# I'm blown away by Adam Sandler **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576 "2009-01-02T08:48:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/1 "2009-01-02T08:48:43Z")
I liked him well enough on SNL, but commercials for his movies haven’t given me a desire to watch any. But his performance on David Letterman gives me a desire to listen to him sing. I mean, I’ve heard some of his comedy songs, like the Hanukkah song, and he’s a pretty good singer, but his cover of [Like a Hurricane](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MgpT22xYPU)…damn! ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/2 "2009-01-02T09:08:58Z")
Wow I didn’t think he had it in him. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/3 "2009-01-02T09:15:09Z")
Sings a bit flat, tbh. ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/4 "2009-01-02T09:33:58Z")
Wow! I take back most of the things I said about him. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/5 "2009-01-02T09:57:23Z")
Sounds like he’s trying to imitate Neil himself, which is unfortunate…If I want to hear someone who sounds like Neil Young singing a Neil Young song…I’ll listen to Neil Young. Or Sandler’s voice is just too close to Neil’s for him to put his own mark on it - since it’s the first time I’ve heard Sandler singing a non-humorous song, I can’t really guess. [Edit - that said, he didn’t do too badly, on the whole, and I wouldn’t mind hearing him do more non-humour songs.] ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/6 "2009-01-02T10:02:36Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Sings a bit flat, tbh. Unless this is a whoosh, you _have_ heard the original, yes? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/7 "2009-01-02T10:33:08Z")
I thought he sounded like a cross between Tom Petty and Neal Young. I’d love to hear him do some more non-comedy songs. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/8 "2009-01-02T11:53:50Z")
When I think about it, his actual singing voice sounds a lot like Neil Young. I don’t think he’s trying to imitate (at least no more than any other straightforward cover) as much as that’s just how he naturally sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/9 "2009-01-02T14:15:16Z")
Wow…he sounds nothing like Klaus Meine. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/10 "2009-01-02T15:20:19Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > Unless this is a whoosh, you _have_ heard the original, yes? No. It’s supposed to be sung flat? ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/11 "2009-01-02T15:43:14Z")
Hmmph, I was expecting some Scorpions. THAT would have impressed me. This is pretty mediocre. I mean it’s a great impresion of Neil Young, but so what? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/12 "2009-01-02T15:45:08Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Or Sandler’s voice is just too close to Neil’s for him to put his own mark on it - since it’s the first time I’ve heard Sandler singing a non-humorous song, I can’t really guess. This. Sounds like he’s found a way to put that nasal whine to good use. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/13 "2009-01-02T16:03:59Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Wow…he sounds nothing like Klaus Meine. Exactly what I was thinking. IF he sung his own songs in The Wedding Singer then he was putting a bit of “Neil Young” into this song, since his voice didn’t sound like that too much in other songs he did. Not bad if he wants to start a Neil Young Tribute band. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/14 "2009-01-02T16:30:53Z")
Even if Sandler’s singing voice naturally sounds like Neil Young, he’s _still_ imitating his accent and intonation. I know Sandler doesn’t have the same accent as Young. Sandler is doing a passable imitation, but he’s not really bringing any artistic heart to his performance. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/15 "2009-01-02T16:33:55Z")
There was a Warren Zevon tribute album put out a few years ago, called “Enjoy Every Sandwich”, and Sandler sings “Werewolves of London” on it, and does a good job. And he sings in his own voice. [Youtube Video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZmFWPAHVaM) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/16 "2009-01-02T16:39:22Z")
On that one he again sounds like he’s trying to imitate Zevon rather than creating an original voice. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/17 "2009-01-02T17:18:03Z")
speaking as a musician, Sandler has a great voice. Even with little SNL bits like that song he sang about his favorite red sweatshirt, it was clear he has chops. I remember another bit where, I think, Sebastian Bach or someone was on and Sandler played Axl Rose in a bit about, I dunno, singing the ABC’s or something - he sounded great. He’s good enough to have clear talent, but he hides behind imitations a bit too much. He can mimic the feel of another vocalist excellently. He’s flattening out the tones in Hurricane because Neil does… I don’t particularly care for his movies, but the guy can sing. PS: I yearn tragically for Waddy Wachtel’s guitar… ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/18 "2009-01-02T18:26:41Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > speaking as a musician, Sandler has a great voice. Even with little SNL bits like that song he sang about his favorite red sweatshirt, it was clear he has chops… Sure, but I’d bet 10% of the population could match him with a little coaching. Add in the fact that he’s in showbusiness and makes part of his career singing, he should be able tp phone that preformance in. I’m sure he did. He is a performer. He’s still not funny. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/19 "2009-01-02T18:40:12Z")
I had to read posts 9 and 11 a couple of times before realizing they were expecting “Rock You Like a Hurricane.”🆒 And I guess what I’m hearing is that most posters who heard the original don’t like Sandler’s version. > [@WordMan](#): > > PS: I yearn tragically for Waddy Wachtel’s guitar… Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576/20 "2009-01-02T18:48:06Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > No. It’s supposed to be sung flat? [This is the original.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obfci1CIqq8) I don’t mind Sandler’s version - I wouldn’t leap to change the station if it came on the radio - but…he just doesn’t bring anything to it except a fairly good impression of Neil. Change the arrangement, or don’t ape his delivery, or…anything to make it sound less like a very good karaoke. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-blown-away-by-adam-sandler/479576.md?page=2)