In retrospect, they were crap

I was listening to a Johnny Cash track on the radio a couple of days ago and it got me thinking. For such an iconic, famous and no-doubt rich, singer I came to the conclusion that his singing voice is pretty poor and out of tune a lot of the time.

What other singers who have made a lot of music can you think of who, on reflection, have been awful and it makes you wonder how they ever got a record deal. A current one is Baxter Dury, Ian's son, who must have a lot of compromising photographs of a lot of people to get his deal.

There's a lot of so called superstars from the "good ol' days" in music and film in particular who are nowhere near as good as people like to remember.

Damien Marley. Living off his dads name.

Bob Dylan, par excellence.

Frank Sinatra was always off-key too.

Ian Brown. An absolute legend, but his voice is average at best.

Brian Wilson at Glastonbury - a sad pale reflection of a once great musician. He should retire gracefully.

Chesney Hawkes

Bananarama.

At one time the biggest-selling female group.

Absolute garbage.

Neil Young according to Radcliffe and Maconie on 6 music this week.

I was listening to a Johnny Cash track on the radio a couple of days ago and it got me thinking.

Was that on Radio 2 a couple of mornings ago with Chris Evans? I was wondering who is was as it sounded poor, and was surprised at the end when he said it was Johnny Cash (not that I know much about him, apart from his fame and success etc)

Jedward have made a small amount of music and are poor singers. Does that count?

Liam Galagher, only got the job because his brother was in-charge.

Ian Brown. An absolute legend, but his voice is average at best.

Actually a very good shout. Seen him live a few times and never once been in tune. It is half the charm though. Top bloke mind, met him at Homelands a few years ago, sat with us for a couple of hours drinking beer. A lad we were with was a well known "pharmacist" to the artists back then which may have been why, but he was spot on.

Liam Galagher, only got the job because his brother was in-charge.

Actually Liam was in the band before Noel...... It was Liam that introduced Noel to the band who was at the time working with the Inspiral carpets.

Liam Galagher, only got the job because his brother was in-charge.

I'm willing to predict Noel Gallagher's solo stuff will not get the same attention as Beady Eye's first effort did. Noel was the brains behind Oasis but Liam was the soul (and voice).

Actually Liam was in the band before Noel...... It was Liam that introduced Noel to the band who was at the time working with the Inspiral carpets.

Indeed, it was Liams band, originally called The Rain i believe. Liam is a class front man, love him or hate him everyone knows who he is, got a real charisma about him. oasis wouldn't have been what they were without him.

Neil Young according to Radcliffe and Maconie on 6 music this week.

I was thinking about this. I am a great NY fan and have many of his albums from "After the Goldrush" to today, but I have always been aware that he has a "Marmite" - you love it or hate it! He certainly hasn`t got what would be classed as a good singing voice, probably quite the opposite, but for me it works. Really don`t know why - it just does.

Actually a very good shout. Seen him live a few times and never once been in tune. It is half the charm though. Top bloke mind, met him at Homelands a few years ago, sat with us for a couple of hours drinking beer. A lad we were with was a well known "pharmacist" to the artists back then which may have been why, but he was spot on.

I agree with you there. As far as prescences and charisma goes he is a legend, but his voice kind of suits the image and music. I've got a friend who lives in Lymm where he has a house and she says he is the soundest, most down to earth bloke there is. Really friendly and chatty.

Actually Liam was in the band before Noel...... It was Liam that introduced Noel to the band who was at the time working with the Inspiral carpets.

Indeed, it was Liams band, originally called The Rain i believe. Liam is a class front man, love him or hate him everyone knows who he is, got a real charisma about him. oasis wouldn't have been what they were without him.

Not quite, Mcguigan & Bonehead were in got rid of the original singer & got LG in.

He still can't sing though. I doubt if Oasis would have got anywhere without Noels songwriting ability.

Phil Oakey of Human league ... great band but could not sing

I was thinking about this. I am a great NY fan and have many of his albums from "After the Goldrush" to today, but I have always been aware that he has a "Marmite" - you love it or hate it! He certainly hasn`t got what would be classed as a good singing voice, probably quite the opposite, but for me it works. Really don`t know why - it just does.

Its not so much the quality or lack of voice that makes these icons so special in my mind, be it Young, Dylan, Cash etc... its what they sang and whether teh emotion or the content of the lyric... same as Cobain etc - just seemed to come together perfectly - 'After the Gold rush' is a perfect example - and Young gets that lament to the end of an era and those that did not make it to perfection with haunting piano and voice combo... the crap gravelly voice of Cash on the American recordings such as Hurt etc... is just perfect.

