July 19, 2007: Barbra: To some she's number two, but she's not on my iPod

Despite her procrustean political views and Scrooge-like ticket prices, I think Barbra Streisand's a more than decent old-fashioned Broadway singer and even a good, but very traditional, movie director. (Prince of Tides is a worthy film even though the star-auteur sports the longest fingernails in the history of psychiatry.)

But I had a good guffaw when I read the following in an Evening Standard review of her recent London concert:

Then, such is the magic of music and music sung by probably (if we forget Ella Fitzgerald) the 20th century's finest female voice, before she had finished caressing the first line of the opening Starting Here, Starting Now, everyone had forgiven her everything.

Say what?

"The 20th century's finest female voice"? Let's be kind to the reviewer - one John Aizlewood - and assume he was referring to popular singers only and disqualify the likes of Callas, Sutherland, Sills, Tebaldi, Norman, etc. The thought of Streisand doing La Traviata sends me into a fit of giggles.

But even in the world of popular music, someone ought to give this British yahoo a giant doobie and make him listen to some music. He should start with Bessie Smith and go to Billie Holiday and Big Mama Thornton and Ruth Brown and Betty Carter and Etta James and Martha Reeves and... and... if he wants to go white, he should jump the channel to Edith Piaf or Melina Mercouri or Nina Pastori or... or... I could go on but you get the point. (What about Janis?-ed. Okay, Janis.)

And if you're talking about Broadway singers, Streisand never came anywhere close to Ethel Merman when it came to belting out a song.

The problem with Barbra is that her heart often seems fake. (Compare that with Bessie Smith... or, for that matter, Callas... or Judy Garland!) As of now, Streisand's not on my iPod and it's an 80 gig one. At some point, maybe she will be. I've got a lot of room left to fill. But number two female vocalist of the 20th Century? Number 200 maybe... just maybe.

(What about Patti LaBelle?-ed. Score one for you, dude. Now there's a potential number 2 to Ella.)

Feel free to post your top female singers below. It'll be fun to see the list. But please - no Celine Dion. (What about Celia Cruz?-ed. Yes! Celia Cruz. My favorite. How could I forget?)

Comments

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hey roger --thanks for your writing.

do you have the verve collection of mahalia jackson? amazing. early barbara streisand is light and fun but mahalia is a true heart.

but i find myself increasingly drawn to the non-superstars who sing with beauty and honesty: someone you might not know is natania davrath -- check out her recording of the songs from the auvergne. and, as another example, nina simone would never be called one of the greatest voices but her early recordings like 'don't smoke in bed' are unmatchable for raw appeal and i'd much rather listen to that than most anyone who's been in the top 40. have you heard much susana baca? her first album is fabulous.

and finally, have you heard much dawn upshaw? i'm thinking you must have. but oh my goodness. one of the best singers today and for a while. check out her 'knoxville summer of 1915'. heartbreraking.

thanks again--

Posted by: calartian at July 19, 2007 11:23 PM

Two words:

Aretha.

Franklin.

Posted by: Gary Rosen at July 20, 2007 1:18 AM

I saw a bio on Ethel Merman and Donal OConner said that after singing with her he could not hear for a week. What a voice. And she was conservative.

Posted by: Terrye at July 20, 2007 3:52 AM

Roger how could you miss the divine Sarah Vaughan?

Nina Simone, despite her politics, deserves an honorable mention.

Posted by: Lem at July 20, 2007 5:53 AM

Grace Slick
Same say the early years, think "Wooden Ships", but Manhole is a fabulous album.

Posted by: Esbiem at July 20, 2007 6:14 AM

Yeah, Aretha Franklin is definitely on the very short list but I've never heard Celine Dion do any song that didn't seem special for having been sung in her voice. And what perfection, control and range!

Posted by: mikem at July 20, 2007 6:23 AM

For Broadway? Audra McDonald.

Pop? K.D. Lang, Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan come to mind.

Jazz? Has anyone mentioned Patricia Barber? Cassandra Wilson?

Posted by: Dark Unicorn at July 20, 2007 6:32 AM

Amy Whinehouse's contemporary retro is as good as it gets.

