Most talented vocalist of our time?

Options
1235

Comments

  • Vedderismyidol
    Vedderismyidol Posts: 19
    vedder(of course),phil anselmo(sure the guy might be a complete dick but there is no denying his talent he has shown in pantera, down, and superjoint ritual),freddie mercury,rob halford,layne staley,chris Cornell,robert plant,bruce dickinson,mick jagger,steve Tyler,axl rose,jim morrison, Scott Stapp(please don't kill me),dave mustaine,james hetfield, and jonathon davis(criticize KoRn all you want, but don't you dare to call this man untalented).
    http://i27.tinypic.com/30xe59j.jpg
  • Veddernarian
    Veddernarian Posts: 1,924
    Plant all the way, Mercury a close second, then it drops way off to extremely talented people like Cornell, Rodgers, Gillian and the likes of those.

    As for Plant, think about it, think about the thread title. In all of the Zeppelin stuff, the diversity in the solo career, the Moroccan influences in later stuff, Honeydrippers Vol 1., Afro Celt Soundsystem, Raising Sand w/ Alison Krause. So many genres touched in his career and he pulls it off. Find yourself a copy of the HOB 2005 PJ with Plant bootleg. Goes from Going to California, right into Little Sister and Money, then Fool in the Rain and Thank You and makes it all sound amazing.

    Likewise, Mercury can do early americana to opera to screaming rock.

    I'd like to see these other people try all of that diversity and pull it. Now that I think of it, Bono might be a close 3rd if he tried.
    Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    Veddernarian wrote:
    Plant all the way, Mercury a close second, then it drops way off to extremely talented people like Cornell, Rodgers, Gillian and the likes of those.

    As for Plant, think about it, think about the thread title. In all of the Zeppelin stuff, the diversity in the solo career, the Moroccan influences in later stuff, Honeydrippers Vol 1., Afro Celt Soundsystem, Raising Sand w/ Alison Krause. So many genres touched in his career and he pulls it off. Find yourself a copy of the HOB 2005 PJ with Plant bootleg. Goes from Going to California, right into Little Sister and Money, then Fool in the Rain and Thank You and makes it all sound amazing.

    Likewise, Mercury can do early americana to opera to screaming rock.

    I'd like to see these other people try all of that diversity and pull it. Now that I think of it, Bono might be a close 3rd if he tried.

    Cornell in his prime was a better vocalist than Plant, his power and range were virtually untouchable, in my opinion. Cornell's talent wasn't just that he could sing insanely high, but that he could also hit all the lower notes too, most similar vocalists to him were/are tenors, as opposed to Cornell who's a baritone. In all honesty I think there were things Cornell could do that Mercury wouldn't have managed either - the relentless wailing in Birth Ritual for example, let alone all the deeper stuff. Please do give me an example of Mercury singing that high, I would love to hear it.
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    facepollution wrote:
    Cornell in his prime was a better vocalist than Plant, his power and range were virtually untouchable, in my opinion. Cornell's talent wasn't just that he could sing insanely high, but that he could also hit all the lower notes too, most similar vocalists to him were/are tenors, as opposed to Cornell who's a baritone. In all honesty I think there were things Cornell could do that Mercury wouldn't have managed either - the relentless wailing in Birth Ritual for example, let alone all the deeper stuff. Please do give me an example of Mercury singing that high, I would love to hear it.
    Birth Ritual is obscene. I can't believe the guy that could hit highs like that also sang Fourth of July
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Birth Ritual is obscene. I can't believe the guy that could hit highs like that also sang Fourth of July

    I know! People don't wanna give Cornell credit, I have a theory that it's because he has the whole alpha male thing going on, but people would never admit to that obviously! But if you just listen to his voice, and nothing else, there is no doubting that his range and power were unquestionably impressive. I wish some of his detractors would actually try themselves to sing that high with that much power, most people could never even hope to come close.
  • muppet
    muppet Posts: 980
    Birth Ritual is almost cringe worthy (in a good way). Hard to believe a man can sing that high.

    Cornell's high voice does not always translate into a good song though. A lot of Soundgardens early stuff maybe had some really impressive technical vocal stuff but a lot of the time it sounded silly, IMO.
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    muppet wrote:
    Birth Ritual is almost cringe worthy (in a good way). Hard to believe a man can sing that high.

    Cornell's high voice does not always translate into a good song though. A lot of Soundgardens early stuff maybe had some really impressive technical vocal stuff but a lot of the time it sounded silly, IMO.

