What a f*&king GREAT voice MES has. :beer:
Rockin.

And yes the apostrophe in the question was a mistake... :grrr:

Once I came around on Shift Work it was over.

I'm at the point where I don't like listening to singers who can keep in tune.

It's a disease.

Would you really rather listen to Mariah Cary?

pretty much like all his vocals... bar a few bits on 'light user syndrome' and most of 'levitate'.

Obviously I like his voice; I think it would be almost impossible to be a Fall fan if you didn't. It's invariably the reason people give for not liking the group.

I would say though that I feel his vocal strength has deteriorated in recent years. It's become a bit gargly and I sometimes feel he doesn't bother to enunciate as he once did which can detract from the lyrics, especially live.

I can't think of too many people whose voices are so instantly recognisable. Lou Reed, Robert Smith, Bjork and Jello Biafra spring to mind.

"Yes - his voice can do no wrong"

First and last option.

I can't imagine anyone who just likes the tunes but despises the vocals to ever make it through a complete Fall album. <_<

the unseen will... :P

Unlike Cary Grant, it's Mariah Carey, not Cary.
You can find better spelling on the cover of a Fall LP than you can in this thread.
I voted '...can do no wrong' of course.
Which, djhollerbusch, Kylie Minogue can. :rant:

First option, he can do no wrong.
That said, his vocals were stronger and clearer years ago.
But he was an angry young man then... which would not be fitting for a 50 year old man.

In general, I think he has an excellent voice, though I do find the "growly" vocals employed of late a little grating.

MES' vocal IS The Fall, to a certain extent, especially with the recent band-member turnover. His vocal is really the only "constant" within the group.

Appropriate bit of FOF pre cog there, RM!
They were the two points I was going to make.
Oooh spooky!!!!

The recent growling can be a bit grating, and his voice has changed a great deal in the last two to three years; he sounds much gruffer/older all of a sudden, as it were.
But that voice is the one constant, so in some ways it's definitively Fall - be interested to hear if there are Fall fans who tolerate MES' singing. Must be hell.

It's interesting when you fess up to someone to loving The Fall, or play something by them to a non-believer, the two most cliched retorts are; "That's a bloody racket!" and "He can't fucking sing!"
Fooey!

His voice does strange things to me.

PS I see Yes have just announced they're going on tour with a lead singer they found fronting a Yes-tribute act. I love it when bands do this, it's so wonderfully shameless.

I think his voice was sent by the angels...growl an' all. :cry2:

I think most peoples voices change to a degree as they get older - listen to a recording of any artist, be it singing or spoken, and you will see what I mean.

But this growley vocal MES has been employing seems a little forced - he can still "sing" (nearly) as well as he did 25 years ago if he wants. It doesn't ruin a song for me if he chooses to adopt this style, but the novelty is starting to wear a little thin.

IMHO :D

I like the growl. I do miss the squeal he used to have, but that's something time inevitably takes away.

I like the growl as well

Ps. Wasn't the growl first employed on New Big Prinz? (Rockin' records etc.)

Actually I did mean Cary not Carey.

The fact that she sold out and added an "e" in her name just to get a recording contract is further proof that you should not be listening to her. She may claim the "e" was just a tribute to Mark "E" Smith but I know different. I know she did it to hide her hatred of squirrels and other small sea creatures. Those big stars will do anything to get ahead you know.

C'est magnifique, n'est pas?

His intonation and phrasing in songs like Wings is incredible.

Gary Grant
Mariah Carry
Gary Numan
Carry On Curt Wild
Carry Back Weckmann
Mary Carey
Grant Showbiz
Grant Cunliffe
Aer Lingus
People Who Rant Don`t Ever Smile
Gary Cooper
Agent Cooper
Cary Cooper Temple Clause
:zzzz:


MES VOX?
:thumbsup:

:D
:applaud:
But shes preety fit. And preety col!

I've been trying to work that out all day!

Thanks, PeterL! :applaud:

Ive just been listening to Carry-Bag -Man from the janice long radio sessions, and there's quite a bit of screeching on that.
Did the live version recently totally lack any screeching?
I use to (still do) love the way Middle MaAAAAss use to be sung.
Its not to difficult to throw a screech into your voice, if you try.

He also growls at the beginning of 'Guest Informant' the "Bag a Dad/Spade cod/Am a wrist" bit....and "Craig and Steve", etc.
How far back does the "Brrrrrrrrrr" go?
He does it in 'British People In Hot Weather' on Extricate...

But it's not the same ursine gutteral one pound of phlegm in the throat Grizzly bear gurgling.
Shirley?

Proto-gurgle?

Can I have a nap now?

As long as you've done your homework...

Pps. I always thought that the 'Rockin' records' growl on New Big Prinz was meant to be an impersonation/ tribute to the DJ Wolfman Jack

Bloody Tory.
Bed time NOW!!

I've never heard that mentioned before. Interesting. (one of my favourite tracks, too).

I like everything he does except....

Try and sing other peoples songs in a sing song way. It sounds shit. I Can Hear The Grass Grow is, in my opinion, shit-sack.

Age makes that much harder. Smoking and drink may make that impossible.

Be happy with the growl.

True, but I fear we'll never witness another Spectre Vs Rector, or Craigness style screeching again.

He had a crack on Blindness though...

Tis ace, you hard of hearing fool.
Get a-hold of yourself now baby etc etc...

Even the "Yiama! Yiama! Yiama! Yiama! Yiama!" on Von Sud is great....

I would have voted for "he can do no wrong" but I'm not keen on the recent stuff where he sounds like a struggling 50 year old.

Two which come to mind are "over over" & "white line fever".

That's what I love about White Line Fever:

"The ghost of the airwaves shows the miles I've put behind me
They continue to remind me, the fact I'm getting old"

:finger:

The bit I was thinking of was the:

tweee pepleeee al inleeeeeean etc

Coma again Mark?

Yammas are indeed amazing. I love the one where he really wigs out.

Are you taking the pizza?
I wouldn't bother listening to any of the later records if there was another singer or even the young MES. Well, not really but...
I think it peaked in the years 2000-2004. My favourite vocals ever are Dr. Bucks, Crop-dust, especially the "drunken singer from Manchester in the ninety niiinetiiees" bit and, top of the list, The past. :)

After watching 'No Direction Home' on the weekend, I have decided MES sings alot like Bob Dylan.