I Think Steven Tyler Did A Great Job Performing the National Anthem

Steven Tyler performed the National Anthem before yesterday's AFC Championship game featuring the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. After Steven was done, Twitter went batshit crazy with criticisms and before long, "Steven Tyler" was trending and my timeline was full of lame American Idol jokes. Folks were even saying that Steven doesn't have any vocal abilities at all... and that Aerosmith doesn't deserve their Grammy awards.

Yeah, okay.

I get so sick of negative people and criticisms in general. I swear, it seems like all anyone wants to do anymore is criticize and complain. Here I was excited that a rock singer got the chance to perform the National Anthem at such an important game. Steven was introduced as "lead singer of multi-platinum selling band Aerosmith." NOT as "a judge on American Idol" or even just as "Steven Tyler." Nope. Aerosmith was mentioned for a reason: it's why Steven is famous and the hometown crowd at Foxborough, Mass loves him (and the rest of the band!) So suck it, haters.

Here's the video below if you missed it. I dare anyone on Twitter to do better.

Comments

[Lindsay]

I've always meant to start commenting on here, since I'm a long time reader, so I figured now is as good as time as ever...

No vocal abilities??? While I passively like Aerosmith, I was never a big fan, but seriously. People are just making things up to be negative at that point. Clearly they have never tried to sing a complicated song, with zero music, in front of a huge stadium, in the cold. All of that is so easy.

I also don't get the "elitism". So, he was on American Idol? Am I missing something? I also think it's pretty cool that rockstars get to break into other parts of pop culture life, instead of just being rockstars forever.

[Rock-It]

Ohhh... It was bad. If you think otherwise you are fooling yourselves.

I've seen a few other "rock stars" sing the National Anthem (even in person on a couple occasions) and that was the worst. That being said, I don't know about the fact that just because you screwed up the anthem it should have an affect on him being an Idol judge. Besides, as far as Idol goes it's all a big joke done for TV and ratings anyway.

[Ace Steele]

Are you kidding me? Steven was dead on! He was in key, on pitch,with nary a flat or sharp note in his entire acapella performance! (In freezing weather) And he knew every word. Steven is a musician's musician in every sense of the word. And he's in his 60's on top of that!

That was a performance to be proud of. I'd like to see ANY of the Haters do better.

[Christine Sixx]

I didn't think it was the world's greatest performance, but I think he did a pretty good job. At least he remembered all the words, and I think that's more important than sounding perfect!!! :)

[MEWIZEMGIC]

Thought he did a good job, Tough tune, live, no effects, etc.

[RockyRhoads]

The Star Spangeled Banner is one of the hardest songs to sing ever. Steven Tyler did a very good job. He always had a raspy voice which may not be the perfect fit for this kind of song, but like others have said here - he was on key, he went for the high notes (unlike Bret Michaels, who's version from Nascar was the worst I've ever seen) and nailed them, and he did it in his style.
Not many men in their 20's can sing that song well, not to mention men in their 60's...

[lou]

people went batshit for a reason. he is a good frontman and has a good rock / blues voice but for anything but? Plus the fact that he altered a few lines wasn't cool either.

[Jimmy]

I thought he did a great job with the anthem. Most the people criticizing him probably don't even know all the words.

[Bob]

First, to comment on a couple things. He did not get all the words right, and he was, albeit slightly, off-pitch in a few spots. That said, considering the extreme difficulty of that song, Tyler's age, the below-freezing temperature, and the fact that he is a rock singer, I think he did a very good job.

[Kenny Ozz]

Tyler did a great job. The amount of "critics" and "haters" here and everywhere is laughable.

[Rock-It]

You know... sometimes talented people can have an off night. Those who are called "haters" thought that Tyler either should have never tried this or thought that he had an "off night".

Those who thought it was a good rendition just may not be willing to admit that Tyler had an off night" OR HIS ABILITIES HAVE DECLINED CONSIDERABLY over the years.

