If you haven’t noticed, I’ve written quite a few posts on bands that either have really harsh vocals or no vocals at all. This got me thinking a little bit and gave me the inspiration for our next featured post. I’m taking a somewhat different vantage point for this post than I took with The Real Guitar Heroes. The guitar players I picked were almost strictly chosen based upon technical abilities. Honestly, I don’t listen to those guitarists on a regular basis simply because there’s far more to music than straight-up dexterity and knowing what scale the song is. This time around I’m simply listing a few of my personal favorites.
Maynard James Keenan is hands down, one of the most influential singers in rock. You might not like the music or you might just be morally opposed to liking Tool because you think it’s cool to dislike something just because of its followers, but you can’t deny Maynard’s voice is nothing shy of immaculate. He is articulate, incredibly confident, and more importantly, sings for the band as a whole rather than stealing the spotlight. Most singers tend to write their lyrics and melodies before the rest of the band or based on some guitar riffs. In Tool’s case, the songs are almost entirely arranged before Maynard adds any vocals or lyrics. And yet his vocals fit so perfectly. I could go on for pages about Maynard, but I’m pretty sure most of our readers are already aware of him. For anyone who has somehow never heard Maynard, I’ve chosen clips from Sober and H. As an aside, I think their live version of Pushit has his best work as a singer. Maynard was also the singer for A Perfect Circle, and he also did a collaboration track with the Deftones on White Pony, Passenger. If you look hard enough, you’ll find him in some other projects/collaborations.
Billy White is far less known than Maynard, but is arguably just as talented. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t found a band that has taken off yet. You may recall the first post I ever wrote was on the band Shun. Billy was their singer and has since had a couple other projects. So far I still think Shun was the best band he’s had as a whole, but then again, there are only two tracks by Midnight Radio in Nashville. I really hope that his latest project completes the album. As I’ve said before, it’s pretty easy to compare Billy to Mayard, but Billy has more emotion and more easily deciphered lyrics, in my opinion. If you like the clip below, please check out our old post on Shun and then do whatever is necessary to get a hold of Shun’s only CD, Michael in Reign.
Scott Weiland might be a really weird guy (at least on stage) and he might continue to have drug problems, but damn does he have a good voice. I can’t say I really got into the Velvet Revolver, but his work with the Stone Temple Pilots was great. Like the previous singers I’ve mentioned, he has a lot of confidence behind his voice, but he also has a lot of diversity. Maynard has some diversity, but not as much as Scott Weiland. Although, that might just be due to the music behind the voice rather than the singers’ abilities. I’ll admit Scott is among the weaker of those listed in this post strictly as a singer alone, but Scott really knows to how to tap into the mood and feel of the song and is able to adapt his voice accordingly.
Amy Lee. I can’t wait to hear my friends ridicule me for this one. But screw you guys, Amy Lee has an absolutely amazing voice and I’m not afraid to admit I like Evanescence. There aren’t nearly enough female singers in rock these days, and no, I didn’t pick her just because she’s practically the only female singer I like. Amy has an exceptional range and, I keep coming back to this, confidence. The key to being a great singer is having the confidence to be one; it make’s all the difference in the world. Not that the band she has now isn’t good, but I’d really love to hear her in a band that doesn’t seem to be carried by her.
Update: I’d just like to add that I recently heard Evanescence’s live CD… and honestly Amy Lee sounded terrible. I’ve never seen her live, but perhaps she only has a good studio voice. But I figure if you’re going to release a live recording, you’d release one of your better performances.
Jeff Buckley had an unquestionably beautiful voice. Unfortunately, he died young having only released really only one album. His music isn’t entirely up my alley, but his voice was too beautiful and pure to ignore. His music is far more mellow than the rest I’ve mentioned, and I wouldn’t normally write much about bands within this genre, but I’m sure you’ll agree Jeff Buckley was a great singer. I didn’t use it in the clip, but he also did a really nice rendition of Hallelujah.
http://www.obnoxiouslisteners.com/editorials/strongest-voices-in-rock/
