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Will Friedwald's book of that title is a wonderful read. His knowledge and enthusiasm are a winning combination of fan worship and critical smarts. Of course, we may not agree with his choices ("it's all subjective, innit?" - The Internet, yesterday) but that's part of the fun.
Fred Astaire [left - Ed.] cut one of the very first albums, back when an album was just that - a bound book containing pockets to hold the discs - and it's one of the first albums Friedwald talks about. Fred was the last to claim any merit as a singer, and he has my wholehearted support in this, although Friedwald elevates him to the ranks of the greats (he also rates Chet Baker, another no-voice vocalist - who's next? Claudine Longet?).
Still and all, if you're in the mood for some very sophisticated light and cool combo jazz, which this surely is, you'll dig this. There's an added-value bonus in the download!
Can't think of anything to type here - maybe later.
Singers who you have to admit can't really sing, but you like anyway?
ReplyDeleteVan Dyke Parks
Tom Waits,Elvis Costello,Bob Dylan ( few exceptions to some excellent work)Ringo,Pete Townshend.
ReplyDeleteAl Kooper - not a great singer by any stretch of imagination. But I like him.
ReplyDeleteLou Reed
ReplyDeleteMick Jagger
Neil Young
I don't know who said it first Queen has got nothing to say, but they say it so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThat is true about a lot of light entertainment singers like Bruce Springsteen, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton. Taylor Swift etc. Put them against Ella or Bing and all with crumble beneath those two giants. Real singers are not listenend to any more. Melchior, Callas
My favorite non vocalist is Louis Armstrong
Louis is another of Friedwald's Great Vocalists. You'll enjoy the book.
Delete@ Richard - Belchior?
DeleteLauritz Melchior
DeleteCan't disagree with any of the names already posted, but would add Herb Albert, Tom Jobim and Sonny Bono to the mix. But, I really do like their vocals. They are not great singers but they do have a great sense of space and drama in their recordings (listen to Albert's This Guy's In Love With You, Jobim's vocals on Dindi or Bono on Laugh At Me). Although I might lose whatever NO credentials I have by typing this, as much as I love Mac Rebennack, he was just a lousy singer, but an incredible musician and warbler.
ReplyDeleteGawd yes. Dr. John's a regrettable vocalist but a hugely enjoyable performer.
DeleteMost of my favorite vocalists can't sing very well, if what you want is great sense of pitch, wide range, great timbre.
DeleteI was driving the wife to grief therapy today and Jerry Harrison's "Rev It Up" came on...which is pretty much Talking Heads without Byrne. It's good but his vocals are just not quite as interesting as Byrne. It's not bad at all but we think it would have been better with Byrne doing it. And I don't think Byrne is all that great...but he's interesting.
Dylan, Reed, Richman, Petty, Lydon....all of 'em are interesting. I don't want them to sing jazz classics, I want them to be their unique selves; that's good enough for me.
While most jazz (and prog...) is too complex for my cretinous punk rock taste, I do listen to it and appreciate the talent.
I travel at the end of the month for five days in Nashville. Four of us who have not been in the same place since graduation day in June 1974 are flying in from Portland, Oakland, Reno, and Houston to see Herb Alpert at the Ryman. While Herb isn't much of a singer, he's the only guy with a #1 instrumental and a #1 vocal song on the Billboard Hot 100. And that's pretty interesting to me.
Here's Fred, and the related course study reading:
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/zQVGhpU24Ee
Thanks, Professor
Deletedefine what makes a "great" singer. every singer dissed in these comments, with the possible exception of Ringo and Herb Alpert, have turned out spectacular vocals. what is the measure that makes them "less than".
ReplyDeleteThere is no definition, as “The Arts” are subjective to one’s taste and therefore is inherently personal, it varies from person to person, and cannot be proven to be "great", "mediocre", "bad", or whatever.
DeleteAs for “dissing”, I just don’t see it. My picks were Lou Reed who doesn’t sing as much as he "Noo Yawk Tawks" his way through his compositions, Mick Jagger who has a limited vocal range and absolutely no enunciation whatsoever and Neil Young who sounds like cat in heat. And yet I love all three.
