Look at those headline-writing skills. Sometimes I think I should've been a beat writer...
The Red Sox won again today, their 14th win in their last 19 games and 4th straight series win, and the Yankees lost again. Now we have a 4 game lead and the magic number is down to 90. Our bullpen has the best ERA in baseball and our starters, especially Beckett and Lester, are looking great lately.
Of course, the best news from Boston this month has been the return to form of David Ortiz. Even though most people thought he was done forever, he's come back with some big numbers in June. In April, he hit .230 with no homers. In May, he hit .143 with 1 home run. In June so far, Ortiz is hitting .308 with 5 home runs.
By my calculations, if Ortiz keeps hitting as well as he has this month for the rest of the season, he'll finish the season at: .269 AVG, 31HR, 90RBI, .894 OPS
Not Ortiz' best numbers, but very respectable, and if he does that and our pitchers stay healthy, we probably win the division.
Congrats to Terry Francona again for sticking with his guy and letting him get himself out of the slump.
Go Big Papi!
And the countdown continues...
#80. Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie ruled the airwaves in the 80's with slow ballads like "Say You, Say Me" and "You Are". Those, coming off monster ballads as co-lead singer of The Commodores like "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady". But Richie does have the ability to go beyond the treacly ballad. The Commodores started out as a pretty hardcore funk/R&B band and Richie, believe it or not, can get funky. Of course, to me, he'll always be the guy that sang "All Night Long" for about 2 hours straight during the LA Olympics' closing ceremony in 1984.
Trivia: Lionel Richie's main competition in the love song genre in the 80's was probably Kenny Rogers. Did you know Lionel Richie wrote Rogers' megahit "Lady"?
Listen: Lionel Richie, "You Are"
#79. Kool Moe Dee
Is rapping singing? Maybe not exactly, but it counts as vocals and some people are great at it and some aren't, so I'm making room in my countdown for some of my favorite rap vocalists. (Apologies for missing anyone, since I pretty much stopped listening to rap in the early 90's -- when it started to suck.)
Kool Moe Dee was one of the originators, as a member of The Treacherous Three back in the day. He never made it big, due to unoriginal backing beats and raps that never went much past the bragging taunts of the early MC's, but his voice is still one of the best ever. He has a nice, clear deep booming voice and he could handle the fastest tongue-twisters around.
Listen: Kool Moe Dee, "I Go To Work"
#78. Ray LaMontagne
As I said before, most singer-songwriter folkies have nice but bland voices. New Hampshire's own LaMontagne does not. His voice is rich and genuine, the instrument of a guy who feels the music, not a guy who's been trained to sing it. Another true phone book voice. He excels at down-tempo love songs like "Burn", but he also can set fire to a folk/soul mix like "Trouble" or "You Are The Best Thing".
Listen: Ray LaMontange, "Three More Days"
#77. Brian Wilson (and the rest of The Beach Boys)
The Beach Boys need no introduction. They had no great range, musically speaking, but they were great at what they did and they sang in a style never heard before (and never really since, though you might consider The Bee Gees a modern version). The layered harmonies on every song created a new sound, though the attention to detail may have led to a major breakdown by Wilson, and Wilson's voice is probably one of the most recognizable in pop music history.
Listen: The Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations"
#76. Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison was probably the first guy in Rock 'n Roll to be considered a "singer", as opposed to just a howler or a rocker. His high, ethereal vocals always floated above the background music and really drew the attention of the listener more than the rhythm (a rarity in early rock records).
#75. Little Richard
Speaking of "howlers", next on the list is Little Richard. He was the guy (along with Jerry Lee Lewis) who put the danger into Rock 'n Roll and made the parents run in fear. No one sang blues or country music like that, but Rock 'n Roll was different, and Little Richard was one of the first to realize it. No one could then, or ever has been able to, "wooo" like Richard.
#74. Joe Cocker
As far as I know, Joe Cocker is a pure singer, which is actually pretty rare in the rock era. He never played an instrument and his whole career was based on his interpretations of other peoples' songs. Known a little for his ridiculous gesticulations while singing, but more for his raspy voice and exuberant takes on Beatles classics, it was really Cocker's way of rearranging and, usually, adding more power to a song's vocal lead, that made him great.
