I HOPE you all can see that I do think he is an excellent singer here, and worthy of all of the accolades and respect he has earned. Great performance, great singer, and I am sure that I will revisit him again some time down the road. Tune in next week because there is a SUPER special episode in store. :) www.patreon.com/ZachAnsley For voice lessons: booklessonswithzach.10to8.com
1st comment! Nice analysis Zach.... you're always going to get haters and folks that think their singer's shit doesn't stink. Don't let them bother you. You're doing nothing wrong! Now as far as next week goes for your SUPER special episode, I'm hoping it's a follow up analysis on the late great Ronnie James Dio and his many vocal colors!!!!
Zach Ansley I posted this on your analysis of Ronnie James Dio, but want to make sure you see this so have put this here on a more recent video of yours, please revisit Ronnie's work again. Many thanks. Ronnie is still THE best metal singer! Have a look at this performance Zach. It's from 1977 when he was in a band called Rainbow, a powerful ballad ('Catch The Rainbow') that showcases Ronnie (this was before Ronnie became a metal singer, in the 70s he was a more hard rock vocalist). I'll track down some others for you to check out. There are some long instrumental passages in this song but it's worth watching it in its entirety so you don't miss anything from Ronnie (I wish Ronnie was louder in the mix at times): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j9B-71eVa6M.html Here is what is considered there greatest song among the fans, 'Stargazer.' It's the studio recording with some footage playing also, Ronnie is simply stunning on this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rVXy1OhaERY.html When Ronnie died Bruce Dickinson talked about him and how much he loved Ronnie's voice, and what a lovely human being he was. Instead of playing anything heavy of Ronnie's he chose something called 'Love Is All' (from 1974) that Ronnie did on a soundtrack called 'The Butterfly Ball & The Grasshopper's Feast' (written by Deep Purple's Roger Glover), which is a particular favourite of Bruce's: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RW9OYsMn4ds.html I realise 'Stargazer' and 'Love Is All' are studio tracks and you aren't able to analyse footage of him seeing them, but they are so good that I think you'll enjoy them a great deal. Still, the first song, 'Catch The Rainbow,' is actual live footage. Best wishes.
Another great video, dude! Very informative. Don't be afraid of offending anyone. In my opinion that's when the creative flow stops. I do appreciate your honesty and openness in interacting with the community. Keep it up dude!!
I have for me as a fact that Bruce is the greatest singer of all time and I didn't get offended or anything by your previous video. You shouldn't pay attention to these kind of critics.
As a die hard Iron maiden fan, I think you shouldn't pay attention to insults. Some people take it way too personal. You're absolutely right about all the movement on stage that could take a toll on performance, even if Bruce has a good support, even he is aware of it. Check The Talisman live in Chile 2009. He doesn't move that much because that is a very demanding song. Great channel. I'm subscribing.
In the case of Bruce I think that the wide open mouth kind of added to the character of his voice. Pretty quickly in his career he got the Nickname Bruce "air raid siren" Dickinson. Those wide vowels are exactly the ones I would think gave him that nickname because it gives a slightly similar feel. Back then it was already a love it or hate it sound. Personally I absolutely love it because it brings some gritt to the vocals which works extremely well with the metal genre. I fully realise that it's not necessarily the best technique (I think you explained that really well in both of your videos) but Bruce kind of gets away with it because unlike most other singers that do it, he doesn't lose anything in terms of articulation or power. I find him to be a pretty good rolemodel for rock singers since he doesn't do anything particularly unhealthy to his voice. And sorry to hear that there were people who posted awful comments on your previous video. I'm not surprised it happened because there are some fans that see Bruce as an absolute God (he's my favourite too) when it comes to singing. Same with the first (on record) singer of Iron Maiden: Paul Di'anno. The 90s period where there were 2 albums with another singer get bashed on a lot by these kind of people. Most of the time just because it isn't Bruce singing... So I assume some of them were also the ones who posted those awful comments on your video.
