Best voices, least amount of actual talent

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Okay, I've only half thought this out, but I'm thinking about artists that were blessed with a very unique, great, or infectious voice, but have little to no actual talent.

I bring this up because I was thinking about Eazy-E after trife's natural born killaz thread. So, he's my nominee....love his helium little gangsta, but boy was he crappy and I doubt he ever wrote one of his lyrics in his life (although some of his later period versus are so bad I wonder if he didn't - like his verse on For tha love of money off first Bone Thugs)

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Michel'le

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Damn! Michel'le! Let's get JJ Fad in here and have a Ruthless Records family reunion! Arabian Prince - come home, all is forgiven.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Aretha Franklin.

Truly great voice (even though I hope the copyists will soon stop popping up), but how many songs has she written?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 25 September 2003 07:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't the possession of a great voice a talent in itself?

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 25 September 2003 07:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Aretha's written plenty of good songs

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 25 September 2003 07:32 (twenty-two years ago)

writing songs = talent????

Aretha - great voice, massive talent
Celine - great voice (technically superior to Aretha), terrible

― plebian plebs (plebian), Thursday, 25 September 2003 08:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Joan Jett (who I think is talented but I sort of think that "talent" is an overrated/overused concept anyway so eh)

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 25 September 2003 08:38 (twenty-two years ago)

enya perhaps?

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Thursday, 25 September 2003 08:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Aretha Franklin.
Truly great voice (even though I hope the copyists will soon stop popping up), but how many songs has she written?

Geir, I wish you would actually do some research before opening yer yap. For your information Aretha has not only written songs but she is also an exceptionally gifted piano player - she played on all her greatest material in the sixties usually recording her vocals at the same time as playing piano. I suggest you arrange a piano summit with Ms Franklin to see who has more "piano chops", you ridiculous Norwegian you....... and I don't even like Aretha that much!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 25 September 2003 10:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Jello Biafra's voice is extremely compelling and powerful (at least when he sings ha ha) considering how utter shit of a singer he is.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 25 September 2003 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I don't know about Aretha, I think the way she sang and phrased her vocals was a true talent in itself....I guess by Eazy-E I meant that I like the sound of his voice, but the ways he used it and his horrible phrasing, lack of rhythm, etc., PLUS his lack of songwriting or lyrical skills = no talent. I didn't mean that you have to write songs to have talent.....like George Jones would be another example like Aretha (or Frank Sinatra) who I would consider a brilliant interpreter of songs, but maybe not a songwriter of much note....though still very talented.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 25 September 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

although fuck maybe Aretha wrote tons of songs, I don't have any idea really....or Sinatra....or George Jones....so if any/all of them did write a lot of songs I'm totally wrong....I was just saying that they all come from music (non-rock) where being a good interpreter and singers was considered enough, like country or blues or classic pop didn't have the whole "singer-songwriter" mentality that rock does.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 25 September 2003 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

singing = vastly underrated skill.

no one complains that someone is "only a guitarist" or "only a DJ," but for some reason being "only a singer" never seems to be good enough.

― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 25 September 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

singing = overrated
singing WELL = underrated

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 25 September 2003 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

dwight yoakam has a fantastic voice that he often uses, or overuses, with extremely annoying results. he's got talent up the wazoo. but it's hard for me to listen to him.

― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 25 September 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

singing = overrated
singing WELL = underrated

i'll agree with that, but only to the extent that you could say exactly the same thing about guitar playing, keyboard playing, DJ'ing, picking your nose, etc.

― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 25 September 2003 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i'll agree with that, but only to the extent that you could say exactly the same thing about guitar playing, keyboard playing, DJ'ing, picking your nose, etc.

I'll agree with that, but only to the extent of...DUH!

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 25 September 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

(just being cheeky btw)

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 25 September 2003 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

cheekiness = underrated

― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 25 September 2003 16:25 (twenty-two years ago)

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