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HackettFan 
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 Topic: Ian Anderson's voice
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.
Edited by HackettFan - December 23 2016 at 21:24
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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)
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rogerthat
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Posted: December 23 2016 at 21:19 |
 KingCrInuYasha wrote:
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.
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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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KingCrInuYasha
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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.
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He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!
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Quinino
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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!)
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Terrapin Station
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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.
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rogerthat
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Posted: December 22 2016 at 20:19 |
lazland wrote:
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. |
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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BaldJean
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Posted: December 22 2016 at 14:04 |
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Ian Anderson has always sounded as if he is suffering from adenoids
Edited by BaldJean - December 23 2016 at 02:13
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 A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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lazland
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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.
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Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
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rogerthat
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Posted: December 22 2016 at 09:07 |
Flight123 wrote:
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!! |
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.
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Flight123
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Posted: December 22 2016 at 03:37 |
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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!!
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Nanook
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Posted: December 21 2016 at 16:46 |
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.
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Bring me my broadsword, and clear understanding.
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rogerthat
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Posted: December 20 2016 at 19:38 |
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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.
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fawleyjude
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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.
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makesMusic
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Posted: May 06 2015 at 11:08 |
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...?
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NotAProghead
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Posted: May 05 2015 at 14:13 |
^ 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. 
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Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)
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makesMusic
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Posted: May 05 2015 at 13:32 |
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... ) |
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NotAProghead
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Posted: May 04 2015 at 10:49 |
^ 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.
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Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)
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makesMusic
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Posted: May 04 2015 at 10:18 |
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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").
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makesMusic
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Posted: May 04 2015 at 10:05 |
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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The Dark Elf
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Posted: May 03 2015 at 13:10 |
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.
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Ian Anderson's voice
