I was trying to find a thread devoted to MES' vox, but I couldn't find one. :confused:

I was reading a glowing review of Fall Heads Roll the other day, where MES' voice was described as "always ugly and tuneless", yet having eventually taken on an "incredible inner-poetry of its own".
Ugly and tuneless? Scheiße!!!

It's the greatest voice ever. Beautiful, unique, fearless, visceral, frightening, urgent, honest, touching, mocking, playful... amazing!

MES is always rightly praised for the brilliance of his lyrics, but he isn't always so recognised for the genius of his vocals.
So, a thread about just that...
What are your favourite MES vocals?

His phrasing and intonation on "Wings" give me goosebumps. I think it's an astonishing performance and there's no one else in the history of mouths who could come close to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m2lfk4Bm34

Oops, there is a thread for vocal moments. :ohdear:

I was thinking in broader terms, though; not just his best moments but what people think of his voice in general...

Yes, good thread. And yes. it's the finest musical voice I've ever heard, just in a different league to the rest - it was the thing that eclipsed everything else the night I first heard it. It's a great instrument because it doesn't just play along with the tune like voices (and instruments) usually do, it adds a whole new texture to the thing. Wings is a good call: I think he's probably the part of the mix that's outstanding on all the peak Brix-era LPs and my later faves, whereas Witch Trials is more an ensemble piece. It always puzzles me when even fans say he's not much of a singer. He is, most of the rest aren't.

In terms of originality and inventiveness, his only rival is Frank Sinatra. Seriously.

Hmm I think louis Armstrong did more for singing than Sinatra, unless you're talking about the using the microphone as an instrument thing, which Smith certainly does.
But anyway Marks voice is the most liberated I have ever heard.

That Man.
New Face In Hell.
Lay of the Land
SlangKing
Ketamine Son

Big ups for the unabashed praise here B.K..

Without the MES vocal there is no Fall. It is the most amazing voice, with great light and shade, and brilliant phrasing. People who say he can't sing are not listening. It is 'the voice' for me.

The greatest vocalist in history just by virtue of the sheer power and communication he conveys. The timing is amazing too.

Unbelievably good.

I agree with every word said above, and since they all said it better than I could, I'll leave it. We know he's the best. Many people get interested in The Fall on the strength of the vocals alone. I knew a girl once who didn't really like The Fall, but 'loved his voice.' B)


There's too many faves to mention, but let me underline "Couldn't Get Ahead" for sounding like he means it, and "City Hobgoblins" which has one of yer more rousing vocals.

Here's a theory: the 'genius' comes directly out of his voice and that's why he was great right from the first album - I mean that what he sang, what words he used, are caused by the sound his voice makes.

He got well lucky, for sure.

I agree with all the above, but have to say his powers are somewhat diminished now...

Live, he holds the mic like a rapper so you can't really hear him properly to judge.

In the studio, his timing is bolstered by a fair bit of cut and paste - Pritchard said so in those interviews after his final split and it's pretty easy to tell this is hapening on IWS.

This doesn't seem to have taken place on RPTLC and one of the reasons it's a less successful album (IMO) is his second-rate vocal performance.

The voice still SOUNDS great, mind, and I'm a big fan of the 'growling' style - the special effects on Mod Mock Goth don't outshine his delivery.

I think MES's voice/singing peaked on The Unutterable and TRNFLP. It may have become a bit too slurred on the last two or three records.

Bestest growls - The Past#2
Bestest squeaks - Spectre vs. Rector 2

I miss those squeaks.

Athlete Cured, cock.

Me too :cry2:

I miss his real teeth.

True, but maybe what caused his teeth to fall out contributed to the uniqueness of his voice in the first place - i.e. speed?

Indeed

If the squeaks were the speed, then are the growls whisky?

or indigestion.

His voice on the Peel "Blindness" is fantastic, and there are still many songs since where what he does gives me goosebumps.
I agree that his voice on TRNFLP is extraordinary, though. It was after listening to that that I started this thread, funnily enough.
I think what he did on the Von Sudenfed album was extraordinary on some songs, too. :wub:

The variation in what he does is rarely mentioned, either. Most other singers seem to have the same vocal style throughout their entire career, but anyone who says MES sounds the same on every record is wrong. I think there's very few Fall songs where you can say he sounds exactly like he did on another Fall song. It's as diverse as the music has been over the years.

hey, it's always differ... no, sorry, doesn't matter. as you were.

:wub:

That picture makes me wish I hadn't got rid of my V-Necks.

That picture makes me wish I'd been braver and become a groupie for a few years :wub:

The "new" growly gurgles and such seem to be a real divider but I love most of the vocals on Ersatz GB.
They're infectious. I find myself going COOOOOOOOOSSSSSMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSS SEVUHN!!! during Cosmos and GREEEEEEN-WAY and so on.
I love the "brrrrr" on Taking Off - the vocals on that are the most subtle, I think - they really work with the music, esp the last bits.
There's a bit at the end of the lunatic mix of Monocard where he almost breaks into a melody which is ace.
There's loads of wonderful little vocal inflections and delivery on this album. So infectious.
COSMOS AWAKE!!!

I love the way he does the talky bits on Greenway. esp. the bit "people like that... really get... on my!... nerves."
All the little gurgly bits on Mask Search + the tarzan scream.

Bal-tazar!
Bal-tazar!
Metal mask
BEEEEEEIIIIJJJJIIIIINNNNNGGGG!!!! :D

edit: whoops the "brrrr" bit i spoke about is on Cosmos. "brrrrrrr, rat's head!"

I'm not so keen on the Smith growl myself. It's been going on for quite a while now, the earliest example I can find of it is on the Edwyn Collins "I'm Not Following You" remix thing from 1997. Can anyone think of an earlier example?

What a great picture.

I'd say he's the greatest vocalist, but no singer. In fact I don't like it when he tries to hold a proper tune as in Edinburgh Man.