On a positive note, I saw Stevie Wonder in Charlotte recently. Damn, dude can still bring it!
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These legendary artists are still performing and I would treasure every moment they sang if I were in their concert.
Rod the Mod is better than ever. Tony Bennett is powerful, multi-octave and polished. When my wife and I saw him in concert, he sang his last song without a mic. And he hit unbelievable notes in multiple octaves. Add to that he danced sang and did the soft shoe for two hours without once sitting down. At 89 years old. And he has a 30 something world class female recording artist hanging off his every word and arm.
Wife and I saw Elton John and his voice was a powerful as it's always been. I don't perceive him losing any quality or strength in his performance. And I've been listening to him since 1971.
Rod the Mod is better than ever. Tony Bennett is powerful, multi-octave and polished. When my wife and I saw him in concert, he sang his last song without a mic. And he hit unbelievable notes in multiple octaves. Add to that he danced sang and did the soft shoe for two hours without once sitting down. At 89 years old. And he has a 30 something world class female recording artist hanging off his every word and arm.
Wife and I saw Elton John and his voice was a powerful as it's always been. I don't perceive him losing any quality or strength in his performance. And I've been listening to him since 1971.
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Singers often lose range over time. Nothing to get up in arms over one way or another. It happens to most singers, especially if they don't care for their instrument. Just because it is common doesn't mean it's awful to talk about. The singers know it. Some listeners know it. Is anyone going to throw bottles at the stage because Sinatra took his tracks down a few steps? That being said, Sting should be on this list. I heard him doing Roxanne and it was way low, like the middle of his old range. Conversely Michael Jackson sang his Jackson 5 stuff in the same keys on This is It. I know he is Mike freakin Jack so there is no reason to think there is anything he is unable to do as a vocalist, but it was still really impressive to hear him so many years past his prepubescent voice hit all those notes and riffs.
Agree about Geddy. I really enjoyed the R40 video I got for Christmas, but after watching it, I have a peace about them ending their extensive touring. Seemed to me that they weren't quite as tight as they have been in the past. (still tighter than 99.9% of the bands around today) Appreciate all the great music they've made, but no one can keep it going forever. We've had over 40 great years, I think Geddys', Alex's, and Neils' families would appreciate some time with them as well. You never know just how much time you have left ....... RIP Lemmy!
I was referring to those tours with black sabbath around 2006-7. I can't describe it, but I guess we all get old and IMO his voice wasn't the same.Pardon me for asking... I saw Dio on the Sacred Heart tour...
"Why?"
Why did you avoid his recent performances?
Thanks,
D.
I will say only positive things. Rob Halford is definitely still capable. Ann Wilson is as good as ever. Cy Curnin of The Fixx sounds same as he did in the 80s.
Someone posted a recent recording of Glenn Hughes covering Highway Star. That guy amazes me. He sounds as good now, if not better than he did back in his 1970s Trapeze days. And he looks healthy, too. He really deserves to be a bigger star than he is, I would pay to see him sing and play bass anytime.
Someone posted a recent recording of Glenn Hughes covering Highway Star. That guy amazes me. He sounds as good now, if not better than he did back in his 1970s Trapeze days. And he looks healthy, too. He really deserves to be a bigger star than he is, I would pay to see him sing and play bass anytime.
Ozzy nearly lost his voice when he was really abusing the hell out of the drugs, not that he ever had a great voice, but it fix Sabbath and his solo stuff.
Lemmy always sounded the same, but again, that gravelly voice was only good for Motorhead!
Lemmy always sounded the same, but again, that gravelly voice was only good for Motorhead!
Yeah. Just like I don't think I'll ever hear anyone say "Man, I went to a Tom Waits concert and that guy's voice just ain't what it used to be." At this point, that voice kind of IS the point
Some lose it, some don't. Geddy surely has. Roger Hodgson and Jon Anderson haven't. Lifestyle and luck.
Im surprised no one has mentioned Axl Rose. He doesn't always sound bad but i've seen some pretty brutal videos from the past few years. The problem is these dudes get older and lose some of their range but don't adjust for it.
Eddie Vedder sounds just as awesome because he sings differently than he did back in the 90s. Robert Plants solo stuff sounds pretty good too; imo he could do led zeppelin songs in a different way and they'd sound great. If these older guys just mellowed out and did different renditions of their old songs instead of trying to sound the same and hitting all the high notes they wouldnt embarrass themselves.
Eddie Vedder sounds just as awesome because he sings differently than he did back in the 90s. Robert Plants solo stuff sounds pretty good too; imo he could do led zeppelin songs in a different way and they'd sound great. If these older guys just mellowed out and did different renditions of their old songs instead of trying to sound the same and hitting all the high notes they wouldnt embarrass themselves.
I saw them when they toured for LD50 and again for TEOATTC, and I didn't notice a huge difference except Chad seemed to peeter off towards the end of the set, but that makes sense when you're destroying your vocal chords like that every night.
When I was a roadie for Dragon in the late 80's (a fairly big name band in Australia and NZ) you could tell when Marc Hunter was having a good night as he'd hit the high notes. It was usually when the crowd was really getting into it. Other nights, when the crowd weren't really getting into it, he wouldn't even try and would stay an octave down on those really high ones.
And yet I was surprised how good he sounded a couple of years ago in Sydney. Maybe the home crowd spurs him onto doing his best????
Is that a man in the Dolly Dots photo on the far right?
Leonard Cohen sounds better than ever and his voice has deteriorated, Tom Waits gets better with age, and Johnny Cash did too even though he had deteriorated to the point of no return. Willie Nelson can sing when he wants too, but live he is really poor more of a talker now. Dave Vanian of The Damned is still top form and so is Steve Kilbey from The Church.
Leonard Cohen sounds better than ever and his voice has deteriorated, Tom Waits gets better with age, and Johnny Cash did too even though he had deteriorated to the point of no return. Willie Nelson can sing when he wants too, but live he is really poor more of a talker now. Dave Vanian of The Damned is still top form and so is Steve Kilbey from The Church.
Every time I hear somebody singing on the top of human's limits it gives me contradictory feelings. On the one hand it sounds cool, on the other it makes me worry about how will this guy sound after 20 years.
Some people say the true beauty doesn't live long. Dunno, maybe that makes sense.
Some people say the true beauty doesn't live long. Dunno, maybe that makes sense.
The one voice I miss the most is Dave Mustaine's. He never had that much of a voice but the old gritty, sometimes whispery timbre was a fave of mine. Now some kinda' out of control falsetto is all that's left in poor Dave's throat :-(
