PunBB

Is it just me or should he have brushed up on the words a little bit before singing the anthem tonight.

the ohoooooohhhwawawawawa part at the end made me laugh out loud

Yeah, it'd be nice if the correct words were sung. I can't understand why the words are so difficult to remember. I mean, he probably practised a bunch of times during the day.

I understand that this might sound funny coming from a fan of the most forgetful lead singer in music history but still.......it's an anthem.

I can't stand hearing any anthem that a celeb sings. Most times they butcher it and use some sort of literary license to personalize it to their style. Just sing the anthem the way it was composed instead of making it a rock song. :rambo:

High

highlander Wrote:I can't stand hearing any anthem that a celeb sings. Most times they butcher it and use some sort of literary license to personalize it to their style. Just sing the anthem the way it was composed instead of making it a rock song. :rambo:

High

Absolutely!

How is it that an American can forget the words to his own anthem? I'm a Canadian, yet I can sing the US anthem word-for-word!

And High, you hit the nail on the head. Just sing the song as it was written.

But further to that, why do we even sing anthems before sporting events?

I agree. The national anthen is meant to be sung a specific way. It should not be open to artistic impression. Most artists these days try to make it into an artistic musical piece, almost like it's going to make or break their career, rather than singing it the way it was written.

I missed Tylers version of it though. Anyone know if it's floating around on torrents or mp3 version? I'd like to hear how badly he screwed it up.

I thought he did a good job......I've heard worse thats for sure..

highlander Wrote:I can't stand hearing any anthem that a celeb sings. Most times they butcher it and use some sort of literary license to personalize it to their style. Just sing the anthem the way it was composed instead of making it a rock song. :rambo:

High

I have always agreed with the point that anthems are not subject to artistic license. But after Sunday night's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner as performed by Mr. James Taylor, I now think that there may be some wriggle room here. Did anyone happen to see it?

He actually took his Ovation acoustic on-field with him, and strummed along in signature Taylor style, and I felt it was a quite moving rendition of my country's anthem. JT is nothing short of a legendary singer/songwriter, and 'American Folk' music (where his roots lie) is, by definition, a simple art form which characterizes the customs, lore, and traditions of a culture. To hear the national anthem sung with folk stylings, by one of the genre's legends, did nothing but add significance to the long-standing tradition of honoring this country by singing the Star Spangled Banner before the most American of sports is played.

It important to note that he did not alter a single note from its traditional tune as he sang the anthem; he simply added some backing chords in his familiar style. I see no harm in this, as long as the stylings present a form that is true to the culture of the nation. If Aretha Franklin were to sing a soulful rendition of TSSB, or if B.B. King were to blues-it-up, or if Willie Nelson were to add a western twang, I, personally, would embrace it rather than criticize it. It is disrespect and impertinence that must be avoided, and the line is crossed when the emphasis is concentrated on the artist himself instead of the flavor of the American culture. It's simply an issue of discretion.

The singing of the anthem is supposed to be a stirring call to pride for citizens of a country. Having a celebrity do it, and especially any celebrity who tries to "make it their own", becomes an excercise in gratifying their egos. It disgusts me, and I am very happy hockey mostly uses amazing singers nobody's ever heard of to do the anthems. And after Jann Arden, they'll probably do it that way forever!

grooveless touque Wrote:The singing of the anthem is supposed to be a stirring call to pride for citizens of a country. Having a celebrity do it, and especially any celebrity who tries to "make it their own", becomes an excercise in gratifying their egos.

What Steven Tyler did was an exercise in gratifying his ego, and it disgusted me, too. What James Taylor did was stir my emotions, and made me proud of my country and its culture, and I very much appreciated it.

This is where the 'discretion' I referred to in the previous post comes into play.

I wish I'd seen the Taylor piece. I admire his music, but I just can't sit through it because his voice puts me to sleep. I would very much have liked to hear hir 'stirring' take on the anthem.

Unlike most artists I don't enjoy listening to much, I have a great respect for Taylor. I see what people like in him. But to me, there's just not enough passion in his singing, just a soft lilt that conveys some emotion without the gravity to suggest he really feels it. I don't know, it's always been "lacking" for me. I can imagine him doing a beautiful anthem, though.

I can see why someone might not get into James Taylor - I wouldn't say I am much of a fan, either. I do think, though, that he has a beautiful voice and sings very well. The thing I like most about JT was incorporated into the athem the other night - and that is his technique, both vocally and intrumentally. He always throws in those little, strange, often 'jazzy' chord variations while he amazingly sings over them in a sometimes different meter (which requires mad skill). Most of the chords he was playing Sunday were certainly not your standard majors and minors....he'd slide up the neck, and alter the fingerings back and forth between chords....hard to explain, but definitely 'beautiful'...

highlander Wrote:I can't stand hearing any anthem that a celeb sings. Most times they butcher it and use some sort of literary license to personalize it to their style. Just sing the anthem the way it was composed instead of making it a rock song. :rambo:

High

Yeah Gord managed to butcher ours! Leave anthems to professionals, not rock hacks!

I think we were all trying to say that without invoking Gord...you took the Lord's name in vain!!

:lol: