It’s artificial. Men, or altos, singing falsetto can’t get any power or real expression behind it. I couldn’t create a link, but on YouTube, there is a recording of Michael Maniaci, a natural sopranist, singing a piece written for a castrato. He discusses why his voice is like it is, and how it is different from falsetto. I couldn’t find a really good example of falsetto, but if you look up the cast recording of Cabaret (not the movie) singing “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,” it’s a mixture of countertenors and men singing falsetto. (Plus some regular tenors.) First, even singing falsetto, they don’t hit the same notes that the sopranist can hit-- he can hit a high C-- and they don’t hit it with the same power. Power isn’t the point of falsetto. I mean, it’s in the name-- it’s false. It’s somewhat expressionless, but has a bit of sadness, or maybe yearning. Listen to the sopranist. It’s just completely different, and you will hear it immediately.
Joey Ramone of the Ramones.
Gordan Gano of Violent Femmes.
Cab Calloway. He had a voice that sounded like a muted trumpet.
Ooh. That’s a good one.
Did I miss someone mentioning David Byrne?
Dale Bozzio (Missing Persons)
Christine Amphlett (Divinyls)
Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo)
Missed edit window.
Christina Amphlett, should have been.
The entire thread went by without Neil Young being mentioned?
I was thinking that.
Would Tiny Tim (Tiptoe Through the Tulips) count, or was he truesetto?
Speaking of falsetto, how about Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons?
In the early 2000s, I always got the Decemberists, the Mountain Goats and Death Cab for Cutie confused because their singers all sounded the same to me. I can distinguish them now, but I still think they have similar sounding voices.
No kiddin’. :eek: (NSFW)
Here’s an example of Van Morrison going in and out of falsetto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7YTFXlTUjc
If you know what his voice ordinarily sounds like, you can compare and contrast. I would take issue that there’s no ‘real expression’ behind it.
That’s a good question. He was equally adept, although less impressive I suppose, singing in his natural lower register. Assuming his lower register was in fact the “natural” one in his case.
I hope someone can answer this definitively so I don’t have to look it up when I get back.
2016 's AGT winner, 14 year old Grace Vanderwaal. She’s got an album out now with songs she wrote herself. Very odd sounding voice, but talented, none the less.
So I see you’re old too.
I’d nominate Ozzy Osbourne. SOME of his early Sabbath work was phenomenal. To my ears, his vocals were used more as an instrument within the context of the band’s sound. I simply loved the way his voice carried melodies with Sabbath…I rarely paid attention to the words. He had quite a range and I’ve never heard anybody nail what he brought to the table.
Doesn’t she sing through puppets? I can imagine she uses an odd-sounding voice for that.
That’s this year’s winner, Darci Lynne Farmer. Last year was just a young singer.
Ah, got it! I’d seen videos of Farmer and thought it was the other one.
Yes. I don’t get it – does she do it as an affectation, or to imitate folk from some bygone era, or what? It’s like nails on a chalkboard.