VOCAL IMPACTS
This is the third in a series of posts highlighting instrumentalists, vocalists and bands who have had a particular impact on my writing / playing and my approach for If Not If. A general introduction to the idea behind this series of playlists can be found here.
I write instrumental music, so it may seem odd to include a playlist of vocalists who have made a lasting impact on the music I write and the approach I take for If Not If. Not so, though. For me, vocals have always been, first and foremost, about how this (very complex) instrument is being used, rather than about the words. There are, for sure, some lyrics – philosophical, poetic, humourous, political (or all four) that stick deep in the mind. And there are some that do so just because they’re absurd, fun and with a great piece of music – it’s hard not to find your mind singing along with the joy of Chic’s “Le Freak”, for example. But when it comes to what I hear, first and last, when I hear vocals, it’s ‘the music’.
The saying, “This singer is so great, they could be singing the phone book and it’d be totally awesome”, comes to mind.
From the visceral and growlsome to the ethereal and sublime, as ever, there are no rules.
Vocalists I come back to most, for what it’s worth: John Martyn, Paul Rodgers, Ben Ottewell, Jeff Buckley, Fiona Apple, James Dewar, Adrian Belew, Mark Hollis, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Lisa Gerard.