Basically his voice was in fantastic shape from 79 to 85 (though fairly inconsistant live due to heavy touring and him not having as healthy technique as later), then from 85 to say 90 he wasn't able to sing as high and he sounded pretty bad live (Infinite Dreams performance is from 88), then from 90 to 96ish he started hitting high notes again, but his voice was nowhere near as strong as it was in early 80s, then he hit his peak in 97 and it lasted until 2008ish (though it could be extended even up to 2011 as he still sounded absolutly amazing). 2012-2017 was a drop in quality but mostly due to him aging and getting tongue cancer. But then in 2018 he got back in form and was able to nail every song in one of the most demanding setlists Maiden have had, which is absolutly crazy considering he is 60 and he got rid of cancer only a few years back.
I think he would have an easier time doing an analysis on Marco Hietala. It would be interesting to see his take on his voice, seeings that Marco has been singing since the eighties and is an addmited smoker and drinker for most of the 30ish years he's been around.
That is a must for Zach! His words about Dio moved me to tears so it would be very interesting to hear what he thinks of another of my absolute favourite singers.
Eric Adams in his prime was fantastic to listen to. But he has lost so much since the mid 90s. Probably because he may have had flawed technique in the first place. So I guess we would need a good video from the 80s when he was at his best, to see whether there are indications of wrong technique that may have contributed to the decline of his singing capacity later on.
As a long time Iron Maiden fan I'm very disappointed to learn about thereactions by these (supposed) Iron Maiden fans. It looks like they don't live up to the high standard their heros set in terms of character, manners and so on.
I’m completely obsessed about Bruce’s voice and I have to say that this video was maybe the most educational and professional video about singing. Everyone - even masterclasses heroes like Bruce - have dozens of issues and you are helping us what we can do better as singers. Thank you very much for that! You gained a fan here!
I know absolutely nothing about singing but have spent a while watching Maiden live performances and I think you're right about the gospel jaw being there for when his voice isn't its best. When you watch something like Hallowed Be Thy Name or Children of the Damned live at Hammersmith 1982, back before he had spent all that time touring, you'll notice that it's missing entirely and he generally seems very in control of his movements. Compare that to performances from 1985 and he's flailing his arms about as he struggles to hit the same notes and the jaw thing is seen all over the place. Then you look at performances post-1990 where he kinda recovered and he's definitely doing the natural vibrato a bit more just still maintains the gospel jaw even to this day likely because of that time from like 1984-1988.
I think it's a habit he (and a lot of other rock and metal singers) developed from the early days. Maestro Z points out that some guy in the nosebleed seats of an arena's not going to be able to watch Dickinson hamming it up onstage, but back in the day when he was doing pubs and nightclubs full of drunks?
@@darastarscream I think that's a fair point but I'm not entirely sure that can be applied to Dickinson. The gospel jaw, as far as I can tell, wasn't a thing even in the Dortmund performance at the end of the World Piece Tour and by 1984 Maiden most certainly weren't playing small pubs anymore.
People complaining about you talking a lot... wtf? Are you waiting to watch the full clip with random remarks? Also, he gets insulted every time he does a popular singer that he has to prepare the audience first as if we were little pc babies. Great analysis. He is a marvellous singer. My favourite work is still Chemical wedding. As you stated understanding the mechanism behind singing and how they do it helps us appreciate more their craft and how demanding their job is.
It was great seeing you return to Bruce to give him another chance, sorry how brutal some of those comments you got on that first video were. Still it would be cool to see you return to Dio at another time, either later or earlier in his career. If you do, "Mistreated"- Rainbow 1977 Munich (early) or Lonely is the Word- by Heaven and Hell (old Dio) are both great performances and quality. Thanks for the content you make, and keep at it!
I can tell you, that from my hardcore fandom; of just seeking out every youtube interview I can find .. Bruce has described that he doesn't have any formal training of any kind. He's put it to light that he used to practice and warm up more often around the very beginning of his career, but not really ever at all as the group moved forward. I am no fact reference, but I have scoured youtube for his technique (why I`m here) and interviews.
