This was hard to narrow down. Some that didn't quite make my list: Elton John (Sorry Priest), Roy Orbison, Neil Young, James Taylor, Roger Waters, Richard Ashcroft, Ed Kowalczyk and Johnny Cash.
11. Stevie Nicks - The mystical songstress gets my goat with Landslide, Edge of Seventeen, and Rhiannon. Her husky voice is sonorous and clear.
10. Celine Dion - Being weird doesn't mean you can't have a great voice. My favorites include That's The Way It Is, A New Day Has Come, and, choke, My Heart Will Go On. 
9. Liam Gallagher - Sneering and angry, Liam's voice IS rock. He's at his best when his throat is torn up and he struggles to get Noel's lyrics out. Best: Wonderwall, Acquiesce, and Live Forever (here's Chris Martin singing it).
8. David Gray - Probably should be higher based on his ridiculously strong concert voice. Grab a hanky: Sail Away, Say Hello Wave Goodbye (a fav of me and Priest), and This Years Love.
Click below for the top 7 and some GREAT links to songs:
7. Shaun Morgan - What do you get when you cross Kurt Cobain's 'rawness' with the power and tenor of Eddie Vedder? Shaun Morgan: The Gift, Remedy, and Fine Again.
6. Kurt Cobain - Ragged and beautiful, his voice knew the pain of which he sang. Pennyroyal Tea, In Bloom, and Lake of Fire.
5. Chris Cornell - His underappreciated throat has been much discussed on this site. Showcased on Like a Stone, Redemption Song, and Hunger Strike (with EVedder live in 2003).
4. Axl Rose - His voice has no category.
It is unique, powerful and perfect when he's screaming or purring his baritone. Never better: Patience, Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Free Fallin, and of course Sweet Child O Mine.
3. Eddie Vedder - Soaring and intense, Eddie Vedder's vocals are the driving force behind Pearl Jam's success and gravitas. At his best on Black (unplugged), In Hiding, Society, and Off He Goes.
2. Michael Stipe - His voice is emotive and vulnerable, with lots of power when he needs it. Almost any song can be transcendent when his pipes are part of the mix. E-Bow the Letter (with Thom Yorke), Country Feedback, Nightswimming and One. Each of those deserves a listen, trust me.
1. Thom Yorke - Angelic, haunting, affecting and perfect. Best on Fake Plastic Trees, Karma Police (acoustic), High and Dry, and No Suprises (acoustic).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
11 Favorite Voices
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9 comments:
great post idea, lawyer. i'll have to think a bit about mine, but you've got several definites in the mix, and a pretty good group on the "near miss" list as well. i didn't know stipe was so high for you. i've gotta put achtung-era bono on my list, though. one? so cruel? acrobat?
Just listen to Stipe sing "One" (linked to on this post) . I love Bono, but Stipe does it better. I'd have put him at #1 since I don't share the same Radiohead reverence.
That's bride's comments above, not mine. I do echo her insistence on listening to Stipe's One, linked to in the post.
Bono is good, but its really the Edge's guitar that I love the most about U2. Bono's contribution is showmanship and a good, but not great, voice.
i do love stipe's version, i'd heart it before (probably part of dentite's collection). that said, my favorite cover is cash's from american recordings III
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wQBrn6trEwI
The Michael Stipe version (done under the name One Live Baby, btw) is unbelievable until Mike Mills chimes in at the end with that cringingly off-key "one". Trying to be as objective as I can, how can you not throw Bono in the top 10? I'll agree with the "good" assessment for the most part lawyer, but when he hits those high notes, ( i.e. circa 2005 Miss Sarajevo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mzd-Brb_gI and the end of this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ye8GLPUVsM) you cannot deny the greatness. Absolutely great post. One of my favorites in awhile.
Bono probably belongs in my 'near miss' category, to be fair. I like his voice most on All I want is You.
Mills looks like a woman in that clip, and I couldn't figure out why Stipe wasn't singing the 'ones' with Mills harmonizing.
Just dropping in to post my thoughts. I know everyone has been asking me to post. I would move Ed Kowalczyk up to #7.I think Maynard, Corgan and Martin at least need to be on the near miss list?
Thanks Priest, for the tip on the Oasis/Ryan Adams Seattle concert. I picked up my tickets today.
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