५ सप्टेंबर, २०१६

"If you asked me who the greatest rock singer of all time is, I'd probably think for about one second before saying..."

"... Freddie Mercury."



Had he lived, he would have been 70 years old today.

९८ टिप्पण्या:

Anthony म्हणाले...

I'd give props to Robert Plant as to who would typify the genre, or perhaps Jagger. Mercury had a great voice but I never thought it was particularly suited to "rock".

rehajm म्हणाले...

Hard to argue. I'd add McCartney, Bono, Debbie Harry to the mix. Tyler and Byrne are my personal favorites.

Kate म्हणाले...

Bono is an excellent singer. His tone is beautiful. And Robert Plant typifies a great rock lead voice. I would also throw David Draiman from Disturbed into the mix.

However, looking at Freddie Mercury at wikipedia, the man had a 4 octave range including a high note above regular soprano range and a belt note beyond what many men can sing in head voice. He was an astonishing talent.

Lyle Smith म्हणाले...

Another One Bites the Dust was my favorite song as a young child.

John Althouse Cohen म्हणाले...

To be clear, I meant simply the greatest singer who was in a rock band. Not necessarily the singer who most captured the essence of "rock."

Joe Veenstra म्हणाले...

He is also likely the greatest lead singer of a rock band who is also in need of orthodontic work. However, had it been done it might have adversely altered his voice. So thank goodness he didn't.

Dust Bunny Queen म्हणाले...

Queen and Freddie Mercury were/are incredible. Their voices and harmony are amazing

Here is a clip of "We are the Champions" without the music.

Bohemiam Rapsody sans music

Birkel म्हणाले...

Stephen Tyler has an effortless voice, much like Freddie Mercury did. Not sure how he fits in the conversation but he is a talented singer in his own right.

Johnathan Birks म्हणाले...

Great singer, but god that band got so insufferably self-indulgent I couldn't take it anymore. "Bicycle Race" was the last straw.
Johnny Rotten, Joey Ramone, Tom Verlaine and Iggy Pop had their moments.

sunsong म्हणाले...

Happy Birthday Freddie! You're the best!

Char Char Binks, Esq. म्हणाले...

I agree, although Mercury used a lot of electronic trickery. Still, he was able to do it well, and made great use of his range, including head voice/falsetto. Even so, that wasn't actually his voice hitting the highest notes on Bohemian Rhapsody; it was Queen drummer Roger Taylor singing falsetto, because he could go higher than Freddie.

Bono has a more natural style, very different from Mercury's, and has a more limited pitch range, but uses it smoothly, both the natural tones and head voice.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent म्हणाले...

Great singer, awful '70's-crap songs.

Mark म्हणाले...

I don't know what is more shocking -- that he would be 70 years old or that its been 25 years since his untimely death.

Joe म्हणाले...

The biggest test for me of a good rock singer is MTV unplugged.

AmPowerBlog म्हणाले...

Back in the day, I had a skateboard buddy who was obsessed with Queen. To this day, I'm always reminded of him, heh. Rock on people, lol.

Oh, and btw, Queen's definitely my generation. Althouse is about 10 years older than I am, so I can only partially relate when she goes all Hurdy Gurdy Man on me, lol.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

Not many Rock singers ever had the range that Mercury had, but that isn't the real measure of greatness in the genre. However, he does measure up in one area- he is instantly recognizable by a broad range of listeners, even when he isn't singing a song he is known for.

Robert J. म्हणाले...

"The Parsee -- the Parsee! -- gone, gone?"

Mark म्हणाले...

In watching a documentary about Mercury last year, I was also fascinated to find out that Brian May was before Queen's popularity a doctoral candidate in astrophysics and today is a real-deal Ph.D. working with NASA and the scientific community.

320Busdriver म्हणाले...

I'm not sure what FM was better at, singing or stagecraft. Lets just say no one did it better. I would put in a vote for Steve Perrys' old voice, or Perrys repacement Arnel Pineda. One in a million

TWW म्हणाले...

