Ian Anderson's voice
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Topic: Ian Anderson's voice
Posted By: humor4u1959
Subject: Ian Anderson's voice
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 18:06
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What the heck happened to his voice? Did he have nodes at one time? It makes me sad to hear him now. He even has a guy doing most of the singing live now.
His vocal parts never required range or power and he never screamed as some rockers have. So, I'm puzzled. Gary Brooker of Procol Harum is older than Anderson and still sounds great! He even sings all the really old material in the original key. Then again, he had a much better voice than Anderson in the first place. I'm a Tull fan, so I hope someone can explain his lack of voice to me. And please don't say it's age or just from using it so long. That would not cause it. I mean, he virtually has no voice left. So sad. |
Replies:
Posted By: PabstRibbon
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 22:11
| Anderson got a throat surgery some years ago that's the main reason. |
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 22:18
| His voice had been going for quite some time, but, if I remember right, it's not his first throat surgery. Not sure where I read that. |
Posted By: humor4u1959
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 01:53
First of all, I love your avatar! I saw Gabes with Genesis in 1974. Thanks so much to you both for replying. I figured it was something like that. Many singers develop nodules, i.e., "nodes", on their vocal cords. And they require surgery or can possibly turn into throat cancer. I was married many years to a very good singer (female). So, I know a bit about singing. Julie Andrews had surgery for nodes in the 90's and never sang again, to this day. She sued her doctor, but I never heard how that turned out. I suppose we should all be grateful that we have Ian's voice in fine form on record to listen to anytime we wish, eh? He was great! |
PabstRibbon wrote:Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 07:35
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I've been at the TAAB2 tour and he has a "clone", a boy who sings half of the songs on his behalf with his same voice, unbelievable. If you don't look you can think it's Ian singing. But for the parts he sings he's great as usual, only he can't probably sing too much. ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 07:41
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I'm genuinely sorry if Anderson has been afflicted with some sort of physical malady that affects his singing BUT: Notwithstanding the excellent musical materials prepared by himself and his fellow minstrels in merriment, I find all his vocal quirks, tics, affectations and techniques grievously irritating to the extent that I can never accede to Tull being a 1st generation prog pioneer (which they are dammit) ------------- 
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Posted By: Lizzy
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 07:48
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I know he had a throat surgery around the Crest of a Knave era, but he might have had another one around Heavy Horses, because he did have serious throat issues back then as well. I would blame a lot of his voice changes (he's the only singer I can think of at the moment who sounds different on every single album he's on) on the fact that he was a chain smoker, and his vocal chords possibly being more sensitive than others'. But these are mere speculations, of course. ------------- Property of Queen Productions... 
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Posted By: PabstRibbon
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 09:05
you lucky man!
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 09:10
I saw Tull a few years back and his voice was quite bad. Still plays a mean flute though..  It was a great show otherwise.
His voice was showing some strain in the 80's. They supported Marillion at a big open air show at Milton Keynes (1985/86?) I remember recording Tulls set off the radio and thinking that his voice was pretty bad back then, on some of the songs. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 10:12
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Saw Tull live five or six times (mid'90-mid'00) and I really can't complain about it (is it the same guy who sang on Aqualung?). He gave its best each and everytime I saw them. ------------- |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 10:15
| I suspect old age may have something to do with it as well, the same as Dylan, McCartney etc. |
Posted By: twseel
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 10:37
Might be a good reason for him to start making instrumental music 
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 10:43
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Has their been some degeneration in awesomeness in Mr. Anderson's voice?? I've not heard him of late, so let me know dear prog brothers and sisters. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Metalmarsh89
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 14:39
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A good diet and healthy living habits really help keep a singing voice intact for many, many years. Some people are blessed with an amazing voice that not only sounds amazing, but continues to do so for decades. Unfortunately, not all singers are this lucky, so if they pursue the life of heavy drinking and/or smoking, there are great risks down the road. I remember reading an article/interview with James LaBrie of Dream Theater on this topic, and him explaining what he does to keep his voice in top shape. As for what is going on with Ian Anderson's voice, I haven't a clue. I haven't listened to anything he's sung after the early 90's studio stuff. If he is/was a heavy chain smoker as some have stated here, than I don't find it at all surprising that lifestyle has come back to bite him. |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 19:57
Quite possible, because that's the first album on which his voice sounded sort of hoarse/croaky to me. If he was a chain smoker, it was probably inevitable.
