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after seeing the physedelic furs friday night, i realized that the lead singer cannot fucking sing at all. but yet, i like a lot of their songs and actually like his voice even though its horrible, especailly live. so here are my three best worst male vocalists...
1.tom waits 2. bob dylan 3. richard butler
Its a fair comment to say most of the credible bands have frontmen that cant actually er,sing!
Liam Gallagher Thom Yorke Bernard Sumner John Lydon Ian Curtis
etc,its more about attitude and the delivery of the lyrics isnt it?
Here's one none of you will know: Jamie Stewart.
And now some that you will know: Bernard Sumner Ian Curtis Joe Strummer John Lydon ...and a whole slew of others. Now that I think of it, there are VERY few bands I listen to who can actually sing worth a damn.
Mark E Smith Ogre (Skinny Puppy) the dude from Die Kruezen
You are right about the Furs, Butler's voice distorts when levels exceed whispering. But somehow their songs are great. Where did you see them?
twist, they played at the lincoln park zoo. it was cool seeing them there even though all the animal exhibits were closed. probally a charity thing. weather was great. 70 degrees :)
we were stage left in front of the speakers, it didnt help the sound quality was shit, and his voice...god it was bad. they were still really good though. he needs to stop that twirling thing he does. i know you were at kroq,. they were much better there.
One guy I don't think anyone's mentioned is Jonathan Richman, who isn't so much a bad vocalist as a very good but unusual vocalist...oh well:
John Lydon Morrissey Bernard Sumner Joe Strummer Mike Love Thom Yorke Kurt Cobain Peter Murphy
Ian, I drove to a wake today with my 13 year old daughter and made her listen to that Fall gig. She laughed.
Originally posted by His Holiness, The Pope Here's one none of you will know: Jamie Stewart.
The guy who is in the band with the naked Chinese guy on one of their album covers. 
Originally posted by Tristan > Originally posted by His Holiness, The Pope> Here's one none of you will know: Jamie Stewart.
The guy who is in the band with the naked Chinese guy on one of their album covers. You are correct, sir. Too bad that's their worst album by far (though Fag Patrol doesn't get much play either...too damn acoustic and quiet). Knife Play just keeps getting better and better the more I hear it. Awesome album!
I like Dylan quite a lot, but I do admit that his voice is grating.
My additional choices, to what's been named, though my personal preference is Waits, Curtis, MES.
Neil Young Mark Stewart (Pop Group) Nick Cave (Birthday Party era only).
1 Dylan 2 Billy Bragg 3 That guy from Flowered Up, his name escapes me.
The looks I used to get from the birds on the twighlight shift when I blasted these out on me stereo. Shock and Awe, that probably describes it best
Ian McCulloch. I saw him last week in a solo gig and his voice is even worse, he has destroyed it with alcohol and cigarettes. The concert was great anyway, that was a magical night. 
John Lydon can't sing, but he has a unique vocal style and he signs with a lot of passion, especially when he was in PIL. He is one of my favorite vocalists.
Ian Curtis couldnt really sing either. Again, his voice has a very strange quality that grabbed me.
I think that back in the 80s, Ian McCollugh had an amazing voice, he coudl really croon. But I got an Echo and the Bunnymen live DVD that was filemd recently and his voice was really terrible. He couldnt belt at all.
My vote goes to an australian singer by the name of Paul Kelly, he has written some great songs in his 20+ career, but, my god, his voice is truly awful. It's the sort of nasal, whining voice that makes you want to kill him. One point of interest though, he is related to the bush ranger Ned Kelly. You can check him out HERE
Originally posted by kamar khan neil tennant :) thats a good one :) i forgot about him.
He's not really a bad singer, although he only seems to sing in falsetto.
Originally posted by twist Ian, I drove to a wake today with my 13 year old daughter and made her listen to that Fall gig. She laughed.
and thats one of his better performances
Originally posted by This blue-eyed boy that wants to be I'm curious, but who does everyone think is actually a good singer?
Dave Gahan has a very powerful singing voice, as does Bono (though I certainly prefer lil' Dave to Bono). Robert Smith has some sort of voice also, but it's hardly what you'd consider a normal singing voice. Shirley Manson ( 
) has a good voice also. And let's not forget the two amazing vocalists of Dead Can Dance: Brendan Perry and Her Holiness, Lisa Gerrard. In fact, Lisa Gerrard has the greatest female singing voice I've ever heard.
Originally posted by His Holiness, The Pope > Originally posted by This blue-eyed boy that wants to be> I'm curious, but who does everyone think is actually a good singer?
Dave Gahan has a very powerful singing voice, as does Bono (though I certainly prefer lil' Dave to Bono). Robert Smith has some sort of voice also, but it's hardly what you'd consider a normal singing voice. Shirley Manson ( ) has a good voice also. And let's not forget the two amazing vocalists of Dead Can Dance: Brendan Perry and Her Holiness, Lisa Gerrard. In fact, Lisa Gerrard has the greatest female singing voice I've ever heard.
David Gahan does seem to have a good voice on the records, but I've heard live recordings of DM and it sounds a bit shaky. Neil Tennant's voice isn't bad live. In fact, he seems fairly consistent from what I've heard, but he doesn't have a fairly big range.
The guy who plays Smokey, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, the bowler that John Goodman draws a gun on in The Big Lebowski, is also a country singer. I love some of his songs, but his voice is on the high, nasally side, and is an acquired taste. He was also a featured artist on one of those split artist 45's that Sub Pop used to put out, with each artist covering the other's song, and playing together on another one. His was with Mudhoney, who did a fine job on Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown, while JGD does their Blinding Sun.
Dave Gahan waited until Ultra to take singing lessons.
I clearly remember that in 101 he says he's taking steroids to be able to perform with his voice....
The late Billy MacKenzie, one of THE most gifted and eccentric singer/songwriters of all time. Alan Rankine's instrumentation was the perfect partner...
andy bell from erasure dave gahan robert smith siouxie (ill get laughed at for this one but her voice is amazing) dolores from cranberries the girls from book of love bernard sumner both ppl from dead can dance annie lennox peter murphy (post bauhaus solo stuff) john Q. from endora
those are my favorite vocalists that have good vocals even though they are not always perfect.
Originally posted by kamar khan andy bell from erasuredave gahanrobert smithsiouxie(ill get laughed at for this one but her voice is amazing) dolores from cranberriesthe girls from book of lovebernard sumner both ppl from dead can danceannie lennoxpeter murphy (post bauhaus solo stuff)john Q. from endorathose are my favorite vocalists that have good vocals even though they are not always perfect.
Siouxsie Sioux? Yes, and don't forget Kate Bush.
Originally posted by kamar khan andy bell from erasuredave gahanrobert smithsiouxie(ill get laughed at for this one but her voice is amazing) dolores from cranberriesthe girls from book of lovebernard sumner both ppl from dead can danceannie lennoxpeter murphy (post bauhaus solo stuff)john Q. from endorathose are my favorite vocalists that have good vocals even though they are not always perfect.
Siouxie's voice is why I can't listen to the Banshees. The instrumentation isn't bad, but her voice grates on my nerves.