Agree. I suppose Art Garfunkel isn't 'Rock'?

Rosalyn C. म्हणाले...

Don't forget Billy Joel.

I loved when Freddie Mercury sat on the piano keys -- I've never seen that before.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

Other than “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen is known for its mind-numbing 1980s stadium anthems. But if you listen in their entirety to Queen’s trilogy of albums from the seventies — Sheer Heart Attack, Night at the Opera, and Day at the Races — you’ll hear a mastery of genres as varied as English dance-hall music, hard rock, folk, and baroque rock, much like the Beatles.

JWH म्हणाले...

Van Morrison.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

Another great detail from the Queen documentary is that Middle America fell in love with Queen in the early 1980s before realizing that Freddie Mercury was gay. It reminds me that my wife’s grandmother, born in Minnesota in 1900, refused to believe that Liberace was gay.

Oso Negro म्हणाले...

A love of Freddie Mercury must be one of those homosexual things.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil म्हणाले...

The only Queen songs I ever really liked were "Killer Queen" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the latter has been completely ruined for me by overplaying it on the radio. That song and "More Than a Feeling" and "Hotel California" - I'm so sick of them.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

On different days my answer to the question would be as varied as Bob Dylan, Freddie Mercury, and Van Morrison, and if you include R&B/soul, Al Green — that is, if “greatest” means most effective and not bel canto.

ndspinelli म्हणाले...

Roy Orbison. Then everyone else.

Birches म्हणाले...

Respect the choice. Can't argue with it, especially with Jaltcoh's clarification.

Mark म्हणाले...

Bob Dylan?? A great SINGER? No matter how you might redefine and distort a question about singers to exclude actual singing in order to fit your criteria, even then Dylan was not a great singer.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

@Mark Indeed. In Dylan's greatest songs the word talking would be more accurate than singing, and yet . . .

Laslo Spatula म्हणाले...

One of my favorite Queen vocals isn't even sung by Mercury.

Roger Taylor, Drums. I'm In Love With My Car.

I am Laslo.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

@Laslo I'm in love with "I'm in Love with My Car"

Dance...dance to the radio म्हणाले...

Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen.

mockturtle म्हणाले...

If you separate 'rock' from soul/R&B, then I would pick Daryl Hall. Otherwise, Al Green or Smokey Robinson.

mockturtle म्हणाले...

And, for sheer uniqueness of style, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly.

mockturtle म्हणाले...

If you separate 'rock' from soul/R&B, then I would pick Daryl Hall. Otherwise, Al Green or Smokey Robinson.

Gee, I guess Hall is considered 'R&B'.

Laslo Spatula म्हणाले...

Socially Awkward Guy Who Makes No Eye Contact says:

It must have been cool, being a Rock Star back in the day when Rock Stars were cool.

Today Rock Star is just another term for a singer in a band. They don't have that sense of breathing a different air than everyone else.

I never understood the smashing up of hotel rooms, though. I mean, I guess being on the road can drive you crazy, but when you throw the television into the hotel swimming pool the hotel is going to charge you for the television set.

But it'd be cool to have your own jet. I flew to Wisconsin once, in Coach: it was miserable. I don't think I smelled too good, either, which seemed to upset the people sitting next to me.

I can't help it if I had diarrhea right before the flight, I was nervous and it was a Public Restroom; just using the toilet in a Public Restroom makes me nervous, before I even get to the fear-of-flying part. Or the part about visiting my grandparents who think I'm weird and probably gay.

You can be weird as a Rock Star, though: it is OK then, people accept it. It must be cool to be accepted.

I bet Jim Morrison could pee on all the girls he wanted to.

I bet Robert Plant could pee on all the girls he wanted to.

I bet David Lee Roth could pee on all the girls he wanted to.

I bet Freddie Mercury could pee on all the girls he wanted to, if he were to have actually liked girls. It makes me sad thinking of him peeing on a young boy.

Yeah.

Like no one else thinks these things.

I hope the Girl with the Blue Hair is working at McDonalds today.


I am Laslo.

Carol म्हणाले...

Not my generation, but Eddie Vedder is no slouch.

Bob Ellison म्हणाले...

Paul Rodgers is up there.

Quaestor म्हणाले...

Whenever I hear someone opine in terms like the greatest of all time this or that — it doesn't matter — I am impelled to ask whether the claimant has given the subject as much thought as it deserves, or far too much.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

@mockturtle

The case for Daryl Hall: "Every Time You Go Away," live: “Take it to church!” You tell me whether Hall or the saxophone hits the higher note at 6:25.

Amadeus 48 म्हणाले...

David Clayton Thomas.

Lyle Smith म्हणाले...

According to Wikipedia his mother Jer is still alive. She was born in 1922.

mockturtle म्हणाले...

The case for Daryl Hall: "Every Time You Go Away," live: “Take it to church!” You tell me whether Hall or the saxophone hits the higher note at 6:25.

He does. :-)

Adamsunderground म्हणाले...

"Tie Your Mother Down"?

That dude had issues. *Adjusts diaper*

mockturtle म्हणाले...

Quaestor is right. None of us can identify the 'greatest' rock singer of all time. It's entirely subjective and genre-specific. Now if it were opera, there could be some valid choices.

Mid-Life Lawyer म्हणाले...

I will not argue with that opinion and this particular video is the most excellent evidence for that view.

Amadeus 48 म्हणाले...

What was I thinking? Michael Mcdonald.

TWW म्हणाले...

Elvis?

Limited blogger म्हणाले...

Down in the city just Hoople 'n' me....

Queen was taking off, Mott the Hoople was fading away.

Freddie was the consumate rock 'n' roll frontman.

gypsy rose म्हणाले...

Freddie Mercury had a huge range, a voice that could rasp with the best of them and soar into territory so sweet it made you shiver. Nevermore is a great example of those sweet tones. Another amazing singer is Jeff Buckley. So underrated. Also amazing range and gorgeous tones. If you've never heard of him, listen to his album Grace. One of the best ever.

Mark म्हणाले...

None of us can identify the 'greatest' rock singer of all time. It's entirely subjective and genre-specific.

Well, you would think that singing ability would be high in determining the greatest rock singer, but apparently not according to some of the names listed here. But if we were to stick to actual ability to sing, and be objective about it, of the people listed, if we were to imagine them singing in a different genre -- pop, R&B, jazz, country, opera and other classical, including chant and other types of a cappella -- who is most likely to excel the most?

eddie willers म्हणाले...

Richard Manuel.

mockturtle म्हणाले...

Mark, what makes a great rock singer is not what makes a great opera singer and you know it. The question wasn't 'who was the greatest singer?'. I can't imagine Pavarotti singing R&B.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

Just to throw more names out there that seem to be missing in the thread- Roger Daltrey, Brian Johnson, and if you want to go out to the female side, Joan Jett, Linda Ronstadt, and Janis Joplin, though the latter two are probably better thought of as solo singers.

A thing I was thinking about was this- who was the best lead singer of a really bad band, and who was the worst lead singer of really good band.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

Freddie Mercury, Roy Orbison, Karen Carpenter, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Richard Manuel, Al Green, Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Van Morrison, Hank Williams, Mavis Staples, Wilson Pickett, Merle Haggard: A genius is the one most like himself.

Bob Ellison म्हणाले...

No female names on the list yet. Annie Lennox is one of the best. Grace Slick in the early years, with no great voice, was a real rocker.

And Aretha Franklin was a rocker. Just because we think of her as something slightly different didn't mean she couldn't rock with the best. "Respect".

The greatest single note in rock singing that I know of is Paul McCartney's screamed, yet perfectly pitched word "do", as in "do you say", in the middle of "Hello, Goodbye".

William म्हणाले...

