Robert changing vocal melodies

Yea I get changing things up, like not having the guitars sound exactly the same as they do on the recorded versions. Even if you wanted to, it would be nigh-on impossible to do so due to guitar, cable, pedal, microphone, venue, string, tuning, atmosphere (yup a humid day will affect how a geetar sounds), amp, venue, mixing desk, engineer, blah blah blah variances.

Case in point is "The Kiss" - the bass on that nowadays, and since 2002(?) is distorted something fierce, but the pitch and notes are the same, though it's mixed much louder nowadays than on the record, and for me, it works, but conversely, I've heard some pretty poorly played versions of the lead RS plays on that song in some versions that really aren't on a par with the record. *

But modifying the notes and timing of melodies, be they vocal or the music parts, fundamentally changes the things about the song, that makes that song, "that song". I go back to Just Like Heaven: imagine that if the climbing "lead" is played one string up, or two frets up. Not only would it sound awful, it would be wrong, as it would if they played one note out of six incorrectly, or ad-libbed it. I've heard RS fluff up the lyrics over and over and over, and yeah he forgets them, or he's wasted or whatever but the rest of the band, regardless of the lineup, is on point, and they keep on playing A1 100% correctly and he just gets thru it. 

To me, changing melodies, and pitch of notes in vocal melodies changes the song too much, and most of the time, it's not for the betterment of the song. BUT I'm glad for those people who enjoy the changes, or deviations from the recorded versions. As a very excellent person once said "It's all the colours of the rainbow that make us beautiful, as a species." (that was me, BTW).

TOOL's singer Maynard doesn't change the melodies of their songs. He may not get the notes right all the time but it's all there. 

Perry from Jane's Addiction in their V1.0 incarnation would sing the melodies the same way night after night, but *for a while Dave Navarro wasn't playing the recorded version of the lead to Three Days for a very long time. At some point he learned it note for note, and from that point on, the live versions of Three Days sound phenomenal, and not lacking at all like the versions with his ad-libbing leads sound.  Now his voice is shot, but he still sings the melodies correctly. most of the time, other times he sing/whispers the songs, and it's awful.. but a different monster. 

I think I remember that Cureation SDS, and I'm sure I groaned inwardly.. Same when I was at the Melbourne show and he did some of the same stuff. Or maybe not, I can't really remember and would need to listen back. 

 

i like the sax in the context of the song in the album, but when i listen to it on its own, the sax feels kinda dated, like Simply Red broke in and recorded a part when they were asleep - during the day. 

I do like the melody though, and think that maybe a different instrument could be in place of the sax and geetar..

i do like those huge power chords though... yum!

thanks for your post, noseredpig

As for changing vocals - my gold standard has always been Peter Gabriel... he does a mix of changing his key, his pitch... etc etc... to match where his vocal range now lives, and the result is an overall new vibe to the music, but one that doesn't feel shortchanged.

Pete's never had a particularly wide range though, he was almost conversational on the last tour I saw (the So retro tour thing) - he struggled a bit with things like Red Rain but was still good.

It makes you realise what a freak of nature Prince was - keeping his whole range and power for the duration.