There are plenty of 'good' singers on X factor, but its utter sheidt because of crap music and saying feck all except 'I am another piece of shiedt shat out of the arse end of Cowell to extract cash from teh gulalble who need to be told what good music is and will listen to the crap I tell them to....''

Ian Curtis had a terrible singing voice, but Joy Division turned out some of the best music I've ever heard.

Ian Curtis had a terrible singing voice, but Joy Division turned out some of the best music I've ever heard.

Sometimes the voice just fits the band and the moment, Joy divison, THe Stone Roses and Oasis are all bands like this.

Sometimes the voice just fits the band and the moment, Joy divison, THe Stone Roses and Oasis are all bands like this.

Very true, Lemmy & Motorhead are another example.

Sometimes the voice just fits the band and the moment, Joy divison, THe Stone Roses and Oasis are all bands like this.

Very true, Lemmy & Motorhead are another example.

And at the top of the heap for shlt voice with fantastic music has to go to the great John Lydon.

Ian Curtis had a terrible singing voice, but Joy Division turned out some of the best music I've ever heard.

Very true but it's true worth is shown by the way it's stood the test of time.

LWTUA is the greatest song ever written.

Ian Curtis had a terrible singing voice, but Joy Division turned out some of the best music I've ever heard.

Disagree. Curtis' angst suited the lyrics and music they were knocking out at the time. She's Lost Control could be sung by no-one but Curtis.

Disagree. Curtis' angst suited the lyrics and music they were knocking out at the time. She's Lost Control could be sung by no-one but Curtis.

Very true, same with Atmosphere but the point about his ability to "sing" as such is valid.

Deep Purple are nothing like I thought they were at the time. Kinda lame, really.

Was that on Radio 2 a couple of mornings ago with Chris Evans? I was wondering who is was as it sounded poor, and was surprised at the end when he said it was Johnny Cash (not that I know much about him, apart from his fame and success etc)

 

Jedward have made a small amount of music and are poor singers. Does that count?

That's the one. 'A Thing Called Love'. Bloody awful. And no, Jedward don't count. They're just a poor version of "There's

Something About Mary"

There are so many but are we talking about live performances here or in general?

If it's live then it's hard to sometimes sound in tune, even if you are. A lot of venues have poor acoustics, others are fantastic, hence it's hard to gauge if it's the singer, the venue, the general feel of the gig etc

I remember being in Hamburg and a band called OMD were performing, I like a bit of their early stuff so got a ticket, the gig absolutely rocked and yet their lead singer is supposed to be terrible. On the night, he sounded good to me.

He might have a crap voice in this, but I defy anyone to watch this and not be moved by one of the last songs he recorded before he died.

As to gravelly, tone-poor voices, Tom Waits anyone?

I disagree with the original post, Johhny cash has a great voice, like another Country legend Willie nelson, it's unique and not to everyones taste, but it's a great voice that fits many many songs.

Bob Dylan is an obvious one to me, but I'd also include 3 of my favourite artists kris kristofferson, Leon Russell and Robbie Robertson, who all have pretty average voices. The difference with some of the clowns around today is that Dylan, Kristofferson, Russell and Robertson wrote some fantastic songs, they also adapted their voices somewhat.As someone said above, it's just pretty boys and girls singing karaoke nowadays.

Indeed, it was Liams band, originally called The Rain i believe. Liam is a class front man, love him or hate him everyone knows who he is, got a real charisma about him. oasis wouldn't have been what they were without him.

you are correct...the rain was their original name...liam, like it or not was an iconic front man...attitude and arrogance that was oasis in their pomp..lets be honest, in their pomp their were fuking huge...

however, when you listen to cigarettes and alcohol and hear liam now...his has suffered loads and is no where near as good as he was back in the day..

noel however, is a brilliant musician and when he sings oasis songs acoustically, they sounds superb...

if they ever get back together and tour, it will be ****ing massive in this country..no matter what the ney-sayers say

as for ian brown....he was a ****ing legend back in the day and it suited at the time...in tune or not...back then, you bought into a band by more than the sound....im 31 and that era defined a generation...which sadly, todays teenagers have x-factor and n-dubz

 

however, when you listen to cigarettes and alcohol and hear liam now...his has suffered loads and is no where near as good as he was back in the day..

noel however, is a brilliant musician and when he sings oasis songs acoustically, they sounds superb...

