The effect of a bands popularity/fanbase based on the vocalist

[runtfan]

Some guitar player whose name escapes me said that "vocals are filler in between guitar solos"...

I've played in bands with a couple of those guitarists.

 

[Lynch]

I'll give you a great example of a cool band that completely turned me off because of the singer:



The first time I heard this song I was like "Yeah, that is really cool sounding." and then the vocals came in and I went "Oh, that's a shame."

Very cool music in that tune. The vocals weren't anywhere near as bad as they could have been (see the proverbial 'death gargle' vocals of many of the harder metal bands now-a-days). Certainly not great vocals, but not so bad I had to stop listening as I do with a lot of stuff.

I would love to hear some of these type of bands with zero vocals. Just give me the music tracks and let me enjoy some good heavy riffs, beats, etc without ruining it with shit like this:



seriously, if you're a fan of it, good for you. We can't all have the same taste. I just don't see where any enjoyment comes from making that kind of noise comes from. And I refuse to give these people credit for being a "vocalist" and definitely not a "singer"

 

[Slip'nn2Darkness]

^^^ Oh man Lynch.. I'm really in agreement with you about THAT type of Guttering is not singing at all.. I can see it now.. A complete CD with 16 songs and everyone of them he just repeats what he's doing in the video!! Come on man.. Where in the hell did this make it into the demensions of music???
Seriously dumb ass BS>>>>:mad

 

[Peter Norway]

REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Judas Priest and Scorpions would have been doubly popular if they'd had hot looking leadmen.

I mean, look how much mileage a middling band like Bon Jovi got from a few hits, just because Jon was so cuddly. You screw Jon's head onto Foreigner and you've got the freakin Beatles.

 

[Pixel]

It bugs when some people I know comment saying the death metal vocalists don't have much talent on the basis of how harsh they sing, and other general moron type statements.

This. You have to love how it seems to be the 'in thing' to slag off growling vocals. Okay, not everyone likes that and it's fair enough. But would it really hurt people to just say 'this doesn't appeal to me' as opposed to making comments that are often of an immature or sarcastic nature? It makes it difficult to try and have a decent conversation with someone about it when all they do is shoot you down for liking this vocal style, without even wanting to listen to what you have to say. And the worst bit is that sometimes people jump on the anti-growling vocals bandwagon who haven't even given the style a fair go. I can't be doing with someone who says 'this is shit' after a mere 3 seconds. At least hear out the song in its entirety, or listen to different depths/styles of growling to see if maybe some aspects are more agreeable than others, if nothing else. If after doing this you still hate it, then fine because at least you've tried.

Where some people hear mindless noise with no substance, I hear raw passion. It's not 'singing' exactly, but refusing to acknowledge it as a vocal style altogether is wrong because like it or not, that's exactly what it is, and it requires hard work to be able to do it properly. I once posted elsewhere asking for tips on how to achieve a perfect death growl and the reply I got was half a page long; I couldn't get over how many techniques were required to pull it off.

(by the way, this isn't aimed at anyone in particular, it's just something I see on a number of forums/hear in real life on a regular basis, and it just gets really boring after the first 500 or so times).

Anyway, back on topic, there are only two things guaranteed to annoy me; when the vocalist has no passion whatsoever in their voice, and when vocal effects are used for the full duration of a song. I like effects here and there in certain songs because it adds a little something, but if used for the full song I feel it takes away from the vocalist and conceals whatever skills they have.

Actually, something else that annoys me is a vocalist who 'keeps' their accent when they sing. Most people tend to lose their accent when they sing, so when someone clings on to it, it sounds unnatural and forced to me. One guilty candidate is Cerys Matthews from Catatonia. Now, I like their music and I think Cerys has a lovely voice, kind of cute in a way, but she really likes to emphasise her already strong Welsh accent when she sings and it makes her kind of difficult to listen to in large doses. I think I'd find her much easier, and much more pleasurable, to listen to if she just 'lost' her accent while singing and let everything flow out naturally. I like a fair few of our home-grown bands, but unless someone else has slipped past me, she is the only one who keeps her accent whereas all the others just sound, well, natural, if that makes sense.

Oops, sorry for the essay

 

[runtfan]

I know I'm definitely in the minority here but I really don't like Mick Jagger's voice, I know I'd like The Stones a hell of a lot more with a different vocalist. Don't get me wrong I think Mick's a brilliant frontman for his stage presence and swagger and his sleazy voice does fit the music but for some reason it just irritates me.

Totally agree about Mick. He's really a terrible singer but his showmanship has gotten him over. I also would probably like and listen to the Stones more if they had a better singer.

 

[Death on Credit]

The Stones wouldn't be the Stones without Mick Jagger.

 

[matsellah]

Gotta agree with the sentiment; vocals are as much a part of the song as the instruments supporting it. If one contributor is off, the whole thing is unappealing.