Talented solo artists, male v female.

Pop music has always been marketed towards the young teenage market (esp. teen girls) since studies showed they had the most pocket money. So it's not really surprising that woman dominate that musical format. Everything is written with them in mind. I worked in music distribution for a while in college (my major was music history & musicology) but I can't think of a ton of those contemporary pop artists I worked on that I thought were really good. We'd be sending out advance mailers for Mariah Carey's latest release or I'd see the Pussycat Dolls latest album cover and I was like "ugh this is crap."

Even if you can push air through your vocal chords, taste and phrasing have a lot to do with ability. I remember having a lot of respect more for rock artists like Sheryl Crow. When I was younger and she released stuff like The Tuesday Night Music Club and The Globe Sessions. Because even though she had sang with Michael Jackson, she was also willing to work with a producer like Bill Bottrell who encouraged her to sing "conventionally bad" for straight rock ballads. That's why you get songs like Leaving Las Vegas which is really a great rock vocal but a vocal coach might go "Oh no! She's only using her throat muscles!"

I've always been drawn to singers lwho can do more with less (even if they are trained well) regardless of gender. Willy Deville is definitely my favorite singer and he doesn't have that great a vocal range at all. But I can't think of a better interpretive singer in that time period. Any kind of song you could invent and he could have convincingly sang it. Jack Nitzche who worked with The Righteous Brothers, The Ronettes, The Stones, etc. called him the greatest singer he ever worked with. And I can see what he meant.

(Other faves are Karen Carpenter, Dusty Springfield, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Charlie Rich)
 
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dobingsdobber said:
The names that spring to mind are mostly golden oldies for me,James Taylor,Donovan,Neil Young on the blokes side,and Joni Mitchell,Judee Sill and the incomparable Dusty Springsteen for the ladies.After a lifetime in the music business I struggle a .bit with the newbies. It takes guts as well as talent to perform as a one-man show, and although not a big fan I admire Ed Sheeran on that score. One other who stands out spans a big time scale,Richard Thompson, he of Fairport Convention fame.One of the finest writers and guitar players this country has produced,even Hendrix was in awe of him,and having worked with him I can see why.
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Good shout for Richard Thompson. Saw him many times.
Dusty Springstein, however, passed me by !
 
KS55 said:
Good shout for Richard Thompson. Saw him many times.
Dusty Springstein, however, passed me by !
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Huge RT fan. Saw him about three months ago. He played for about three hours. Even did a cover of the old Fairport song "Tale In Hard Time" and a cover of the The Sorrows "Take a Heart. I'e seen him do an acoustic show but watching him with his trio is an amazing experience.
 
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The best artists don’t work in the pop genre. Alison Kraus has a beautiful voice. I like Rhiannon Giddens. Male voices? It’s a real struggle. Tom Jones is still performing and bloody hell he is still unbelievable live. Robert Plant can still knock out a tune. But then... Gregory Porter? Michael Bublé? They are really pale imitations of what has gone before if not without talent. I would listen to:

Female:
Carol King
Dusty
Kate Bush
Amy Winehouse
Nina Simone
Emmylou Harris
Sade
Joni Mitchell
Tori Amos
Patti Smith
Diana Krall

Male
George Michael (the best white soul singer bar none)
James Taylor
David Bowie
Elton John (particularly early stuff)
Nat King Cole
Clapton (his voice is very underrated)
Bob Dylan
Paul Simon
Prince
Peter Gabriel
Lou Reed
Van Morrison
Don McLean


When you look at the unbelievable talents in that list and compare it to what is around today. I feel sorry for the young generation.
 
Banned Tosspot said:
I couldn't care less to be honest.

Modern music is dreadful but there's plenty of history to drop back on.
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Sweeping statement but your not the only one. Modern music isn't just talent shows and formulaic. You might as well write of the 70s because of the partridge family and brotherhood of man. Fine if you have enough music to listen to and don't want to hear anything new.

Great modern female singer Aldous Harding.
 
As long as modern artists don't go overboard with things like quantization and plug-ins like auto tune, you can still gets great music. The problem is when singers/bands and their producers get lazy and just basically create overproduced ring tones instead of actual songs. Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen's new album is great. But she demoed 42 songs at her home studio before even getting the recording process. Make an effort and take some chances and you'll get good results.
 
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