To see Bruce Dickinson truly at his best you need to watch any concert pre 85 (over touring really its toll on his performances in 85). Hammersmith 82 is a legendary performance, not only singing near perfect renditions of tracks written with his vocals in mind but also expertly performing songs written for Paul di'anno (the previous vocalist) who had a very different style of singing. I literally get goose bumps watching his performance's during this period of his career. finally getting to see Iron Maiden live in august 2018, i can safely say even at age 62, he still has a great voice.
I think he studied singing over the years i think, early on he read alot of books on singing and help from other singers, like getting tips, his book has good insight and a good read.
Regarding the open mouth, I sing metal in pretty much the same style. I'm a girl, but my tessitura largely overlaps Bruce Dickinson's, and I do Maiden a lot. You see him widen his embouchure much more commonly in his younger years, and I would argue that a lot of it comes from just not trusting the sound or being able to hear well enough from the stage, especially because studio recordings sound so unforced. Even with the best in-ears, sometimes you can't hear yourself well enough, and I know at least when I don't trust what's coming out, I open too much in a similar way to try to brighten the sound, and it's a REALLY hard habit to break even with tons of concerts under the belt, particularly when there's so much power and not so much in the way of dynamics to mentally reset in the style itself. Some of those earlier live performances do end up with something painfully close to just yelling, and unfortunately, some of that has snuck back in post-cancer. Just a thought.
Very interesting perspective, and something I don't really encounter very often in the Bel Canto world, as we learn to sing to the acoustics of the room. Thanks for the insight! :)
It's something I picked up on a few years ago when I took a master class that had a thesis of "you don't need to open your mouth as wide as you think you do". When I sing opera or choral works, I tend to keep things pretty narrow, but the first video I saw from a metal show was REALLY wide. I started videoing everything after then, and basically, in my experience, the less prominent the voice is when you're used to producing a lot of volume, the easier it is to widen everything, and you have to be constantly cognizant of it when playing live. When my old band went in to record the EP, sure enough, the embouchure was relaxed and narrow again despite singing the exact same songs. It may be different for him, but I can see a similar issue cropping up. I've noticed it with Edguy's Tobias Sammet live, too, mostly because when he widens, he flattens dramatically.
Yes, we see his facial expressions way back there - especially when he's the focus on the massive monitors on each side of the stage, or when we're watching a recording... and as you're noticing, he's a storyteller who's intent on getting the fans to react and be a part of it.
Great video. Those death threats are pathetic as your are classically trained and know what you’re talking about. BTW when is your Tori Amos analysis video coming?
aww damn dude I'm sorry that the negative interweb goo got on you. I'm a die hard maiden fan, and I'm just glad that you picked some maiden to review. Keep on plugging man, do what makes you feel energized, ignore the haters :)
Great analysis! Loving these, in general. I enjoy (some of) the Vocal Coach React videos more than you would probably want me to. However, I am not looking at them for authority, necessarily. Does the other video still exist? I would like to see what the fuss was about. You mentioned that people came after you for the Tarja Turunen analysis. I just watched that prior to this one and I really can't see much of a criticism in that video other than how she would not cut it in opera singing that way (which would matter, if this were opera...). Then again, we all know how fan(atic)s are... Every video you spend about 5 minutes excusing yourself for doing your job. Though I get it here, because this is a follow-up excuse of sorts.
Aside from maiden performances you need to check out Bruce's performance on his solo live album Scream for me Brazil. The vocals are some of his best. In particular check out the track The Chemical Wedding and the lyric line " and all the lighthouses.......... "
Very nice Analysis again Zach, Bruce is a very big artist and with good reason.Being so good for so long must be a very difficult thing s i guess he is very careful/.