I did not view it as dissing. In my origina post, I even said that I really love Albert, Jobim and Bono's recorded vocals. But, I also understand how they simply are not regarded as being great singers.
DeleteHey, vincentsear, you have form in being prickly where prickle isn't called for and taking offence where it isn't offered. You're either not reading what's up there, or misreading it, and I can't help you with either.
DeleteWell, for me, I'll repeat timbre pitch and range as the technical underpinnings of a great vocalist. There's also the mystery of "it just sounds great" - Aretha Franklin is a great singer, her sister Erma is a good singer. Timing! I forgot to mention timing! Hey, I thought of another one: Chuck Berry. Heck, throw in the Grateful Dead, I love 'em but none of 'em are great on a technical level as singers.
Deletesorry farq, i'll try to be better ...
DeleteI'll second Lou Reed, who like Dylan can sing when so inclined. LX Chilton is an acquired taste I acquired long ago. Woody Guthrie wrote better than he sang, seems to me. Neil Young. Johnny Winter prolly shoulda always had a vocalist. I'd listen to any of'em in a second.
ReplyDeleteDon Van Vliet
ReplyDeleteNico
Thank you for posting! In Norman Granz's biography there is a wonderful story about the making of the album (limited edition before that was a thing) and working with Fred. Clearly a personal passion and art for arts sake. For those who want context... here's a search summary - The Astaire Story is a 1953 studio album by Fred Astaire, conceived and produced by Norman Granz, the founder of Clef Records (later Verve Records). The album features Astaire accompanied by an all-star jazz ensemble led by pianist Oscar Peterson, including Barney Kessel, Ray Brown, Alvin Stoller, Charlie Shavers, and Flip Phillips. It showcases Astaire’s vocal talents in a jazz context, with selections spanning his career, and includes three tracks where he demonstrates his tap dancing. The recording session took place in December 1952 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteThe original release was a limited-edition four-LP box set, later reissued on three LPs (1978) and two CDs (1988). The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for its historical and qualitative significance.
Thanks for the TL-DR! Friedwald's book, which describes the album in detail and context, is included in the deliverable.
DeleteOf course you did ;-).
DeleteI'll add Jim Morrison, whose range was narrower than a stick insect's vagina, but is one of the great rock vocalists.
ReplyDeletePeter Skellern is not a great singer but he makes a pleasant noise . . . on the shelf behind me is a nice LP which I enjoy now and then called, appropriately, "Astaire".
ReplyDeletehttps://www.discogs.com/release/1444033-Skellern-Astaire
You can find it on YouTube.
Forgot to say:
DeleteCheers, Peanuts Molloy.
I'll echo that - "Cheers, Peanuts Molloy."
DeleteI've put on my smart-arse trousers this morning, that'll be Peter Skellern who formed the original Oasis band in 1984 with Mary Hopkin (Visconti) and others.
DeleteYes. It's a strange but pleasant enough album!
DeleteCore line-up: Peter Skellern (vocals, keyboards); Mary Hopkin (vocals); Julian Lloyd Webber (cello); Mitch Dalton & Bill Lovelady (guitars).
Plus: Andy Pask (bass); Charlie Morgan (drums); Tristan Fry (marimbas); Frank Ricotti (percussion).
Terrific photo on the back cover, as seen in this video:
https://youtu.be/q86quwlWjSE?si=2ggZHH2n9Uv2fS8l
Cheers, Peanuts Molloy.
Bill Callahan?
ReplyDeleteTrue, and he's great!!!
DeleteHere:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H9oJnTiCHA
That wasn't so hard, was it?
Marlene Dietrich
ReplyDeleteScout Niblett for the win!!!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uDlvl7jNn8&list=RD0uDlvl7jNn8&start_radio=1
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ULv9nAVBjI&list=RD_ULv9nAVBjI&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWmgThXcNcE
james brown with or without the famous flames
ReplyDeletewoody
That's one...he's a good singer, but not really a great singer, but he is the Hardest Working Man In Show Business. That clip of him on the T.A.M.I. show with the capes....incredible. Ridiculous, too, but incredible.
DeleteAdd Mr. David Byrne to the list, please
ReplyDelete