of rough, cigarette voice and high range tenor. I came of age just after the Clash. Saw Big Audio Dynamite at the Augora.
Sad day when Strummer died. Guy was the real deal - sang about stuff that mattered to him. Gotta respect that, like the music or not.

 

[Ewekon]

Stretching the idea a bit to lead rock duo as well as at least bringing it in to the 21st century are Chester Bennington (sadly RIP) and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. Saw them for the first time outdoors at the Meadows in Hartford with Korn in support. Chester and Mike had the crowd standing all set. Really dynamic and in fact went back the next year to see them again. Think it was 04-05ish.

Losing Chris Cornell and Chester that close together in the way they went was tragic.

 

[8893]

The Only Band that Matters. Awesome stuff. Him and Strummer put out some great stuff. Mix of rough, cigarette voice and high range tenor. I came of age just after the Clash. Saw Big Audio Dynamite at the Augora.
Sad day when Strummer died. Guy was the real deal - sang about stuff that mattered to him. Gotta respect that, like the music or not.

Funny, all this time I was certain you were older than me.

High school teacher turned me on to the Clash sophomore year in Geopolitical Systems class. Saw them open for Who at Shea Stadium the next year (1982--the first of many, many "farewell" tours for Who). Bought the Combat Rock album and then worked my way backwards through their catalogue, getting hooked on the London Calling album, which really has remained in solid rotation ever since. Didn't fully appreciate Sandinista! for several more years after that though, and didn't get into the Strummer and Jones post-Clash stuff for a while after that. Still love it all, especially as my middle daughter has been a fan for several years now. Was tickled to see a band cover "Magnificent Seven" on St. Patrick's Day this year.

 

[Ewekon]

Funny, all this time I was certain you were older than me.

High school teacher turned me on to the Clash sophomore year in Geopolitical Systems class. Saw them open for Who at Shea Stadium the next year (1982--the first of many, many "farewell" tours for Who). Bought the Combat Rock album and then worked my way backwards through their catalogue, getting hooked on the London Calling album, which really has remained in solid rotation ever since. Didn't fully appreciate Sandinista! for several more years after that though, and didn't get into the Strummer and Jones post-Clash stuff for a while after that. Still love it all, especially as my middle daughter has been a fan for several years now. Was tickled to see a band cover "Magnificent Seven" on St. Patrick's Day this year.

I was at the Shea show the night it rained once the entire evening; during "Love Reign O'er Me". Roger's quip after that was "Like to see them rollin' bones pull that one off".

Of the times I saw the Clash, whom I loved, Bond's Casino in NYC and SUNY Binghamton were my 2 favorite shows.

 

[Mr. French]

This thread must be 9 pages straight of “Robert Plant” right? I didn’t read it.

 

[storrsroars]

This thread must be 9 pages straight of “Robert Plant” right? I didn’t read it.

Someone needs to get out more and expand their horizons.