World's Greatest Female Singers II

[boombox]

Maybe I would if you'd included any substance in your initial post

.

It had substance, you just didn't agree with it. Why do we have to play these playground games? I have noticed a propensity on this site to quickly marginalise and then ignore certain opinions, ridiculing them rather than engaging with them maturely. I just wanted to know who impresses you and what left you so cold about my choices.

 

[jambo]

Hey boombox, I think it's commendable that you have made and posted this list, especially as you must know it will be at odds with the opinions of many who post here. Big up.

I think though if your criteria for measuring 'greatness' are "pitch, tone, range, control, phrasing and versatility" that would seem to not immediately take into account those qualities that many listeners actually value, such as the ability to convey emotion, which is a bit more ineffable and often exists quite apart from technical ability.

 

[boombox]

Hey boombox, I think it's commendable that you have made and posted this list, especially as you must know it will be at odds with the opinions of many who post here. Big up.

I think though if your criteria for measuring 'greatness' are "pitch, tone, range, control, phrasing and versatility" that would seem to not immediately take into account those qualities that many listeners actually value, such as the ability to convey emotion, which is a bit more ineffable and often exists quite apart from technical ability.

Thanks.

For me any emotion I may get from a performer or a performance is immediately derailed by any technical faults I hear. That's just the way I am. I get more emotionally from sheer technical brilliance. Of course there are singers I like for their particular tone of voice.

As I'm sure you understand It is mighty hard to factor in the 'ineffable' when striving for the objective point of view. This is only based on technical ability.

 

[crackerjack]

For me any emotion I may get from a performer or a performance is immediately derailed by any technical faults I hear. That's just the way I am. I get more emotionally from sheer technical brilliance.

Weird then that you should include Amy. She cnveys the emotion of a tune brilliantly, but on 'technical' terms I think she's quite flawed.

 

[nochexxx]

Thanks.

For me any emotion I may get from a performer or a performance is immediately derailed by any technical faults I hear. That's just the way I am. I get more emotionally from sheer technical brilliance. only based on technical ability.

fair play, i'm built quite the opposite.

 

[Mr. Tea]

I only really know a couple of Airplane tunes, but Grace Slick had a hell of a voice.

 

[boombox]

Weird then that you should include Amy. She cnveys the emotion of a tune brilliantly, but on 'technical' terms I think she's quite flawed.

I think it's her technical ability that enables her to so easily convey emotion. The strength of her tone and the malleability of her voice enables wonderfully precise phrasing. She's also never out of tune or out of breath.

I exaggerated when saying I don't get moved by performances. I do, though technique is the pre-requisite for me. If you can't sing the notes you're trying to sing I don't care if you're selling the story like Marlon Brando.

 

[nochexxx]

Agree with this...

But I would have to rank pre-crack Whitney Houston (for range, control, and power) higher than Aguilera, whose timbre and vocal gymnastics are copies of Mariah Carey's original.

"It's hard to choose a favorite among so many great tracks, but "The Greatest Love of All" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation, dignity. Its universal message crosses all boundaries and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. Since, Elizabeth, it's impossible in this world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. It's an important message, crucial really. And it's beautifully stated on the album.
"

 

[boombox]

"It's hard to choose a favorite among so many great tracks, but "The Greatest Love of All" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation, dignity. Its universal message crosses all boundaries and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. Since, Elizabeth, it's impossible in this world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. It's an important message, crucial really. And it's beautifully stated on the album.

LOL, though I had to look it up.

 

[vimothy]

.It had substance, you just didn't agree with it. Why do we have to play these playground games? I have noticed a propensity on this site to quickly marginalise and then ignore certain opinions, ridiculing them rather than engaging with them maturely. I just wanted to know who impresses you and what left you so cold about my choices.

Did you? I thought you had made an assertion,

Through the magic of YouTube I have listened to over a thousand lady singers across all styles... and judged them on pitch, tone, range, control, phrasing and versatility. These are, in my opinion, the best (live) singers around today.

Where is the substance there?

Thesis (boombox): these are the world's greatest female vocalists

Antithesis (moi): no they're not

My response is actually pretty consistant with your initial post. How about this: rather than just put forward some undefined measures, not linked to any of the singers you favour you could explain why Norah Jones scores better on pitch, tone, range, whatever. You could explain why singers not included in the list score less well, how they score -- I mean, there's a thousand things you haven't said. All you said was 'I have judged and these are the best', but really there's nothing to support your argument except the assertion itself and a false appeal to some kind of rigorous methodology.

Anyone can do it. I have listened to thousands of singers and judged them on tone, range, pitch, control, yadda, yadda, yadda, and the greatest singers in the world are, say, Bjork, Patty Waters, Nina Simone, Lydia Lunch and some bird off the X Factor. It's a bit mundane, no?

Or to take another tack: your sample is heavily biased. Perhaps that's why at least half produce unlistenable goo. A tall building might be impressive, but is it beautiful because it's tall? Is it one of the best buildings in the world because it's tall? Maybe you should move out of New York.

In any case, I have no interest in 'marginalising opposing views' or whatever fairly pompous straw man you put forward. You have an opinion, I disagree. That is all.

 

[mms]

someone like whitney of old has the key ingredients to make a great allround singer.
she couldn't do what meredith monk or bjork do though.
Then you got someone like patty waters whos technically great but haunted and strange.
can't listen to maria carey, all suzuki method robotics and tricks and no actual emotion, anne lennox has a fine voice though, clear as cut glass.

Then there are singers who's songs i like and would prefer to listen to.

amy winehouse sounds like such a taught singer to me, she's been taught to blast it out from her chest with that bellowing voice in that weird transatlantic contralto, like someone groomed for west end musicals who couldn't stand still in the chorus line.

 

[mixed_biscuits]

I can't believe I waded through all that guff just for those last two lines, Vimothy. Just post some vids of singers being surprisingly bad or surprisingly good whilst attempting to understand and attend to Boombox's selection criteria and Boombox will then agree/disagree with you and modify his selection accordingly ffs.

You never get this wound up in the politics threads...

 

[boombox]

Me: These are my aims, criteria, findings with examples (=assertion with substance)

You: *blows raspberry*


P.S. Does Hope Sandoval still perform? I like her.

 

[vimothy]

I can't believe I waded through all that guff just for those last two lines, Vimothy.

Stop trying to marginalise me -- you people are all the same!

 

[boombox]

lol

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

doesn't it seem slightly absurd to post a list that you know will draw nothing but derision and then complain about the all the derisive responses? not to mention that any criteria that includes Norah Jones, Aguilera, etc. (not to mention the first list - Sheryl Crow? Alanis Morrissette?) on a list "The World's Greatest Female Singers" seems fundamentally flawed. still, as was said, fair play to you if that's your opinion.

if we're just tossing out names I put forth Gwen Guthrie. or is it only living singers?

 

[datura]

What about Mahalia Jackson?



<- damn, and I liked the Sam Cooke version of summertime, this is amazing

The power with control, and the emotion she could generate are pretty unique, and 'real'. With reference to your list, some of those have had the soul coached out of them and are more technically impressive than being great singers.

 

[mistersloane]

Mahalia, she dead unfortunately.

I don't understand why you haven't got Mariah on that list though, if we have to go there. I'm not defending her or what she's spawned, but I think this


is a good justification of her ability.

There's also an un-pitch corrected version here


My vote for best living live female singer goes to Candi Staton though. Technically she's all over the place and she can't hit the notes, but, who cares.

 

[datura]

Mahalia, she dead unfortunately.

Aah, I read 'live' not still 'alive'

 

[mistersloane]

Aah, I read 'live' not still 'alive'

hahaha I'm so morbid, I just read it as 'living' lol, hadn't even considered another option! God I need help.