Metal Vox Talks

Today's post is from our friend HIM.

I am not a musician. But I almost always make a distinction between vocalists (Roth) and singers (Halford). I dunno. That might not stand muster. That is what I do though.  

Recently, I was thinking about bands with different lead vocalists/singers. And it led me to compile a series of lists with my choices for who were the best singers/vocalists in said bands. In doing so, I merged the two categories. I simply asked myself: who was the best singer in these groups? I excluded singers who didn’t show up on albums, or who served primarily as backing singers, just as a matter of course. I also struck consideration of various versions of a band as well. I did, however, consider how these singers sounded when they were with the bands in question.  

Let’s start off with a fairly easy one:    

IRON MAIDEN

1. Bruce Dickinson
2. Blaze Bayley
3. Paul Di'Anno 

Notice that I am not suggesting that one was more powerful or influential than another. For instance, I would rank Di’Anno over Blaze on that account.

Let’s move to a more nuanced one:  

DEEP PURPLE

1. Ian Gillan
2. Joe Lynn Turner
3. David Coverdale
4. Rod Evans  

I can see some quibbles with this one. But, again, this isn’t about the merits of the music. I also know it is hard to separate that idea from the idea of who is the best. So I want to move on to a complicated one: 

MOTLEY CRUE

1. John Corabi
2. Vince Neil  

This is, again, about who was the best singer. It is not about who is the obvious front-runner for a host of reasons. That makes it more difficult, doesn’t it? I mean, this could easily have been about Geoff Tate in 'Ryche. But it isn’t. So let’s go even further:  

BLACK SABBATH

1. Ronnie James Dio
2. Ian Gillan
3. Glenn Hughes
4. Tony Martin
5. Ozzy Ozbourne 

I find this one the most difficult. And I can see people going in several different directions. But, given that I have been bloviating a lot recently, I want to turn this over to you. What are your thoughts on these bands? Other bands? Vocalize your opinions while singing the praises of those who lead the bands we love.

Comments

[Him]

Second sentence is missing an "a". My fault; not Allyson's. Discuss . . .

[Bob]

Him, I get where you're coming from. You're talking about vocal ability/chops as opposed to importance to the band. With that in mind, the only quibble I have is with Sabbath. Here is how mine would go.
1. Ian Gillan
2. Ronnie James Dio
3. Tony Martin
4. Glenn Hughes
5. Ozzy Ozbourne

When glenn Hughes was in Sabbath, his vocal chops were in the toilet thanks to heavy drug use. Listen to any bootleg from the short time he sang live with them, and you can see why they found Ray Gillen so quickly. Hughes was simply awful during that time. As for my flipping gillan and Dio, gillan is/was a far more versatile vocalist than Dio.

[Kixchix]

Lovely topic Him.

Since I’m not a musician nor a connoisseur of the instrument that is the voice I judge on the package. Neil is Crüe. Halford is Priest. Both vastly different . Both the voice that makes them complete the catalogue we adopt as legendary.

Yngwie can be the greatest virtuoso. I simply don’t care. For the most part his songs have the staying power of a fart in a hurricane.

Some bands can play and are great. Some bands kinda can play and are great. I love em both

[Gary]

It’s going to sound crazy, many times the 2nd singer in a band is more talented vocally than the one whom they replaced. Mainly because they have to be able to replicate the
original person vocally. Take Sammy and Dave. Dave is THE ultimate frontman. Period.Think he could sing the stuff Sammy did with VH? Nope. Sammy is the better vocalist.

Think Ozzy could nail Dios stuff with Sabbath? ? Let’s just say guitars won’t tune down that low. Lol.

That being said, as Kixchix deftly points out, the original singer is the band to me. You may replicate them vocally, but it’s never quite the same. IMHO, Brian Johnson probably came closest with AC/DC after Bon passed away. But that’s just me. By the way, good topic Him, and Kixchix, I’m with you on Yngwie and the fart in the wind theory... Lol too funny 😀

[Bob]

Gary, excellent points. to expound on them, I would also maintain that, just because someone is better as a technical vocalist, that doesn't mean they can replicate the style and sound the lesser original vocalist brought to the songs. for example, I never cared for the way Dio sang the Ozzy Sabbath stuff. the lower register of Dio's range wasn't as low as Ozzy's, which meant that he couldn't properly hit the lowest note in "War Pigs." Plus, Dio was so overly in love with his own voice that he put in way too many unnecessary grunts and other crap like that during what should have been the instrumental parts. Sammy did okay with the few obligatory DLR Vh tunes he had to sing, but he still couldn't correctly duplicate that DLR tongue-in-cheek swagger.

[Gary]

Bob. Lmfao about Dio.For as much as I love and admire the guy, (and his absolutely incredible body of work/contributions to the metal genre,) he was kinda the "Yngwie" of vocalists now that you mention it. As in, he kept his voice in there all the time. Over guitar solos, drum fills, bass interludes, keyboard breaks, etc. You would neve forget Ronnie was on the stage. Lol. I 1st saw him with Blackmore on the Long Live Rock And Roll tour, and he completely blew me away. I became a fan for life. Little man with a huge voice. RIP Ronnie, and thanks for all the kick ass tunes.

Also,as much as I like Sammy, Diamond Dave is VH to me. Guy was the best entertainer I ever saw in concert, bar none. Dude just exuded that good time party vibe.

[Metalboy!]

Great discussion, boyz! Everyone here has covered nearly all the nuanced fine points of this terrific topic brought forth by HIM.

But here’s another angle ...

Personally, and I fully expect this will get the obligatory scoffs and guffaws, I actually prefer Axl Rose over Brian Johnson even on the AC/DC stuff he fronted (“Back in Black” to his last gasp when he was forced into retirement).

The unconditional gravitation toward the original singer, i.e. Roth vs. Hagar, is perfectly understandable. HOWEVER, I believe Axl is the one of the few exceptions, if not the only, to that norm.

[Bob]

MB!, my good sir, I agree with half of your point. I think Axl sang the Bon stuff live better than Brian Johnson did, but I don't think Axl sang all of the Johnson stuff better than Johnson did -- just most of it. That said, nobody, and I mean nobody, sang Bon better than Bon.

[fletch]

I'm just a singer in this rock-n-roll band

[Metalboy!]

Indeed, Bob! I was lucky enough to see Bon Scott live 3 times, the first off “Powerage” and you are right, NOBODY sang Bon better than Bon.

As you acknowledge, where I depart from popular consensus is in my contention that Rose actually sings the Brian Johnson cannon better than Johnson.

And where I really depart is in my personal position that I LIKE Axl’s versions better. Really wish he would give recording with Angus a shot sooner rather than later!

[fletch]

I love it

[Gary]

@fletch. Ah yes. Some Moody Blues 😎

[Him]

Excellent comments, everyone. I appreciate the input.

Bob, I had to comment on your comment. Yes, Hughes was a mess at that point. Still, on the album (originally a solo Iommi disc) I thought he sounded amazing. He really brought some shade and nuance to songs that were only occasionally as good as how he sang the lyrics. But that is me importing how I felt when I heard it to now. Still, I give that album a listen often. On a song like "Danger Zone" he turns what could be drivel into really emotional heft.

So I sorta' agree with you. But I think the album still stand up pretty well and does well by showing Huighes's amazing talents, in spite of what he was doing to himself (when you look at him then and now, they are completely different people!!!).