Voices, music, blah blah
Lately I've been having deep thoughts about voices and Adam and such. No, just kidding, no deep thoughts. The Lisa Kerfuffle was weird and got me thinking, though. First off it nearly turned me off fanfic writing. Everything surrounding it was at the same time fascinating (like watching a car wreck) and horrifying (like reading comments from people hating on various other people).
We don't know what she meant, not really. I'm cutting everyone some slack on this. What occurred to me is this: Adam has a unique voice.
Some people were saying the issue was that Lisa was mad that Adam wasn't tweeting about Monte's musical events, while others pointed out how supportive (via twitter) Adam's been about friends such as Scarlett Cherry. So I went and listened to some of these other artists. I've also heard Monte's gigs, mostly because I adore Tommy. Monte's voice is nothing to write home about but he does write some good music - I don't love it all - and he is a spectacular guitarist.
(Disclaimer: I play a few instruments and sing, plus have deep love for opera, actual folk music, punk, big band, grunge, lieder, bluegrass, funk, choral, bagpipes, etc., etc., etc.)
Okay, so here are some opinions. They are just my opinions and I do appreciate anyone who puts in the effort and time to work on their music. I appreciate that Adam supports his friends. I'm not putting anyone down, just throwing out my opinions after years of studying voice.
Scarlett - Her voice is ordinary and her musical stylings are based on the currently popular styles. Her songs and voice are boring to me.
Adele - Love her. Very good songwriter with a unique and highly expressive voice. Some notes are rough or very sharp (in timbre, not in pitch), some are incredibly lovely and soft. She uses the juxtaposition strikingly well.
Ferras - Umm. The voice is a bit thin but he does put emotion into it. Rather ordinary songs, though.
James Durbin - Ugh. Just following other people's styles. His so-called rock-and-roll scream is uncontrolled and unpleasant.
Kris Allen - I appreciate that he plays guitar and also has a pleasant-sounding voice. The style isn't of interest to me, though.
Haley Reinhart - She does have some talent and potential. Needs work.
Now as for Adam... Adam's tone is unusual and highly identifiable, very creamy. A friend and I argued back and forth about whether he is a baritone (my feeling) or a tenor (hers). In the end she changed her mind and now thinks he is a baritone... with range.
Someone described Adam as having a "controlled wail" as opposed to Durbin's uncontrolled shriek - and this comment is spot on. Like Slash told Adam, he should use his low notes more often, they're very nice. I can see why he uses the falsetto - it's showy and his particular falsetto is radically better than most. He could sing opera easily, had he chosen to go that route.
Adam doesn't sing like anyone else, especially, in the pop or rock worlds. I like that. Now, I don't always want to hear a "great" voice doing rock. Johnny Rotten and Kurt Cobain, not to mention Kathleen Hanna, all sound weird and yet perfect for the music they do. Adam feels unusual because I LIKE hearing him sing rock and pop music, in spite of the fact that he has a truly great voice and that he uses his training to produce gorgeous tone. He doesn't try to make it someone else's idea of "rock" - he sings it his own way. It works. Like crazy.
(Edit: Forgot to mention, Adam also has serious musicality. He knows how to do the mechanics like breath support, diction, pitch control, etc. But he also knows how to carry and shade a musical phrase. Well, I could go on and on but I'll stop.)
The songs he has done so far don't always do justice to his singing ability. Thank gawd for the acoustic CD or I still wouldn't be listening to him. Those five songs are excellent. A few songs on the FYE album are weak, although his voice helps to elevate them. A few of the productions also are too much in front of the voice.
Citizen Vein songs - I really like a few of them. Good lyrics, good riffs, good tunes.
Going forward, and also recalling the Kerfuffle, some people were saying that Monte is talented but not necessary. I'm not so sure about that. I like Monte, crusty humor and all. And if you want to improve, you have to work with very talented people. Adam is lucky (and vice versa) to have had Monte around. There are so many less talented people out there who will try to grab a piece of Adam and if they get hold, he could be in trouble. He needs to work with genuinely talented rocksters. I mean this so much. He's a sweetie and likes too many different people and styles, and is therefore, I fear, open to being sucked in by less talented types.
Anyway, there you have it. I love Adam and Monte and Tommy. All three are excellent musicians. Monte's better than Tommy, but Tommy is very talented. I love his work on lead. Yes, Adam's technically a solo act, but he'd do well to stick with someone who will push him on the music front. I will be sad if this trio breaks up. I also love Cam and Isaac but Monte and Tommy have been there from day one, so they seem like the permanent ones.