    Oh yeah, I agree some of it was unnecessary, and the dramatic vocals were often masking very average songs. It was when he began to harness that power and pair it with really strong songwriting that it became more impressive - Slaves and Bulldozers being a prime example.
  • reversedarwinism
    reversedarwinism Posts: 1,151
    facepollution wrote:
    Oh yeah, I agree some of it was unnecessary, and the dramatic vocals were often masking very average songs. It was when he began to harness that power and pair it with really strong songwriting that it became more impressive - Slaves and Bulldozers being a prime example.

    I've become quite a fan of the early SG stuff lately. And even the different sing approach he had back then. Which came first? TOTD or BMF? He really started to make a great use of his lower register then.

    I have to give it to Cornell or Plant. Wow hard to decide. Listening to a lot of Zeppelin the last few days and Plant is crazy, but overall I got to give it to Cornell. Hard decision though. I do get that Cornell doesn't get the credit because of the "alfa male" thing, but who ever had that more than Plant. Is Cornell anywhere close to how in love Plant was with himself? I don't think so.
    bombs, dropping down, please forgive our hometown
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    reversedarwinism wrote:
    I've become quite a fan of the early SG stuff lately. And even the different sing approach he had back then. Which came first? TOTD or BMF? He really started to make a great use of his lower register then.

    I have to give it to Cornell or Plant. Wow hard to decide. Listening to a lot of Zeppelin the last few days and Plant is crazy, but overall I got to give it to Cornell. Hard decision though. I do get that Cornell doesn't get the credit because of the "alfa male" thing, but who ever had that more than Plant. Is Cornell anywhere close to how in love Plant was with himself? I don't think so.

    I think lately though Cornell's become a lot more mainstream orientated, in terms of modelling and wearing the designer clothes etc. It's easy for a lot of people to dismiss him as a prettyboy who used to make good music, blah blah blah.
  • jamie uk
    jamie uk Posts: 3,812
    reversedarwinism wrote:
    I've become quite a fan of the early SG stuff lately. And even the different sing approach he had back then. Which came first? TOTD or BMF? He really started to make a great use of his lower register then.

    I have to give it to Cornell or Plant. Wow hard to decide. Listening to a lot of Zeppelin the last few days and Plant is crazy, but overall I got to give it to Cornell. Hard decision though. I do get that Cornell doesn't get the credit because of the "alfa male" thing, but who ever had that more than Plant. Is Cornell anywhere close to how in love Plant was with himself? I don't think so.

    As much as I like Cornell, I just don't put him on the same page as Plant. I mean the young Plant, the performances on those first few albums were simply incredible, no one has the right to be able to wail like that!
    I love how he's accomodated his style over the years, accepted he could no longer do what he once did, and moved on, he is a very 'serious' vocalist, really works at his craft.
    Plant wins it.
    As for modern day, Damien Rice is as good as I've heard, great range, and feeling.
    I came, I saw, I concurred.....
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    jamie uk wrote:
    As much as I like Cornell, I just don't put him on the same page as Plant. I mean the young Plant, the performances on those first few albums were simply incredible, no one has the right to be able to wail like that!
    I love how he's accomodated his style over the years, accepted he could no longer do what he once did, and moved on, he is a very 'serious' vocalist, really works at his craft.
    Plant wins it.
    As for modern day, Damien Rice is as good as I've heard, great range, and feeling.

    Ok, perhaps I'm wrong, but I can't recall anything that Plant did that Cornell didn't match. I think nostalgia clouds a lot of people's opinions.
  • Veddernarian
    Veddernarian Posts: 1,924
    facepollution wrote:
    Ok, perhaps I'm wrong, but I can't recall anything that Plant did that Cornell didn't match. I think nostalgia clouds a lot of people's opinions.

    I don't think it is a matter of technical highs and lows. It is how it is applied to the situation. (Like Van Halen's Eruption vs. Gilmour's solo in Time, the former technically a better feat, the latter being an amazing adaptation to a song.) In the vocal world, I give the nod to Plant as his adaptation of vocals to what's needed in a song are amazing. Here are some examples:

    Since I've been Loving You, Led Zep 3, Studio album
    D'yer Maker, Houses of the Holy
    Night Flight, Physical Graffiti
    I'm gonna crawl, In through the Out door
    Moonlight in Samosa, Pictures at Eleven
    I believe, Fate of Nations
    Anything on disk 2 of 66 to Timbuktu- everything from rockabilly to disco and he pulls it off.
    Anything on Honeydrippers
    It goes on...
    Great performances on Dreamland and Mighty Rearranger
    This new thing with Alison Krause...

    I think the difference is a certain amount of passion, and a certain amount of fun in his performances.

