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Post by Eva Yojimbo on Feb 24, 2018 2:46:49 GMT
Versatility is one way to measure singing talent, but distinctiveness is another. Ozzy was/is much more distinctive and he fit the heaviness and darkness of Sabbath to a T. Could DLR sing Paranoid? Sure, if by "sing" we mean hitting the notes; but if we're meaning coming close to capturing the vibe of the original, I don't think so. DLR's "distinction" was that he was a showman who could turn anything into a party-time jam, and he could kinda mimic bluesy crooners when he wanted (ala Ice Cream Man). But I think there's far more singers out there that could do what DLR did as opposed to what Ozzy did. It's also worth noting that DLR's voice is pretty much shit now. I agree Ozzy is distinctive. So is that annoying friend with the nasally voice we all have. And every annoying nasally voiced friend that every single one of us has could have been successful with Sabbath. Very few could have done what DLR did with VH tho. The level he accomplished took lots of training and a hell of a lot of raw skill (I think?). All Ozzy did was show up and start singing a little off key with an absurdly talented and innovative Tony Iommi. Hell I could have done that. Ozzy is more than just a nasal voice since most that sing like that sound shitty. It's why you don't hear a similar style in almost any successful bands. Ozzy made it work, which was no mean feat, and isn't something anyone could've done in Sabbath. The 80s was full of bands and singers that were essentially copying what VH and Dave did (though few had Dave's attitude; that was his most distinctive trait); meanwhile, the vast majority of bands that followed Sabbath took a completely different path vocally. I doubt very seriously if DLR had any vocal training, and in terms of raw skill he probably wouldn't crack the top 100 of male pop/rock singers. TBF, I don't think either Ozzy or Dave are all that good from a pure singing talent perspective. Neither are the American Idol types with great range or traditionally good tone or skill. Both were simply good fits for the bands they were in. I just think Ozzy's more distinctive sound lent a very unique vibe to Sabbath that made them that much more special, while Dave was more of a good showman/master-of-ceremonies for the pyrotechnic circus that was VH (especially Eddie). I just think Dave's attitude would be easier to imitate than Ozzy's sound. |
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