> << > ... i'm always amazed that most people seem to give more weight to > songwriters than singers, because as far as i can tell, great singing is the > rarer skill. anyone can write a song. really.... >>>> GREAT singers are a rarity, but so are great songwriters. I see a *lot* of unsigned bands, or unpopular bands, or support acts for other bands - people who, in other words, I see with no prior knowledge, and at least half have both bad vocals and bad songwriting. Of the rest, most have adequate vocals and adequate songwriting. Truly *good* songwriters are a rarity, and I've only seen one *great* songwriter who I'd not heard of previously - Stew, who I saw supporting Arthur Lee. Personally I value songwriters more than singers because I can listen to Billy Bragg or Elvis Costello or Bob Dylan and enjoy it, even though the singing's lousy, because of the song. Whereas when Rod Stewart, whose vocals I often enjoy, does that Diane Warren song that's the theme to Enterprise I want to projectile vomit at the screen. I would obviously *rather* hear a great singer sing a great song, but I will choose the great song over the great singer every day of the week... -- http://dumbangel.keenspace.com A webcomic about Smile Updated (approximately) weekly