Posted by: Lem at July 20, 2007 6:33 AM

A sample of Amy Whinehouse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty0v-VVvKsU

Posted by: Lem at July 20, 2007 6:42 AM

How did I miss Aretha????

All I can say to myself is "Think!"

Posted by: Roger at July 20, 2007 7:39 AM

Oh, and, yes, Mahalia Jackson. I have the Verve collection. But I forgot to put on my iPod. Now on to do list.

Posted by: Roger at July 20, 2007 7:42 AM

Yoko Ono? Especially during her golden years.

Posted by: mikem at July 20, 2007 9:01 AM

of those not mentioned...

Nana Mouskouri
Patti Page
Anita O'Day
Dusty Springfield

heck even Doris Day, like singing sunshine or in that vein Pet Clark

You may not know her, but I love Teresa Teng's voice...

So many great singers who are more memorable than Barbra, though she is really talented.

Also Country Singers such as Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline...

Posted by: moheroy at July 20, 2007 9:04 AM

Moheroy,

I'm pretty sure you meant Vienna Teng. Nice voice but she is of this century, not the previous one. Another of this century, and a voice that I can listen to all day - despite the hype and anti-hype - is Norah Jones.

From the 20th century there's Ella and then everyone else. I wanna thank the previous commenters for providing up some names I want to add to my collection.

Posted by: Knucklehead at July 20, 2007 10:05 AM

Lem, the Divine Sarah is already on my iPod - including some recordings with Basie and Lester Young.

Posted by: Roger at July 20, 2007 12:02 PM

Note to MikeM: Thanks. Milk/nose interface.

Those who like Picasso may not love Walter Keane. So, this may be my Walter Keane moment, but within the genre, Reba sings. Couldn't watch her TV show. But, man, she can belt a song out.

Posted by: OregonGuy at July 20, 2007 1:14 PM

Since she is retiring I fill compelled to bring up Kiri Te Kanawa

Look, we keep this up and Babs is out of the top 1000.

Posted by: David at July 20, 2007 1:30 PM

By the way in the opera world their are some stunning new and upcoming voices that are attached to stunning bodies (both male and female). By the way at a nearby town we had a performance on the green called Opera Fresca. The mezzo was outstanding, (she is polish which is why I cannot remember her name). What about Julie Andrews?

Posted by: David at July 20, 2007 1:36 PM

Sorry to keep posting, there was one voice I also wanted to mention, I could here it in my head, I know what she looks like, but save me from old age I couldn't remember her name.

Anne Sofie Van Otter.

The recording of the 250 anniversary of Handel's Messiah directed by Sir Neville Marriner with his Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is outstanding.

On this album Sylvia McNair is similarly outstanding.

Posted by: David at July 20, 2007 1:45 PM

And yes my English stinks. Roger can you lend me your editor?

Posted by: David at July 20, 2007 2:22 PM

...even though the star-auteur sports the longest fingernails in the history of psychiatry.

...not to mention one of the shortest skirts in the history of psychiatry (at least when sitting down).

Posted by: Barry Dauphin at July 20, 2007 3:12 PM

American soprano Ren�e Fleming rules:

"They also wondered greatly at my piety"

Ave Maria

Posted by: Sissy Willis at July 20, 2007 4:25 PM

Oh, yes. And I miss you so.

Posted by: Sissy Willis at July 20, 2007 4:34 PM

Of course it's all a matter of taste. To my taste Barbra was the best, airhead that she is. And I'm sure she could easily sing La Traviata. Hell, I can still sing some of the male arias from that. I never would have thought that Linda Ronstadt could have sung in Pirates of Penzance but look at the great job she did in that.

Don't talk about Ethel Merman in the same breath. Barbra has the greatest ear I have ever heard from any singer. (Ear meaning pitch.) Merman never hit a note on the nose in her life. She sang everything sharp. Some of us couldn't bear to listen to her.

Posted by: Walter Guest at July 20, 2007 4:47 PM

Hello? Ella?

Anybody who has heard her "Live in Berlin" album will never forget it. It makes your hair stand up.

Posted by: Bmoon at July 20, 2007 5:06 PM

Marageret Whiting, Chris Connor, Blossom Dearie, Rosemary Clooney in her younger years, and the perfect-pitch Edie Gormé if I spelt that right...