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Posted By: infocat
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 23:06
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John Wetton's voice seems to be better than ever. (Can't say the same for his songwriting, though.) ------------- -- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 19 2013 at 13:33
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I remember Ian's voice was fairly coarse (not hoarse) sounding on the Rock Island tour. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: April 19 2013 at 14:30
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I saw Tull many times, from the mid seventies to the J-Tull Dot Com tour. While his voice was deteriorating noticably through the years, it wasn't until the Roots To Branches tour that his straining to hit high notes became painful to watch. ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: icmrocha
Date Posted: April 19 2013 at 15:35
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I've always thought that Ian's voice, from 87 until recently, suffered, more because of his breathing than his actual singing (not sure if I made myself clear here...) Listen to Locomotive Breath Live, for instance (on recent tours); It looks like he's having troubles catching his breath..  |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 19 2013 at 18:06
| Even though his voice hasn't been the same, I can't say it bothers me much on his latest live albums either. I got the Live at Montreux and Living with the past (or don't remember exactly the name, but it's the 90's 00's live album with songs from shows from this two decades). As a matter of fact, I like many of the songs on this albums much better than the 70's versions... mainly because flute and guitar are so much cooler, and perhaps in some cases even the drums sounding kind of harder and louder helps a bit too (though surely there are many fans of the 70's drummers on Tull that wouldn't agree with me). |
Posted By: Ytse_Jam
Date Posted: April 20 2013 at 10:41
| I was at the TAAB2 tour too, and his voice was quite weak actually, he couldn't sing almost any high pitched note, but he's still a great flute player and entertainer... |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: April 20 2013 at 10:52
Breath management is pretty fundamental to singing and a singer would generally regard singing as an extension of proper breathing. I would have to listen to that to understand his exact problems but if a singer's voice is not co-operating, he might try to power through his attack. That only adds to the strain and consumes a lot of breath, leading to panting or inability to hold back breath to complete the vocal phrase. EDIT: I just found a clip from 2007 and yes he sounds like he's breathing too heavily to sing but that effect comes from a weakened voice. The singer tries to push it harder to get a powerful tone and sounds strained in the process. If Ian Anderson had general breathing problems, he would struggle to play the flute. Instead, he actually plays the flute better here than in some 70s performances I have come across. |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 20 2013 at 12:10
James LaBrie is a huge model of consistancy for my ears. I hear he drinks alkaline solutions to sooth his throat! Pretty interesting. He is one of my gods for sure. Really like Ray Alder as well. His voice has really matured nicely over the years. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: saber4x
Date Posted: April 02 2014 at 14:20
| I think part of the problem is he doesn't have enough WIND from smoking. |
Posted By: makesMusic
Date Posted: May 02 2015 at 11:45
| WARNING! BORING OLD MUSICIAN POST! IA's voice started to lose it's top end (and to be fair-and I do love Tull-Ian never had a large vocal range anyway. Just about two octaves, and he (almost) never sang in his lowest octave-(E below middle C to e just above mid.C (written, not actual pitch)) around Stormwatch. He encountered massive throat problems (due to excessive smoking and poor breath control-remember breath control from singing and breath control from playing flute are two different techniques) during the Under Wraps tour and never recovered. It worsened on the Crest Of A Knave tour, and when I saw them on th Rock Island tour his voice was pretty thin...The last time I saw them was in the late '90s (I think...early aughts, maybe?) On a double bill with ELP...and it was a shock...IA could no longer hold any note for more than a few seconds. Mostly rewritten instrumental versions of songs with a LOT of (unrecognizable) flute parts and very little vocals. Then there was Keith Emerson's 2 finger+thumb only keyboard playing, and Greg Lake's voice made IA (now, yet) sound like Tony Bennett ...but that's another topic... |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: May 03 2015 at 11:40
| It happens to many of the great ones: Sinatra, Anderson, Gabriel, Lake, etc. Vocal chords age, also. Jon Anderson seems the most immune. Even though it was 14 years ago, saw him on the Magnification tour, and he sang like the angel he always sounded like. Not a missed note. |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: May 03 2015 at 12:29
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The last JT album that featured Anderson with vocals intact was the dreaded Under Wraps album from 1982. After that, he reportedly blew out his vocal chords and, sadly, never recovered his voice. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: May 03 2015 at 13:10
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I've seen two concerts in the last 10 or 15 years where Ian actually sounded alright: The Rubbing Elbows tour (2002-03) - All acoustic in a small theater setting. He didn't have to strain, and didn't have to reach embarrassingly for high notes on songs such as Aqualung or Songs from the Wood. Orchestral Tull (2005) - Primarily instrumental with orchestra and the talented (and definitely hot!) Lucia Micarelli on violin. Otherwise, Ian has been absolutely painful to listen to since the late 80s. I have been to concerts were I actually felt bad for him, and with Martin Barre gone I see no earthly reason to go again. Memories of fabulous Tull concerts from the 70s will more than suffice. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: makesMusic
Date Posted: May 04 2015 at 10:05
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I dunno if I would feel bad for him...touring is usually about needing money (really). IA seems to be doing all right...song royalties...salmon farming...(I think he still does this)...no regular band to pay a salary to...seems like an ego thing...that's not a judgement (promise)...just sayin'... RE: JON ANDERSON...he is a natural male alto (a rare vocal range to be sure). They sing naturally about a sixth higher than a tenor...IA is a baritone (having a much lower range than a tenor). Erm...for comparison Freddie Mercury was a tenor...Jon A. has also had massive problems with his throat and lungs and now when he performs the song keys have been (in some cases) drastically lowered.
