Ask a real musician: 5 classic male metal singers

[Ron Moses]

A classically-trained vocal teacher (with no significant knowledge of
metal) evaluates five classic metal vocalists. And guess who's first
on the list!

http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2010/07/ask-a-real-musician-5-classic-male-metal-singers/

(Spoiler alert: Our boy Bruce is very well-reviewed.)

ron

[Perry Johnson]

Post by Ron Moses
A classically-trained vocal teacher (with no significant knowledge of
metal) evaluates five classic metal vocalists. And guess who's first
on the list!
http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2010/07/
ask-a-real-musician-5-classic-male-metal-singers/

How can you be a professional musician and know nothing about those
singers? It doesn't make sense.

[Ron Moses]

Post by Perry Johnson
How can you be a professional musician and know nothing about those
singers? It doesn't make sense.

Why would you assume all professional musicians would naturally be
familiar with these singers? The world of professional music is so
large compared to the relatively tiny world of heavy metal that I'd be
willing to bet *most* professional musicians could not identify 3 out
of 5 of those bands or singers. I'll bet Sonny Rollins doesn't know
who King Diamond is; in fact I'd be shocked if he did. (Hell, *I*
don't know who King Diamond is).

I'm no more surprised by an operatic singer never having listened to
Iron Maiden or knowing who Bruce Dickinson is, than I would be by a
professional metal singer never having listened to the works of Dmitri
Shostakovich or knowing who Oxana Arkaeva is. Okay, maybe Bruce would
know, but do you think Ozzy would?

ron

[Perry Johnson]

Post by Ron Moses

Post by Perry Johnson
How can you be a professional musician and know nothing about those
singers? It doesn't make sense.

Why would you assume all professional musicians would naturally be
familiar with these singers? The world of professional music is so
large compared to the relatively tiny world of heavy metal that I'd be
willing to bet *most* professional musicians could not identify 3 out
of 5 of those bands or singers. I'll bet Sonny Rollins doesn't know
who King Diamond is; in fact I'd be shocked if he did. (Hell, *I*
don't know who King Diamond is).

I was referring mainly to Ozzy. Pretty much everyone has heard Ozzy
sing. Plus you would expect her to know at least one of the other
four.

[Soze]

(Hell, *I*

Post by Ron Moses
don't know who King Diamond is).

Seriously? I`m kind of amazed that someone into metal wouldn`t know of King
Diamond. Other than that I broadly agree with you...although I`d have
thought most people would be at least aware of Ozzy Osbourne and that he`d
been successful at what he`d done.

[Ron Moses]

  (Hell, *I* don't know who King Diamond is).
Seriously? I`m kind of amazed that someone into metal wouldn`t know of King
Diamond.

I should clarify... I've heard the name, but I know nothing about the
guy. That was a very poor choice of words on my part. What I was
trying to say was, like the lady who was analyzing these vocalists, if
I was presented with an unidentified recording of his voice I would
not have been able to name him.

I guess I just never made it to that particular plane of rock 'n' roll
hell. :-)

Other than that I broadly agree with you...although I`d have
thought most people would be at least aware of Ozzy Osbourne and that he`d
been successful at what he`d done.

The only reason that didn't surprise me that much is that she wasn't
told who any of the vocalists were in advance. I'm willing to bet she
had heard of Ozzy Osbourne before, but couldn't necessarily identify
his voice blind.

ron

[Soze]

Post by Ron Moses

(Hell, *I* don't know who King Diamond is).
Seriously? I`m kind of amazed that someone into metal wouldn`t know of King
Diamond.

I should clarify... I've heard the name, but I know nothing about the
guy. That was a very poor choice of words on my part. What I was
trying to say was, like the lady who was analyzing these vocalists, if
I was presented with an unidentified recording of his voice I would
not have been able to name him.

If you`d ever heard him...even briefly...I can guarantee you`d recognise him
instantly forever after! I love the Mercyful Fate and the first 5 King
Diamond albums are pure gold.

Post by Ron Moses
I guess I just never made it to that particular plane of rock 'n' roll
hell. :-)

Other than that I broadly agree with you...although I`d have
thought most people would be at least aware of Ozzy Osbourne and that he`d
been successful at what he`d done.

The only reason that didn't surprise me that much is that she wasn't
told who any of the vocalists were in advance. I'm willing to bet she
had heard of Ozzy Osbourne before, but couldn't necessarily identify
his voice blind.

It was the quote ` I was tempted to ask Cosmo how long his career lasted`
that threw me...not sure reading back if this was before or after she`d been
told who he was. Surely there`s no one alive in western society who hasn`t
at least heard *of* Ozzy Osbourne?

[Ron Moses]

Post by Soze
It was the quote ` I was tempted to ask Cosmo how long his career lasted`
that threw me...not sure reading back if this was before or after she`d been
told who he was. Surely there`s no one alive in western society who hasn`t
at least heard *of* Ozzy Osbourne?

That was exactly the quote that convinced me she wasn't told who any
of them were until after she'd provided her analysis, assuming she was
ever told.

ron

[The Mighty T.B.]

Post by Ron Moses

Post by Soze
It was the quote ` I was tempted to ask Cosmo how long his career lasted`
that threw me...not sure reading back if this was before or after she`d been
told who he was. Surely there`s no one alive in western society who hasn`t
at least heard *of* Ozzy Osbourne?

That was exactly the quote that convinced me she wasn't told who any
of them were until after she'd provided her analysis, assuming she was
ever told.

She says about Rob Halford: "He is the only one of the five who I truly wish would visit my studio some time."

Well, considering one of the others died recently, she needn't worry about Dio popping in any time soon.

T.B.