Posted by: The Friendly Grizzly at July 20, 2007 5:11 PM

Of course, Serah Vaughn! And Sarah Brightman?

Posted by: The Friendly Grizzly at July 20, 2007 5:15 PM

Renée Fleming. Enough said. On the other hand, should we be comparing opera singers to jazz and pop singers? Or, maybe we aren't comparing them....;

And Beverly Sills--see Jay Nordlinger's wonderful obit. in the current issue of the National Review.

This has been an enjoyable if unravelling thread.

Posted by: Richard of Boone at July 20, 2007 7:07 PM

Natalie Merchant

Amy Torchia

Others have already listed numerous other worthy choices.

Posted by: rickl at July 20, 2007 7:48 PM

Prince of Tides?

Did you ever do a count on how many times Nick Nolte said to Baaahbra how beautiful she was in that flick (actually it is a recurring beme in many of her cinematic efforts.)

If you ever played the "hi bob" game to the tune of "by God you're beautiful" you'd be stoned cold drunk a quarter into the movie.

I mean really.
Pathetic

Posted by: Pamela Geller at July 20, 2007 10:41 PM

Kate Smith

Posted by: Foobarista at July 20, 2007 10:42 PM

Etta James!

Posted by: Pamela Geller at July 20, 2007 10:43 PM

Barbara - Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour

Posted by: Pamela Geller at July 20, 2007 10:45 PM

I think Barbra Streisand is much more than a good Broadway singer. She is a tremendous Broadway singer (much more talented than Judy Garland or Julie Andrews ever wer - two of my favorite singers - ever were). She is one of my favorite singers, it's the combination of style and range, and I don't even like her songs. But she is definitely on my Ipod. I am not at all shocked to hear her described as the 20th Century's finest female voice. I don't compare Aretha or Joan Baez or Ella Fitgerald (hugely overrated by the way) to Callas or any of them to Céline Dion (another incredible voice), nor Pavarotti to Al Green, nor, for that matter, Jimi Hendrix to Mozart. Michael Jordan was a mediocre baseball player.

Give Barbra her due.
Gabriel

Posted by: Gabriel Gonzalez at July 21, 2007 3:59 PM

When it comes to singing, all those schvartza hot mamas you list couldn't hold Frank Sinatra's fedora.

Posted by: ricpic at July 21, 2007 5:35 PM

Norah Jones? Sorry, but she's the audible equivalent of a coffee commercial.--
Soft and soothing, but not earth shattering.

Posted by: E-ho at July 22, 2007 11:08 AM

None of the pop/jazz/broadway singers mentioned above hold a candle to Streisand in range and style. She is more than exceptional as a singer whether you agree with her politics or laugh at her well known neurotic behavior as a director/movie actress. I can still remember how rivited I was when I heard her first album in the 60s.

The second best singer/stylist would be Celine Dion. Why the bias against her is beyond me. I guess popularity breeds contempt among the intelligentsia.

Hands down, Beverly Sills the wins the opera competion with Tiri de Kanawa a close second. Maria Callas couldn't touch begin to compete with either one in voice quality although she excelled in stage presence - hence all the hype about her singing ability.

The best living opera singer albeit in the mezzo soprano class is Italy's Cecilia Bartoli. Just listen to any of her Mozart renditions...no one begins to compare with her. She is to die for.

Posted by: jane m at July 23, 2007 11:14 AM

Ever since my (female) high school friends in the 60s swooned over Streisand, I have never seen what the fuss is about. Yes, she has an undeniably great voice, but her musicianship and phrasing are unimaginative at best and often just plain corny. She has the sublime musical taste of Cher. And her tune selection is abominable. I have always considered her a waste of voice talent. Like Whitney Houston. All pipes, no soul.

Posted by: freetotem at July 23, 2007 8:50 PM

Sandy Denny.

Posted by: RickMeyer at July 24, 2007 9:42 AM

Lena Horne. Peggy Lee.

How can we get down this far without them?

Posted by: Mahon at July 24, 2007 11:39 AM

Knucklehead,

I had never heard of this Vienna Teng, no I am refering to a Chinese singer from the 70s and 80s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Teng

And I can't believe I didn't mention Peggy Lee

Roy

Posted by: moheroy at July 25, 2007 6:18 AM

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