Frontmen vs The Band

[thurley42]

Larry said something in the GNR thread that started me thinking. He said that singers make pop, and the band defines the music. I think that is true in most cases, but I think there are epic singers who have a unique style that supercedes that of the whole.

We talked about this over lunch and I'm curious as to what you all think. What frontmen man the band, not just complimented the music?

I'm talking about vocal skill only, there have been many front men who for whatever reason, antics, fashion, overall rockstar auroa have elevated the band to another level.

I'll throw one out there, I think Chris Cornell's vocal range and distinct vocal sound made Soundgarden, and Audioslave.

What say you?

 

[Hank]

Larry said something in the GNR thread that started me thinking. He said that singers make pop, and the band defines the music. I think that is true in most cases, but I think there are epic singers who have a unique style that supercedes that of the whole.

We talked about this over lunch and I'm curious as to what you all think. What frontmen man the band, not just complimented the music?

I'm talking about vocal skill only, there have been many front men who for whatever reason, antics, fashion, overall rockstar auroa have elevated the band to another level.

I'll throw one out there, I think Chris Cornell's vocal range and distinct vocal sound made Soundgarden, and Audioslave.

What say you?

No doubt! I think that holds true for most bands... But, most times when the singer tries to go solo, it falls flat and doesn't live up to the band they were from... I think you could say that about Cornell as well...

 

[Larry Gude]

I'll throw one out there, I think Chris Cornell's vocal range and distinct vocal sound made Soundgarden, and Audioslave.

What say you?

Let's make sure we are clear and stay on rock and not pop. The Police were Sting and only Sting; Pop.

To me Soundgarden is THIS groove;



The singer, like Axl, fit and was complimentary to the band. Does Audioslave hold a candle to SG?

 

[Misfit]

Dio, Lemmy, Tom Keifer (Cinderella), Taime Downe (Faster Pussycat), Freddie Mercury, Sting, Jesse James Dupree (Jackyl), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys) and Rob Halford off the top of my head.

 

[Merlin99]

Larry said something in the GNR thread that started me thinking. He said that singers make pop, and the band defines the music. I think that is true in most cases, but I think there are epic singers who have a unique style that supercedes that of the whole.

We talked about this over lunch and I'm curious as to what you all think. What frontmen man the band, not just complimented the music?

I'm talking about vocal skill only, there have been many front men who for whatever reason, antics, fashion, overall rockstar auroa have elevated the band to another level.

I'll throw one out there, I think Chris Cornell's vocal range and distinct vocal sound made Soundgarden, and Audioslave.

What say you?

Geddy Lee, Freddy Mercury and Mark Knopfler

 

[Larry Gude]

As great as Freddy Mercury was, it was still Queen. One was nothing without the other.

I am trying to think of exceptions to the Gude rule.

A buddy of mine, guitar and vocals, was the heart of his old band and became the heart of his subsequent bands which were all more successful, all metal but, all obscure so, that doesn't count.

 

[thurley42]

Let's make sure we are clear and stay on rock and not pop. The Police were Sting and only Sting; Pop.

To me Soundgarden is THIS groove;



The singer, like Axl, fit and was complimentary to the band. Does Audioslave hold a candle to SG?

No Audioslave and SG aren't, I just relating the common thread. I still think that Chris Cornell made Soundgarden. To me he he made the band, not the music.

Dio, Lemmy, Tom Keifer (Cinderella), Taime Downe (Faster Pussycat), Freddie Mercury, Sting, Jesse James Dupree (Jackyl), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys) and Rob Halford off the top of my head.

Holy hairbands Batman! I orginally thought of Freddie, but it's a little poppish...so I didn't know if it fit.

 

[dontknowwhy]

Geddy Lee of RUSH

Personally, if David Lee Roth wasn't such a douche, I'd have to say him as well...just didn't like them as much with Sammy or Gary Scharrone

 

[Merlin99]

As great as Freddy Mercury was, it was still Queen. One was nothing without the other.

