I regularly tell my students that "Love" and "Hate" are the only two words over used more than "Always" and "Never". That said, I hate Journey. That's just me.
Smooth Jazz and Journey are the only styles of music that make the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up Even more than Anne Murray.
Neither can Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Neil Young, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Joe Strummer, etc. Your point? Oh, and Tom Waits.
I agree on all of these, except maybe Joe Strummer. Dylan and Cocker should just go far away (especially Joe Cocker. Dylan could at least write a decent song...not "Nobel Prize" worthy, but decent. Cocker was useless). Neil Young is acceptable. Bobby "Blue" Bland I barely recall these days. Tom Waits is a great character. Joe Strummer was terrific in his time. Lou Reed would be on the list, but he sucks anyway. Oh, and the worst of the lot: Janice Joplin. There is not a pit deep enough to drown out the screeching of that harpy. She and Joe Cocker would make a great pair to sacrifice into a volcano, but the volcano would probably become so irritated by them, it would belch them back into the world, flames and all. You can add Lady Sovereign (who freely admitted that she could not sing) to your list. ...and the great Ian Dury. My point? I really did not have have, other that expressing dislike for Bruce Springsteen. I just cannot stand him. "Bruce cannot sing" is about the nicest thing I have ever said about Bruce Springsteen. Although, I will admit that my dislike has been tempered with age.
I will take anyone of those singers listed above over someone with a "good" singing voice and no soul (Steve Perry, Celine Dion, etc.) everytime. Oh, and "Adam Raised a Cain" is a badass vocal, and lyric, by any definition I could ever acknowledge. And I'm not a Springsteen guy.
To paraphrase the other Elvis (Costello), “you don’t listen to Dylan to hear sweet voice singing, you listen to experience the feeling he is singing about.” https://dysconnectedblog.wordpress....t-to-people-who-say-that-bob-dylan-cant-sing/ I laugh when people say Dylan (and others) can’t sing. It’s as if someone doesn’t like the sound of an accordion so they say the player is a terrible accordion player. It boggles my mind that people can’t separate the sound of an instrument versus the playing of said instrument.
I appreciate the instrument that is Zimmerman's voice. That said, it's inflective, but not a good singing voice. He has his place and it's high on the monument.
http://www.citypages.com/music/bob-dylans-voice-explained-8003377 Hard to disagree with Sam Cooke’s opinion on a singer’s abilities. From Rolling Stone’s top 100 list. Dylan hits 7th (amazingly). https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...gers-of-all-time-147019/marvin-gaye-4-226977/
I pretty disagree with the placement of every single artist on that Top-100 list. But, once again, to each his own. Also, that list is a list of old, old, old people. The first singer under 60, born on or after 1960 was Bono at No. 32, and he was born, according to the article, on "May 106th, 1960" The only artists in the "top-50" born after 1960: Whitney Houston (No. 34), Jeff Buckley (No. 39) and Kurt Cobain (No. 45). Bjork (No. 60), Christina Aguilera (no. 58-only one born after 1979), Thom Yorke (?) (No. 66), Axl Rose (No. 64), Maria Carey (No. 79) and Mary J Blige (No. 100) round out the Top-100. Edit: That list is from 2008, so things might have changed a bit. Perhaps a few under 50s might make a revised list. For the record: I am no judge of talent whatsoever. Not in manner or any artistic endeavor. I barely have any taste in music, other than I like what I like and don't care much about what I dislike. Nobody should listen to me in any discussion about musical ability* as I have none and have no useful knowledge on the subject. I will, occasionally poke at other's tastes in music, though. *or, really, just about any other subject, except, maybe law, tropical plants and Monty Python.
This is true of most of us. That’s why I like to point out that many people who can judge objective talent agree with things we don’t see (like Dylan’s singing). It should be challenging us to see new perspectives. EDIT: I don’t think Rolling Stone is some sort of quality judge. They sell magazines. I do think Sam Cooke’s opinion is valid and on topic though.