Miles To Go Before I Sleep

[apolla]

Have you ever listened to recordings made by the same singer thirty or forty years apart? It's awfully different, isn't it? Some are more pronounced changes than others- both Marianne Faithfull and Robert Plant had their voices drop an octave, Sinatra's voice came back deeper after his extended bout of laryngitis. George Harrison got stronger, then he got weak and raspybut still quite beautiful after cancer took hold of his throat. Bob Dylan got even whinier, which was weird because it didn't seem like he could. Paul McCartney's smoothly sweet baby-voice now sounds rather feeble in his sixties. Funny how those voices change over decades, and how they age right along with the faces, bodies, minds and souls of the people who own them.

Even Elvis' voice changed- it deepened and smoothened from the glory of 'That's All Right' to the smooth croon of the Vegas days.

Then there are the guys who stay forever the same: our glorious and exalted rock martyrs. Jimi's average but inspired voice did not wilt or fade with the passage of time, and if you count digital remastering, his voice actually got clearer. Janis never lost her Southern banshee screech, but nor did she get to mellow into age like a fine wine. The newer guys, Kurt and Jeff, remain forever suspended in time, their young man voices forever strong, searing and androgynously boyish. Even Jim Morrison stayed angry, stayed harsh or stayed smooth depending on the song.

Hang on a second. Did he? Have you listened to 'The Crystal Ship' back to back with something off LA Woman like 'Cars Hiss By My Window'? No prizes for guessing that I have and that this is Another Jim Morrison post.

It is, I have discovered, possible for a voice to age fifty years in four. Which makes a certain amount of sense- the story goes that the doctor called to examine Jimbo's corpse believed him to be fifty years old, not 27.

It is, I have discovered, quite amazing what will happen to a voice if you throw enough alcohol at it for long enough. And cigarettes and I'm sure, all the rest.

It is my personal opinion that Our James was a fine singer, a really fine singer. Some would say he's a little flat sometimes, but I think that's part of the whole thing. Some would say his speaking voice is even more melodious, but I'd say they're both sounds of great beauty. Part crooner, part screamer, James Douglas' voice makes his lyrics absolute poetry, which is why I think his poetry books fail- without his friends' music and his voice, it falls a little flat. And you know, he was trying too hard, but that's a post for another time.

But man, the difference between 1967 Jim and 1971 Jim is really marked if you know what you're listening for. His voice got lower, for one thing: the lows he hit consistently in 'Hyacinth House' were more or less undreamed of back in the 'Light My Fire' days. There's more though: Jim was always a shouter, a screamer. It was the whole point: he was trying to wake his audience from their society- and drug-induced comas. Always loud, always tough, but by 1971 his voice sounded like he'd been shouting for thirty years- it was rough, ragged and war-torn. Hey, bet you never knew a voice could be war-torn and life-worn.

The 1971 voice isn't a bad voice- it's different, but not bad. It's lower, more mature but it's lost some of the life, as far as I'm concerned.

Coco Chanel talked about the face God gave you and the face you deserve. In 1967 Jim had a voice given to him by God. In four years, he managed to get the voice he deserved. Unfortunately for us, he also managed to destroy the life God gave him and gain the death he deserved. Git.

*

PS. Everyone seems to be raving about Antony & The Johnsons and how his voice is amazing... sorry, reminds me too much of Brian Ferry (or Brianfuckingferry as he is known in these parts) to be taken into my heart at the moment. Sorry pal.

Comments

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Booze, drugs and cigarettes hvae ruined many fine voices. And a great many people can't hit notes they used to as they've aged; it just goes with the territory :(

[apolla.livejournal.com]

This is very true. But most of them thought to do it over a long period of time rather than oh say, four years.

Old voices are pretty good, though. Robert Plant is almost better than once he was. Different, perhaps, rather than better.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

I agree about Percy. I really like his current voice. He doesn't sound the least bit screechy :)