    I find Cornell to have amazing technical range, but almost a machine-like application which gives me a sense of being too clean or sterile. I wish he'd explore the blues more and add that to his delivery.
    Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    Veddernarian wrote:
    I find Cornell to have amazing technical range, but almost a machine-like application which gives me a sense of being too clean or sterile. I wish he'd explore the blues more and add that to his delivery.

    Um, have you heard Temple Of The Dog? If that aint blues I don't know what is.

    I understand what you are saying about the other things, but they are all subjective opinions, the power and range are the only real things you can measure a voice by. What one person views as talent may mean nothing to another person, and there's no way of really debating that.
  • jamie uk
    jamie uk Posts: 3,812
    facepollution wrote:
    Ok, perhaps I'm wrong, but I can't recall anything that Plant did that Cornell didn't match. I think nostalgia clouds a lot of people's opinions.

    Nah, listen to the first Zepp album, the vocals are outragous at times. Plant gets embarressed by it, says there's too much showing off on there.
    Cornell is also amazing btw, just he's not Plant, imo.
    I came, I saw, I concurred.....
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    jamie uk wrote:
    Nah, listen to the first Zepp album, the vocals are outragous at times. Plant gets embarressed by it, says there's too much showing off on there.
    Cornell is also amazing btw, just he's not Plant, imo.

    Oh I've listened to it plenty, no more impressive than something like Beyond The Wheel or Four Walled World. Plus Plant is/was a tenor, reaching those notes is more natural to a tenor, as opposed to a baritone like Cornell.
  • joejohn
    joejohn Posts: 30
    Chris Robinson
    http://www.tapetrader.com/weagle
  • Collin
    Collin Posts: 4,931
    Jeff Buckley
    Antony Hegarty
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


    naděje umírá poslední
  • reversedarwinism
    reversedarwinism Posts: 1,151
    Veddernarian wrote:
    I don't think it is a matter of technical highs and lows. It is how it is applied to the situation. (Like Van Halen's Eruption vs. Gilmour's solo in Time, the former technically a better feat, the latter being an amazing adaptation to a song.) In the vocal world, I give the nod to Plant as his adaptation of vocals to what's needed in a song are amazing. Here are some examples:

    Since I've been Loving You, Led Zep 3, Studio album
    D'yer Maker, Houses of the Holy
    Night Flight, Physical Graffiti
    I'm gonna crawl, In through the Out door
    Moonlight in Samosa, Pictures at Eleven
    I believe, Fate of Nations
    Anything on disk 2 of 66 to Timbuktu- everything from rockabilly to disco and he pulls it off.
    Anything on Honeydrippers
    It goes on...
    Great performances on Dreamland and Mighty Rearranger
    This new thing with Alison Krause...

    I think the difference is a certain amount of passion, and a certain amount of fun in his performances.

    I find Cornell to have amazing technical range, but almost a machine-like application which gives me a sense of being too clean or sterile. I wish he'd explore the blues more and add that to his delivery.

    I have to completely dissagree about the machine-like thing. Cornell delivers extreme "mood" to the music and emotion as often as plant for sure. Often Plant is completely shallow doing just fun rock.
    bombs, dropping down, please forgive our hometown
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0o1MBptNSI

    This isn't too shoddy either, even if the bloke on the decks is.
  • muppet
    muppet Posts: 980
    reversedarwinism wrote:
    I've become quite a fan of the early SG stuff lately. And even the different sing approach he had back then. Which came first? TOTD or BMF? He really started to make a great use of his lower register then.

    I have to give it to Cornell or Plant. Wow hard to decide. Listening to a lot of Zeppelin the last few days and Plant is crazy, but overall I got to give it to Cornell. Hard decision though. I do get that Cornell doesn't get the credit because of the "alfa male" thing, but who ever had that more than Plant. Is Cornell anywhere close to how in love Plant was with himself? I don't think so.

    When I said early stuff, I meant like Screaming Fopp or Ultramega OK. I agree with you, TOTD and BMF are just phenomonal.

    Not to make this a Cornell-only thread but somebody said Cornell should start singing with a blusey style again (or words to that effect, I've got a terrible memorey). I'd like to see more of this as well. We got some of it on TOTD but lately his voice (even though it's back) sounds flat and emotionless.

    Just listen to that 'Hey Baby' Hendrix cover with him and some of the other guys from Pearl Jam. Amazing. Hell, I thought there was even a bit of it on the last Audioslave album with 'Broken City' which is probably the most underrated Cornell song ever.

    I gotta put Plant above Cornell though. If Cornell ever does an album like 'Raising Sand' then I might reconsider :p

Categories