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Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Topic: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist? (Read 18204 times)
Bean Bag
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Right?
Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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on:
April 06, 2011, 09:44:43 PM »
I think so. During the 70s, I think that's unquestionable. Brian's a close second, with a few incredibly fascinating nutters -- but generally, always genuine. Mike nailed a couple too -- and Carl quite a few. But Dennis was just on. He destroyed the mic whenever he was on it.
But in the 60s he was fantastic too. He was used very intelligently, as they say in the movie business -- for a "close up." But he stepped up to the plate. And especially as the group lost it's grip -- basically Brian -- Denny was right there.
I always wished they used him more!
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BJL
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #1 on:
April 06, 2011, 09:47:03 PM »
Quote from: Bean Bag on April 06, 2011, 09:44:43 PM
I think so. During the 70s, I think that's unquestionable. Brian's a close second, with a few incredibly fascinating nutters -- but generally, always genuine. Mike nailed a couple too -- and Carl quite a few. But Dennis was just on. He destroyed the mic whenever he was on it.
But in the 60s he was fantastic too. He was used very intelligently, as they say in the movie business -- for a "close up." But he stepped up to the plate. And especially as the group lost it's grip -- basically Brian -- Denny was right there.
I always wished they used him more!
I too wish Dennis sang more, but Carl...honestly, it's hard for me to imagine what a voice more beautiful than Carl Wilson's might sound like. His voice was unreal.
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Ron
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #2 on:
April 06, 2011, 09:51:33 PM »
I love Dennis Wilsona and I respect your passion for his voice, but in my opinion, no he wasn't the strongest vocalist in the band. He was a GREAT singer, but he was in a band chock full of great singers. Brian and Carl were both superior to him, although Dennis had a genuine and honest voice that was fantastic.
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Awesoman
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Disagreements? Work 'em out.
Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #3 on:
April 06, 2011, 09:53:11 PM »
Quote from: Bean Bag on April 06, 2011, 09:44:43 PM
I think so. During the 70s, I think that's unquestionable.
Um, no.
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Ron
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #4 on:
April 06, 2011, 09:54:20 PM »
We all know that everybody's going to say Brian and Carl were better than him vocally. Is there anybody prepared to admit that Al was better than him vocally as well? I'll bet there is.
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Austin
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #5 on:
April 06, 2011, 10:36:04 PM »
I mean, I'm no vocal expert, but it really depends on what you mean by "strongest." In terms of range or pitch, for instance, I wouldn't rank Dennis anywhere near Carl, Al, or Brian at his peak. But I think there is something to be said for his delivery, especially in the early 70's. His leads on
Sunflower
, for example, are very expressive, and pretty diverse at that. I can't think of any other singer on that album who covers a range from exuberant (Slip On Through) to silly (Got To Know The Woman) to sensitive (Forever) quite like he does.
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sherryluvsbrian
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #6 on:
April 07, 2011, 12:00:55 AM »
1 Carl
2 Brian
3 Dennis
4 mike
5 Al
My opinion.
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WWDWD?
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What would Dennis Wilson do?
Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #7 on:
April 07, 2011, 12:38:15 AM »
Dennis beats Brian 1974-current.
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MBE
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #8 on:
April 07, 2011, 01:16:15 AM »
Brian (pre 1975)
Dennis (pre 1974)
Carl through 1983 (not counting his more stoned vocals from 76-78)
Blondie (through circa 1990)
Mike (through 1975)
Al (through 1980)
Dave (through the sixties and seventies)
Ricky (through circa 1995)
Bruce (pre 1983)
Dennis had a very cool voice. Not the most pure, but to me the most interesting next to Brian's. That it wasn't used a lot probably makes me want to hear it more. The fact that Brian in good voice played maybe 20 shows from 1965-73 also makes me really treasure his young sound as well. I think Dennis' music after 1973 or 74 became more interesting then anyone's but vocally I like but don't love his later voice.
«
Last Edit: April 10, 2011, 04:45:33 PM by MBE
»
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adamghost
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #9 on:
April 07, 2011, 01:21:45 AM »
OK, how about this: you could make a case for Dennis being the band's strongest ROCK vocalist. There's evidence that both Carl and Brian envied his gruff tone and tried to coarsen their delivery from the mid '70s on.