 

It happens all the time, as most singers get older they struggle, particulary if they had a few "lifestyle issues". The real great ones are able to adapt and mantain a really high standard. Look at Rod Stewart, his voice is a pale shadow of what it was in the Faces. That's why I admire people like McCartney so much, to sing like he does at his age is unbelievable, particulary when he had no formal training.

What about Mark E Smith.

Can't sing a note, but more stage presence than the entite X-Factor output, and made more albums than the Rolling Stones.

Ray Davies. Great frontman, awful singer. All is however forgiven for Waterloo Sunset.

I'd like to add Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and all the other warbling muppets. They may be able to perform vocal gymnastics but they murder virtually every song they touch and strip any emotion out of it. Having the ability to be a good singer doesn't always make a good singer.

Tim Burgess has an average live singing voice at best, but the band still provide a great set. Ditto with Morrissey.

Very true but it's true worth is shown by the way it's stood the test of time.

 

LWTUA is the greatest song ever written.

Disagree. Curtis' angst suited the lyrics and music they were knocking out at the time. She's Lost Control could be sung by no-one but Curtis.

whoosh. Ian Curtis had a hopeless singing voice, as indeed did Johnny Lydon, but it fitted with what they were doing at the time. Nobody else but them could have had the same impact, and I'm pretty sure they both supplied most/all of the lyrics for JD and the pistols.

As for love will tear us apart, i have to say that was their attempt (and a successful one) at notching a chart hit. I defy anyone to listen to the last two tracks of Closer without feeling skewered through the intestines, that album is absolutely superb, and imho second only to NMTB.

In his early day,especially when he recorded for the "Sun" label,Johnny Cash had one of the best voices around.When you think about it Elvis,Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins,who all were discovered by Sun owner Sam Phillips had great voices.

Even in his later years,just before he died,Johnny Cash,s voice although somewhat out of tune,still had the emotional power to carry a song.

All of the above would and still do knock spots of todays X Factor generation.

Bob Dylan, par excellence.

Blasphemer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWsuVuw5JO4

Great voice imo

I suppose it depends what you mean by being a good singer. As a classically 'good' singer then yes I agree that Dylan is not great.

Alexandra Burke's Hallelujah possibly the best example of technically good singer horribly murdering a song of everything that made it good. But x factor and it's mong viewers wouldn't notice that.

fvkin X Factor - don't you just hate everything about it, preying on gullable young wannabes with absolutely no talent for cheap laughs, manufacturing some stereotypical 'pop idol' to line the pockets of the 'judges'.

If I hear the comment 'you made that song your own' one more time.... ffs.

whoosh. Ian Curtis had a hopeless singing voice, as indeed did Johnny Lydon, but it fitted with what they were doing at the time. Nobody else but them could have had the same impact, and I'm pretty sure they both supplied most/all of the lyrics for JD and the pistols.

 

As for love will tear us apart, i have to say that was their attempt (and a successful one) at notching a chart hit. I defy anyone to listen to the last two tracks of Closer without feeling skewered through the intestines, that album is absolutely superb, and imho second only to NMTB.

Which is the point I was agreeing with you sanctimonious t**t.

As for Closer, yes, wonderful album but LWTUA still has the same effect on me now as it did when I first heard it around 1980/81 and that is why I love it.

X factor

Where is last years winner now?? lol

Now and then they unearth genuine talent... Leona Lewis being the only one to spring to mind

I hate all that pop-idol and X-factor are about. Effing kareoke kids.

They said Lennon couldnt sing ... but what a genius.

Joy Division - Curtis died young, so is untouchable and the stuff of legend; but the real genius IMO is Martin Hannett. Songs like decades couldn't have been written without him.

Shaun Ryder - sh*t voice but more swagger and authenticity than Brown, Gallagher, Burgess, Ashcroft put together. Brown is sound - bumped into him in Beijing in 2005 of all places.

Talking about 90s bands, surprised people leave out Primal Scream - a few good albums (fav is vanishing point (one of my fav full stop), follwed by xtrmntr and to a less extent screamadelica); but still unsure whether they were the real deal or fantastically clued up magpies.

Agree with the post above about the National; same is true with Lambchop, Wilco etc.

Lou Reed is vastly overrated -save a few classic, has just churned out lots of dull MOR rockers.