I am trying to think of exceptions to the Gude rule.

A buddy of mine, guitar and vocals, was the heart of his old band and became the heart of his subsequent bands which were all more successful, all metal but, all obscure so, that doesn't count.

I've got to disagree with you on this one, I've tried listening to Queen w/o Freddie and just can't get in to it.

 

[Larry Gude]

What frontmen man the band, not just complimented the music?

I ?

Let's be clear on the question, folks.

The music is every bit as much the band as Geddy. I am shocked anyone would suggest otherwise for Rush especially given all the legendary instrumentals they did not to mention that guy, what's his face, perhaps the greatest rock drummer of all time.

 

[dontknowwhy]

Dio, Lemmy, Tom Keifer (Cinderella), Taime Downe (Faster Pussycat), Freddie Mercury, Sting, Jesse James Dupree (Jackyl), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys) and Rob Halford off the top of my head.

since you mentioned DIO, then I would have to say Ozzy...after him, Sabbath just lost something using DIO & Iome. As far as your hair bands, I always felt most of these lead singers could be interchangeable with any of their respective bands. they all just sounded too alike to me

 

[Hank]

Let's be clear on the question, folks.

The music is every bit as much the band as Geddy. I am shocked anyone would suggest otherwise for Rush especially given all the legendary instrumentals they did not to mention that guy, what's his face, perhaps the greatest rock drummer of all time.

Neil Peart

 

[thurley42]

Geddy Lee of RUSH

Personally, if David Lee Roth wasn't such a douche, I'd have to say him as well...just didn't like them as much with Sammy or Gary Scharrone

See, you sub out DLR, or Sammy, or even Gary, you still have Eddie's cutting edge guitar in the back that was a HUGE part of Van Halen's music. Sammy is a performer, that's for sure. But as we've seen, it's still lived on without him in one fashion or another.

I've got to disagree with you on this one, I've tried listening to Queen w/o Freddie and just can't get in to it.

No, there is no Queen without Freddie...they shouldn't even call themselves Princess....Freddie Mercury voice is what brought me to the band, not Brian May.

 

[Larry Gude]

I've got to disagree with you on this one, I've tried listening to Queen w/o Freddie and just can't get in to it.

Right but, the question:

What frontmen man the band, not just complimented the music?

Freddy wasn't Queen. Freddy and Queen was Queen.

Sting WAS the Police. :shrug:

 

[Larry Gude]

Neil Peart

I was only kidding for effect.

 

[thurley42]

Right but, the question:

Freddy wasn't Queen. Freddy and Queen was Queen.

Sting WAS the Police. :shrug:

That's like saying George Michael was Wham!

Sorry, I'll shut up now, I couldn't resist.

 

[Misfit]

Holy hairbands Batman! I orginally thought of Freddie, but it's a little poppish...so I didn't know if it fit.

Sid Vicious, Ian Stuart, Billie Joe Armstrong, Billy Milano, Ben Kowalewicz and Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates.

 

[Hank]

I was only kidding for effect.

I get jokes

 

[Larry Gude]

since you mentioned DIO, then I would have to say Ozzy...after him, Sabbath just lost something using DIO & Iome. As far as your hair bands, I always felt most of these lead singers could be interchangeable with any of their respective bands. they all just sounded too alike to me

Good one. Sabbath lost a lot but, they kept going and, with Dio, were still huge.

 

[dontknowwhy]

Let's be clear on the question, folks.

The music is every bit as much the band as Geddy. I am shocked anyone would suggest otherwise for Rush especially given all the legendary instrumentals they did not to mention that guy, what's his face, perhaps the greatest rock drummer of all time.

so great you can't remember his name?...you do realize with that statement alone, you just made the OPs case, right?

the synth music of RUSH sounds no different than the synth crap from Styx or ELP Larry