I feel for Taylor Hanson, former teen sensation, cutie pie, talented musician, nice chap, and lead singer for Tinted Windows, a band which also features James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins, Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, and Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Coincidentally enough, when I first heard their song "Nothing To Me," now receiving heavy airplay on SIRIUS XM's Underground Garage, I did think it was a new Cheap Trick song. The 70s/80s radio sound, pop construction, even Taylor's vocals sound remarkably like our old pals from Rockford, Illinois, and I would have put a ten buck bet on it too. Anyway, I feel for the kid (anyone in their 20s is totally a kid to me) because he has this great catchy song here, and he CAN'T SING IT LIVE. Aww, man. This is pretty representative, from this year's SXSW:
Awwwwwwwww. The song sits cruelly at the top of his range, right where he either has to push with all his might to hit the notes, go into falsetto, or struggle horribly until the merciful end. I have heard enough live versions of him attempting it to offer this idea: CHANGE THE KEY, GUYS. It's a nice song, and he sounds like a dying cat. It points out that the studio and live performance can be two verrrrry different places to work, and you may want to remember that the song you may have had 20 takes to get right in the studio may get popular, and you will be doomed to crack and warble it live for 10 or 20 years, with people cringing at you in the audience.
Liz Phair also has a serious problem here, writing songs too low in her range to perform live:
Hey! Just switch vocalists here and PROBLEM SOLVED!! Damn, I'm smart.
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman