Modern singers and the National Anthem (a rant)

[Pale Blue Dot]

Why do modern singers feel the need to go up and down the scales on every note, instead of singing the song straight, which is in my opinion far more powerful?

For me, it's a perfect indication of how bad our singers have become in this Mariah Carey, Christina Aquilara (sic?), Simon Cowell world.

[twistedliberal]

1. My thoughts exactly...

They all seem to think they've gotta be Jimi Hendrix.

[VelmaD]

2. And stop doing it so damn SLOW

To quote my high school band director, who was also a former Marine drill instructor, it's the National Fight Song not the National Dirge.

Sing the damn song the way it was written and at a nice moderate tempo and stop trying to use the freakin' National Anthem as a chance to show off the chops you think you have (but really don't). :eyes:

<end rant>

[Valjean]

11. How many times ...

Not to sound like Brent Musberger but ...

How many time is the damn thing sung. It's probably the most played song right behind "Hey".

The singers are probably trying to add a bit of variety and interest. For goodness sake, the melody isn't even orginal. It was lifted from "God save the King/Queen".

I have a print of Warren Kimble's American wood-paint flag on my wall. It's not a 100% accurate representation. But I find his work rustic and folksy. It enhances the flag, it doesn't detract from it.

So updating the anthem is probably a good thing. There are actually pop artists who CAN carry a tune. These are the one's who stick around (or learned well as they went).

[VelmaD]

15. Uh...hate to be a nitpicker but...

the US National Anthem tune was not lifted from God Save the King...that would be the tune for "My Country 'til of thee" not the Star Spangled Banner.

[petronius]

20. It was actually set to...

...the meter of an English drinking song - "To Anacreon in Heaven"

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Remember Bleeding Gums Murphy singing the anthem in the Simpson's?

They showed the moon moving, and about 30-45 minutes on the clock...

[joeybee12]

22. Didn't they have Cindi Lauper sing it also?

Her "girls just wanna have fun" version of the anthem.

[MuseRider]

3. Most of them

simply do not have the talent to hold or hit a pitch IMHO. Whoever this was had a nice voice and good pitch so I am guessing it was to appeal to the masses. Blech. It is funny to audition singers these days. It seems that most of them have no clue that this is not acceptable in any other form of music. Classical without pitch? Sure, we will call you.

[asjr]

4. Certainly

one of my pet peeves. Thankfully, my radio station has quit playing Mariah Carey. I am sure she has a great voice if she would use it as the music is written.

[displacedtexan]

5. It's a way to hide a lack of vocal control

Very few of today's singers would be able to get past the first round of auditions at places like Interlochen or Juilliard.

[Liberal Christian]

6. What I want to know is

When did the singing of the National Anthem become all about performance and not participation. I've gotten dirty looks at public events when I've sung along with the performer (who should be the LEADER). Dammit ... it's OUR SONG!!! We should all be singing.

[VelmaD]

7. Totally agree

I actually had a really neat National Anthem experience recently. I went to a women's college basketball game and they didn't have anyone sing the national anthem. The had a recording of the anthem and the crowd sang it on our own. It was pretty cool. It is OUR song and we were perfectly capable of singing it ourselves. :-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. That's a good idea -

while most times I think recordings are somewhat a tacky way to go, for that kind of group singing, it work really well, because then the audience knows it ISN'T a performance by the leader, but is supposed to be a group sing.

I like it!!

[VelmaD]

13. I really liked it too

Woulda been better if there had been a live band there to play it while we sang but it was the weekend that the Texas Tech men's team was in the pre-season NIT finals so the basketball pep band wasn't at the women's game. :shrug:

It was a really special experience. Looking around at the crowd I thought they really seemed to get into it more when we were all singing together than if there had been someone singing it "to" us.

[blondeatlast]

25. Exactly.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. Because they tend to get corporate-created "singers"

Who actually aren't singers, but have the look that they know the demographic they're targeting will buy into.

So they have to slide all over, otherwise the fact that these "musicians" are clueless, talentless dweebs would be out, and then the public would stop buying their over-produced albums.

Remember, with today's recording technology, they can go in on a vocal track and the change the pitch of every single note sung. Most of the singers that show up on TV are not trained singers, they're people who look good, and who, on their albums, get over-produced until they have that magic sound that make money.

That's my cynical rant. I may be wrong, but I needed to say it, and I feel better for saying it. :-)

[Limbought]

10. don't forget Roseanne Barr

She should have been deported!

[mitchum]

16. No, I think she was doing a clever parody of the atrocious singing...

often afflicted on the song. And, of course, the spitting and crotch-pulling was a comment on what players often do during the song.

[gator_in_Ontario]

17. whoopi goldberg did a parody of it as well

back in the 80's.
"oh say can you muthaf***kin' see...." etc etc

[Limbought]

18. Excuse Me,

but the only "clever" thing about RB is how she finds clothes to fit.

[beawr]

12. I think it's narcissism

Now, it's more about the performer than the anthem. I like it when it's just a band, no vocals, like at the olympics - or a lot of high school football games.

[Mrs. Venation]

19. I Could Not Agree More! It Grates On Me.

And singing "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch is the worst thing to happen to baseball since the designated hitter rule! Some things should not be changed; some traditions are good.

[twistedliberal]

21. HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. ...and why can't they pronounce "perilous"?

I suspect they don't know the meaning of the words they're singing. Maybe that's why they get into the melismatic performance.

[CanuckAmok]

26. That's not a photo of AJ Muste, is it? n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. the reincarnate AJ...

:D

[blondeatlast]

24. God, it makes my skin crawl . . .

I can't stand it anymore.