Singers I Can Get With

I feel my previous comments about singers (see "Relient K" post) need expanding upon.

Fuck you whiny bastards. I'm with these guys:

Iggy Pop - "Do you feel it when you cut me?" That's hurt, but that's not sad hurt. That's bitter, angry and, well, cutting. He shows us that there's a fierce gut-punch of a howl lurking in the everyman. The way he says "come on!" is my mantra.

Tom Waits - I think anyone who knows my musical tastes saw this one coming. Affected? Whatever; the results are beautiful. It's the most travelled, experienced voice I know. And it's still knows sweetness. See "Somewhere" and "Jonestown, Illinois."

James Brown - He can squeal higher than his trumpet section. An example (like Waits) of a voice that matches up to the aesthetics of the music. Dirty, nasty, and bursting with energy. His is the voice of a lust attack. "HIT!"

Mick Jagger - I'm frankly shocked that people have sat through this voice for 40 years. He sings terribly! Wavering. Constant portamento. A failure to reinforce notes. But this means he's fully unpredictable. And he's got a satisfying holler. Well done, Mick, for giving up good singing in the name of rock. Can sometime overdo the non-singing bit (see "Don't Know Why.")


This is not really a diss to pretty singers. I've got no issue with Sam Cooke or Marvin Gaye singing pretty, and hey, they've got soul. Marvin is my favorite singer. I love the voice, but it doesn't motivate me.