Better Singer, Ian Or Barney?

:)

I voted for Barney. It was really hard for me to decide between the two. Barney's voice is more soothing and adds an ironic tone to songs. New Order's songs in 1980s were caught in a fine line between the optimistic beats of sythpop and the sullen tones of post-punk. Also, you know you hear an echoing effect in the vocals if you don't plug the headphones in all the way? It's really cool to listen to Bernard's voice with that effect. Really hypnotizing.

Barney, cuz he's a regular guy expressing himself with a regular voice.

I love his voice.

I would say that neither of them are good singers in the respected conventional sense. However, Ian's voice really does sum up the Joy Division sound, whereas Barneys does a similar thing for New Order. Its a bit like chalk & cheese, which is why Barneys vocals on JD songs will always sound poor. I like the childlike innocence that Barneys voice has, it always lends a sense of irony to the song.

depends what the song is, really. barney singing new dawn fades doesn't cut it and ian singing GIAUE would sound ridiculous.

technically it has to be ian. barney that's why we love him still has the odd off key moment. otherwise see above.

Both brillient voices in their different ways, I like many who frequent this site would have loved to have heard how Ian's voice and indeed Joy Division would have evolved, but I have to vote for Barney.

Hooky :)

Snorri xxx

Snorrimon wrote: Hooky :)

Snorri xxx

It's not one of the choices, but why Hooky, Snorrimon? Do you have Monaco and Revenge records? Or do you take notice from songs like Doubts Even Here?

Snorrimon wrote: Hooky :)

Snorri xxx

Went for barney, think on the whole i prefer his style to Ian's.

Barney. Curtis just a tad too melodramatic.

I put it down as a draw. Bernard can't sing Joy Division songs, and Ian can't sing New Order ones.

goop wrote: I put it down as a draw. Bernard can't sing Joy Division songs, and Ian can't sing New Order ones.

To be fair Ian never got the chance ;)

Good call.

Barney since 1981 to 1993! Today the Barney´s voice is nice, but is not the same like before!!

cant compare the two.

What is very special is that both these bands had/have very unique front men. How many fookin times can 4 guys change music forever.

Started off as a JD fan, then caught on (albeit slowly) to NO. Eventually, NO became my favorite group. No matter what any hardcore instrumentalist says, you've got to like the singer to really like the band. Ian was captivating-"Twenty Four Hours" transformed how I heard vocals accompany music. They were so austere and intimate, at one moment hesitant then the next commanding. But Bernard, contrary to many people's assertions, has more style, and depending on the album/period, more range than Ian. I'm no collector, but from the commercially available live stuff, Ian isn't a hell of a lot more on key than Barney is; as with all singers who are not 100% professional, notes are either a little flat or (sometimes laughably) overshot. These days I prefer to sing along to NO tracks, and it's not just to Hooky! I think Bernard has greater appeal as a singer, and his delivery and persona is authentic in its own right. Live, he can be very nervous or very lazy, but his best recorded moments shine through-"Your Silent Face", "Perfect Kiss", most of Brotherhood, "Temptation" '87, Technique, "Regret", "WFTSC".

No offence to Ian, but I voted for Barney because I like his voice better...it's so frail and cute, like crystal.

[magenta]cozmonite61[/magenta] wrote:

Snorrimon wrote: Hooky :)

Snorri xxx

It's not one of the choices, but why Hooky, Snorrimon? Do you have Monaco and Revenge records? Or do you take notice from songs like Doubts Even Here?

I was just being awkward! Erm, tough call really - I think they are both very different - on the early NO stuff, when Barney was trying to be Ian (well it sounds like it at least), no doubt that Ian did a better job, but as NO evolved, Barney and the band have developed their own style and can't imagine Ian singing virtually all of the stuff from, say '84 onwards... If I had to call it, probably Ian... But I'm not going to vote... :)

Snorri xxx

Although I prefere NO far more than JD, Id have to say Ian. Listen to both men sing LWTUA, Shes Lost Control or Atmosphere and theres no comparison. Ian has a strong, distint, mesmerising vocal whereas Barney is generally weak, lightweight, unclear and often offkey

When Barney is on form and used his singing lessons he can be brilliant. 1963, Technique and World In Motion are prime examples. But when hes bad hes awful (Subculture, Sunrise, Face Up, Broken Promise, Every Second Counts and Thieves Like Us to name a few).

But as the question who is the BETTER singer, then Ian is better at that task.

Quite simply, Bernard can't sing a lot of the songs they used to write because they were written in keys he couldn't manage. I have the same trouble with some of them, hence Jimbo doing more of the singing on NO songs we do with Digital. The Ian voice is more in my range.

Am I right in thinking they changed the key of LWTUA to suit Bernard more? Why don't they do that for other songs?

Wasim wrote: Am I right in thinking they changed the key of LWTUA to suit Bernard more? Why don't they do that for other songs?

They sound shit when they do, most of them anyway! I think that's the real reason they won't play older stuff, Bernard is embarrassed about how badly he sings them and they just didn't work in rehearsals.

NO Regret wrote: Although I prefere NO far more than JD, Id have to say Ian. Listen to both men sing LWTUA, Shes Lost Control or Atmosphere and theres no comparison.

Ian has a strong, distint, mesmerising vocal whereas Barney is generally weak, lightweight, unclear and often offkey

But as the question who is the BETTER singer, then Ian is better at that task.

different men. different voices. both fantastic in their own ranges. agreed do think Ian is/ was a stronger singer. but don't think that Barney is a weak one.

technically New Order wasn't planned. isn't that part of the love affair. when Ian Curtis ( God how he's missed- what might have been) took his life everyone best picked-up the pieces, introduced more electronic, and worked that Sumner would sing.

Bernard is noticeably off key on the following:

End of original Ceremony Temptation 7" Here and there on PCL, especially Age of Consent (even though he nails a few notes beautifully-which is really classic Bernard, one line delivered perfectly that makes up for the other pitch variations) Subculture Face Up (I can't remember where on Brotherhood and Movement)

Again, no one agrees with me, but TLU isn't that bad! Can some singer on this board, other than me, attest to this? It's not perfect, but he's a lot more amateurish on other tracks.

By the way, my mother heard "Atmosphere' once and instantly pointed out a bum note by Ian. She was a classically trained musician, and still has a good ear for pitch.

My two cents: When I got Low-Life, I was shocked to discover that there is another version of Subculture. What a terrible version! However, I think Barney has improved.

I find more emotion in Ian's voice and manner to sing. But I must admit that Barney has made a real progress (in studio).

Though Ian does have a better voice naturally and musically, I chose Barney. Barney's is so vunerable and seems to be some regular guy singing. The whole attraction of his voice is that it ISN"T musically perfect; kind of like that girl you can be so mesmorized by, but is in no way going to win any beauty awards.

JHC

Although I like some of the JD songs I don't really like Ian's voice. I find it too "one toned" and melancholy which is I guess is it's attraction to some. I find Barney's voice much easier on the ear.