<3
We don't know what she meant, not really. I'm cutting everyone some slack on this. What occurred to me is this: Adam has a unique voice.
Some people were saying the issue was that Lisa was mad that Adam wasn't tweeting about Monte's musical events, while others pointed out how supportive (via twitter) Adam's been about friends such as Scarlett Cherry. So I went and listened to some of these other artists. I've also heard Monte's gigs, mostly because I adore Tommy. Monte's voice is nothing to write home about but he does write some good music - I don't love it all - and he is a spectacular guitarist.
(Disclaimer: I play a few instruments and sing, plus have deep love for opera, actual folk music, punk, big band, grunge, lieder, bluegrass, funk, choral, bagpipes, etc., etc., etc.)
Okay, so here are some opinions. They are just my opinions and I do appreciate anyone who puts in the effort and time to work on their music. I appreciate that Adam supports his friends. I'm not putting anyone down, just throwing out my opinions after years of studying voice.
Scarlett - Her voice is ordinary and her musical stylings are based on the currently popular styles. Her songs and voice are boring to me.
Adele - Love her. Very good songwriter with a unique and highly expressive voice. Some notes are rough or very sharp (in timbre, not in pitch), some are incredibly lovely and soft. She uses the juxtaposition strikingly well.
Ferras - Umm. The voice is a bit thin but he does put emotion into it. Rather ordinary songs, though.
James Durbin - Ugh. Just following other people's styles. His so-called rock-and-roll scream is uncontrolled and unpleasant.
Kris Allen - I appreciate that he plays guitar and also has a pleasant-sounding voice. The style isn't of interest to me, though.
Haley Reinhart - She does have some talent and potential. Needs work.
Now as for Adam... Adam's tone is unusual and highly identifiable, very creamy. A friend and I argued back and forth about whether he is a baritone (my feeling) or a tenor (hers). In the end she changed her mind and now thinks he is a baritone... with range.
Someone described Adam as having a "controlled wail" as opposed to Durbin's uncontrolled shriek - and this comment is spot on. Like Slash told Adam, he should use his low notes more often, they're very nice. I can see why he uses the falsetto - it's showy and his particular falsetto is radically better than most. He could sing opera easily, had he chosen to go that route.
Adam doesn't sing like anyone else, especially, in the pop or rock worlds. I like that. Now, I don't always want to hear a "great" voice doing rock. Johnny Rotten and Kurt Cobain, not to mention Kathleen Hanna, all sound weird and yet perfect for the music they do. Adam feels unusual because I LIKE hearing him sing rock and pop music, in spite of the fact that he has a truly great voice and that he uses his training to produce gorgeous tone. He doesn't try to make it someone else's idea of "rock" - he sings it his own way. It works. Like crazy.
(Edit: Forgot to mention, Adam also has serious musicality. He knows how to do the mechanics like breath support, diction, pitch control, etc. But he also knows how to carry and shade a musical phrase. Well, I could go on and on but I'll stop.)
The songs he has done so far don't always do justice to his singing ability. Thank gawd for the acoustic CD or I still wouldn't be listening to him. Those five songs are excellent. A few songs on the FYE album are weak, although his voice helps to elevate them. A few of the productions also are too much in front of the voice.
Citizen Vein songs - I really like a few of them. Good lyrics, good riffs, good tunes.
Going forward, and also recalling the Kerfuffle, some people were saying that Monte is talented but not necessary. I'm not so sure about that. I like Monte, crusty humor and all. And if you want to improve, you have to work with very talented people. Adam is lucky (and vice versa) to have had Monte around. There are so many less talented people out there who will try to grab a piece of Adam and if they get hold, he could be in trouble. He needs to work with genuinely talented rocksters. I mean this so much. He's a sweetie and likes too many different people and styles, and is therefore, I fear, open to being sucked in by less talented types.
Anyway, there you have it. I love Adam and Monte and Tommy. All three are excellent musicians. Monte's better than Tommy, but Tommy is very talented. I love his work on lead. Yes, Adam's technically a solo act, but he'd do well to stick with someone who will push him on the music front. I will be sad if this trio breaks up. I also love Cam and Isaac but Monte and Tommy have been there from day one, so they seem like the permanent ones.
<3