I don't think Dennis was a consistent enough singer vocally to be called "strongest." I do think he was really underrated though. He had a really unique thing going on. I remember being on the road playing Dennis' stuff for Stew (later a Tony Award winner) and his instant reaction was "so where was the manager that was there to tell this guy to go out on his own and make a million bucks." Stew was a very savvy guy and no Beach Boys shipper. That was his gut about Dennis. So there ya go.
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Jonas
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #10 on:
April 07, 2011, 04:21:13 AM »
Quote from: Bean Bag on April 06, 2011, 09:44:43 PM
I think so. During the 70s, I think that's unquestionable.
Its very questionable, infact I'm questioning it right now. He was good, but the strongest? Nay, and better than Brian? You're high.
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Andrew G. Doe
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #11 on:
April 07, 2011, 04:36:52 AM »
Quote from: dylz on April 07, 2011, 12:38:15 AM
Dennis beats Brian 1974-current.
Not since 12/28/83, he doesn't.
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Amy B.
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #12 on:
April 07, 2011, 05:50:24 AM »
Quote from: Ron on April 06, 2011, 09:54:20 PM
We all know that everybody's going to say Brian and Carl were better than him vocally. Is there anybody prepared to admit that Al was better than him vocally as well? I'll bet there is.
Al was better technically, but I prefer to listen to Dennis's voice than Al's. It had more character and emotion. So I rank Dennis third, below Carl and Brian, but above Al. I guess I'd put Mike last if we're just talking about those five guys. They were all good singers, though.
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lance
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #13 on:
April 07, 2011, 07:04:27 AM »
I don't think there was a best singer, personally. They all had great voices, in their way. Technically, young Brian and Carl tie for me. As far as personality Dennis and Mike I think had the most. Dennis was the most soulful.
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pixletwin
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #14 on:
April 07, 2011, 07:18:53 AM »
I think each beach boy had their strengths. If you are looking for versatility I have always believed Mike was the best, followed by Carl. Dennis and Al had really great Rock voices. All in all Brian has always had the most fascinating voice for me. Any era, any style.
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grillo
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #15 on:
April 07, 2011, 08:05:13 AM »
Yeah, I'd have to agree Denny nailed it during the seventies, but I'd go with Bri and Mike earlier, at least during the heyday. Never have and likely never will understand people's love of Carl's voice. To me he always sounds kinda mealy-mouthed, like maybe he's chewing a hamburger while singing. Carl started to sound better in the eighties to these ears, but maybe that's just compared to Denny, Bri, and Mike who all kinda lost it around then (though Mike is sounding better these days).
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kookadams
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #16 on:
April 07, 2011, 08:46:44 AM »
Quote from: sherryluvsbrian on April 07, 2011, 12:00:55 AM
1 Carl
2 Brian
3 Dennis
4 mike
5 Al
My opinion.
You put Al on the bottom, are you serious? Al has always sounded great and still does; Carl was always the strongest vocalist always. Brian and Dennis were good through the mid 70s, Bruce has always sounded decent, and Mike well.... Age has definitely phased him but he still pretty much has the same nasally voice for the most part.
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Bicyclerider
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #17 on:
April 07, 2011, 09:02:32 AM »
strongest lead vocalist:
1. Carl
2. Blondie
3. Brian
4. Mike
5. Al
6. Dennis
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Rocker
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #18 on:
April 07, 2011, 09:14:10 AM »
Love Dennis' vocals, but I think Brian in his prime was the best vocalist of the Beach Bys in any era. Carl comes second. Carl could've been such a fantastic, fantastic singer if he would've taken some singing-lessons. There are some weaknesses in his singing that he could have overcome with someone showing him the right techniques. And although many here probably will disagree but I think technically his singing was the best in later years which is not to say thre aren't any stellar performances before of course.....
Dennis was a very good vocalist imo but he didn't work on it enough and unfortunately his voice at some point began to get worse.
I think Mike is giving not enough credit as a singer. Just listen to "California girls" (acapella). Blows my mind how great his singing is on that one. And also on a lot of the early Rocksongs like "Shut down" and "Surfin' USA" (not to mention his great bass vocals). Although I love the sound of the double tracking, in some cases it overshadows Mike's leads imo like on mentioned "Surfin' USA". Unfortunately his voice got so undescribably nasal in the late 70s that I can't stand listening to it at times.
