What is your favorite vocal style
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Topic: What is your favorite vocal style
Posted By: topofsm
Subject: What is your favorite vocal style
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 01:22
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I thought this would be interesting.
Anyways, what's your favorite vocal style to listen to? This isn't "What vocal style do your favorite bands usually employ" but what style of singing on it's own do you generally find most interesting. As you see, I got pretty darn creative and I seriously doubt anyone here likes yodeling, but I racked my brain to think up all the vocal styles I could.
Anyways, I think Death growls are possibly my favorite style of vocals. I think of them as pretty operatic myself, but that's just my opinion. I want to know what the forum thinks. ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 01:35
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Death growls, easy for me. I've been an Tech/Extreme kick lately, listening to heaps of the stuff. Hardcore/Punk screams are a close second perhaps, since I'm a big fan of post hardcore bands and many of the Tech/Extreme bands use that vocal style too. ------------- 
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Posted By: DamoXt7942
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 01:43
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As a vocalist, I like Jeff Walker (Carcass) and Philip Anselmo...of course, not progrocker. ------------- http://www.facebook.com/damoxt7942" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 01:47
^Dude, Carcass is a killer band
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Posted By: cobb2
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 01:55
| Clean female vocals for me- or Jon Anderson- oops they are the same! |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 05:02
| Hammill-style |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 05:15
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1. Clean Male Vocals (Robert Wyatt, Peter Gabriel, Greg Lake, David Byron, Ken Hensley...) 2. Wordless male humming (Robert Wyatt) 3. Clean low range male vocals (Zappa) |
Posted By: poslednijat_colobar
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 05:31
Operatic male vocals for me, but I like also clean male vocals with artistic touch!
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Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 05:51
| I listen to lots and lots of extreme metal - Incantation playing on my speakers as I type - so I absolutely though not indiscriminately love growls and shrieks. I only really dislike rapping and spoken word and also punk scream/shouts though to a lesser extent. And I also dislike overemotive, 'touchie-feelie' kind of male vocals - you know, the kind where a pop singer stands as close to the mike as possible and whispers something with an expression of utmost concern. However, nothing like great clean male vocals at the end of the day for me - no specific preference for high or low register there. You'd think I would be a big fan of power metal for saying so but for various reasons, I don't really enjoy that genre or even that style of singing with honourable exceptions. |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 05:54
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Clean male or female vocals, maybe a bit in the higher range.
I dislike rapping, hardcore/punk screaming and death growls, and some yodeling when this doesn''t make me laugh.
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Posted By: burritounit
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 06:12
Clean Male Vocals like the dude from The Mars Volta or Circa Survive followed by Death Growls. Though not every death growl is for me.
------------- "I've walked on water, run through fire, can't seem to feel it anymore. It was me, waiting for me..." |
Posted By: Dalezilla
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 06:16
| Tom Waits |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 06:16
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Probably clean female vox, for one simple reason: Heather Findlay.
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: JayDee
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 06:23
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A mix of clean and growling vocals, with 70:30 ratio respectively is my ideal.
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Posted By: CCVP
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 09:00
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clean male vocals, followed by GOOD death or black growls and clean female vocals.
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Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 09:30
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Coverdale-style, his 70's voice of course not his weak/fake one of the 80's. I can also include low-pitch but with some great howls ala Ian Gillan or David Byron. I'm not a great fan of high pitch ones, but Glenn Hughes is a exception, and Geddy Lee has some really great moments as in Lessons or Temple of Syrnix. Not sure which of the options is the one like Coverdale-style, so I'll vote someone to tell me. |
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 09:39
| Peter Hammill |
Posted By: LiquidEternity
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 11:19
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Other: all. See Devin Townsend, Mike Patton, Daniel Gildenlow.
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Posted By: Bern
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 11:30
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It's kinda rare in music but tribal chanting gets me the most. I also especially like people who have unusual or plain weird voices. -------------  
RIP in bossa nova heaven. |
Posted By: Luke. J
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 12:31
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Depends on the music, really. Though, my favorite would be the style of Daniel Gildenlöw for his wide range, occassionaly nearly growled vocals. This man combines most of the styles mentioned above to form his style, and this mixing to me is something special hard to find in music. There are many singers with outstanding voice and technique, yet only a small lot use it in different ways but keep to "their style".
My vote goes to "clean male vocals" though. To be honest, my problem with most female singers (and "screamers"/"growlers") is that it is hard to find the personal note in it. Maybe the most important thing to me: an individual voice and style, which makes you immediately know who is singing.
