Great singer, rotten material

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Which singers have been ill served by the material they've recorded.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Heresy to some, but Billy Mackenzie wasted 10 years of his career post Perhaps recording crap. Which is the big tragedy of the man as Beyond the sun is up there with Sulk and fourth drawer down as his best work.

Footballers favourite Luther Vandross has wasted almost all of his career likewise (post searching c 1980).

― Billy Dods, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not the sort of answer you're looking for, but Viva Hate....what an embarrassment that album was.

― daniel, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Harriet Wheeler (who is The Best Singer Ever) has been ill-served by the sheer paucity of her output.

― the pinefox, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Rod Stewart.

― Sterling Clover, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

vespertine.

― ethan, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Singers with poor material aren't great.

― Tom, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah? What about Rod Stewart?

― Sterling Clover, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Faith Hill
Faith Evans

almost every country and R&B singer on the radio

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

wait I take that back. the new Faith Evans is fucking awesome.

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Antony of Antony & the Johnsons.

― Arthur, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Billy Mackenzie wasted 10 years of his career post Perhaps recording crap

All too true for the most part. And Marc Almond had some rough patches at the same time as well.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Elvis, Tom Jones.

― Sean, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Singers with poor material aren't great.

Half agree with you Tom. Unfortunately they're also often burdened with monstrous ego's (Mackenzie thinking he was a songwriter), insecurities (Vandross)and dodgy managers (Elvis) and drink and drug problems (Rod the mod,Elvis etc) muddying their judgement.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Celine Dion
Mariah Carey
Freddie Mercury (sometimes)
Dusty Springfield (sometimes)

― Jeff, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

tell me, how in sam hell do you rationalize Mariah Carey having a good voice? She makes me squirm(in a bad way, mind you) everytime I see her open her mouth. What music would she be good behind?

― Brock, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

She's no worse than Bjork.

― RW, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I certainly know what she'd be good on top of, if you know what I mean. Heh heh...

Um. Yeah.

Mariah's material has taken a qualitative shift downhill over the past two albums -- her early R&b/rap crossover stuff was quite important at the time, and good.

― Sterling Clover, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Kevin Rowland - everything after don't stand me down (which is very little actually)

― g, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mariah has the nice, low voice that I'm a sucker for. But she also does that Whiney Houston "soul" bullshit where she has to show off how many different notes she can hit, instead of just holding one - that makes me want to throttle someone.

And I can't stand any of her fucking songs....

― Dave225, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Brian Wilson solo. Need I say more...

― Brian MacDonald, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sandy Denny had a wonderful voice but I've got a compilation album that spans her solo career + I dislike almost all of the songs on it. They are all so maudlin + uninteresting.

― Mark Dixon, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree with much of R&B. Were the trite lyrics not so off-putting, it's a genre I think I could get more into, as I really like some of the smooth beats and crooning. In fact, I've though a couple of times about starting an "R&B for the indie kid" type thread but have thus far chickened out.

― bnw, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When I was younger I had this idea that if someone else (like,say, MYSELF!) was to write decent material for Lou Gramm, we'd have the greatest album in history. Then I grew up and realised Foreigner was great.

― dave q, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I love R&B. Am trying to put my thoughts on how this came to be on paper. Right now the "feelin on your booty" remix is on the radio. I think the point is to learn and accept the schlock in the lyrics, and to learn to look for more than visceral thrill. Like after an hour clubbing and you need a break from beat-driven dance stuff. Or listen to The Writings On The Wall straight through and see if you can begin to connect with the slower numbers in the context. Next thing you know, Maxwell's "Lifetime" will be brilliant sounding.

― Sterling Clover, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

lesley gore ,

― anthony, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

With Marc Almond it's the other way around, he should be glad with given material, (and he is, you can hear that in his singing) otherwise you only have someone singing constantly off-key, which is worse.

― erik, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tsk, dear boy. And he writes most of his songs too, so ha. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Little Ned, we'll thread about that later over a glass of absinth.

Your bordello or mine? ;-) I'll invite Sean.

― erik, Saturday, 17 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the beautiful and talented ms aguilera. actually she sings like shit but i don't care because her arse looks so fine in the "come on over" video

― bob snoom, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cher, post-early 70s. Except "Believe".

― Arthur, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Your bordello or mine? ;-) I'll invite Sean.

In a scenario, I would very much be the third wheel. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I would very much be the third wheel. ;-)

That's what you say before the absinthe.

― Sean, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mmm...I know my limits.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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