Yes, yes… but how does Neil Young make you feel? 
I’ve heard a few decent covers of Waits’ songs. He has two tribute albums by various artists, including a neat cover of “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis” by Neko Case, and Holly Cole recorded a whole album of Waits covers, “Temptation.” Then Sarah McLachlan had a hit with “Old '55,” and Rod Stewart had a huge hit with “Downtown Train.” (I’m not saying I care for those two covers, though.)
Neil Young’s voice might not be conventional, but I adore it nevertheless.
Now Axel Rose? That’s Pure D Shriek right there.
My husband and I were discussing the Frank Sinatra offering to this list, and he told me something I was not previously aware of; early in his career, Frank Sinatra apparently was a Mel Tormé level singer, but he had a stroke and lost a lot of his control and talent. So the songs that he made famous after that and that we all know him by (“New York, New York,” “I Did It My Way,” etc.) are not his best work.
Just tossing that in there.
elfkin, try to find a recording of Leonard Cohen doing “Bird on a Wire” if you can - it sounds like a joke.
I’m a huge Leonard Cohen fan but I won’t claim that he is a great or even good singer. Actually I think he’s gotten better as he has grown older. He seems much more comfortable in that lower register he does now.
His early work as a singer was pretty awful. The first two notes of the original “Bird on a Wire”, sung a capello, were almost joke-like.
The first time I heard Sheryl Crow sing on the radio, I couldn’t believe someone had paid money for this person to record songs. Seriously. I couldn’t even listen to the song all the way through, with all the flat notes. To me, it sounded like bad karaoke.
Soon the song, titled All I Wanna Do, was a huge hit.
Were people hearing the same thing I was hearing? Apparently not.
I like Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. Lou Reed’s singing doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve never heard any of the pop-tarts sing and don’t care to. Im ashamed to admit this but I kind of liked the Spice Girls videos. Paula Abdul may have a thin voice but it didn’t make me flinch.
There’s only been one cd that made me flinch… A Box of Rain by Robert Hunter who is best known as a lyricist for the Grateful Dead. It was a combination live and studio album and the live part made me embarrased for him. He was trying so hard and the harder he tried, the worse it became. He even got a huge ovation from his audience at the song’s end. I don’t know what they were hearing but they must’ve been high to get any enjoyment out of this performance. He couldn’t hold a note, a key, pitch. Even his breathing interfered with the song’s progression. Robert Hunter proves conclusively that not every songwriter is meant to be a singer too.
I had the same exact experience with Ms. Crow, except the song I heard was “Leaving Las Vegas.” She sings, “I’m leaving Las Ve-AY-AY-gas,” and the two "AY-AY"s are so offkey that I can’t believe this song is for real. All her songs are that way. How is this woman a multiple Grammy winner? Sometimes I think most of the world is tone deaf.
Anyone who thinks Frank Sinatra is a bad singer obviously has a tin ear. You might not like the man’s style, choice of song, or whatever, but his voice is like velvet. I’m not just saying this because I was raised by Italian Americans, but don’t dis on Francis Albert!
A coworker recently told me that an engineer we are both aquainted with was “…Like Frank Sinatra.” My immediate response was “You mean he finds material which minorities have written, and does covers of them, only not as well and without soul?”
And the thing is, I kinda like Sinatra. I wouldn’t have nominated him for this list. But his music is what it is. If you think he’s all that, I strongly suggest you check out some Ella Fitzgerald, **Billie Holiday ** and Louis Armstrong (whose voice probably makes him a good mention in this thread, but still sang jazz light years better than Sinatra did.)
Uh, don’t judge him on that. Take a listen for yourself. The son is ok, but Leonard is the master.
Are you kidding?!? FFJ is very famous - You win, hands down!
Aw shucks, it was easy. I just don’t like him.
When I think of Frank, I think of New York, New York, which my ex-husband used to play over and over again after the Yankees won a game. Apparently that’s not the best example of his work, but I don’t have the interest in listening further…he’s just not my cup of tea.
I disagree with lots of the singers nominated in this thread. (My 13 year old daughter is hounding me to defend Stevie Nicks. I can’t seem to do it, but I guess it just goes to show, people like different types of voices and there’s just no accounting for tastes.)
In terms of his “making his mark” covering stuff originally done by black entertainers, he had a fairly eclectic range and certainly did a number of covers of songs written by black entertainers (As many did in that era) , but this was by no means a significant portion of his discography. Sinatra is not Elvis. He probably had more of his songs written by Jewish songwriters than other group. Where are you getting this notion re his stealing black song stylings? At root he’s a Bel Canto style singer.
I’d agree, and I’d broaden it to include entire genres. All punk singers, for example, should be judged less by their technical skills and more for how their styles fit their material. You don’t expect the lead singer of a punk band to be able to shatter a glass with his voice, for example.
Maybe country singers could also be judged this way, although so many of them are just trying to affect a Hank Williams accent.
Personally, I always thought Van Morrison was completely overrated, Bob Dylan is proof that talent in songwriting doesn’t mean you have talent elsewhere, and if I ever wanted to hear Stevie Nicks, I could listen to a sheep bleat for much less money.
I think you can have a terriffic voice and not be able to sing, i.e. Linda Ronstadt or Mariah Carey, and maybe have no so good a voice but be a great singer i.e. Bob Dylan or Frank Sinatra. For me, Mike Love of The Beach Boys is just goddawful and Bruce Springsteen, who was once a great singer is now just so passionless and unlistenable. And he has nothing to say when he says it.
mm
Mariah Carey can sing, just depends if you like her style of singing. I quite like it, but I find most of her songs quite bland. She’s sexy though.
Ummm…most of the folks on this list can not only sing, but sing very well. One may be disgusted with what they do with their talent, but, goddamnit, Frank Sinatra and Celine Dion can fucking well sing. Jesus Christ, half the people on this list have at least a two octave range and virtually never miss pitch. Sure, some may not have everyone’s favorite timbral quality, but get off the hepster high-horses, you nitwits, and figure out what singing is.
Going way back, I give you Jimmy Durante. Once Dylan could carry a tune. Durante never could. He more or less grunts and hacks his way through the rep, with phrasing and range reminiscent of your grandad’s strangled exhalations while taking a voluminous dump, as heard through the bathroom door. One of America’s most beloved vocalists.
A lot of people find Frank Sinatra quite bland. I’m with them.
So tell us your thoughts on Damo Suzuki.
Ah! Damo is great! How dare you mention him in this thread!