Pink Floyd: Roger Waters' Peak Singing Voice

I have always found Roger Waters singing voice to be incredibly powerful and  moving. However, there is a time period of his career, about 1979-1984, give or take a few years, where he just seemed to suddenly reach a new level of singing prowess. I would recommend the live Wall album "Is There Anybody Out There?" The Earl's Court concerts in 80-81. Roger sounds like he has a larger range and fiercer vocal than earlier on in his career. This is also reflected on the albums of the time. I always found his singing on Final Cut to be perhaps an unrivaled success in terms of what he was trying to accomplish emotionally.

I also would venture to say that ONE of the reasons that Roger Waters began singing on the majority of tracks from Animals-Final Cut could be that at least he thought he was the best singer in the group, particularly for the material he was writing. I personally think that. I absolutely WOULDN'T want more Gilmour on any of those three albums. Moreover, I would say that in these years Waters surpassed Gilmour for most Pink Floyd purposes, even if he didn't have a prettier voice. I wish he had rerecorded Have A Cigar with his own vocal!

Anyone think I'm dead wrong and Gilmour's voice "going missing" was a big tragedy? Of course, then there's Rick, who I think was a good singer but not for PF material after Dark Side. I just don't see it. Some have lamented his absence as well.

I've always thought of Waters as Floyd's best singer, TBH (yes including Syd)

Though it seems that it's the tracks where Gilmour sings that get more airplay (except for Brick).

I've found that Gilmour over-reaches himself much quicker than Waters does;despite probably having a wider range.

SteveG wrote: This is one of those threads where I think we're not listening to the same music or the same singer. I definitely would put Gilmour above Waters, with Wright a close second to Gilmour. Come on, Waters doesn't sing, he talks.

You lidsten to too much rap

Roger Waters has always been a lyricist rather than a vocalist. I think his peak was The Final Cut: his voice was already deteriorating at the time, but he could put a dose of venom in his singing which gave it some added value.

Gilmour is the better vocalist and his voice is not affected by advancing age.

Walters v Gilmour

Lennon v McCartney

Gabriel v Collins

DiAnno v Dickinson

Apples v Oranges