More trivia: Did you know Jimmy Page (of Led Zeppelin and ready for the Top 5 if I ever make a list of the Top 100 Guitarists) played lead guitar on Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends"?
Listen: Joe Cocker, "With A Little Help From My Friends"
#73. Jimmie Rodgers
Did you know there used to be a time when country music required talent and the best songwriters were writing country songs? Hard to believe, I know. But it's true, and Jimmie Rodgers, "The Singing Brakeman", was the first great country talent. A great guitarist and songwriter, but mostly known for his country yodel. Pure and true.
Listen: Jimmie Rodgers, "Blue Yodel #10"
#72. Gladys Knight
Among a list of pop music giants who recorded at Motown in the 60's, Gladys Knight gets lost too often. As soul music was coming of age, Knight and her Pips made some of the greatest music of the time. Knight had a strong voice, technically sound and powerful, with great soul.
Listen: Gladys Knight and The Pips, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
#71. Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson doesn't have the strongest voice, doesn't hit all the notes, isn't the fastest guitarist, isn't the best at anything. Except maybe musicality. What Nelson does is use his voice as an instrument and perform with that instrument the best way that fits the song. As an instrument, his voice matches perfectly with the broken old guitar he continues to use. His minimalist style (in singing and guitar-playing) is unique, maybe not to jazz music but certainly to country.
Listen: Willie Nelson, "Georgia On My Mind"
90. Norah Jones
Norah Jones came out of nowhere, winning a bunch of Grammys and hitting #1 with her first album. The reason was her brilliant voice. She has a "Phone Book Voice" -- she could sing the phone book and it would still be worth listening to. Not the widest range in the world, but she sings country and jazz ballads beautifully.
Listen: Norah Jones, "Thinking About You"
89. Steve Perry (of Journey)
No one hits a high note like Steve Perry. Just try to sing the first line of "Oh Sherrie". Or pretty much any Journey song. It can't be done, unless you're Steve Perry.
Listen: Journey, "Don't Stop Believin'"
88. Jim Morrison (of The Doors)
Jim Morrison is the ultimate front man: cool, good looking, controversial. He wasn't quite as good a singer as he was a front man, but he didn't try to do things he couldn't do (like sing high notes). What he lacked in vocal range, he gained back in emotional range, whether it was the bombast of "Unknown Soldier", the quiet desperation of "People Are Strange", the raw blues of "Been Down So Long" or the exultation of "L.A. Woman".
Listen: The Doors, "Soul Kitchen"
Still relevant, too. Here's Weird Al's latest video.
87. Peter Garrett (of Midnight Oil)
One ingredient of all great singing is passion, and Peter Garrett sings with incredible passion. Midnight Oil were one of the best live bands ever, due in large part to that passion. Garrett attacked every song. He was not into subtlety. Which worked just fine, since most Midnight Oil songs were about injustice and moral imperatives.
Listen: Midnight Oil, "Progress"
86. Tina Turner
Tina Turner had a lot of solo hits in the 80's, generally consisting of her doing a power ballad in a deep, husky voice over a cheesy synth backup. Although she was huge at the time, that is not what gets her into my Top 100. Instead, it's the work she did with husband Ike (a jerk but an excellent musician), when she was soulful, funky and raw. She had a great voice, but more than that, she tore into the songs she sang, always "nice and rough" as she said in Proud Mary.
Listen: Ike & Tina Turner, "I Want to Take You Higher"
85. Ray Davies (of The Kinks)
I currently rank The Kinks as the most underrated band of all time, and that goes in part to Ray Davies, too. He definitely does not have the technical chops, but he has everything else you need. You want power? Emotion? Musicianship? Try listening to "You Really Got Me", "Celluloid Heroes", and "This Time Tomorrow". Or just about any of the hundreds of amazing Kinks songs.
Listen: The Kinks, "Stormy Sky"
84. David Lee Roth (of Van Halen)
Few voices bring back the 80's for me like Diamond Dave's. Even without the karate kicks, he could elicit an emotional response better than most 1980's pretty boy singers. Eddie had the amazing licks, but Roth brought the attitude that made all teenage boys love Van Halen's music. If you don't believe me, just compare some of Sammy Hagar's songs to David Lee Roth's.