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Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 12:33
| Another voice I admire so much is Roger Daltrey's. Has a lot of changes it can through the most powerful voice(not metal) to beauty. Alice Cooper has sort-of the same ability but with his own tone, which is maybe weaker than Roger's. |
Posted By: Visitor13
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 12:34
That would mean half the singers onPA.... My favourite vocal style is the drums. |
Bern wrote:Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 12:45
| whatever is appropriate for the music, I wouldn't want Chuck Schuldiner singing for Yes, just like I wouldn't want Jon Anderson singing for Death |
Posted By: CCVP
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 13:04
bingo -------------
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Posted By: Gentlegiantprog
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 13:12
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whichever catagory MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN is. ------------- Let the maps of war be drawn ! 
http://kingcrimsonprog.wordpress.com/ |
Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 14:08
Growling is the worst IMHO. I don't know what emotions it can express except suffering from constipation.  ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 14:13
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I love any vocal style, but overall I guess I like clean male vocals that are on the high end of range: Lee, Anderson, Cedric, etc. ------------- 
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Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 14:48
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Voted for clean male vocals, not necessarilly reaching the border where ultrasonic range begins. And - it's important - the voice should be recognizable. No matter how it's good technically, if there is no individuality, in most cases it costs nothing IMHO.
------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 15:11
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Dang, I forgot Tuvan throat singing.... -------------
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Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 16:14
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Where's all the Slim Whitman fans on here? I wants me some yodeling right about now. |
Posted By: CPicard
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 16:54
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For me, a poll about "vocal style you really can't bear" would be more pratical. I love death growlings, grindcore screamings, Jon Anderson, Kate Bush, Zappa, vocoder vocals... So, give rather targets to shoot at! |
Posted By: horsewithteeth11
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 17:42
For me, it's clean vocals (generally male but gender usually doesn't matter to me) with, as someone else already said, GOOD quality growling, screaming, etc (generally I prefer a good mix of both in a song). Although I guess you could lump some hardcore/punk screaming in there too for me, since I love Protest the Hero to death (pun intended ).Although since I can only pick one, I'd have to go with growls. I also enjoy spoken word (when it's appropriate) and low male/Zappa-esque vocals. ------------- 
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Posted By: Dr. Occulator
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 18:38
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Innuit throat singing and duck calls on the Rhyne.
------------- My Doc Told Me I Have Doggie Head. |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 15:51
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Whatever works best with the music (as long as the vocalist can pull it off).
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Avantgardehead
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 17:16
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Clean female.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Avantgardian |
Posted By: Prisoner
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 17:18
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1. Clean Male Vocals
2. Clean Male Vocals w/ high range
3. Tribal Chanting
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Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 18:17
| Clean male vocals (both high and low range), followed by clean female vocals, preferably in the lower range. I also have a thing for choirs, especially as I used to sing in one when I was younger. |
Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 18:24
| I like a good dramatic voice. |
Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 18:38
| The RPI style. Often dramatic, operatic and slightly rough, but the latter isn't necessary. |
Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 03:42
| Recently I gravitated towards the clean female vocals, examples being Annie Haslam, Tori Amos, Christina Scabbia (does that name remind anyone else of scabies?). |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 12:30
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Oh it so depends on what the bands!
------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 07:18
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Clean male or female vocals equally, I guess..
Least favorite style is death growls, although I'm managing to tolerate them in Opeth, because the rest of the music is generally so good. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 07:45
As a matter of fact, "scabbia" means "scabies" in Italian .... |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 09:03
Clean female vocals. 
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Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 09:59
Almost any style i can hear and like from Dagmar to Zappa, to Patton, to Daltrey, to Byron, to Gillan, to Plant, to Deschamps, to Pagani, to Tagliapietra, to any magma vocalist, and the japanese guy with Zorn.
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Posted By: jimidom
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 08:57
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I love all kinds of vocals from clean to raspy, Gospel-influenced or opera. However, I have always been a fan of vocoders a la Roger Troutman, Laurie Anderson, Imogen Heap, etc . ------------- "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - HST |
Posted By: DavetheSlave
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 09:08
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I enjoy the old Marillion dramatic Fish type vocals!!!!! I'm still not into Death Growls as I can't see them as musical at all. An opera singer can break crystal glass - a growler can't. I personally prefer Pavorotti to growling because it took extreme training to get there. I usually hate Pavorotti but understand the skill. ------------- I'm a normal psychopath |
Posted By: crimson87
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 15:17
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In my opinion , growling is not singing. There are plenty of ways to express emotions and this kind of singing made me stay away from albums like Opeth's Still Life which its a pity since the music is good and the guy can sing really nice apart from growling. |
Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 15:29
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Does anyone else beleive that had people been able to growl in the 18th and 19th century that the opera composers might have used them? I can totally see an evil entity being portrayed with a growling voiced actor.