Oh man. I feel you. I'm not a music teacher, but I teach (other stuff at university). I used to play drums (long ago) and I have to say the same dispute occurs when we talk about some drummers. I appreciate your analysis. Everybody has some technical improvement to make. The most funny fact is that some artists themselves would tell us that but.... It is not possible to be perfect when you have so many other stuff you have to deal with besides only singing. The same applies to every other subject or discipline. We are all human afterall. It takes a lot of work to reach it, and some musicians reach certain point where they know what works for them professionally, and keep it that way. But many don't understand some biological aspects for example, and their vocals just have a short career. A good teacher would help a lot to avoid those pitfalls. I'm not talking about success or fame here. Just a healthy and long career, and if a singer has a good voice, man it's a perfect combination. Take drums for example, a lot of muscle to manage the instrument, but I see many (really a lot of) drummers that won't break the barrier to achieve their full potential because of bad habits and lack of technique, or just plain laziness. At least for me it's more obvious in drumming. Problems that are either externally visible or more internal need a good academic background to fully understand and a lot of work to overcome. It's not just feeling. I love Iron Maiden, I see the fan stand point, but some of them are cross talking your point because it is not what your video is about. Anyway, keep up the good work.
Excellent video! Long time Maiden fan and this was very informative and educational. Re the Infinite Dreams video he actually sounds like shit, so don't overthink what reactions you got on that video. His live performance was greatly improved when he went solo in the mid 90's and starting using hearing protection so that he acutally heard what he was singing and what the band played. Without protection you're going to shout and scream out the notes since you can't hear what you're doing... Great video!
I'll tell you why Bruce Dickinson doesn't shout in this song. He wrote it. It sits a lot more comfortably in his range than the songs Steve Harris writes for him, and Steve Harris is historically the main songwriter in Iron Maiden, though he has taken more of a collaborative approach in recent years.
If you look at his solo career separate from Maiden, you can see hims try many different singing styles. Almost like he wanted to experiment and find the whole range of what he was capable of. Different styles/genres of singing, vocal effects, timbres, basically everything he needs to project different characters, atmosphere and feeling into the songs which are often stories with characters which he tries to bring out using his voice. Like that nasal snarly voice he uses in Eldorado about the 2008 banking crash. When he came back from his hiatus from Maiden he brought a lot of what he learnt with him and incorporated them into the songs with a lot more control of his voice than he had previously. I noticed that from his biography that he also was very conscious about diet and cutting out dairy to keep his nasal passages open and throat free of phlegm etc.
I rarely comment on youtube videos but... really... ? telling someone to kill himself because he has been critical... Bruce would be ashamed of you all. Bruce has weaknesses in his singing technique so do all other singers. Zach, I don't know if you will see my comment but this is like the third or fourth video of yours that i've watched, I haven't seen your previous video on Bruce and, consedering it has been taken down, I probably never will but i'm sure nothing that you could have said deserve that kind of response. Keep on the good work, buddy. And don't give attention to people who insult you that's what they want and sincerely, they're not even worth it.
I think that the wide mouth thing is about shifting the harmonic structure... 2nd & 4th are more bel Canto, whereas 3rd / 5th /7th harmonics give that cutting, sharp sound that works better if you're singing over distorted electric guitars.
I understand your background, I have classical training as well. This kind of training is the best, in the sense that it is efficient and concrete. This is not true in other genres, as a matter of fact. E.g. there is no metal school that can teach you with the same efficiency as in classical music. However, it may work against you. That is, classical training is not about how it should be, rather than, what is the easiest way to learn and be able to perform (either singing, playing the violin, composing, doesn't matter) for this specific genre. And what is 'right' in this sense in classical music, may or may not be 'right' in other genres. This is a small but extreemely important difference that in my experience most of people coming from this background miss. I did also (took years to appreciate the genius behind 'The Prodigy' music).
I think you can never do anything wrong with starting out with classical training because as a singer you benefit so much from it and you can take what you learn and make adaptions when you want to sing other styles. However when you take classical training for too long (the time period being pretty much subjective for every singer) many singers tend not to be able to not sound like a classical singer when trying to sing other styles simply because, like you already mentioned in your comment, some things are deemed as completely wrong in classical singing that you do in other styles. Usually I would say most people will not face those kind of problems, (because at least in my experience when people don't plan on singing classical they don't take classical singing lessons for many years)but for some it can backfire.
