The best & worst rock 'ballad' singers?

[JIF]

I can't get on board with the last two because I prefer to pretend the soulless-Diane-Warren-Movie-Soundtrack version of the band never really existed and that it was all a bad dream. But I'm with you on the others, and would even add their cover of "Cry Me A River".

Diane Warren didn't write Angel. It was co-written by Desmond Child and Steven Tyler. Btw, didn't know that they covered Cry Me A River?

[GuitarGeek]

Diane Warren didn't write Angel. It was co-written by Desmond Child and Steven Tyler. Btw, didn't know that they covered Cry Me A River?

Diane Warren and Desmond Child are two of the worst things that ever happened rock music. Who cares which of them wrote which tacky song?! Oy!

On the other hand Desmond also co-wrote Heaven's On Fire and I've Had Enough (Into The Fire), and to me those were two of the better songs that Kiss did during the 80's. (shrug)

[GuitarGeek]

Kind of how I feel about Cheap Trick's "The Flame"

If recording crappy songs like that is what it takes to have a short lived "comeback" (and the Cheap Trick comeback was short lived, within a few years they had been dropped by Columbia and were playing clubs again), it's not even worth it.

I still maintain that If You Want My Love was a much better song (wait, didn't we already have this discussion in this thread? ). Yeah, and so is Voices, too.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Zader's is great on "Voices", I agree! That dude is one of the great rock singers, period!

[mitchgx]

Diane Warren didn't write Angel. It was co-written by Desmond Child and Steven Tyler. Btw, didn't know that they covered Cry Me A River?

Sigh. Literal much?

"Cry Me A River" was on Rock in a Hard Place....so I can understand a lot of people aren't too familiar with it. Actually, I think that's an underrated album...there's some decent material on there.

[JIF]

Sigh. Literal much?

"Cry Me A River" was on Rock in a Hard Place....so I can understand a lot of people aren't too familiar with it. Actually, I think that's an underrated album...there's some decent material on there.

Relax. Btw, is Cry Me A River the same song that Joe Cocker did?

[mitchgx]

Relax. Btw, is Cry Me A River the same song that Joe Cocker did?

I wasn't familiar w/ Joe Cocker's version...just went and listened to a clip. Same song, but Aerosmith's version is more in line with the original '50s torch song.

[Mikhael]

I can't believe the crap LaBrie gets on here. He's in tune, emotive, and a heck of a lot better than many other so-called singers. Kind of like Steve Perry - I don't care for a lot of the songs he sings, but one can't fault his voice or the control over it.

[Rufus]

I can't believe the crap LaBrie gets on here. He's in tune, emotive, and a heck of a lot better than many other so-called singers. Kind of like Steve Perry - I don't care for a lot of the songs he sings, but one can't fault his voice or the control over it.

This !
In comparison to Hammill , Fish , Ian Anderson et al the guy's on another level !

[mitchgx]

I can't believe the crap LaBrie gets on here. He's in tune, emotive, and a heck of a lot better than many other so-called singers. Kind of like Steve Perry - I don't care for a lot of the songs he sings, but one can't fault his voice or the control over it.

Something about LaBrie's voice rubs people the wrong way. And I count myself among those people. I think the timbre of his voice is whiny and unpleasant....I really dislike him. And the first time I saw them, on the I&W tour, this wasn't helped by his preening, phony rock-star mannerisms. Thankfully he's toned that down over the years, but that annoying voice remains.

And there's no comparison to Steve Perry....Perry has a very rich, pleasing tone to his voice.

[Yodelgoat]

Joe Cocker - Love him on about everything, but "you are so beautiful" hurts to listen to.

[JIF]

Something about LaBrie's voice rubs people the wrong way. And I count myself among those people. I think the timbre of his voice is whiny and unpleasant....I really dislike him. And the first time I saw them, on the I&W tour, this wasn't helped by his preening, phony rock-star mannerisms. Thankfully he's toned that down over the years, but that annoying voice remains.

And there's no comparison to Steve Perry....Perry has a very rich, pleasing tone to his voice.

Labrie's voice can't be anymore annoying and whiny than this guy's.