Liking a rock singer for the quality of his voice is like liking an opera star for his sex appeal. Freddie Mercury's early death gives him street cred. Rock singers aren't supposed to live past seventy. It shows a lack of sincerity. The Rolling Stones are a bunch of phonies. I bet they eat organic vegetables and practice tm........Clff Edwards was the greatest ukele singer of all time. That cat really knew how to turn it up to eleven. The fast living and the booze got to him, but that's how it goes with ukele players. No one will ever sing "It's Only A Paper Moon" with more authority.

Chuck म्हणाले...

Dance...dance to the radio said...
Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen.


OMG, what a great choice. Freddie Mercury might be about 50th on my own list. And so many have already been mentioned.

Van Morrison. Rod Stewart. Jim Morrison. Mick Jagger. Roger Daltrey. Robert Plant. Michael Hutchence. Burton Cummings. John Fogerty. Steve Winwood. Paul McCartney. Janice Joplin. Joni Mitchell. The vastly underrated Paul Rogers, who never had enough good songs to sing. Hell, I've got Mitch Ryder on a list above Freddie Mercury.

If we go outside of strictly rock n' roll, and start to talk about Aretha, James Brown, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, George Jones... Freddie Mercury isn't even on the first page of the leaderboard.

gypsy rose म्हणाले...

The greatest single note in rock singing that I know of is Paul McCartney's screamed, yet perfectly pitched word "do", as in "do you say", in the middle of "Hello, Goodbye".

A nice choice, but sticking with Queen, I think you'd have to agree that Roger Taylor's "for meeeeeeee" perfect pitch high note from Bohemian Rhapsody is truly one of the best notes ever sustained in rock n roll history.

अनामित म्हणाले...

Would agree that overall, Freddie probably wins out, with Paul McCartney and Janis Joplin close behind. This post made me nostalgic--- not just for the days when Freddie roamed the earth, but the days when Althouse and I agreed about most things.

Bob Ellison म्हणाले...

gypsy rose, I concur.

CWJ म्हणाले...

John Althouse Cohen wrote -

"To be clear, I meant simply the greatest singer who was in a rock band. Not necessarily the singer who most captured the essence of 'rock.'"

So pointless, if not in fact meaningless.

Bob Ellison म्हणाले...

Back then, they had to actually hit those notes. I asked a famous vocalist about fifteen years ago whether he would edit off-pitch notes in editing, and he said something like, "Don't be stupid. Everybody does that, everybody."

Word on the street is the Traveling Wilburys came up with that name when one of those great musicians playing together said "we'll bury it" [in editing].

CWJ म्हणाले...

Chuck @5:20,

Indeed.

Mercury was what he was, and what he was was great. But rock?

CWJ म्हणाले...

Sunsong,

You do know he's dead right.

Bob Ellison म्हणाले...

By the way, Bob Dylan, man, what that guy has done with such a limited voice for so long. Your average guy on the street might have a better voice than that Dylan, but he makes gold with his voice.

That, to me, is a great rock voice. He wasn't born with great pipes, and he makes them do the greatest things.

Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache.

That whole album is fantastic.

Anthony म्हणाले...

"To be clear, I meant simply the greatest singer who was in a rock band. Not necessarily the singer who most captured the essence of "rock.""

Okay. Freddie's an appropriate choice then. I'm having trouble thinking of someone with the range and control he had within the genre. I remember some documentary about the Freddie tribute concert everybody was changing octaves to be able to sing his various songs. Out of that bunch, I thought Annie Lennox and -- yes, I am actually typing this -- George Michael did the best. Michael was another one pertinent to the original question, IMO. He's got a very clear and powerful voice.

SteveR म्हणाले...

There's enough variables in any definition that its pretty subjective. Clearly a very talented vocalist. The "best"? Take your pick.

Early Queen is better than the later stuff IMO.

Fabi म्हणाले...

Joe Veenstra -- please search for a video (Midnight Special?) of David Palmer, the short-lived lead singer of Steely Dan. I've never seen worse teeth. He sang a mean 'Dirty Work' nonetheless.

Roughcoat म्हणाले...

Jack Bruce.

mikee म्हणाले...