Bruce has been up and down with his voice over the years, especially live, but then try doing what he did 5-6 nights a week for over a year. His early Maiden live stuff was pretty much cock-on. Then came Powerslave. Great album and performances, but that tour wrecked his voice for years to come. I know Live after Death is considered one of the best live albums there is, but for me, I was disappointed. On the high notes, where he should be ripping, he wails like some strangulated Alan Partridge, not even reaching the correct notes. I first saw Maiden at Sheffield City Hall in 1986, the day after they shot the Stranger in a Strange Land video there, and he was appalling. He was very ill, I must admit, but I'd been waiting to see Maiden for 4 years and to finally see them and for Bruce to be not even up to reasonable par was more than disappointing. (see the video of the 16th Oct 1986 on here to see how bad he was). However, then cut to the point in the 2000's when I saw Flight 666 and realised that the extended break from Maiden had actually improved his voice to the point where I thought he was better than he was in his "prime". His performance on those shows is amazing, hitting the high notes and beyond. Although I will always prefer Paul Di'Anno (sorry guys, I just love the timbre and delivery of his voice, when it was working) Bruce will always be Maiden.
Anther great analysis, thank you Zach! As far as his background, I'm not sure if he ever got any formal training, but he has surely never admitted to it (I don't think he would hide it from the public, but that's just my opinion). I read his autobiography last year, and he does talk about checking out some vocal technique books when he was in college, and trying to apply some of the principles that he found there. However, his singing dramatically improved at some points in his career, so I would think that at the very least he got some good advice along the way (however casually that could have happened), and had a good sense of how to implement it.
Hi! From what I know till 1990 he hasn't got any formal training in singing, and his voice was pretty much destroyed by extensive touring. In the '90s after he left Iron Maiden, he had time to sing as he wanted to and he found a technique that was more suited for him. Only possible vocal lessons he may take was maybe around 2015 after cancer because his voice during that time was not so good. Many problems with his voice around 2012-2015 are credited to cancer developing in his throat.
According to his autobiography -- which is a fun read, it's chapter after chapter of You Can't *Make* This Stuff Up -- he's pretty much self-taught. His girlfriend gave him some coaching and he used her notebooks and a lot of library research. I don't know for sure if he's had any professional instruction.
Yes, as we see and hear Bruce, there are lots of things we hear and feel. And you my friend approached this as a teacher. Anyone who came here for a total fan video clicked the wrong video. I appreciate Revelations, and this vocal coaches on it.
The difference here is these guys aren't using backing tracks or tracking the vocals over in the studio like a lot of these bands do on supposed "live" shows. He's in his late 50's here.
Thanks for creating such interesting content. It's so nice to hear an in-depth analysis from a slightly different and more professional perspective than most 'reaction videos' on RU-vid. I've been a heavy metal fan for a long time now, and I've recently started to become more interested in singing and singing technique after watching the Chinese music talent show Super Vocal (声入人心). There's a large number of incredibly talented singers on that show. There's performances of musical songs (Memory, Phantom of the Opera) opera (Ah! Mes Amis, Nessun Dorma) and more pop-type songs (Sound of Silence, Volare) as well. If you're looking for something a little different, then those guys could be interesting too. Looking forward to watching more of your analyses in the future! Don't let anybody discourage you from making this great quality content.
Dude, I'm a giant maiden fan. Bruce is probably my favorite singer ever. With that being said, it's disturbing that you had to record this. Not that you did it, but that comments were so bad, you were left feeling that it was necessary. People need to chill the hell out. Don't take it so personally if a guy on RU-vid disagrees with you, and stop making metal fans look bad.
Have no fear, understood by intelligent fans that you don’t react as a fan boy but as a voice expert. Bruce I am sure would demand your strictest judgement and criticism
I just watched the last Iron Maiden video just a couple of days ago. The only real thing you dinged him for was his vibrato wasn't natural. The internet is an awful place. Stay strong.
Yes, people in contemporary music are using microphones so they don’t have to worry about being powerful and having a voice that covers the entire room. That’s why it’s safe for them to raise their larynx and use that wider embouchure, because as another vocal coach named Justin stony said [New York vocal coaching], a high larynx is OK to sing with as long as you’re keeping it stable and as long as you’re not pushing your voice. That’s exactly the case with metal singers, when they have the Higher Larynx, they are not pushing their voice anyway.
