As much as it pains me to say this, most rock/hard rock/metal comes with an expiration date. At some point in the game, these guys are just going to have to gracefully bow out and just understand that they are no longer capable of delivering the goods in the way that they could in their youth. This usually results in subpar live performances and/or recordings that are cringe worthy and even downright embarrassing sometimes.
There are exceptions to this rule. Artists like The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Alice Cooper to name a few are still putting out great shows (if not better) and putting out outstanding original content but on the flip side, things can get really fucking ugly. Motley Crue is a good example to start with. Even though they were never really known to be a great live band to begin with, talk about a band that extended their stay way too long. It truly blew my fucking mind that this band made it as long as they did with one of the shittiest vocalists in rock n’ roll and doing live shows playing to backing tracks. To give them credit, their live shows were undeniably amazing spectacles but proving that smoke and mirrors can truly hide the turd within.
In 2015, Whitesnake (David Coverdale and Co) released The Purple Album. It was an album comprised of re-recorded versions of songs from the Deep Purple Mk 3 & 4 era and it is absolutely atrocious. Who I once considered (and actually still do) consider to be one of the greatest voices in rock n’ roll is now just a hot steaming mess. The band is tuned down so low yet he still can barely push out the notes. It’s painful to watch and to hear yet people continue to flock to their shows.
Paul Stanley, over the last few years, has completely blown his voice out to the point that it sounds like a fucking cat drowning in gasoline and fire. It’s heartbreaking really. KISS fans will argue this and call me a hater and say stupid shit like, “Man, you should just be happy that KISS is still around.” That’s like giving me a loaf of moldy bread and saying, “You should just be happy you have something to make a bacon sandwich with.” Fuck that. Just own up to it. Paul Stanley’s voice is shot to shit yet he continues to go out there night after night making big bucks squeaking and retching through a 90 minute set. I’ve seen it for myself and I was flat out embarrassed and quite bummed that this is how I will always remember my last time seeing him.
Deep Purple is a band that I just really started to appreciate over the past few years and was so excited to see live. I was absolutely appalled when I heard how fucking horrible Ian Gillan sounded live. It was easily one of the most disappointing, saddest things I’ve ever seen. The man’s voice is far from gone and it leaves me wondering why he even bothers keeping on. Hearing so many of those great songs sound so off key, strained, and painful made me feel bad for ol’ Ian. Why is he still doing this? Alimony? Child support? Who knows but the man needs to cash in his chips and just enjoy the rest of his life.
Ozzy is another one who should’ve stayed gone when he retired back in 1992. Seriously. He went out on such a high note but you could tell that he was starting to get tired and that maybe it was time for him to give it a rest. I had so much respect for him bowing out gracefully but then he returned in 1994 or so and since then his voice has continued to deteriorate to the point that his band is tuned so low you can’t even tell what song they’re playing until he starts “singing.” It’s sad really because if he would have stayed gone after ’92, his legacy would’ve been preserved as opposed to being dragged through the mud as well as that of Black Sabbath.
There are plenty of people out there that couldn’t give a fucking rat’s ass what the singer sounds like. This is very obvious by the face that bands like Motley Crue, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, KISS, and Ozzy are still playing to thousands a night to fans who are raving about the shows like they’re still in their prime. Am I missing something here or is just that they are blinded by nostalgia and emotions of being transported back to their youth. Is it the smoke and mirrors of a huge stage production? Is it the piped in taped vocals? Who knows but to those that I’ve addressed here, please do your fans a favor and pack it in. It’s time. We love you and we’ll miss you but we’ve been missing most of your for the past 10 years or so.
About The Author