Had he lived? Why not just say he was born 70 years ago, and lived to age 45 before succumbing to AIDS related disease? Why the attempt at theoretical immortalization?

Had Mary Joe Kopechne lived, I recall reading in the Times, she would have been thankful for the benefits to womens' health care legislated through the efforts of her killer, Ted Kennedy?. Except, of course, that he killed her.

Roughcoat म्हणाले...

Everly Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, hell yeah.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

Oh, and while we're at it, let's not forget Elvin Bishop's backup singer -- check out 3:38 and beyond if you're of the doubting proclivity.

320Busdriver म्हणाले...

I'm glad Daryl Hall was brought up too. I found a new respect for H&O when I stumbled upon their live at the Troubador show on public tv. Super tight band and excellent sound production. Hall has not lost a step after all these years. Check out classics like Sara Smile, She's Gone, and Out of Touch on youtube here

320Busdriver म्हणाले...

Also, if we're talking about female rock vocalists Ann Wilson sets a pretty high bar. Bonnie Raitt is another one.

Joe म्हणाले...

Many singers listed here are great frontmen/frontwomen, but many aren't great vocalists. While I wouldn't say he's the best, David Gilmour is way up there. Just watch his acoustic videos; he can carry a tune.

(Then there all those singers nobody wants to talk about like Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond, and those who simply surprise, like Kid Rock.)

Joe म्हणाले...

Oh, and Jon Bon Jovi. (I quickly dodge the hate.)

Gahrie म्हणाले...

Strongly agree. Freddie was the man.....his greatest gift versatility. Queen is definitely one of the greatest bands of the rock era, and will hopefully endure.

Heartless Aztec म्हणाले...

His talent was wasted on rock n roll. He could've been one of the greatest Broadway composers.

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

Not enough chix you say?

Known Unknown म्हणाले...

Spinelli made my point. Greatest rock vocalist --- Roy Orbison.

Known Unknown म्हणाले...

Paul Heaton of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South also has quite the pipes.

High note here around 2:11.

M Jordan म्हणाले...

John Lennon. I know, it's not even all that good but for me, that slightly nasal twang in a Liverpool accent is the most authentic, most iconic voice ever. Mick Jagger is a close second.

MadisonMan म्हणाले...

No one has mentioned Pat Benatar, so I will.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

MadisonMan,

I thought of her (indeed, I consider her the best female rock vocalist), but she did spend her entire career that I know of as a solo artist, so I eliminated her from my own short list of female rockers.

who-knew म्हणाले...

There's lots of competition and most everyone who should get a mention has except Bonnie Raiit and, my personal pick, David Crosby.

PackerBronco म्हणाले...

Roy Orbison. But Freddie Mercury was great too.

PackerBronco म्हणाले...

Another voice that should be mentioned (though not as 'the best') would be Sam Cooke.

Rusty म्हणाले...

Chuck Berry.
Anybody who became anything to Rock N Roll owes their success to Chuck Berry and to a lesser degree. Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.

David म्हणाले...

The drummer! Wow.

walter म्हणाले...

Not many singers could..err..pull off..Fat Bottom Girls.

walter म्हणाले...

Char Char Binks said...I agree, although Mercury used a lot of electronic trickery.
--
Like?

walter म्हणाले...

Rusty said...Chuck Berry. Anybody who became anything to Rock N Roll owes their success to..
Hmm..so every talent in a genre owes their success to the alleged originators? Not so sure about that when that talent combined and expanded genres at times. BTW, most earlier rockers thought blues was "the chair".

Etienne म्हणाले...

"Had he lived, he would have been 70 years old today."

45 is a good age to die if you want to be "the greatest" at anything...

My first girl friend was "the greatest" at giving oral sex.

Had she lived, she would have been 62 today...

eLocke म्हणाले...

Bob Ellison

Listen to the fadeout. After the modulation and the group is singing "heyla, hey helloah" Paul sings a perfectly clear "woohoo" which is G above high C iirc.

Morsie म्हणाले...

Bon Scott