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Tom's Top 10 Vocalists/Frontmen |
So what constitutes an ace frontman? Being able to sing in tune helps but is not necessarily essential. Having a distinctive voice that stands out from the rest is a main criterion. Being able to put feeling into the performance is also a must. Star quality and presence have helped push some of the below candidates into the top 10 also. So, sit back and enjoy and see if you agree.
10. Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
He
of the big mouth and silk-festooned microphone stand. Pushing 60 but still one
of the best as the latest live DVD by Aerosmith shows. Totally unmistakeable
style and what’s more – he’s a great lyricist. Apparently he plays Joe
Perry’s riffs and tunes and sings a load of gobbldey-gook over them until he
gets the right rhythm and meter.
Fave
moments include ‘Dream-on’ – the high register bit, ‘Don’t want to
miss a thing..’ and ‘Love in an elevator’
9. Geddy Lee (Rush)
An
unusual choice, but his voice is synonymous with Rush’s sound over the years.
Anyone who can sing, play bass and keyboards at the same time has to be up there
in the rock n’ roll stakes. Fave moments include ‘Xanadu’, ‘Different
Strings’ and ‘2112’.
Here is a case in point of someone who, at least initially, could not sing in tune. Just ask Eddie van Halen how many takes it took for Diamond Dave to get it right on Van Halen I! I love the way he deliberately messes up his words on songs such as ‘Fools’ and how he ad-libs on just about every other track. Growls and whoops make up for not hitting the right note. Put this together with his split jumps, twirls and jumps and you have all the ingredients of star quality. Try reading his book ‘Crazy from the heat’ for some in depth stuff on Sammy Hagar’s predecessor.
Also featured in my top 10 guitarists. Now a prolific solo artist, he is still
cutting it live, albeit in an acoustic context. He was especially good in the
days of ‘It Bites’ when he made up vocal sounds and used his voice as an
instrument. See ‘Positively animal’ and ‘Underneath your pillow’. If you
want to hear feeling put into a song, have a listen to his magnificent ‘Snow
melts into water’.
6. Freddie Mercury (Queen)
He
had to feature somewhere didn’t he? Range-wise, he was always more impressive
in the studio. Roger Taylor would often save him with the upper-register stuff
with his backing vocals when playing live. In addition to his larger than life
stage persona, he excelled as a song-writer and this earns him a high position
in anyone’s top 10.
5. Paul Stanley/Gene Simmons (Kiss)
What
always made listening to a KISS album special was the Simmons/Stanley song
sandwiches you got – each giving a different style and keeping the music
fresh. They also complemented each other well in harmonisation. They were also
very good visually. I’ve tried copying some of their stage poses and it’s
not easy stuff – especially when donned in body armour, stack heels and
make-up.
4.
Ian Gillan (Deep
Purple)
Now we’re tapping into the old masters. I first heard Gillan singing on ’24 Carat Purple’ and he was doing ‘Strange Kind of Woman’, ‘Speed King’ and ‘Child in Time’. I thought to myself, ‘This is what a rock singer should sound like’. He had the screams, he had the melodies and he had the cool lyrics. He was actually the first ‘name’ live act I ever saw in the 3rd ‘Gillan’ band incarnation at Carlisle. He was larger than life and he had that mane of hair. Gillan is someone who has progressed and always comes up with new melodies and lyrics which are interesting to listen to. Fave moments are too many to mention but see above and add ’Sleeping on the job’ and ‘Sometimes I feel like screaming’ for some up to date material.
3. Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
Into
the top 3 with the blond-haired viking air raid siren. Plant has it all – or
at least had it all. He had to change his vocal approach when he went solo. It
seemed that years of drugs, booze and cigarettes took its toll. However, he kept
respect because he developed a style that was still recognisable but ‘moved
on’. No one can beat him for stage presence. He had the poses but they
weren’t ever cheesy because he invented them. He also sounds good soft as well
as loud. Great Led Zep moments include ‘Babe I’m gonna leave you’,
‘Since I’ve been loving you’, and the inevitable ‘Stairway to heaven’
2.
David Coverdale (Whitesnake)
Plantie
won’t be pleased about this but DC beats him to second place by virtue of the
fact that his voice has held up better over the years. Coverdale has the best
blues voice ever and is at his best when singing those sleazy blues/rock songs
of yesteryear. His latest DVD – ‘Live – in the still of the night’ shows
that he can still rock at 55 although I suspect there are some significant
overdubs! He is another frontman who dominates the stage and holds the audience
in the palm of his hand. Again, too many good moments to mention but ‘Ain’t
no love in the heart of the city’, ‘Mistreated’, ‘Still of the night’
and fool for your loving jump to mind straight away.
1.
Ronnie James Dio (Rainbow/Black Sabbath,
Dio)
Yes,
Dio is keeper of the flame. He has never compromised on his music and his voice
sounds as distinctive and rich as it ever did. He is also song-writer
extraordinaire. I saw him at Donington ’83 when he had just formed Dio. For
someone who is quite short, his voice more than makes up for it. Best moments
include ‘Mistreated’ (live), ‘Kill the king’, ‘Die Young’ and
‘Faces in the window’.
Those
who didn’t quite make it
Cormack
Leeson (The Answer)
Ozzy
Osbourne
Joe
Lynn-Turner (Rainbow,
Deep Purple, Malmsteen, solo artist)
Glenn
Hughes
Phil
Mogg
Female
vocalists
1.
Ann Wilson
(Heart)
2.
Pat Benatar
3.
Alannah
Myles
4.
Judie Tzuke
5.
Christina
Aguilera
6.
Veronica
Freeman (Benedictum)
7.
Tarja
Turunen (Nightwish)
8.
Judie
Tzuke
9.
Annie
Lennox
10. Agnetha Faltzskog