Strum and Sing

One revolutionary thing about The Beatles was that they did not just have one lead singer, but all the members sang and could sing lead on a song. In fact, when they met producer George Martin for the first time, he tried to figure out which member would be the lead singer, but he did not want to sacrifice any of the voices in the band. It should be noted that the Fab Four took this practice from their idol Buddy Holly, who had all the members of his band The Crickets sing on his records.

Now as revolutionary as this was, it did not become a practice continued on throughout Rock 'n' Roll. Their media-driven rivals from that era, The Rolling Stones, had a member who was simply a singer. This is no dig at Mick Jagger, for the world would not be the same without him, it is simply observation. More specifically an observation that leads into the thought that sparked this post: I love it when the lead guitarist, who does not regularly sing, takes over the duty for a song and allows another aspect of his genius to shine forth.

 The third band in the trinity of 60's British bands, The Who were a driving force behind the practice of the lead singer taking a song off. Given his force behind each song, Pete Townshed would typically inject himself into the songs both through guitar and backing vocals. At times, he would sing the role of one character and Roger Daltrey would sing the other. But on "Going Mobile" from the bands 1971 release, Daltrey steps aside completely and allows the band to function as a trio with Townshed on lead vocals. In my opinion, on this song Townshed lets loose and relaxes a bit. It is light-hearted in tone and in feel. An acoustic guitar gets the song started and continues to drive throughout the song as the rest of the band comes in. Toward the end, Townshed injects a guitar solo played on a synthesizer. For me, that signals that he is not trying to shine forth on this song as the guitar player that made him famous. Instead he is the fella relaxing, playing acoustic guitar with his mates, and singing about traveling. Truly, he uses some fun lines in the song. For example, he is a "hippie gypsy", who is mobile as "the police and taxman" miss him and who is at home while driving free. The song is all about escape and hitting the open road. Everyone can find inspiration in the fact that Townshed makes this statement doing what he loves the most, playing music. 

The Rolling Stones classic 1978 album Some Girls contained a track with Keith Richards on lead vocals. He penned "Before They Make Me Run" following an arrest for heroine possession the previous year. Richards' future in the band was in jeopardy following the arrest. On the song, he sings with a vulnerable and unapologetic voice. The song is about going out on your own terms. Richards declares "After all is said and done, I gotta move, its still fun/ I'm gonna walk before they make me run." It rocks like a classic Stones song. The opening riff to the song announces it start like a trumpet. The march continues on and it has that late 70's groove that the band was pioneering. I believe that it belongs high on the list of Stones hits. If for no other reason than it shows the true talent of the band as an unit. Jagger even contributes backing vocals. In effect he supports his friend's desire to express how he is feeling. Richards expresses so much in this fun, deep album cut from one the most important bands in rock history.

The last song I want to highlight comes from one the most important bands of the last twenty years: Oasis. Just following "Wonderwall" on (What's The Story) Morning Glory? was "Don't Look Back In Anger. For once, Noel Gallagher sang the words he wrote. He does so in a rather controlled manner that stays in tune with the rest of the song. He also includes his signature sound, Beatles-like yet still so Brit Pop. He admits that he did lift a few of the words from John Lennon, but it would not be a Gallagher song without some connection to The Beatles. It should also be noted that the opening piano bears a striking resemblance to Lennon's "Imagine", but that only serves as another means of contributing to the very calm and soothing nature of the song. It is not a large and bombastic anthem like "Wonderwall. Instead it brings the listener in and provides simple and sweet sonic enjoyment.

Please listen to this tracks and appreciate when a musician steps out of their comfort zone to share more of their talent.