Listen: Van Halen, "Panama"
83. Gerry Rafferty
Don't feel bad if you have no idea who Gerry Rafferty is. He is sadly forgotten by most. He was the lead singer for the band Stealer's Wheel (of "Stuck in the Middle" fame) and he had a couple big hits in the early 80's. This guy has the coolest, smoothest voice ever (short of Sam Cooke, that is). If you think it was the sax solo that made "Baker Street" a hit, listen again to Rafferty's voice.
Since I don't have an MP3 of this, enjoy the video of Gerry Rafferty, "Baker Street":
(Listen also to Gerry Rafferty, "Right Down The Line".)
82. Chris Martin (of Coldplay)
Chris Martin takes a lot of shit for his "sensitive" singing style. Well, you can't say he doesn't emote. Coldplay didn't get to be the biggest band in the world for nothing and I don't think Martin gets enough credit for his singing.
Listen: A Chris Martin, solo piano, live version of "Yellow"
81. Etta James
To be honest, I have a feeling this is way too low for Etta James. Unfortunately, I just don't know her music. From what I've heard, she has a strong voice and embodies the term "soul" (which is about as high praise as I can give a singer).
Seriously, you really need to listen to: Etta James, "I'd Rather Go Blind"
...
It only took me 6 months after Rolling Stone produced a list of the Top 100 Singers of all time to create my own list. This list is based on my own personal preferences for singing, with high points given for uniqueness, originality, interpretation, and emotional connection to the music, all above technical skill (as any good Bob Dylan fan will tell you). And also, of course, high marks for singing music I like, because if you sing thrash metal or modern R&B or country, I have no use for you, so you can't make my list. Yes, it's pretty random, but here goes, starting from the bottom...
#100. Colin Meloy (of The Decemberists)
One of a very small number of current indie-rockers on my list, Meloy makes it because he has such a unique voice that seems to fit his oddball songwriting perfectly. He's great on both rock songs like The Rake's Song as well as the quiet ballads like Grace Cathedral Hill. Tremendous live, too.
Listen: The Decemberists, "Billy Liar"
#99. Robert Smith (of The Cure)
I like singers with voices so unique that as soon as you hear their songs, you know instantly who's performing them. Cure songs are instantly recognizable and so much fun to sing along to, because of Smith's improvisatory style. (Might be the weirdest-looking singer on my list, though.)
Listen: The Cure, "Just Like Heaven"
#98. Shawn Colvin
I don't have a lot of folkies on my list. Generally, I find singer-songwriter voices technically sound, but bland and inexpressive. (Sorry, James Taylor -- you didn't make my list.) But Shawn Colvin's voice is beautiful and expressive. And, besides her own solo work, she even sang backup on Suzanne Vega's "Luka".
Listen: Shawn Colvin, "I Don't Know Why"
#97. Tom Petty
He'd be much higher on a list of songwriters, but he's made the most out of a Dylanesque nasal twang, using it to put his stamp on a lot of great music. At this point, I think he slurs words even more than Dylan, but still, he's a great performer.
Listen: Tom Petty, "Mary Jane's Last Dance"
#96. John Kay (of Steppenwolf)
Blues singing isn't easy, and Steppenwolf are a highly-underrated blues band. Kay's blues rasp led the way, making great hits out of what were awfully simple blues riffs. He wasn't quite as good when he tried to do slow, sensitive stuff in his higher register, but he killed on hard blues like Born To Be Wild.
Listen: Steppenwolf, "Tighten Up Your Wig"
#95. Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson was a talented singer with a great range. Though most of his hits were mid-tempo laid back classics, he could also sing with a harder edge for heavier rock numbers.
Listen: Nilsson, "Everybody's Talkin'"
#94. Axl Rose
Axl Rose probably fails on the uniqueness metric. When Guns 'n Roses first came on the radio, my Mom always thought he was Robert Plant and G 'n R were Led Zeppelin. But every heavy metal singer after Led Zeppelin was copying Plant, right? And Axl was one of the better ones.
#93. Dave Wakeling (of English Beat & General Public)
Wakeling is probably a surprise pick, but he has a cool, interesting sounding voice with that wicked English accent, and his voice is pretty much the sound of 80's Ska, isn't it? The fact that he can sing these songs while also playing that ska guitar rhythm gives him huge bonus points, too.
Listen: The English Beat, "Best Friend"
#92. Murray Head
Murray Head's performance of Judas Iscariot on the original London cast album of Jesus Christ Superstar might be the single best rock vocal performance of all time. So I had to recognize him, even if he did go on to do "One Night in Bangkok".
Listen: Murray Head (as Judas), "Heaven on their Minds"
#91. Sarah McLachlan
OK, maybe Sarah McLachlan's career has come to an abrupt end, but for the couple years she ruled the AOR charts, it was all on the strength of her voice. Her voice has a richness you don't usually hear on radio, which is why she could make otherwise banal songs like "Adia" into big hits.
Listen: Sarah McLachlan, "Angel"
I've always said people who think of Devo as a synth-pop band are missing out on some great guitar-driven rock. So I wasn't completely surprised when Pearl Jam sang a new song ("Get Some") on Conan O'Brien's first show and it sounded almost exactly like the song "Gut Feeling" from Devo's incredible first album.
By the way, Gut Feeling is an awesome song. The surf-guitar intro just builds and builds -- I love it. (But for those in a rush, skip to the 2:30 mark to hear what PJ ripped off.)
Now skip to :25 in on this video to hear Pearl Jam's version (or listen to the whole song, which matches the Devo song exactly in chord progressions, I think.)
It's been a few years since I added a song to my songbook, but I saw this YouTube clip and had to post it.
"One Too Many Mornings" is easily one of my all-time favorite Bob Dylan songs. Not sure how a 24-year old gets away with singing a song about being "One too many mornings, and a thousand miles behind", but the lyrics are the typical Dylan genius in simplicity. Although I think the original version matches the tone best, I love the rock band version he did in the 70's and am slightly amused by the country version he did with Johnny Cash.
Here's the original, acoustic version from The Times They Are a-Changin':
Here's the alternate take he came up with on the Rolling Thunder Revue and Bob's incredible mid-70's hollering vocal style:
Here's the recently found Cash/Dylan version which I put around 1969-ish due to Bob's country (Nashville Skyline) voice. Their two voices never matched in the slightest, but they did a bunch of duets together and it seems from this video like at least they amused themselves.
It's been a few days since it ended, but since I was away, here's the wrap-up of the Summer tournament in Tokyo. It was a very exciting tournament, with 4 different wrestlers with a chance to win on the last day. In the end, Harumafuji won his first tournament ever, in a playoff over Hakuho.
On day 14, Hakuho lost his 33-match win streak when he fell to Ozeki Koto'oshu. That left him 13-1. It was followed by a match between Asashoryu and Harumafuji, both 12-1, to see who would stay tied for the lead. Harumafuji won it with a great leg trip. That left Hakuho and Harumafuji with 1 loss, and Asashoryu and Kisenosato with 2 losses going into the last day.
On Sunday, Kisenosato took care of business to finish 13-2. (It wasn't enough to win, but he did get the Fighting Spirit prize for the 3rd time in his career.) Then, Harumafuji faced Koto'oshu. A loss would have kept alive the possibility of a 4-way tie at 13-2. But Harumafuji came up with a great neck throw of Koto'oshu and finished at 14-1. Then, it all depended on the Asashoryu-Hakuho match. Asashoryu could have handed the tournament to Harumafuji by beating Hakuho, but he couldn't do it, and Hakuho ended up tied with Harumafuji at 14-1. Asashoryu finished in 4th place, at 12-3.
Then, Hakuho and Harumafuji faced off for the second time this tournament, in a playoff to determine the champion of the tournament:
In other news from the tournament, Kakuryu was one of three wrestlers who moved up to the top ranks for the first time, and he was the only one that survived it. He went 9-6 and won the Technique Prize for the 3rd time. He'll be moving up to Sekiwake for the next tournament.
Chiyotaikai actually won his last 3 matches (the fix was in, maybe?) to finish 8-7 and keep his Ozeki ranking. Besides Harumafuji, the Ozeki team was horrible as usual. Koto'oshu did manage to beat Hakuho, but he finished only 9-6, while Kotomitsuki, Kaio and Chiyotaikai all eked out 8-7 records.
Baruto, obviously injured, finished 4-11. Goeido finished 6-9 in his first tournament as a Sekiwake, and Tochiozan finished 6-9 in his first tournament as a Komusubi. All three will drop out of the named ranks, setting up a possible return to Sekiwake for Kisenosato after his 13-2 tournament at Maegashira #4.
The big loser this tournament was Homasho, who saved face with a win on the last day to finish 1-14. Ouch.
Young Russian Aran won his last 4 matches to go 8-7 at Maegashira #4, enough to move him up to the upper ranks and probably a date with all the Ozekis and Yokozunas in July. (I don't think he's ready for that.)
Giant Yamamotoyama lost 3 of his last 4, including the last day, to drop to 7-8 and get a small demotion for next tournament.
Young Japanese wrestler Toyohibiki followed up a championship in the minors in March with an 11-4 record in the majors this tournament, so he'll be moving up nicely in July.
Takamisakari went 6-1, then stumbled to a 9-6 record. But the good news is he isn't retiring. It was not his last tournament, just the last tournament under his current coach, who is retiring. Azumazeki is being replaced by current minor leaguer Ushiomaru, who did retire after this tournament ended.
Young up-and-coming Georgian wrestler Tochinoshin will move up in July after a 9-6 record this tournament.
The Juryo division was won by former major-leaguer Tama'asuka from the bottom of the minor rankings.
And in the Sumo pool, Kunitachi finished with a 2nd-straight 10-5 record. Though I should have done better, losing 2 tiebreakers in the tournament, I'm still on pace to make it up to Juryo in the pool by next March.
Here's one that lived up to the hype:
Unfortunately, this video doesn't have the replay with a closer look at the sweet move Hakuho made. Following his evil Sensei's advice ("Sweep the leg!"), with perfect timing he kicked Harumafuji's foot out from under him and down he went.
Hakuho is 13-0 (33-match win streak), with Asashoryu and Harumafuji one back at 12-1. Asashoryu faces Harumafuji tomorrow to see who gets to keep hope alive going into the last day of the tournament. (Of course, if it's Asashoryu there's more hope, since he'll be up against Hakuho on the last day.)
In other news, Takamisakari finally got his kachi-koshi (8 wins, guaranteeing a winning tournament). Unfortunately, if I was understanding the Japanese last night, it looks like this will be Takamisakari's last tournament. I think maybe he's retiring from competition so that he can take his coach's place at the head of the Azumazeki heya. His coach, the current Azumazeki Oyakata is turning 65 and maybe is forced into retirement (?). He is the former Takamiyama, the first great American wrestler and first foreigner to make the top of the Sumo ranks, reaching as high as Sekiwake, I think.
So did Kakuryu, who will definitely move up to Sekiwake, since both current Sekiwakes, Baruto and Goeido, now have 8 losses or more. And Chiyotaikai still lives, winning today to go to 6-7 with still a chance at 8 wins.
Matches of the day tomorrow: Hakuho vs. Koto'oshu; Asashoryu vs. Harumafuji
After 12 days, no one has been able to beat Harumafuji or Hakuho, so it's up to them. Hakuho easily moved Kaio out of the ring today, and Harumafuji put a nifty turn on Baruto to get behind him and usher him out, setting up a showdown tomorrow for the tournament lead. Here's video of Harumafuji's win over Baruto:
Hakuho moved to 32 straight wins, which tied him with two others for 5th-longest win streak ever. Next up is Asashoryu in 4th place with a 35-match streak a few years ago.
Asashoryu stayed just 1 back with another strong win over Kotomitsuki. With matches against Harumafuji on Saturday and Hakuho on Sunday, Asashoryu still has his destiny in his own hands. If he wins out, he wins the tournament.
Kisenosato had a bit of a miraculous save today against Miyabiyama to get his 10th win and preserve a slim chance to win the tournament (if the others all beat each other). Here's that match:
Chiyotaikai lost again today to drop to 5-7, meaning he needs to win his last 3 matches or he's no longer an Ozeki.
And Kunitachi keeps rolling, with a 4th straight win, to go to 8-4 and guarantee me a winning record and a move up the rankings for July. With a match tomorrow vs. 1-11 Ouchiyama, I expect to go to 9-4 and have a good chance at my 2nd straight 10-win tournament in the Sumo pool.
Match of the day tomorrow: 12-0 Hakuho vs. 12-0 Harumafuji