My favorite "rock star" National Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYdw5JebVEg

[brian L]

i just rewatched it and thought it was fine. He did miss a couple minor words, but over all...well done. Pluse I like how he put his personal scream into it at the end. Nice job.

[Brian C.]

I just watched it, and it sounded exactly like I thought it would...like Steven's singing sounds. However, I disagree that it was good. It sounded pretty bad to me. Not to take anything away from Steven's musical abilities. This just sounded bad.

[Jimbo]

My Patriots got Steven to sing like Steven does...They didnt get polished bs gospel singer,,no pop singer,no rap crap..they got Steven because of HIM!! Bob Kraft knows what hes doin!!

[Kendra]

I can agree with both Brian C. and Jimbo. Also, like Allyson I am tired of haters everywhere anymore. Everyone likes to complain but they can't do any better.

Steven sounded just like Steven sounds. Exactly what I expected. It is his style. It wasn't perfect but it was Steven Tyler, no deviations from the norm for him.

I am more embarassed about the "boos" then about the way the song was sang. People are so insulting and rude. He has feelings, too. We were at a recent Kentucky basketball game and the "perfect" singer of the national anthem......stopped near the end, we all thought it was to take a breath....but the pause went on too long. She had forgotten the words and restarted in the wrong place. No one booed her.

My point is, if you didn't like it, no need to boo. He wasn't intentionally being disrespectful so you shouldn't be either.

[Roy]

I give him the 'Golden Ticket' to go to Hollywood.. He did a great job. Seen a lot worse.... Rosanne Barr...

[scott whitt]

I thought it stunk too. However, when you ask Tyler to sing the anthem you should expect it to sound like Tyler. He does not have a good singing voice he has a good frontman's voice.
At least it was better than Carl Lewis'.

[Mike]

Steven has a good voice. However when he does the National Anthem, he seems to not do a good job. A few senators or some kind of politicians put a bill together giving the government legal rights to fine someone for butchering the national anthem, not being a bad singer, but by stretching it out like drawing out parts of the song that werent meant to be drawn out like, not being one bit racist here, a lot of african american female singers do because their voice can reach such high limits. Sing it the way it was "written." I know many people especially my family who hate when someone sings it in the way its not historically "written" even if it was originally a poem not to be sung. Those are my two cents. Steven has a good voice even if I dont reall ycare for Aerosmith.

[Metalboy!]

Tyler could have easily nailed it but missed his chance. He's shoulda gotten those Idol coaches to help him put the performance over he top.

Tyler's got a killer voice tho he very well coulda had an off night. The first time I saw him in '75 with Aerosmith at RFK Stadium, he just blew the gates off the place. When I saw him again in '76 in the same joint, he wasn't as good. In '79 in Oakland, he was just so-so. In '82, of all years, during the tour for "Rock and a Hard Place" he just killed it at Capital Centre in D.C., turning in an absolutely stunning performance of "Dream On". Cut to 15 years later, at Jones Beach, New York, in 2007, Tyler was beyond AMAZING, coming off his recent throat surgery, doing a particularly flawless and memorable performance of "Seasons Of Wither".

I point out "Seasons" and "Dream On" because they are not easy to sing and draw certain parallels to "The Star Spangled Banner" because of the vocal range required to sing them. If he can nail those tunes live he could easily handle our National Anthem.

[Metalboy!]

But be didn't. If he had not dragged it out and just done it a tad faster and not opted out to one of his self-cliche screams instead of the high note he hits in "Dream On", as well as practice, he coulda pulled it off.

If you watch it again closely, it duz appear as though he's goin' for the high note but when he can't muster it, he goes into scream mode.

Also, I think having this big ol' USAF BOMBER floating over the place on his final note did not serve him well, as it just put the word "bomb" in everyone's mind. If it had been two NAVY Blue Angels or the Air Force equivalent soaring by in formation actually might have helped with our perception.

Watch and you'll see what I mean.

Look, Tyler can handle this song easily. Practice and do it again in Summer when your vocal chords won't freeze up (factoid: vocal chords tighten in cold weather) at a Red Sox game!