i am actually counting myself lucky to be on that list.
on a recent list of top guitarists while marty was rated highly peter didnt get a look in at all. which is totally wrong as he is in my opinion one of the most accomplished guitarists of all time from anywhere. it was a joke seeing some of the idiots that “beat” him…guys who shouldve stayed in the garage forever. but thats the problem. favourite or best? and there is a difference. in australia people really seem to think they like that screaming yelling belting it out style. like farnesy and barnsey. personally i find it anathema esp. barnesy . what an excruciating racket i literally cannot bear it! but people like it and you cant take that away from them.
i am not a good singer per se. i am an individualistic kind of singer as they were kind to point out in the article. what i lose in range and power i make up for in other ways. i dont always go for cliched bluesy options . i use subtlety and sensitivity and stuff like that which doesnt always come across live. i am definitely better in the studio than live . i know i sometimes sing a bit outta tune live. i am not a natural singer either. i have struggled with it long and hard. and often it was style over actual singing. ie my apparent image and schtick was used to “cover up” that my singing was often flat . flat as a pancake. of course i had great words so that helped take your minds off my weaknesses a bit. barnsey and farnsey dont write words . they sing other peoples i guess and i usually hate the kind of overwrought malarkey(theres that word again!) that they come up with. but aussies lap it up. and the kinda aussies that lap B and F up would rather listen to a tap drip than hear my
brand of sing-speak …anyday…..
i was surprised that bernie from powderfinger rated so lowly. there is a real singers singer. a lovely melodic mellifluous voice. he can really sing.neil finn yes. what a singer! guy sebastian…that insipid tepid voice. jesus! do people really even listen to that stuff. i almost prefer B n F but only almost. grant n robert yes but they are like me in a way in that they use mannerisms to get over “defects” in range sustain etc. margot smith should have been on that list in a fair universe. she was a singers singer. iva davies and katie noonan…you couldnt argue with them, could you?
its subjective in the end. i’d rather tear my ears off than sit through one song of B n F or the Guy but i dont like beer or meat or footy or car racing. so i aint no arbiter of aussie taste.
above everything though i am a songwriter. and the singing just got tacked on the end. i started out pretty flat and lots of stylisation and mannerisms. but some people like that. i like that in singers too. sometimes. its as personal as you can get. why you like some singers and you cant stand others. sometimes you dont even know why that may be. you cant even articulate it. anyway thanks for all the nice comments . i’m glad you liked what i did with what i had. singing is a real mystery to me. i’ll never understand how it does what it does to us. goodnight. its late here in melbourne tonight. and ive been singing all night at a rehearsal……
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