Then they'd have growlers and mezzo-growlers! -------------
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Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 15:39
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^ And castrato-growlers! Not a bad idea to correct some voices? ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 18:01
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I just want to point out that female vocals can have high range and low range too. Friede, for example, is a natural contralto (which is below alto even), but can reach the heights of a mezzo-soprano too
-------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 18:34
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I've never really liked clean male vocals - then I don't consider Peter Hammill or Peter Gabriel to be 'clean' - they both have a harsh edge to them - clean singers lack character and sound samey - vocals have to be distinctive, unusual and inimitable. I perfer female singers with a more Classical style rather than Operatic - not every song needs to sound like they are auditioning for the role of Brünnhilde. ------------- What? |
Posted By: ProgShine
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 23:00
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I like vocals a la Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings), by the way i think he's a great singer But I also like Spoken Word like Roger Water's style for example  ------------- https://progshinerecords.bandcamp.com 
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Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: December 10 2008 at 23:03
| Doesn't matter if it fits the music. I have no preference between, say, Geddy Lee, Christian Vander and Bitten Toft Pedersen |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 11 2008 at 00:58
Actually, I was thinking of Hammil and Gabriel when I voted clean male vocals. I guess I went for a more conventional definition, i.e, if it's not growls/shrieks/scat/scream/spoken/rapped, it's clean. I agree, vocals should have character and personality. I don't really get it when people say Gabriel doesn't sing like an angel, you will get singers like that a dime a dozen and then what's left to distinguish one singer from another. |
Posted By: artsagile
Date Posted: December 14 2008 at 13:32
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Mi preferences to: Chris Farlowe Geoff Tate Eric Burdon Freddie Mercury Janis Joplin They are voices with personality and balls |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: December 14 2008 at 14:04
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Clean male vocals. Especially baritones like Greg Lake and John Wetton. I don't know why, to be honest. |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 00:09
Yep, growling isn't singing, but it's still a VOCAL style nonetheless. And yes there are plenty of ways to express emotions......growling is just one of them -------------
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Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 01:25
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Can anybody tell me what emotions expresses growling? ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 01:34
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^No, I can't tell you what emotion expresses growling. But I can tell you what emotions growling express -------------
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Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 03:02
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^ And what? ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 03:32
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^Growling is more of a 'textural' vocal style you see, if you try to see it as singing, it wont work for you. For death metal, no other vocal style will suit (but hence the name though really). Because growling is about aggression and tension, it's not their to be "pretty" and melodic. I personally can get sick of listening to much overly melodic music in one day (and well, power metal for example, is a genre of metal I don't really enjoy all that much, it's just too melodic for my tastes) and death metal, with death growls, really does the trick for me when I want to hear music that makes me feel like my face is being destroyed. -------------
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Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 04:03
| Yeah, imagine if Jon Anderson replaced Frank Mullen as Suffocation's vocalist!!! Growling is a narrow, limited style of vocals but extremely effective within its zone..same goes for them black metal shrieks. |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 04:16
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^Hmm, I wouldn't call death growls/black metal shrieks/hardcore screams (which are the usual 'atonal' vocal styles) limited. Well perhaps they are........but what I mean to say, is that they aren't as limited as they are stereotyped to be. Limitations are only based around the artist's imagination really. People have found ways to make death growls/hardcore screams work outside their "original boundaries" and some people have enjoyed the results. I think all vocal styles are "limited" so to speak, but with a good imagination, they can be applied to a wide range of music genres. -------------
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Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 04:20
Limited in the sense that you can't use growls/shrieks for every human emotion in the world. See, you can express anger through clean human vocals, has been done and very well at that before, it would not have the overpowering effect that rich deathgrowls have but it would be effective. But growls for romance, introspection?? Wrong number! But I agree that they are not anywhere near as restricted as people would believe and what they definitely aren't is a passing fad. |
Posted By: Roj
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 04:25
| High quality. |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 04:52
I guess your post in addition to mine pretty much sums up what I had in mind  -------------
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Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 19:18
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Thanks, guys, you've explained it well. It seems emotions, expressed with growling, exist in some parallel world for me. Even if I feel anger I know some "good" words (Russian language has an extremely rich set of swears ). So I leave growling probably for my last hour, but again, I hope to meet it not so soon and without unbearable pain .------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: December 18 2008 at 19:21
So what do you think of pig squeals? -------------
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Posted By: Anirml
Date Posted: December 22 2008 at 17:42
   Peter Hammil Ronnie james Dio Annie haslam
There are many, many others. These are the 3 first, I think of.
