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Hangedman 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: November 03 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1261
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 Topic: John Wetton
Posted: January 21 2005 at 19:00 |
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Well i caved in a bought the first asia album, because it was on sale for 6.99 canadian. It isnt bad, but its not really worth any more than i paid for it. A little while ago I bought steve hacketts tokyo tapes. I've formed an opinion on why I dont really like them. John Wetton is boring. I've never heard King Crimsons red, but in all honesty hes almost completely toneless. ARGH! anyone else want to vent about money lost on this foul being, or think hes pretty good and wants to remind me why post away.
Edited by Hangedman
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Jim Prog Wizard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 23 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 134
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 19:03 |
His voice isn't technically great, but it's very distinctive and it's got a kind of gravelly attraction to it. Similar to Roine Stolt. Haven't heard any Asia, but he's pretty good on Red-era KC, just not got much of a range.
He is however, by his own admission, a bassist first and a singer second.
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"Progressive Rock is the ultimate form of music" (Mikael Akerfeldt, 2003)
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Rob The Good
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 17 2004
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 476
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 19:24 |
I love Asia! They're what one may call a melodic rock band with Prog influences: influences in the sense that all of the musicians were from respectable Prog backgrounds. I never actually considered Asia to be Prog at all, just a side-project by some musicians who probably found that it wasn't in their best interests to be Prog in the 80s. (Did Prog fail us, or did we fail Prog?) John Wetton's voice, like you say, is hardly technically brilliant, but it IS distinctive, and I like the almost "strained epic" way that he sings if you understand what I mean. 
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And Jesus said unto John, "come forth and receive eternal life..."
Unfortunately, John came fifth and was stuck with a toaster.
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Hangedman
Prog Reviewer
Joined: November 03 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1261
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 19:29 |
 Rob The Good wrote:
I love Asia! They're what one may call a melodic rock band with Prog influences: influences in the sense that all of the musicians were from respectable Prog backgrounds. I never actually considered Asia to be Prog at all, just a side-project by some musicians who probably found that it wasn't in their best interests to be Prog in the 80s. (Did Prog fail us, or did we fail Prog?)
John Wetton's voice, like you say, is hardly technically brilliant, but it IS distinctive, and I like the almost "strained epic" way that he sings if you understand what I mean. |
I do understand, and i think the song wildest dreams is quite good, but hes still quit bland. Honestly though, if you havent go watch the tokyo tapes, he butchers In the court of the crimson king, and many others. itll make you dislike him quite a bit.
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James Lee
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: June 05 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 3525
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 19:30 |
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I understand completely- there may be plenty more expressive singers out there, but Wetton is perfect on "Starless", and that may be my single favorite Crimson song. I also like his overdriven bass lines- like Squire, with more meat and less virtuosity.
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Rob The Good
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 17 2004
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 476
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 19:54 |
Yeah every vocalist has his or her low points right? I can certainly imagine how dreadful one of Wetton's bad days must have sounded like. 
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And Jesus said unto John, "come forth and receive eternal life..."
Unfortunately, John came fifth and was stuck with a toaster.
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threefates
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 30 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4215
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 21:22 |
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I've never been a big fan of John Wetton's vocals. I've always found them a bit bland myself. Well maybe not bland, just void of emotion. I know most of you will think thats because I preferred Greg singing in King Crimson (which would be true, no one could match his voice), but I always liked John Wetton better than the others who came after Greg... Gordon Haskell, Boz Burrell, Adrian Belew.. etc... The last month tho, I've sort of been listening to Lizard again. I didn't like it much years ago, but its sort of growing on me now. I'm also appreciating Gordon Haskell's voice a little more... as well as the first section of Lizard where Jon Anderson sings.
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THIS IS ELP 
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Rob The Plant
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 15 2004
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 819
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 21:48 |
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John Wetton eh? Oh yah, that guy, he sucks.
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Collaborators will take your soul.
