My wife nominates Neil Young.

 

He's an interesting case, to be sure. One thing that Neil has always done well is write songs that fit with his vocal style, which helps soften the blow of his voice.

I love just about every artist mentioned so far!

 

Dylan? Love love love!

 

One person I have never been able to stand; my sister played her albums constantly and it drove me crazy - Joni Mitchell

So often, the "singer-songwriters" fit into one of two categories. The gravel-voiced raspers like Waits and Kristofferson, or the weenie-voiced crooners like James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg.

 

Here's my nomination for one of the most insipid songs ever, by someone in the second category:

 

Growing up a Foreigner fan starting in my early teens, and following them through their first 5 releases, and Lou's 1st solo (which other than the one hit "Midnight Blue", I can't even remember what was on it), by the time their 6th release "Inside Information" came out in 1987 I bought it, but didn't spend much time with it because I was on to other bands and different music scenes that it wasn't really holding my interest too much at the time. I recall a couple of its hits, but not much else.

 

Until you mentioned here that his voice started failing years before his illness arrived, my knowledge of the exact timeline was foggy at best.

 

Looking it up it says that in 1997 he had his tumor issues. I never even had ever listened to the Mr. Moonlight release (which just for kicks I'm listening to now on Youtube to see what I think of it).

 

I'm almost towards the end of it and although it's not exactly rocking my world, his voice sounds pretty consistent to what I would expect from him. It's not a terrible release as it's pretty listenable, and Lou's voice sounds ok.

 

In 1998 I saw him with Foreigner at Riverbend in Cincinnati open for Journey. It's when Journey actually put on a really good show with their replacement singer Steve Augeri that stunned the crowd that wasn't expecting much.

 

I was surprised too because I enjoyed Journey even though like I had earlier mentioned, I wasn't really listening to much of that stuff from my youth anymore, and was on to other stuff. It was an unexpected good time for me and reminded me that much of the stuff from my past still had merit and sounded pretty good when revisited, and that I shouldn't completely throw it all away.

 

With that said, Lou was painful to listen to that evening and was the initial reason I attended the show in the first place. I knew nothing of his illness and was dumbfounded at how awful he sounded. It wasn't until much later that I had heard what was up with him.

 

However to get to the point, if Mr. Moonlight came out in 1994 and his illness started in 1997, he didn't sound too bad on Mr. Moonlight (of course the studio can do wonders), and it's not at all painful for me to listen to.

 

Live shows during that period might've been a completely different story before his illness, but I can't say. Throughout his career he did have a tone that subjected him to often straining where it could be either hit or miss with him.

 

I don't know if I would go as far as saying that his voice was shot by 1987, but even if it was starting to be more strained, his illness certainly didn't help matters much.

 

I don't blame him for wanting to still use his name and try for a triumphant return, but I highly doubt that he's ever really gonna sound good again. He needs to be careful or else he might just end up embarrassing himself and be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

 

This is a good interview to watch, he explains touring and the effects of his medical issues that hampered his sing.

 

[video=youtube_share;KMvX3M1cjj4]

So often, the "singer-songwriters" fit into one of two categories. The gravel-voiced raspers like Waits and Kristofferson, or the weenie-voiced crooners like James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg.

 

Here's my nomination for one of the most insipid songs ever, by someone in the second category:

 

I thought for sure that one was on your iPod.

from 1989's "Long Hard Look"

[video=youtube_share;zQ_FyyhN0v8]

Growing up a Foreigner fan starting in my early teens, and following them through their first 5 releases, and Lou's 1st solo (which other than the one hit "Midnight Blue", I can't even remember what was on it), by the time their 6th release "Inside Information" came out in 1987 I bought it, but didn't spend much time with it because I was on to other bands and different music scenes that it wasn't really holding my interest too much at the time. I recall a couple of its hits, but not much else.

 

Until you mentioned here that his voice started failing years before his illness arrived, my knowledge of the exact timeline was foggy at best.

 

Looking it up it says that in 1997 he had his tumor issues. I never even had ever listened to the Mr. Moonlight release (which just for kicks I'm listening to now on Youtube to see what I think of it).

 

I'm almost towards the end of it and although it's not exactly rocking my world, his voice sounds pretty consistent to what I would expect from him. It's not a terrible release as it's pretty listenable, and Lou's voice sounds ok.

 

In 1998 I saw him with Foreigner at Riverbend in Cincinnati open for Journey. It's when Journey actually put on a really good show with their replacement singer Steve Augeri that stunned the crowd that wasn't expecting much.

 

I was surprised too because I enjoyed Journey even though like I had earlier mentioned, I wasn't really listening to much of that stuff from my youth anymore, and was on to other stuff. It was an unexpected good time for me and reminded me that much of the stuff from my past still had merit and sounded pretty good when revisited, and that I shouldn't completely throw it all away.

 

With that said, Lou was painful to listen to that evening and was the initial reason I attended the show in the first place. I knew nothing of his illness and was dumbfounded at how awful he sounded. It wasn't until much later that I had heard what was up with him.

 

However to get to the point, if Mr. Moonlight came out in 1994 and his illness started in 1997, he didn't sound too bad on Mr. Moonlight (of course the studio can do wonders), and it's not at all painful for me to listen to.

 

Live shows during that period might've been a completely different story before his illness, but I can't say. Throughout his career he did have a tone that subjected him to often straining where it could be either hit or miss with him.

