10.6.13 Who is the SECOND BEST SINGER IN THE WORLD?
Oct 6, 2013 17:55:18 GMT -5
Post by Craazyforadam on Oct 6, 2013 17:55:18 GMT -5
What makes a great singer and who is my number 2? Great topic today and I love all your answers and also Cassie's question list.
The interesting thing is that when Cassie's started writing that she needed to develop her list of criteria, my immediate reaction was, wow, that is the opposite from how I go about it.
To be honest, I usually have some serious attention deficit problem when it comes to music, and so my most simplistic and intuitive way how I discover a great singer (and did discover Adam, btw) is, if they can hold my attention.
Usually, pop music does not do that for me. On the radio, I wish that the song was over after the first minute, start looking for opportunities to distract me or just hate the song.
If I WANT to listen to a song, want to hear it again and don't want it to end, or don't turn it off early, the singer somehow reached me, grabbed me, clearly got my attention. And this is rare for me, especially in pop. Adam did that for me though, very first time I ever heard him (singing Crazy at UC).
Then, when I start thinking about why I like that song or that singer, then all the many things discussed come into play.
If I am just listening, then obviously, the performance aspects and looks are not relevant yet, and most likely I don't have much background story to work with, so it is all about two things only:
a) Beauty of vocal performance and b) how did the singer impresses me, and probably mostly the latter.
Impress me by making me feel something, think about something, making me dance, whatever it may be that somehow gets under my skin. A song needs to move me in some way.
Technical perfection is something that comes way later when I start analyzing. And usually I only analyze when asked to do so, i.e. when a discussion on this board makes me listen and think about specific vocal aspects.
Example I agree that K.D.Lang's Halleluja is one of those songs that deeply connects with me and that I would be happy to listen to anytime.
Once discussion started here that folks would like to hear her together with Adam, I listened to her with attention to more technical detail and I was surprised to notice that she actually does not have the vocal control or skill that I assumed I would hear. She clearly connected with me, without the technical perfection. She sings from the heart and can convey it.
So does Freddie.
He usually gives me chills, both on recordings and live performances. Freddie did not need the technical training, in fact, he was so talented, that I think that more training would have taken some spontaneity away from him. It worked the way it was.
There are many singers that have stood out for me, some with quite different vocal skills and certainly spanning all kinds of genres (from opera to chanson, from classical songs to modern ones, from rock to pop to soul), there are many musical directions where I could list favorites. Putting them overall into a list of 'best singers' is difficult for me, because there are so many criteria to go after.
But I can definitely say, that vocal perfection is not one of them. Vocal training or skill can give them abilities to interpret better, to have more variety in their singing, to also maintain the voice over the length of a concert or throughout the years. So it matters for the artist, but it does not matter in my first impression, because I don't think about it.
I cannot explain why Barbra feels to me like fingernails on chalkboard, even though I realize what a great interpreter and also singer she is, or why I like certain Amy Winehouse songs, without asking for technical perfection. I guess the song just touched me.
Usually I can say that singer-songwriter types or WGWG types don't hold my attention. There are very few favorites there for me. I tend to prefer either the more bombastic/theatrical styles or the more soulful styles.
Finally, a singer does not need to be a great performer, but if they want me at their concert, they need to be. A singer does not have to be a songwriter, but I understand why many want to be (and no, it is not just $$, it also is self-expression). But I do think there are many singers who are trying to be songwriters who should not and I do think that songwriting takes both talent and foundation. Adam has the talent part down pat and cooperates with those that have a foundation, but I wish he had it himself. And obviously he is a great singer and performer, the greatest of today, in my opinion.
In my personal best singer list, Adam and Freddie are so high at the top because they have it all: Can sing a varied catalog of songs brilliantly, their voices give me chills, but I also just loooove their beautiful voices, the way they resonate, the way they can change things up, make it interesting, make it fun. They also have the theatricality that I love and the stage presence. They are the whole package.
The interesting thing is that when Cassie's started writing that she needed to develop her list of criteria, my immediate reaction was, wow, that is the opposite from how I go about it.
To be honest, I usually have some serious attention deficit problem when it comes to music, and so my most simplistic and intuitive way how I discover a great singer (and did discover Adam, btw) is, if they can hold my attention.
Usually, pop music does not do that for me. On the radio, I wish that the song was over after the first minute, start looking for opportunities to distract me or just hate the song.
If I WANT to listen to a song, want to hear it again and don't want it to end, or don't turn it off early, the singer somehow reached me, grabbed me, clearly got my attention. And this is rare for me, especially in pop. Adam did that for me though, very first time I ever heard him (singing Crazy at UC).
Then, when I start thinking about why I like that song or that singer, then all the many things discussed come into play.
If I am just listening, then obviously, the performance aspects and looks are not relevant yet, and most likely I don't have much background story to work with, so it is all about two things only:
a) Beauty of vocal performance and b) how did the singer impresses me, and probably mostly the latter.
Impress me by making me feel something, think about something, making me dance, whatever it may be that somehow gets under my skin. A song needs to move me in some way.
Technical perfection is something that comes way later when I start analyzing. And usually I only analyze when asked to do so, i.e. when a discussion on this board makes me listen and think about specific vocal aspects.
Example I agree that K.D.Lang's Halleluja is one of those songs that deeply connects with me and that I would be happy to listen to anytime.
Once discussion started here that folks would like to hear her together with Adam, I listened to her with attention to more technical detail and I was surprised to notice that she actually does not have the vocal control or skill that I assumed I would hear. She clearly connected with me, without the technical perfection. She sings from the heart and can convey it.
So does Freddie.
He usually gives me chills, both on recordings and live performances. Freddie did not need the technical training, in fact, he was so talented, that I think that more training would have taken some spontaneity away from him. It worked the way it was.
There are many singers that have stood out for me, some with quite different vocal skills and certainly spanning all kinds of genres (from opera to chanson, from classical songs to modern ones, from rock to pop to soul), there are many musical directions where I could list favorites. Putting them overall into a list of 'best singers' is difficult for me, because there are so many criteria to go after.
But I can definitely say, that vocal perfection is not one of them. Vocal training or skill can give them abilities to interpret better, to have more variety in their singing, to also maintain the voice over the length of a concert or throughout the years. So it matters for the artist, but it does not matter in my first impression, because I don't think about it.
I cannot explain why Barbra feels to me like fingernails on chalkboard, even though I realize what a great interpreter and also singer she is, or why I like certain Amy Winehouse songs, without asking for technical perfection. I guess the song just touched me.
Usually I can say that singer-songwriter types or WGWG types don't hold my attention. There are very few favorites there for me. I tend to prefer either the more bombastic/theatrical styles or the more soulful styles.
Finally, a singer does not need to be a great performer, but if they want me at their concert, they need to be. A singer does not have to be a songwriter, but I understand why many want to be (and no, it is not just $$, it also is self-expression). But I do think there are many singers who are trying to be songwriters who should not and I do think that songwriting takes both talent and foundation. Adam has the talent part down pat and cooperates with those that have a foundation, but I wish he had it himself. And obviously he is a great singer and performer, the greatest of today, in my opinion.
In my personal best singer list, Adam and Freddie are so high at the top because they have it all: Can sing a varied catalog of songs brilliantly, their voices give me chills, but I also just loooove their beautiful voices, the way they resonate, the way they can change things up, make it interesting, make it fun. They also have the theatricality that I love and the stage presence. They are the whole package.