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Rob The Plant
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 15 2004
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 819
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 21:49 |
Rob The Good wrote:
Yeah every vocalist has his or her low points right? I can certainly imagine how dreadful one of Wetton's bad days must have sounded like. |
Stop Stealing my Name! Get out of my head!!!! AHHH!
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Rob The Good
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 17 2004
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 476
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 23:14 |
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I didn't steal your name!!! MADMAN! I have great pride in my name...it has Teutonic origins you know. If you insinuate that I would dare steal another person's name, even though I have a perfectly good name of my own...well I'll just have to challenge you to a duel.
John Wetton's voice DOES lack emotion most definitely. And yeah, Greg Lake's vocals are certainly more "beautiful".
Edited by Rob The Good
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And Jesus said unto John, "come forth and receive eternal life..."
Unfortunately, John came fifth and was stuck with a toaster.
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starofsirius
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 12 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 157
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 23:34 |
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I like John Wetton's vocals...
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"I'm in a freefall like a snowflake falling down down down down down."
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Ivan_Melgar_M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 19535
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Posted: January 21 2005 at 23:42 |
John Wetton is IMO one of the best voices in Prog' Rock sadly lacks a bit of emotion and his projects normally suck.
But he's a great vocalist.
Iván
Edited by ivan_2068
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chorus of one
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 27 2004
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 299
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 01:17 |
I don't think he's so bad. Certainly he's not amazing and has limited range, but how uncommon is that in prog rock? I could name many many prog vocalists that annoy me much more than Wetton, it's just something you have to get past.
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Vegetableman
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 27 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 242
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 01:31 |
Wetton's voice is a little too raspy for me. His voice seems to be hit or miss. It sounded good on Red but I think it ruined Starless and Bible Black for me. Lament had just terrible vocals.
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"Mister Fripp, your music is quite different than everything else out there. In one word, how would you describe it?"
"Progressive.... yeah, that's it..."
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dropForge
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 24 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 608
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 03:40 |
John's best vocal work can be found with King Crimson, Uriah Heep and U.K. Check out songs like "One More Red Nightmare," "One Way Or Another" and "In The Dead Of Night" (live version).
John's vocals in Asia = bland because, well, Asia = bland. What did you expect?
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 26326
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 04:40 |
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I'm amazed people are taking a pop at John Wetton's vocals.I rate him as one the better ones in the genre to be honest.He actually sings with a great deal of emotion and comes across as very SOULFUL to me.
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Rob The Good
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 17 2004
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 476
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 05:19 |
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I DO like Wetton's vocals. A LOT. To me, the have an aspect of spectacle to them. Over-the-edge stuff. Great!
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And Jesus said unto John, "come forth and receive eternal life..."
Unfortunately, John came fifth and was stuck with a toaster.
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joniox
Forum Groupie
Joined: January 09 2005
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 48
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 05:53 |
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Not great, but never annoying like the AC/DC singer for example.
I somehow enjoy listening him. And he fits well in KC's Red.
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I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat...
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JrKASperov
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 904
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 06:32 |
How can you people listen to Exiles and say he lacks emotion? 
Besides all that about JW, his bassplaying kicks ass. Listen to his
improvisations on Exiles, Book of Saturday and We'll let you know! He
never plays the same tune twice! And his improvisations are simply
showing of great imagination.
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Epic.
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Syzygy
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: December 16 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 7003
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Posted: January 22 2005 at 15:51 |
JW is an under rated bassist. Check out any of the live recordings of King Crimson circa Starless/Red for confirmation, he formed an awesome and highly dynamic rhythm section with Bill bruford, which continued into the first UK album. Let's be realistic though, he's no more than competent as a vocalist, and he's usually been sensible enough to know his limitations in that department. When you consider that his contemporaries included Peter Hammill, Jon Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Ian Anderson and Greg Lake, he's not exactly outstanding is he?
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'Like so many of you
I've got my doubts about how much to contribute
to the already rich among us...'
Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom
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John Wetton
