Really REALLY off topic

Aretha Franklin has covered "Rolling in the Deep" and she proves why she's the Queen of Soul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNWeGngQqOI

meh..I prefer Adele

She was on one of the late night shows the other night and MAN, she was rough sounding. I'm sure she is keeping plenty of producers in work. She has always been a fantastic artist, but maybe it is time to hang up the live show boots.

Also, I believe this is necessary:

Ehh, the voice ages and takes on a different character. Nobody would've told late Johnny Cash to hang it up even though his voice was radially different - and weaker - than in his younger days. She should keep it going!

N Sperlo wrote: Also, I believe this is necessary:

That's ALWAYS necessary

After all, they're on a mission from GOD

Ugh over auto-tuned.

Adele rocks that 100X better and the auto-tune is blatantly obvious. If Aretha can still make money doing what she does, good for her. There are plenty of people who will still buy her albums. Mick Jagger has ignored the fact that his voice aged out decades ago and still rakes in the dough.

I know auto-tune has been around for a while, but did the latest generation of "singers" decide they just don't give any berkeleys if we can tell that they don't have talent? Especially the hip-hop world. That's pure auto-tune

Grtechguy wrote: meh..I prefer Adele

Did you really just say that...?

I'd prefer Adele to having my vasectomy reversed. Without anesthesia. With a rusty machete. In west Africa.

With all due R-E-S-P-E-C-T, I'm in the Adele camp on this one too, although if someone ordered four fried chickens, a coke and some dry white toast, I'm not so sure that Adele would know right away who was at her lunch counter.

Was that first bit.... autotune? Seriously?

Well, ok guys.

Autotune, to me, is a type of tuning aid used to lower the emissions of a gas turbine by playing with the firing temperature and IGV angles, fuel splits, and other fun variables.

I know not of what you speak.

Only that a 72 year old singer just made some awesome noises. I also think that there aren't many singers who can growl like that. I love it. Sorry you don't.

Youtube

I liked it. Not as much as Adele's version but I enjoyed it well enough. And because you dragged me into this rabbit hole, click the link.

Speaking of auto-tune, I once spent an afternoon with T-Payne at his house while filming a documentary for BET. Genuinely nice guy. Had lots of stand-up cabinet video games, didn't take himself that seriously, and was good to his kids. Unfortunately, my videographer partner had us using old tapes so the footage was berkeleyed and we got fired.

It was fun, but I never want to deal with BET producers ever again. Those people were shiny and happy even before we screwed the whole shebang.

tuna55 wrote: I know not of what you speak.

Autotune is a software and hardware solution to correct a vocalists pitch. When used subtly it is hard to detect unless you are used to it. When a singer is too far off and the effect has to be turned up it gets more noticable (think Cher's life after love) and it is now being used to the point that the effect of its overuse is the sound people actually strive for. Modern R&B and hiphop is full of it.

Go to Youtube and look up autotune the news. It will turn monotone speech into a "tune" with a lot of digital artifacts.

The first time I went into a recording studio back in 1992 they were already using it. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me. Some weird matrix version of singing.

Another video of Aretha singing the same song, but on the Letterman show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl8iBkjnRdA I think she sounds better on this one, but having said that I'm not a big fan of the song itself.

While we're talking about other folks covering that song, as usual, Straight No Chaser did it better than anyone, but I'm a sucker for A capella.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV19wXLmvjw

But I am a huge Aretha fan in general, her voice is awesome.

dculberson wrote: Ehh, the voice ages and takes on a different character. Nobody would've told late Johnny Cash to hang it up even though his voice was radially different - and weaker - than in his younger days. She should keep it going!

same for the late Bill Monroe, and currently getting that with Ralph Stanley … but I'll be happy to put up with his weaker voice, and his reduced range to be able to hear him sing

I love Aretha, but don't think she's sang anything worth hearing since 1979. Luckily, her pre-1979 recordings are more than adequate.

I don't entirely blame her, either. I think the collapse of Muscle Shoals (and Stax) was as responsible. It's tough being the queen of soul when there's no good soul being recorded anymore.

I hate to say it.. I prefer Adele's version. I would have enjoyed Aretha's if she had not decided to throw some bits in from her other songs.