If you want to be impressed by someone who can sing while they are older, I highly suggest you check out Ronnie James Dio singing Children of the Sea while he was with Heaven and Hell at The Wacken festival. He was 67 years old and suffering from the later stages of stomach cancer yet still had an incredible voice.
@@thorstormlord yeah, I was strictly talking about comments under this video though ;) I've been here since the very beggining and remember this one vid talking about Russell Allan being role model for vocal health
As a 40 year Bruce fan, 1/ he's not flawless and we'd like him less if he was, and 2/ as a professionnal, he'd probably agree with technical comments from a coach
I applaud your approach and philosophy. Analysis and constructive critiques are always extremely difficult. You have my deepest respect for running a channel. Bruce Dickinson is sometimes cited as having a vocal range of 4.25 octaves. I freely admit he sticks to a narrow band of that. This leads to an obvious question - does this sort of compression of range impact anything beyond the range? In other words, is there a measurable difference between a person with a 4.25 octave range singing in a single octave and a person with a one octave range range singing the same thing? I don't know if that makes any sense.
It's dangerous and destructive to over-identify with a cultural artefact. Then you can't handle constructive criticism cause it becomes an attack on your own identity. People have a hard time understanding why Muslims gets so triggered when someone offends their prophet. In fact, it's easy. Watch Iron Maiden fanatic fans
Zack, you said that the back of the audience can't see his facial expressions, sure, but the front rows can, and if people are videoing the show (as is now), that's another factor. That's my two cents on it. Listening to what you said, it made me want to watch a 2018 concert and he is taking breaths in between words when he didn't in past shows. BUT he's 60, 60 and he's still running around and jumping over speakers, he probably wears out a lot faster than he use to. He still sounds good though.
I'm no voice expert but my impression as a long-time Iron Maiden fan is that he started as an amazingy talented singer with seven lungs and a siren in his throat, if you tried listening to very early iron maiden and even better his Samson lives you'll get what I mean. He sounds like someone who's just winging it because he can. Then with the long tours in the mid 80's his voice declined drastically, the bootlegs of their lives in 86 for somewhere in time are quite awful. My assumption is around the beginning of the 90's he started working seriously on his technique and that's why he came back to Iron Maiden in 2000 with a much stronger sense of control. His not as wild, but he definitely improved
I saw them twice in the 80s, and he definitely sounds better now, almost like he learned how to take care of his voice and accomplish his vocal goals without the strain and effort.
Don't let these Aspergic metal fans get you down. Just offer your honest critiques. Shit sucks. Or it's good. The truth is evident to one with knowledge such as you.
It's so sad that maiden fans respond that way and being nesty and disrespectful, it just perpetuates the stigma that metal heads are just a bunch of idiots behaving like animals. I love metal, and my metal head friends are nice people. Such responds make me sad
I'm a Maiden fan and I'd never react that way. Whatever anybody says about Bruce's voice it doesn't change me liking it and his style(s) of singing a single bit. The problem is: Wherever you go, whatever youdo, whatever you like there will always be idiots and assholes sitting in the same boat with you. Idiots and assholes almost always are the loudest group.
This guy can sing and his performance takes it to another level hey its called rock n roll its more than the sum of its parts Brilliant and I am not an Iron Maiden fan but huge huge respect
Did you read the comments to my first Bruce Dickinson video? This video was specifically made in response to the first one where fans tore me to shreds for nearly every reason imaginable other than the analysis itself.
He's applying a standard from an operatic singing context. For example, John Lennon chewed gum while singing songs yet I can listen to his songs all day. Not necessarily the best singer but a great and creative songwriter) I'm not a singer. But, I can also listen to Floore Jansen (Nightwish), Steve Perry (Journey), Geoff Tate (Queensryche) and I know they are great singers. Personal preferences.
Hey Zach, I've been here since before this even existed (that DT video comment discussion) and I love how you've improved your setting. But there's one thing that still could improve I think. The volume difference between when you speak and when you sing is too wide, I enjoy your videos but I'm constantly moving the volume because when you sing my speakers scream at my face and then when you talk I have to up it down a little bit because I can't quite hear you. Maybe find a way to balance the audio when you sing? Of course if I'm the only one there's no need to tweak anything, but just in case. Just my 2 cents.