 

I don't know if I would go as far as saying that his voice was shot by 1987, but even if it was starting to be more strained, his illness certainly didn't help matters much.

 

I don't blame him for wanting to still use his name and try for a triumphant return, but I highly doubt that he's ever really gonna sound good again. He needs to be careful or else he might just end up embarrassing himself and be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

 

Agree.

[video=youtube_share;X0_dajF5SEg]

Gramm's solo stuff is quite good, but I'm a big fan.

 

[video=youtube_share;i22wS3YzJe8]

Growing up a Foreigner fan starting in my early teens, and following them through their first 5 releases, and Lou's 1st solo (which other than the one hit "Midnight Blue", I can't even remember what was on it), by the time their 6th release "Inside Information" came out in 1987 I bought it, but didn't spend much time with it because I was on to other bands and different music scenes that it wasn't really holding my interest too much at the time. I recall a couple of its hits, but not much else.

 

Until you mentioned here that his voice started failing years before his illness arrived, my knowledge of the exact timeline was foggy at best.

 

Looking it up it says that in 1997 he had his tumor issues. I never even had ever listened to the Mr. Moonlight release (which just for kicks I'm listening to now on Youtube to see what I think of it).

 

I'm almost towards the end of it and although it's not exactly rocking my world, his voice sounds pretty consistent to what I would expect from him. It's not a terrible release as it's pretty listenable, and Lou's voice sounds ok.

 

In 1998 I saw him with Foreigner at Riverbend in Cincinnati open for Journey. It's when Journey actually put on a really good show with their replacement singer Steve Augeri that stunned the crowd that wasn't expecting much.

 

I was surprised too because I enjoyed Journey even though like I had earlier mentioned, I wasn't really listening to much of that stuff from my youth anymore, and was on to other stuff. It was an unexpected good time for me and reminded me that much of the stuff from my past still had merit and sounded pretty good when revisited, and that I shouldn't completely throw it all away.

 

With that said, Lou was painful to listen to that evening and was the initial reason I attended the show in the first place. I knew nothing of his illness and was dumbfounded at how awful he sounded. It wasn't until much later that I had heard what was up with him.

 

However to get to the point, if Mr. Moonlight came out in 1994 and his illness started in 1997, he didn't sound too bad on Mr. Moonlight (of course the studio can do wonders), and it's not at all painful for me to listen to.

 

Live shows during that period might've been a completely different story before his illness, but I can't say. Throughout his career he did have a tone that subjected him to often straining where it could be either hit or miss with him.

 

I don't know if I would go as far as saying that his voice was shot by 1987, but even if it was starting to be more strained, his illness certainly didn't help matters much.

 

I don't blame him for wanting to still use his name and try for a triumphant return, but I highly doubt that he's ever really gonna sound good again. He needs to be careful or else he might just end up embarrassing himself and be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

 

I never heard a bad Foreigner or Lou Gram song.

 

 

Inside Information - YouTube

"Unintelligible" and "growl" were my key words here. I'm gonna assume you know the sound I'm referring to. With Cory there's a more controlled understandable sound coming from him, so he's not exactly the type I was talking about.

 

I had my metal phase and can still dig the energy once in a while, but by the time Slipknot popped onto the scene I had already largely drifted from it, and there's been very little about it, especially if it's over-the-top annoying and difficult to decipher, that has drawn me back to it.

 

It could no longer be my steady diet as my taste are varied and far reaching. It got to the point with me that a riff, a scream, a growl, and a lightening fast guitar solo was not the only thing that defined music for me anymore.

 

I drifted too from keeping much of an eye on even the metal bands that I used to follow, only taking a quick peek at them once in awhile to see if I could still care, which most of the time I couldn't.

 

Probably only a couple of times a year I get into a metal mood and revisit it, and maybe I'm just getting old, because it's not really holding my interest much anymore like it once did. Louder, faster, harder and extreme was sorta the goal at one brief moment in my life, but not anymore.

 

That's not really a knock on metal or anyone who enjoys it. It's just not where I'm at anymore, and haven't been for quite a while.

 

I do. I just wanted to make sure you weren't just throwing any and all who make that type of music in the same bucket. Again, I don't care for the "screamo" sound which is what I think your are hitting on with the "growl" comment. It's just not my cup of tea but recognize there are talented guys that are in that catagory. Chad Gray is another that comes to mind. I really like Mudvayne's "softer" stuff as well as Hell Yeah.

Oh no, don't misunderstand. I'm not suggesting his voice went bad a decade before. I was saying the quality of the music he was involved in was not so good. Let's be honest: the "Agent Provocatuer" record and those after it don't even seem like they're from the same band as the first four records.

 

True Dat... their sound definitely changed gravitating to be a bit more poppy than their earlier efforts, but with that said, on the "AP" release I'd have to vote for "I Want To Know What Love Is" as being one of the best songs ever written and performed by them, and one of the best songs of all time. That song never ceases to move me. There's a permanent place in my heart for it.

True Dat... their sound definitely changed gravitating to be a bit more poppy than their earlier efforts, but with that said, on the "AP" release I'd have to vote for "I Want To Know What Love Is" as being one of the best songs ever written and performed by them, and one of the best songs of all time. That song never ceases to move me. There's a permanent place in my heart for it.

 

Best. Foreigner. Song. Ever.