I haven't been able to care about this all that much, but since spending more time recording in the past 2 years than I ever thought I would, it's certainly been this major concern for engineers, us musicians, producers, mixing folks, etc.

But now I'm hearing lots of records (open chord E major, left channel guitar at :47 on "Where I'm Anymore" from new Grandaddy) that feature this...and it really doesn't phase me.

For that matter, what about Greg Dulli's voice? Dude was clearly off on lots of songs, but that never bothered me...

Hmph.

So how's the new Grandaddy?

Please let Toddzilla be their one aberration.

Eh, a few good tunes. I dunno, I really haven't listened to it much...been way too preoccupied with the new Lips, if that's at all telling about where my head's at.

it's as good as the new Flaming Lips, which sucks.

being out of tune never seemed to bother any jadetree bands

I think a classic example of this is Psych Furs' versions of Pretty In Pink (the song). The original, though the guitar is out of tune, is so much better than the re-recording.

Perhaps it's the emotional response to subtle microtonal pitch intervals?

Doesn't Bob Dylan bend like every note (in his vocals)? People don't seem to mind that...

j.casablancas on juicebox - kills me. i have to skip that song every time now.


for that matter, jc on pretty much every song, I guess, but thats the only one that i cant stand.

It drives my wife nuts, but doesn't bother me much if the singer or musician is interesting.

If she hears Dinosaur, Jr., or something like that, her derision knows no limit.

I have a problem with it. If it is an 'out-of-tune-on-purpose' situation, it's easier to let slide, since if that's the case it's usually obvious. But if a musician is just habitually out of tune, then I can't stand it. And I can tell even if it's just a little off. Drives me crazy.

I really have no idea what being out of tune sounds like, so it can't really bother me.

dulli does that on purpose.....

With HoP, he engineer asked me if I wanted to pitch correct a couple of things on the record. I told him to leave it; if I was off a bit, it's just the way I sing -- I'm by no means a great singer.

Now I wish I had let him do it.
It's all I hear when I hear those songs.

Nick Cave goes off notes quite often when he holds them out too long. But that just makes him more effectively creepy and keeps him from aping Morrison too much.

Vocally, the Dylans, Youngs and Mark E.'s of the world don't give a flying frick who thinks they can sing or not.

I'm not adept enough technically to always be able to tell if a musician is off tune with his instrument.

i agree

One time I played Beat Happening and Formerly Known As Oedipusaurus Rex back to back and my wife killed me.

Not being a musician I can't speak to exacting standards, but I can say that I have never heard more out of tune singing than on every Velocity Girl Record. Especially Copacetic and earlier.

I loved Sarah, seeing here in concert was awesome, but she didnt have a good singing voice in my opinion...

Huh? I thought she was a classically trained vocalist? I read that one of the reasons VG dissolved was because she wanted to return to the conservatory and no longer pursue "a lesser medium" or something to that effect.

Hmm.

Also, how is Dulli "doing it on purpose" and why? I thought he was consistently going for a live-sounding vocal in the studio (whereas he's on key on the same song live).

i'd rather have out of tune with style than in tune with an auto tuner (unless it is REALLY subtle, and even then i'm not sure)

That dude from Babyshambles will bend a note oh-so-gloriously.

I think I'm kinda tone deaf so I feel the same way.

Actually, I think it's more likely that I've come to accept out-of-tune vocals as kind of a rock standard. I remember Robert Plant really bothered me when I first starting listening to Led Zep, but now I wouldn't even notice. I generally crave a certain amount of dischord or else things sound too sterile.

As someone who is generally anti-professionalism it won't surprise you that my all time favourite record is unbelievably out of tune!