Al has a very strong voice for rocksongs in is range (and he is very versatile which is very overlooked). His falsetto is very thin which is not good for the time after Brian retreated from touring.
Bruce is a very good singer too. But for some reason I can't say too much about his singing. His falsetto is better than Al's I believe but also not as strong as Brian's.
Blondie is a great, great singer. His voice has a certain warmth that made it perfect for the Beach Boys' blend. Listen to "Don't worry baby" and "Good vibrations" on "In concert" for example. Sadly he left the group.
Ricky has also nice vocals but there's not enough to judge him imo.
Can't say nothing about David.
All in all, the Beach Boys were great singer even individually. But one wonders what could've been if they would have taken care of their voices and even get some lessons.
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Jon Stebbins
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #19 on:
April 07, 2011, 09:26:49 AM »
The Beach Boys were all such great vocalists its very hard to pick a "best". For me Carl and Brian at varied periods were the two best. Brian '63 to '66. Carl '66 to '75. One thing the three Wilsons shared is the ability to bring an indescribable humanity into their vocals, the thing that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Brian, Carl and Dennis all have it. The other BB's were great, great, great, but they don't have that thing. Its a spiritual quality that IMO no one but the Wilsons have. And if you were able to measure that thing, (which I am having trouble describing, but if you know what I mean, then you know what I mean)...if you could measure it, I'd say Dennis might have had the purest amount of IT. He did not sing with the range and precision of his brothers, no doubt about it. But he is underrated. So many fairly knowledgable BB's fans think of Dennis as the one whose voice is the least present in their songs, and this is false. But for some reason his voice blends to the degree that its hard to pick out. But its almost always there on the classic stuff. And it adds so much, because when its not there the BB's sound becomes less human, less spiritual. A good example is "Kiss Me Baby". Its so easy to pick the other voices out,. You might say is Dennis even in there? But LISTEN carefully to the chorus. The "kiss me baby, love to hold you" part, which is such a
key
part. On those lines its Dennis harmonizing with Brian. You've heard it a million times and probably all you heard was Brian on top. but underneath him, holding down a huge and difficult part of the song is Dennis, giving it that thing that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. There's dozens of Beach Boys songs where Dennis is the guy doing that, and few people even realize it. He's not the "best" vocalist in the group, but he might be the most unique, and the most essential to a certain quality that makes BB's harmonies so moving.
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pixletwin
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #20 on:
April 07, 2011, 09:44:22 AM »
I have always likened Dennis' voice to Tom Waits. Either you get it or you don't. For those who do "get it" it is rich and soulful. I would say, per Dennis, I prefer his 1975+ voice because he seemed to sing with ever ounce of love and feeling he could muster up, and it really comes through in the recordings.
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Mike's Beard
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #21 on:
April 07, 2011, 09:49:59 AM »
Carl blew them all out of the water and I consider them to all be good to great vocalists.
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Amy B.
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #22 on:
April 07, 2011, 11:25:37 AM »
Quote from: Jon Stebbins on April 07, 2011, 09:26:49 AM
One thing the three Wilsons shared is the ability to bring an indescribable humanity into their vocals, the thing that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Brian, Carl and Dennis all have it. The other BB's were great, great, great, but they don't have that thing. Its a spiritual quality that IMO no one but the Wilsons have.
YES. This is what I was trying to say. It's why I rate Dennis above Al.
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adamghost
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #23 on:
April 07, 2011, 11:43:43 AM »
I like what Jon said a lot.
I did want to chime in here and say I also think Al is a pretty underrated singer. I agree that he doesn't have the quality that Jon spoke of, but he does have his own thing and it's pretty strong.
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Re: Denny -- The Group's Strongest Vocalist?
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Reply #24 on:
April 07, 2011, 11:59:09 AM »
What's interesting to me about the Beach Boys is that, by the early 70s, in my opinion, if any of them had any kind of music-reading ability, any of them coould have become session singers. Unlike most rock vocal groups, they started so young singing tight, extended harmonies, and learned tricky parts with ease. They knew the human voice very well, I'm sure, again with a modicum of formal training, any of them could have arranged choral pieces as well as any pro arranger. They really were pretty consummate. Versatile, too. They could be distinct, or blend in and sound totally bland, as far as timbre goes. Everything you'd look for in a pro jingle-singing gig.
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