Yeah, I know. I'm an opera singer. We have two volumes, loud and louder. I have the gain on my interface literally turned down to zero and in reaper I use a volume envelope for those parts and its STILL huge. You should hear me in person at my voice studio. My students have to cover their ears a lot.
IIRC, I once read that Bruce Dickinson, for most of his career, did use neither ear-plugs nor in-ear-monitors, i.e. he never could hear himself sing while performing on stage. This appears to be the reason for his often lackluster live performances until he left the band in 1993. This changed after he rejoined the band in 2001 and his live vocals improved notably.
In his autobiography, Bruce says he had begun singing with bands, but then a girlfriend who'd had some vocal tuition in the past recommended a book, from which he self taught - the chapter's called 'organ pipes', and he details how he used the book to develop his style of singing, whilst dropping in an odd phrase from his hero Ian Gillan of Deep Purple and Ronnie James Dio along the way. Post chemotherapy for tongue cancer in 2015, he had to remain virtually silent for three months, and then with the support of some further vocal tuition, rediscovered his singing voice again. Cheers Zach, I enjoy your posts, Bez
As a vocalist in a rock and roll band, I've understood what you try to convey from the beginning. To those who don't "get it"...time with them is wasted. I enjoy and respect what you do. Keep 'me' in mind when you wonder why you're doing these videos. I always have capacity for vocal knowledge and appreciate your wisdom and insight. Whether I agree or not. I take what I can use and throw away the rest. Again, thank you for what you do.
If you don't no he had cancer in his throat while on tour for the Book Of Souls tour. He never stoped. He healed up. went right back on tour, even with that he still had that voice UP THE IRONS Ok I added this comment a few min in, so you did mention his cancer. So that should tell you something about him.
I really liked your first video on Dickinson and I really liked this one as well. The only thing you really commented on in therms of criticism in both videos was his use of "gospel vibrato". Less so in this video of course since he used it so much more in the older video.
Dynamically Dickinson I think Dickinson learned a lot from Ian Gillan and Ronnie Dio who were probably more naturally gifted singers, but didn't necessarily work as hard as he has to develop and maintain their voices over time.
Another question, this time regarding the gospel jaw. I'm not going to spot it reliably, I'm simply not trained in music, but you are and you've seen a few performances at this point. Is there anything to indicate the gospel jaw may be deliberate theatre? In other words, a deliberate theatrical distortion to indicate a different speaker/perspective or a mood shift? Same way thespians can use extra/under emphasis to denote the start of something important. I've no idea if he's doing that, or if it'd be suitable, but if he's using it consistently AND it's dramatically different, a loss of control might be explained as intentional. But only if you see it consistently at the start of new scenes, and for the same scene changes on different performances. You may be right that it's a backup strategy. A backup strategy won't be applied at the same sort of places in different songs or in the same place in the same song on different performances. We therefore have a reasonable test. You're experienced in singing so your gut feeling is much more likely to be correct, but I'd like your opinion on a theatrical idea as you didn't sound entirely convinced and Bruce is a master of theatre. Let's rule out the alternative.
I think for people to sing vibrato to focus too much on the jaw movement is a bad focus. I see the movement as a consequence of being relaxed in the jab muscles. The vibrato happens in the throat and thats where the focus should be. The jaw movement is just a side effect. To force the jaw to move is a wrong focus.
I'd be really interested to do an analysis on a very early stage in his career (for example the whole Hammersmith '82 concert). He sings very aggressive there, I wonder what you would say about his style of singing with a lot of rasp (Wrathchild in Hammersmith might be the best example)
Mikael Ålerfeldt vibration is shaking your head in a rapid nodding while singing. Not sure did it come after he got his voice damaged or has it always been his habit. So there's one artificial vibrato. He has a very nice voice overall though. Other than that, good video as always, Zach!
One thing that always impressed me is how long he can hold a note without taking a breath. In the old days they would play Running Free and he hold the OOOOOH for well over 3 minutes without taking a breath.
