Because listing stuff is what music geekdom is all about
The beautiful and really smart people over at NPR's All Songs Considered have taken on one hell of an ambitious list and they are leaving it up to us to decide how it shakes out. All of the details are right here. Yep. The 50 greatest voices of all time.
This was a brutal vote...and one that I probably could have done about 17 different ways. See, I am - at heart - an over-analyzer. First of all, I think there could probably be a completely separate post about the 126 "finalists" they picked, but what's done is done. So how do you interpret "greatest voices"? Most recognizable, most technically sound, most emotional, most socially impactful, etc etc etc. I could have spent all night agonizing over these, or I could do what I did, which is to just pick the five voices in the list that have had the most impact in my life. Still incredibly hard, but by doing this at least I didn't catch myself voting for Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn in some lame attempt to garner hipster cred from people I don't even know. Oh, I've caught myself doing it before. I am human after all, and sometimes I choose poorly in an ill-fated attempt at being cool...but I am working on that.
So, here are my top five...sort of a gut response...if you do vote, and feel like sharing, I'd love to read see your picks....just post them in the comments section here.
Van Morrison
Johnny Cash
Tom Waits
Otis Redding
Nina Simone
This was a brutal vote...and one that I probably could have done about 17 different ways. See, I am - at heart - an over-analyzer. First of all, I think there could probably be a completely separate post about the 126 "finalists" they picked, but what's done is done. So how do you interpret "greatest voices"? Most recognizable, most technically sound, most emotional, most socially impactful, etc etc etc. I could have spent all night agonizing over these, or I could do what I did, which is to just pick the five voices in the list that have had the most impact in my life. Still incredibly hard, but by doing this at least I didn't catch myself voting for Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn in some lame attempt to garner hipster cred from people I don't even know. Oh, I've caught myself doing it before. I am human after all, and sometimes I choose poorly in an ill-fated attempt at being cool...but I am working on that.
So, here are my top five...sort of a gut response...if you do vote, and feel like sharing, I'd love to read see your picks....just post them in the comments section here.
Van Morrison
Johnny Cash
Tom Waits
Otis Redding
Nina Simone
|
Oh man, that is a pretty comprehensive list. I freely admit to not knowing most of the names.
These would be my top 5:
Johnny Cash
Marvin Gaye
Freddie Mercury
Robert Plant
Roy Orbison
Beth Gibbons x 5. :)
WEB SHERIFF
Protecting Your Rights on the Internet
Tel 44-(0)208-323 8013
Fax 44-(0)208-323 8080
websheriff@websheriff.com
www.websheriff.com
Hi Swill-Merchant,
On behalf of Exile Productions, Exile Publishing, Exile Films and Lion Records, we would kindly ask you not to post pirate copies of Van Morrison albums / tracks or videos on your site.
We do appreciate that you are fans of / are promoting Van, but Exile and Lion would greatly appreciate your co-operation in removing your links to the pirate files in question.
Thank you for respecting the artist's and labels' wishes and, if you / your readers would like good quality, non-pirated previews from Van's latest album and DVD - "Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl" - then footage of “Sweet Thing” from the Hollywood Bowl is available for fans to view and link to (ONLY please – not for embedding) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BYvoH2_XuA. Up-to-the-minute news on the “Astral Weeks Live” album and film releases and Van’s 2009 shows is, of course, available on www.vanmorrison.com and www.myspace.com/vanmorrison. An increasing archive of exclusive film footage of Van Morrison performances is also available for fans and YouTubers on Exile’s official channel at http://uk.youtube.com/user/OfficialExileFilms ... .. and keep an eye on these official sources for details of further preview material and on-line promotions.
As you will appreciate, this e-mail is written on a without prejudice basis and, as such, all of our clients' accumulated, worldwide rights and remedies remain strictly reserved : please excuse this required formality.
With Thanks & Regards,
WEB SHERIFF
I have a love/hate relationship with music lists, which is perhaps a curse placed on all music geeks. However, I definitely recognize and appreciate your approach. I actually share much of the sentiment expressed in this post - it's nice to hear it coming from someone other than myself for once. As for the list, well...I'm gonna have to let that marinate for awhile.
Not trying to earn intangible hipster cred or anything, but I just felt bad for the non-English speaking artists. I feel like in a list or project like this directed at an English-speaking public they are going to get completely shafted. Thus, (and probably also to make it easier for me to pick things) I limited myself just to picking non-English voices. Thus my five:
Gilberto Gil
Fairuz
Uum Kulthoum
Kongar-ool Ondar
Fela Kuti
Elvis- He's the King for a reason
Peter Steele- His voice is dark and
every woman I play his
musc for get's naked,
works for me.
Freddy Mercury
Johnny Cash
Melora Creager- lead singer of
Rasputina. Her voice
is hauntingly
hypnotic