What If..

lagringader&r · #1 06-03-2005, 03:51 PM

I discussed this a little with my aunt and decided to post about what we talked about or rather, debated.

I'm sure everyone probably saw the VH1 special about the making of SYW. Do you remember the part where Lindsey is alone and singing/recording in a studio? I forget what song it was, but I do remember his voice is pretty bad. I think it was Destiny Rules. Did his voice decline over the years or was it just so retouched with recording equipment before, that it just sounded better then? I know that Stevie's voice has deepened, but at least she can stay on key.

So, my question is: If Stevie or Lindsey were trying to get into the music business today and age wasn't an issue , would they get a record deal? If they tried out for a show like American Idol, would they make it to Hollywood at all or be laughed off like the bad singers?

Second question is: If Rumours had never existed and any of the songs on it, would FM have been inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame? That's where our biggest debate came in. My aunt pointed out that Huey Lewis had lots of hits from his album "Sports" but there is no way he'll ever be inducted into the HOF. I pointed out that FM had hits from their first album, but she said that wouldn't have been enough to get them inducted. Tusk, Mirage and Tango wouldn't have even been considered. If Rumours had never been born, everything would have been very different. I'm curious how everyone feels about that?

dudden22 · #2 06-03-2005, 03:54 PM

I think Simon would eat them for Breakfast and then Paula would cry. I don't think the HOF would have happened without rumours either.

Livia · #3 06-03-2005, 04:04 PM

When the Dance came out, a local music critic here said that LB's voice sounded like he'd gargled with Clorox. For all the flack people give Stevie for her voice declining over the years, personally, I think LB's has gotten MUCH worse!

diamondsnake · #4 06-03-2005, 04:04 PM

This is why I can't stand American Idol. They don't care how much passion is in your voice or how much you rock, if you can't hit the high notes or have a text book perfect Celine Dion esque voice then you are out of there! I think Stevie's current voice would garner some nasty comments from Simon. It is unfortunate because the real stars are the ones with personality and something special about them (Stevie, Janis, Elvis, Bob Dylan, etc.). None of them have the most perfect voice. But they have so much passion in their vocals and they have interesting quirks which American Idol weeds out. Anyone that is different or has any "spice" is thrown out of the competition because having a raspy voice must mean a bad voice!

strandinthewind · #5 06-03-2005, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

When the Dance came out, a local music critic here said that LB's voice sounded like he'd gargled with Clorox. For all the flack people give Stevie for her voice declining over the years, personally, I think LB's has gotten MUCH worse!

I sometimes cannot take it when he sings - Peacekeeper is a good example of that. And - lest I be flamed - he is a huge musical genius period. His voice is just shot. I must say though on songs like SG, he was good.

diamondsnake · #6 06-03-2005, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

When the Dance came out, a local music critic here said that LB's voice sounded like he'd gargled with Clorox. For all the flack people give Stevie for her voice declining over the years, personally, I think LB's has gotten MUCH worse!

Lindsey's voice was horrible on the SYW tour. He just screamed his vocals instead of singing (sans Say Goodbye).

diamondsnake · #7 06-03-2005, 04:09 PM

Stevie's voice is amazing to my ears, but an aquired taste. It is far from text book perfect but no other artist can bring tears to my eyes on songs like Beauty and the Beast, Beautiful Child, etc. Even if you can hit every high note in town, who cares? Stevie is the kind of artist who adds feeling behind every lyric she sings.

dissention · #8 06-03-2005, 04:09 PM

Neither one of them can really sing for beans nowadays, but neither of them were ever remarkable singers to begin with. He's pitchy and she drones, they're a perfect match.

strandinthewind · #9 06-03-2005, 04:09 PM

On the subject of LB's voice, I think he could do with a lesson or two. I think he still has the pipes, but uses them incorrectly. Again, I think he is agreat artist. I just want him to sing better.

strandinthewind · #10 06-03-2005, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

Neither one of them can really sing for beans nowadays, but neither of them were ever remarkable singers to begin with. He's pitchy and she drones, they're a perfect match.

Well, she was and she wasn't. I would put the "Whenever I Call You Friend" vocal up against just about anything out there. But, IMO she was always really a harmony singer, which is much harder than lead vocal. I think these days she is afraid to soar, though she did a little in Vegas and it was sublime.

SapphireSister · #11 06-03-2005, 04:13 PM

I heard Stevie say in an interview that if American Idol had been around when she was starting out she definitely would have gone on. Man, would I love to see that!

dissention · #12 06-03-2005, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Well, she was and she wasn't. I would put the "Whenever I Call You Friend" vocal up against just about anything out there. But, IMO she was always really a harmony singer, which is much harder than lead vocal. I think these days she is afraid to soar, though she did a little in Vegas and it was sublime.

She could always use her voice very well to suit her songs, but a good singer she never was, imo. He has a tendency to whine a lot with his singing voice but, like Stevie, was usually pretty good with the ways in which he used it (Tango In the Night, Say Goodbye, etc.). I still prefer their voices to 99% of the other ones out there, though, because even with their limited vocal skills, they could sell a song by fusing as much emotion into them as they did.

seeker007nmss · #13 06-03-2005, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SapphireSister

I heard Stevie say in an interview that if American Idol had been around when she was starting out she definitely would have gone on. Man, would I love to see that!

I can see her giving the judges that "STEVIE STARE" if they criticized her too much. "Grrrrrrrrr"

ELIUD · #14 06-03-2005, 04:22 PM

Lindsey, Stevie, Christine whoever. None of the talented people that are currently in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would stand a chance on a show like American Idol. That show's only agenda is to produce more of the same homogeneous pop stars that appeal to the masses. Aside from Fantasia whats-her-name, American Idol has added NOBODY IMPORTANT OR ORIGINAL to the current talent pool of young recording artists.

MacMan · #15 06-03-2005, 04:27 PM

In the early days.... they both had exceptional voices live I think, and they sounded even better when they put the two voices together.... Today... Lindsey doesn't have such a good voice live it's very limited. On record it sounds fine, but that's been fine tuned or tweaked... Stevie's too, but she at least has that powerful voice live, and it's even more powerful now then it was in the late 90's.... Her's has changed and it's not as versitile - same with his, but both of them frankly sound a lot better when they aren't singing something where they need to be screaming it like some of the mor popular tunes... And still to this day... live and on record, they still sound amazing together.