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Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: December 23 2008 at 02:14
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Whatever fits the lyrics. If someone sings of rape and murder in a beautiful voice he is either a cynic or a comedian. That is why Peter Hammill does it for me. Those who criticize his singing go on about his screams and other oddities, but they perfectly fit the lyrics. Counterexample: Jon Anderson. As much as I like "The Gates of Delirium", when he sings the "the fist will run" passage it is almost pathetic.. Greg Lake is another counterexample, though not quite as bad as Anderson. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: crimson87
Date Posted: December 23 2008 at 12:23
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Where do I put Richard Sinclair here? Cleanest male vocals maybe? Peter Hammill's voice is amazing and varied as well. |
Posted By: Mandrakeroot
Date Posted: December 23 2008 at 12:28
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Clean female voice... Sonja Kristina... Annie Haslam... I love you and your voices!!! ------------- 
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Posted By: Mandrakeroot
Date Posted: December 23 2008 at 12:31
Hey... My first place is for:
 For the rest... I confirm!!!
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Posted By: Philip
Date Posted: December 23 2008 at 17:02
| I went for the most voted: "Clean Male Vocals" |
Posted By: Alitare
Date Posted: March 27 2009 at 21:27
| I'd say Death growling, now. But, it is hard for me to choose. |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: March 28 2009 at 07:52
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I am amazed that there are so many votes for "clear male voices". voices have to be expressive, in my opinion; I don't give a damn whether they are clear or no. whatever "clear" means in the first place ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: March 28 2009 at 07:58
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overwrought operatic vocals in Italian rules....
------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: cronholm
Date Posted: March 31 2009 at 14:08
What he said.
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: April 01 2009 at 15:53
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I don't love death growls in most scenarios. I like clean vocals, from medium to high pitch.
------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: April 01 2009 at 15:59
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I like operatic female vocals such as on Great Gig and Sailors Tale! Wailing away uncontrolled and resplendescent. Yeah! ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: mr.cub
Date Posted: April 01 2009 at 16:41
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Went with clean male vocals. I love my Daltreys, Jaggers, Gillans and Gabriels of the world ------------- 
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Posted By: Treasure
Date Posted: April 01 2009 at 20:47
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Is SikTh a vocal style?
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http://www.last.fm/user/YertGuy - http://www.last.fm/user/YertGuy |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: April 02 2009 at 00:30
| I ended up going with "Other," because Magma just happens to be a nice blend of many of the choices, and at the moment I'm fascinated by their style. |
Posted By: zicIy
Date Posted: April 07 2009 at 04:09
| "a la Zappa" - from this list |
Posted By: zicIy
Date Posted: April 07 2009 at 04:19
Daltrey's voice, at his haydays, goes from that clean to low - then to very high, so many times in the same track. for example the tracks as "Bargain", " Love Reign O' er Me" "How Many Friends" "Music Must Change" Guitar And Pen"....
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Posted By: mr.cub
Date Posted: April 07 2009 at 12:25
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^ Listen to Is It In My Head from Quadrophenia...another great example of what you speak. Basically on that entire record he is in fine form -------------
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: April 09 2009 at 01:49
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I'd say Prog goes hand in hand with Male vocals w/a higher range. Here are some examples.
Marillion - Fish Era Marillion - Hogarth Era Yes - Jon Anderson (My all time favourite) Yes - Chris Squire Yes - Drama period (Trevor Rabin, On Drama) Genesis - Phil Collins Genesis - Peter Gabriel Porcupine Tree - Steve Wilson Dream Theater - James LaBrie (I HATE his voice, so whiney) ------------- 
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Posted By: limeyrob
Date Posted: April 09 2009 at 06:44
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Considering the number of FFGM albums I have it has to be clean female. Though If there was a category of clean female with clean male harmony that would come a close second.
However there are some very good clean male vocals though - Dan Swano (when he is not grunting) for one.
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: April 10 2009 at 15:05
SikTh is hardcore screams and clean vocals. -------------
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Posted By: Telinstryata
Date Posted: April 11 2009 at 19:44
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I like all male voices, any vocal range, even the death growls and the screaming. For female voices I like anything except operatic soprano. Mezzo-soprano I can tolerate because of the lower timbre, but full soprano is like nails on a chalkboard for me. I even like all of the other types of vocals listed, but if given the choice I would take clean male/female vocals over anything else. |
Posted By: Fists
Date Posted: April 12 2009 at 07:03
| I like Ian Anderson, that kind of dischord without distortion. |
Posted By: mr.cub
Date Posted: April 12 2009 at 10:50
^ Good man
He shines on A Passion Play -------------
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