[jck_strw]

How much did Phil sing? That's the killer for me. I've listened to different Phil shows over a period of time and Phil's voice is horrible. It's embarrassing.

[Billbbill]

Hey Jack -

Yea I supose he sang too much. Let it ride, DS and Other One were pretty much all him. Various verses in a few others. For me if you've got Rob Barraco, Joan Osborne, Larry Campbell, and Trey (albeit for the 2nd set only and only since recently) he (Phil) should be a chorus/backup guy for the most part.

Now I say that as someone who in general isn't overly concerned with vocals, but that said, when you've got these other voices it only makes sense that you utilize them. Also even I have a cellar. When you are having key issues and botching lyrics to the point where the structure of the music is effected, it may be time to re-evaluate. I'm not nearly as concerned with the tonal quality of the voice as much as key and pitch.

[shakedown_04092]

How much did Phil sing? That's the killer for me. I've listened to different Phil shows over a period of time and Phil's voice is horrible. It's embarrassing.

Hey Jim -

Take a listen to the Hartford or Great Woods (Mansfield, MA) shows. I Was at both of these shows and was floored by how GOOD Phil sounded. I think his voice has gotten better over time. Also, that Camden show I mentioned earlier w/ the Terrapin Station on it was phenomonal, and he was singing that too.

[jck_strw]

Bill

I agree. If you have all of those people available to sing, use them. Phil was always good as a backup singer. I'm just surprised that his wife/sons/Bobby/Mickey/etc. wouldn't say something. Or maybe they all have and Phil said, fuck it, I'll do what I want. It's his band after all and obviously his singing is not turning that many people away.

shake

I'll give them a go and see how he sounds. Thanks for the recommendations.

[Billbbill]

While I may have my criticism of the vocals, I'm reminded of a line - maybe somebody can help me out from where - but its something on the lines of:

On a GOOD night the vocals don't matter much anyway.

And there you kinda have the crux of it:

If the music blows you away, does an off key or botched line really phase you?

Not me.

On the other hand if the show is mediocre, it's easy to blast some lousy singing.

The only exception for me might be the ballads. It's hard to like a poorly sung ballad if the vocals are lame although even then you can appreciate it if it's well played.

[jck_strw]

I agree to a point. Vocals are always secondary (tertiary, etc.) to me, but the problem I have with bad vocals is that they are distracting as hell. It's like talking to someone with a huge booger coming out of their nose. I'm still listening to what they're saying, but it's really hard to concentrate.

The Phil shows that I have listened to are smokin' hot in the music/jam/non-Phil sung songs. It's not that I wouldn't attend a show because he's singing, but I'd be much more careful about who I'd go with. I have one friend that would crucify Phil's vocals throughout the whole show, thereby ruining it for me. It would be tough enough to look past the vocals without my friend bringing up how awful it is every 30 seconds.

[Billbbill]

>It's like talking to someone with a huge booger coming out of their nose. I'm still listening to what they're saying, but it's really hard to concentrate.<



Gotta love the analogy!