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Which singer to pick?

Better voice or writing lyrics

  • The singer with the better voice

    Votes: 136 88.9%

  • The singer who writes lyrics

    Votes: 17 11.1%
  • Total voters
    153
#41
Depends on the music/style you're going for, what would work for it, and the actual quality difference between the two. At least the minimal quality is required before other factors can be weighed, IMO.

I've been in a hard rock/metal band with a technically very competent singer, but she wrote nothing, and sang without emotion/soul (but it was fine for that band). In another band, the song/lyric writer was also the singer, and he was not very good (at least technically speaking), but had a certain power and emotion to his singing that worked for the band. Overall, I'd go with the latter, always...
 
#43
ArtechnikA said:
Is anyone really listening to cookie-monster lyrics - even if they want to?
Click to expand...
it's not fair to catagorize all metal as having cookie monster vocals. It happens a lot when shouldn't even though it has become "a thing" some expect to get every time.

I still want to be able to catch the words every day of the week even if they have overtones of the cookie monster.

We should start out to assume vocals are intended to be more audible than everything else.
 
#44
sikamikanico said:
Depends on the music/style you're going for, what would work for it, and the actual quality difference between the two. At least the minimal quality is required before other factors can be weighed, IMO.

I've been in a hard rock/metal band with a technically very competent singer, but she wrote nothing, and sang without emotion/soul (but it was fine for that band). In another band, the song/lyric writer was also the singer, and he was not very good (at least technically speaking), but had a certain power and emotion to his singing that worked for the band. Overall, I'd go with the latter, always...
Click to expand...
False dichotomy. If singers as a general rule only sang great on their own lyrics we would be way more short of singers than we are already.
 
#46
The OP only commented on the better singer being "slightly" better, but had no comment on the quality of the lyrics, only the experience writing them. If the writer's lyrics are really good, I'd consider that over a slightly better singer. If the writer understands how to write complete songs and develop structures and chord changes, then that'll make that person easier to work with when developing new material. I'd consider that a huge advantage, unless the band already has a strong writing ability and just needs a voice to sing what has been and will be created.
 
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#48
Tommygun_ted said:
So we're auditioning singers for our metal group, and we've narrowed it down to two people. We're going to vote as a band to decide, but just curious what you guys would go for. Both singers are local, have gigging experience, play an instrument and there for understand what the rest of the band is doing, and seem like decent, easy to work with guys. The dilemma is, one singer isn't as strong, but has a lot of experience writing lyrics, where the other singer has a slightly better voice, but doesn't write lyrics, or at least hasn't yet. I can write lyrics well enough, and I think there is enough creativity within the group to come up with something, but which would you guys go for? Again, not going to be making a final decision bassed on the feedback here, just curious as to what you guys would do.
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Singing, screaming, squealing, or gutter rolling? If one can do all of those thing consistently, write his lyrics for him
 
#50
if your band is going for longevity, I personally would take the writer. Singing can be fit to suit the style..as long as there's a good starting point(and he doesn't f&%^ing smoke cigaretters[that'll kill any voice]
Also, are his lyrics interesting?
Do they fit the style of writing that the rest of the band writes with?
Do you plan on being an AC/DC single-style band (their music has been the same song since the 70's with different lyrics, works for them)?
is the music open to different sounds? as in how Rush progressed in their musical styles through the eons(yes, I know they're not metal, just using that as an example).
If you're going to do the same double-bass riffs over and over, I'd say go with the strong singer. If you are interested in a different type/style between songs and albums, go with the writer/player.
2cents
 
#51
If you don't think lyrics are important, you don't know a damn thing about songwriting.

You need to be able to judge the quality of the lyrics, and that takes a fair bit of study to even know what works, and why.

In a nutshell, most successful songs have a strong hook, and metaphors / narrative that tie together. Less accessible, less successful lyrics, unless you're on the top of the world a la John Lennon writing "I am the Walrus" (and even today that song gets almost zero play, contrast that with "Imagine", which is a coherent lyrical rip off the Anarchists' Manifesto) - mix metaphors constantly, chew syllables, have poorly devices choruses, etc. 80% of people just don't process mixed metaphors very well.

So, I would go with the slightly lesser singer IF the lyrics are good - objectively good. You will know. It's not subtle. You will hear that singer's hooks later on, and be humming them like any catchy tune/riff.

A good , strong chorus is worth a lot more than having a singer that can sing one or two tones higher. Good lyrics will make or break your project.
 
#52
saabfender said:
At first I clicked singer. Then I thought about it. What kind of band do you want to be? If you want to do primarily covers, then of course, Singing Guy makes more sense. If you want to try to "get anywhere" as a band, you need songwriting.

It's funny, on all those "Why wasn't this or that band more famous/successful?" threads, it always comes down to the songs. Look at Motley Crue. None of them stellar players, decent band, but man-alive, they've got a great catalog and none of them will ever go hungry because of that.
Click to expand...

On the topic of Motley Crue's exceptional mediocrity, and, more importantly, lyrics; please do yourself a favor and read the transcribed lyrics associated with this video. Here is a sample:
"When I get high high on speed
Tathu fuyaka tullabee
Myha ragaaw
Always got the cops evameyah
Beaback 103
Inmahha ragaaw
Ohh ready girls ohh readynahh
kickshtadaha heydaydyhada
Baby yeah
Kickshtadaha nevahnah
Yeah"

 
#55
hardtop said:
On the topic of Motley Crue's exceptional mediocrity, and, more importantly, lyrics; please do yourself a favor and read the transcribed lyrics associated with this video. Here is a sample:
"When I get high high on speed
Tathu fuyaka tullabee
Myha ragaaw
Always got the cops evameyah
Beaback 103
Inmahha ragaaw
Ohh ready girls ohh readynahh
kickshtadaha heydaydyhada
Baby yeah
Kickshtadaha nevahnah
Yeah"

Click to expand...
Come on now. Dr. Feelgood sold six million copies. And your last album sold...?
 
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#59
hardtop said:
...Metal is often very deep and profound lyrically.
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Never suggested otherwise.
I might have suggested the lyrics (however deep and profound) are unintelligible...
If I have to read them from the liner notes* it's about reading - not singing.
_______________
*Once upon a time, music was delivered on tangible media, with lyric listings, contributing artist attribution, and other bits of occasionally useful information.
 
#60
Lots of dismissal of lyrics. The real question isn't just about the lyrics, but about the way they fit the song, and the overall quality of the songwriting. Even if the lyrics sound impressive as written, will they fit the song when it is performed. Rhythm and cadence are important. If the "slightly better" singer is only better because of timber but lacks phasing and feel, that slight advantage is gone, from where I sit.

The question leaves too many subjective variables on the table.
 
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