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Posted By: makesMusic
Date Posted: May 04 2015 at 10:18
| Sorry about two posts in a row...but "The Dreaded Under Wraps" album? (I missed that comment.) Umm...both Ian A. And Martin B. think it's one of Tull's best lp's. (Sources: a LOT of interviews.) Not a personal favorite I admit but the two of them seem to be very proud of that album. Martin B. calling it "the one I really enjoy listening to"...(I swear that's a (semi-direct) quote"). |
Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: May 04 2015 at 10:49
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^ In my opinion the only good thing in "Under Wraps" is its cover. Very impressive. Back to the subject, I'm always trying not to miss Tull (or Ian Anderson with his band - Florian Opahle etc) concerts. I've seen about six shows in 2000s, including the latest TAAB2 tour and never had problems with Ian's voice. Yes, he sings lower than in the 70s, I can easily live with it. I even think that now there is more feeling in his voice than before. ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: makesMusic
Date Posted: May 05 2015 at 13:32
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The point (I think..) is should IA still be touring if he only plays the flute and sings the occasional lyric? At what point does he become a prop in his own show? Granted I did not see the TAAB2 show so maybe his showmanship is still top notch. (He was always fun to watch onstage.) But if he has been reduced to being the compere and a side musician at what point does this act become a JT tribute band featuring Ian Anderson? (And yes, UW has an awesome cover...
 ) |
Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: May 05 2015 at 14:13
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^ I think JT = IA (though Ian does not call his band, without Martin Barre, Jethro Tull). What the hell tribute band? I never understood these complaints "oh, Ian's voice is not the same anymore" because JT always had one singer, we all know his name. ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: makesMusic
Date Posted: May 06 2015 at 11:08
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Erm...yes (almost) but that was a musical development, not the original concept. (for the "almost " cf.Mick Abrams sings "Move On Alone" on This Was, and Jeffrey Hammond does "The Hare Who Lost...." on Passion Play). It may be true that NOW IA=JT but in a lot of fans eyes without Martin B. it's just not Tull...including me. MB wrote an awful lot of JT music without credit. Also the different personas of the band (i.e.:John Evans "sad clown" act) made JT a band...a group...like , maybe, Genesis...who also only had one singer, but Peter Gabriel is NOT Genensis, Phil Collins is NOT Genesis...Peter Hammil is NOT VGG....etc... oh...a tribute band is a bunch of musicians who love a particular group SO much they play nothing but that group's material. The big difference is that none of these musicians had anything at all to do with the original recordings, tours, line-ups (official or dissolved). They exist to recreate the sound of a band they love but were never in. So...the argument is something along the lines of:
Are Roger Daltrey/Pete Townshend really The Who (just because they say they are)? Should Jon Anderson/Rick Wakeman book themselves as Yes? Would the (aborted) reformation of Jimmy Page/John Paul Jones/Jason Bonham-but no Robert Plant-really be accepted as Led Zeppelin etc...? |
Posted By: fawleyjude
Date Posted: December 20 2016 at 18:45
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Actually, Ian's voice took a beating as far back as the Aqualung tour. He had to take some time off to give his voice a rest because he found he wasn't hitting some notes in the quieter parts of songs. I've read some articles by voice coaches who say that in general rock singing is really hard on the vocal chords and if you don't learn certain techniques you're likely to burn out your voice. |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 20 2016 at 19:38
| Ian Anderson doesn't do real hardcore rock singing and not over a large range either. But I remember down here there was this chap who played the flute (and very well too) for a composer but when the composer started making him sing, it affected his flute playing and he stopped. It's possible that vice versa too there is an effect - that is, all the flute playing affects Anderson's singing voice. And if he was a smoker that would compound problems; that's good enough by itself to destroy the voice. |
Posted By: Nanook
Date Posted: December 21 2016 at 16:46
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I saw Tull back in October 2007. He and the band were excellent, although his voice was a bit rough. I attributed it to his age, he was around 63 then I believe. It was a great show, one that you hated to see end. We all get old, it is inevitable. And cigarettes do not help a singer. ------------- Bring me my broadsword, and clear understanding. |
