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Edward Twining

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KeithNacho
Jagger's singing in Following the River is superb.
Maybe the song, or maybe this way of singing i s not of everybody's taste; but it is very very difficult to reach those high notes. I like it.

Maybe people like Jagger singing in other way, but i love all his singing along the years (except for DW)

KR's voice nowadays is peculiar, sometimes i like it, sometimes is awful (now i am thinking about his harmonies singing connection on the SAL DVD bonus tunes)

His guitar playing has worsened, but i do not think it is related with age (i am thinking in SAL sympathy and undercover..........)

Keith's voice isn't pretty in some respects, yet like Bob Dylan, he really does manage to connect with the emotions within the songs. Technically he's not great, yet in terms of believeability, within the way he expresses himself, i actually think he comes pretty high. You can only work with the tools you have, and i think Keith pretty much does all he can. Jagger is a different case altogether. Somewhere along the line his abilities, or to put it in another respect, his interpretational skills have deserted him, and he tends to rely solely on technique, and certainly live, spectacle. He certainly has a bigger box of tricks than he had in his prime, yet he's lost his connection, and conviction to ever really deliver a song convincingly. Pre 'Undercover', for me Jagger's singing was never an issue because he seemed to be so well in tune and complimentary to whatever song he was singing, but especially from the mid eighties onwards that has not been the case. Jagger's take on the songs, and his inconsistencies, has resulting in some of the songs falling purely on the strength, or the believeability of his vocal. Really even as far back as the 81 tour, his vocals were pretty bad, yet in more recent years, and also due to the greater decline in his vocals due to age too, he can be at times quite unbearable. That's why i believe the Stones will never again record a classic song, or album. There are just to many hurdles for them to have to cross. I'm not sure Jagger has really been committed, or in love with music, for a very long time. He's pretty much the master of artifice. I find his vocal on 'Following The River' especially phony. Of course Keith's singing (and guitar playing) have declined too, but in his case i think his spirit is willing, but his musical tools are now weak.

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71Tele

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ROPENI
Addicted wrote:"The fact that some people on this board take every little opportunity - and if there isn't one, they'll constrict one, to bash Keith, upsets me. Why are you so evil?"

So, now if you say anything,about Keith that could be considered criticism then You are "EVIL"???.
Come on,don't be so touchy,we here at the board have many opinions some you may agree with them some you may not,so what?,and if this upsets you, then create your own board,and the requirement would be that everyone writes "nice" thing about Keith. By now you have let us know,many times over that you know Keith and work for him,Fantastic, but us mere humans still have the right to express our individual opinions good or bad about Keith. End of the story.

Yeah, I thought "evil" was a bit much. @#$%& was "evil". Criticizing things in Keith Richard's book? Not so much.

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proudmary
it's all the matter of taste. I find Richards' singing quite unbearable for obvious reasons. As for so called believeability, expression of real feelings of his singing I think it's exactly the same old myth like his "honesty".
on other hand, Mick's singing on Plundered My Soul is absolutely fantastic

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71Tele

You hit it on the head. I don't think Jagger has really believed in the material in a very long time, therefore he does not have a way to connect emotionally with it, so he uses these various mechanisms and mannerisms to get him through. Contrast Wild Horses, with its emotional depth, with Following The River, which is merely sentimental in a rather contrived way.

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dandelion1967
What I really care about Keith's singing is the way he does it. he changed with time, that's true, and I think he become more and more mature and goes much more deeper. Liste to This place is empty, he sing it with all of his soul. Maybe i get this message very easy, because in Argentina we have "Polaco" Goyeneche, one of the greates tango singers ever, who in his younger years have a beautifull voice, but years, alcohol and drugs take that voice and leave his frasing, which is the main thing. As we say here, "el polaco no canta, dice el tango" (polaco didn't sing, he "speak" tango). Is amazing to hear a guy completely out of tune, but in the right frasing. Keith do this this also. But he did it since the very first days... listen to the harmony in "Out of time". He seem to sing a 7th mayor to Mick, but is between a 7th mayor and an unison. And keep in mind studio work. In 68 he start singing much higher every time. His top singing is in Exile. But don't be fooled... Happy is over-speeded. Turn it down a half tone and you will notice...

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pmk251
Traditionally Keith's voice is like his guitar playing, rickety, but enormously effective. The imperfections touch your heart. His lyrics do too. There is often an openness and vulnerability there that is generally lacking in the rest of the band's music.

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Midnight Toker
Would love to hear "Coming Down Again" in concert no matter what.