ok the first song on real gone is the worst shit he's ever done
― kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 17 August 2017 22:38 (six years ago) link
Finding out that his singing voice is not his real voice did not really help in appreciating his music.
Actually, his speaking voice (I spent about 2 hours on the phone with him) is not that different from his singing voice at all, just slightly more subdued - 'cause he's talking and not singing. But his speaking voice is definitely gravelly and hoarse. The difference is about what you'd expect. I mean, Robert Plant doesn't speak in high-pitched screams, you know?
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 17 August 2017 22:39 (six years ago) link
Maybe his speaking voice is contrived as well. It could well be that he has "forgotten" his normal voice. There is a sudden change of his voice from the first two albums to the others to a much lower register. Do you really think that was natural?
― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Friday, 18 August 2017 12:41 (six years ago) link
there's nothing 'natural' about Tom Waits. his entire act is, well, it's an act. but like you say, it's hard to tell how much of it he has absorbed into his natural persona of course
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Friday, 18 August 2017 12:58 (six years ago) link
There is a sudden change of his voice from the first two albums to the others to a much lower register. Do you really think that was natural?
I disagree, and I'm listening to Closing Time as I type this. The voice sounds almost the same to me, just a little more singer-songwriter/country and a little less Howlin' Wolf/Captain Beefheart. Maybe a little more nasal and a little less chest/throat. That's all.
― grawlix (unperson), Friday, 18 August 2017 13:56 (six years ago) link
he didnt go full howlin' until heart attack and vine, which by all accounts is a great success of an album
― kurt schwitterz, Friday, 18 August 2017 15:39 (six years ago) link
His voice on the Glitter and Doom live album is verging on death metal. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of nuance on that one, even though the playing is great.
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Friday, 18 August 2017 15:48 (six years ago) link