Posted By: Flight123
Date Posted: December 22 2016 at 03:37
| Nothing to do with cigs - the voice ages and it affects people in different ways. Ian Anderson is unlucky as it has affected his noticeably, which is a shame. I saw Tull at High Voltage in 2011 and was alarmed and I am surprised he hasn't retired the voice. By coincidence, I was looking at the YouTube footage of Greg Lake performing 'I Believe in Father Christmas' accompanied by Anderson on flute. Greg's voice sounded great - and so did Anderson on flute!! |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 22 2016 at 09:07
Can't be luck. There's nothing lucky about taking care of one's voice and those who do seem to have their voice well intact even as they age. Ronnie James Dio's singing was 10x extreme of Anderson and he had it until he finally fell prey to cancer. There are some singers who get away with smoking but THAT is a matter of luck and it's more likely than not to affect the voice. Anderson's flute playing - in particular his vigorous use of breath - probably also contributed to the problem. |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: December 22 2016 at 11:30
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Anderson had an operation on his throat in the 1980's. The band's first appearance after this was supporting Marillion at The Garden Party, Milton Keynes Bowl in 1986. The set was mainly an instrumental one, owing to voice issues. It has clearly never fully recovered, although singer's voices do lose a lot of their range in most cases (even Jon Anderson, whose voice is in remarkable health, has lost some of his range). I just put it down to the ravages of old age and that condition which necessitated surgery. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: December 22 2016 at 14:04
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Ian Anderson has always sounded as if he is suffering from adenoids -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 22 2016 at 20:19
If he's had an operation, then it's perfectly understandable why he would have issues. Mind, some singers like Klaus Meine got a sort of a 'permanent' throat after operation but he also corrected his technique slightly to make sure it wouldn't blow out again.
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Posted By: Terrapin Station
Date Posted: December 23 2016 at 04:55
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I've never had a problem with his voice live. I've seen Tull a bunch of times, in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s (I've not seen them this decade yet, however)--I saw them at least four times in both the 90s and 00s, and at least six times in both the 70s and 80s. I wouldn't say that Anderson would be a great vocalist in any arbitrary context, but for Tull I think he's perfect. |
Posted By: Quinino
Date Posted: December 23 2016 at 05:03
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Sad to know, but it's life's toll, I guess (my late granny would advise a good deal of lemon tea with honey to sweeten the voice - and stop smoking for God's sake!) |
Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: December 23 2016 at 20:48
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I'm listening to some of Ian Anderson's post surgery work (specifically Crest Of A Knave and his solo project Homo Erraticus) and he sounds fine when he's limiting himself to a quieter tone. ------------- He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball! |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: December 23 2016 at 21:19
This is what I too observed while watching a 1991 show of his. And that is to be expected. He has basically lost a lot of power, so when, for instance, he gets to the rocking portions of TAAB, he sounds like he's barely able to sing over the instruments. This can happen with age but in his case the decline set in much earlier and was dramatic. If you listen to Jon Anderson's performances of Turn of the century from the same period - 90s - he sounds pretty close to what he managed on the recording. While it starts to become a question of the singer's luck, schedule (too many shows or not) and overall health in his sixties, somebody in his forties wouldn't be too far off his prime.
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Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: December 23 2016 at 21:24
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I went to see them during that Crest of a Knave tour and his voice was shaky. I remember noticing how he seemed to rely a lot more on flute solos than usual, which was just fine by me. ------------- A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now) |