New "We Are The World" song blows chunks

[BobbyinTN]

I loved the original, it came out the year I graduate high school, so many great memories of it. However, the crapfest on the Olympics last night almost made me chew through my wrists.

The longer version is slightly better, but I could have done without the rap mid-section and that screaming mother fucker who couldn't even scream on pitch.

What a bunch of fuckery!

[tammy]

Maybe they should make it as:

"In order to donate to Haiti AND TO NEVER HEAR THIS SONG AGAIN, please donate!"

That'd work for me.

Mmmm...that's what I thought. It has nothing to do with not being compassionate about the people in need or making donations...the song just doesn't work for ME. Great, if there are a lot of people who do buy it to help 'tho...I'm just sayin' it doesn't sound good to my ears at all. (love 'Everybody Hurts' song, I have the original and love REM which a lot of people here don't.)

[Rip Rokken]

Just watched it, and thought it actually started out very well when there were singers singing the song. First bad point I noted was at 3:15, with the dude using that hideous vibrato. Who the hell is he, and is that some kind of rasta style? It was just extremely distracting and tore into the flow of the song, and if is wasn't bad enough then, I think they brought him back twice! Then the autotune robo-voice jerks kick in at 4:47 and 5:15, followed by the rap, and it just descended into crap from that point.

I can understand people wanting to include the modern pop and hip-hop styles for the "inclusiveness" of the project, but the damn fact is -- it's a song to be sung by singers, and not rappers or people who rely on gimmicks. Whatever people think about those styles, or the talent of those types of musicians, I just don't think they hold up musically against real vocalists.

Good lord Celine Dion showed them up!!! I also thought the inclusion of the Michael Jackson footage was cool, and wished they'd shown a bit more than 1 second shots of his guitar player.

[X factor]

Just watched it, and thought it actually started out very well when there were singers singing the song. First bad point I noted was at 3:15, with the dude using that hideous vibrato. Who the hell is he, and is that some kind of rasta style? It was just extremely distracting and tore into the flow of the song, and if is wasn't bad enough then, I think they brought him back twice! Then the autotune robo-voice jerks kick in at 4:47 and 5:15, followed by the rap, and it just descended into crap from that point.

I can understand people wanting to include the modern pop and hip-hop styles for the "inclusiveness" of the project, but the damn fact is -- it's a song to be sung by singers, and not rappers or people who rely on gimmicks. Whatever people think about those styles, or the talent of those types of musicians, I just don't think they hold up musically against real vocalists.

Good lord Celine Dion showed them up!!! I also thought the inclusion of the Michael Jackson footage was cool, and wished they'd shown a bit more than 1 second shots of his guitar player.

Rip, I'm gonna respectfully disagree. I think the only decent part of the song is WHEN the rappers show up, as at least that's something original. (Little Wayne and his autotune notwithstanding! I hate that part too). And I really don't think there was a need for the Michael footage either. Let Janet take his part. That's abetter tribute imho.

[JH'sTXfan]

Overall I like it, even the Rastafarian (though he should've toned that vibrato down). There are some beautiful voices in there, Streisand, Dion, Hudson, and whoever that is at 3:24. (If it's Loggins, he ages well) LOVE Pink. Groban *thump*. They could've left out some of those Grade B voices.

[RedWingFan]

I guess now every "Woodstock" needs its "Woodstock 2".

[SusieP]

I wish they had put everyone's name on screen when they sang.
I haven't a clue who most of them are!


That robotic effect on people's voices is just bloody WEIRD.

[strangegrey]

That robotic effect on people's voices is just bloody WEIRD.

Thats the auto-tune plugin that they are overusing in music production these days. It's enabled people that can't sing, to have a lasting career doing it....it's fucking sad.


While I wish I could use auto-tune as a reason to hate this remake of an originally pitiful song (yet, despite that, vasty superior to the current piece of shit), the fact that auto-tune is abused all over music...it's hard to use that as justification....

[Rip Rokken]

That robotic effect on people's voices is just bloody WEIRD.

If I wanted to hear that crap I'd turn on Battlestar Galactica and watch some Cylons.

[SusieP]

That robotic effect on people's voices is just bloody WEIRD.

Thats the auto-tune plugin that they are overusing in music production these days. It's enabled people that can't sing, to have a lasting career doing it....it's fucking sad.


While I wish I could use auto-tune as a reason to hate this remake of an originally pitiful song (yet, despite that, vasty superior to the current piece of shit), the fact that auto-tune is abused all over music...it's hard to use that as justification....

I don't really know anything about auto-tune. I've recorded songs in a recording studio, but all I've ever heard of is 'reverb' - so I thought this auto tune you guys have referred to on here in the past was the digital version of that.

I didn't realise it sounded like robots!!!

Weird.

[SusieP]

That robotic effect on people's voices is just bloody WEIRD.

If I wanted to hear that crap I'd turn on Battlestar Galactica and watch some Cylons.

Or listen to some Kraftwerk albums.

[Ehwmatt]

That robotic effect on people's voices is just bloody WEIRD.

Thats the auto-tune plugin that they are overusing in music production these days. It's enabled people that can't sing, to have a lasting career doing it....it's fucking sad.


While I wish I could use auto-tune as a reason to hate this remake of an originally pitiful song (yet, despite that, vasty superior to the current piece of shit), the fact that auto-tune is abused all over music...it's hard to use that as justification....

I don't really know anything about auto-tune. I've recorded songs in a recording studio, but all I've ever heard of is 'reverb' - so I thought this auto tune you guys have referred to on here in the past was the digital version of that.

I didn't realise it sounded like robots!!!

Weird.

Well, sometimes it's purposefully done to get that effect, like that stupid Hannah Montana Party USA song or the Cher song that made the effect popular. It also produces that effect when the producer either a) doesn't know how to use the plug-in effectiely or b) the singer is so bad that they have to use it with the extreme parameters (or both a and b I suppose).

If it's done right and used for it's intended purpose (eg to touch up a bad note here or there on an otherwise great vocal take as opposed to masking someone's complete inability to sing) it's hard to notice unless you have really good ears for it.

[SusieP]

do they use it on Britney Spears?

[Ehwmatt]

do they use it on Britney Spears?

More than you or I could imagine I'm sure

[SusieP]

do they use it on Britney Spears?

More than you or I could imagine I'm sure

Thought so.



Stupid question time now, then............. Peter Frampton and that pipe thing attached to his mic stand which created a weird vocal effect? What was that?

I thought that was what Cher used on that dance hit with the weird vocal.

[Ehwmatt]

do they use it on Britney Spears?

More than you or I could imagine I'm sure

Thought so.



Stupid question time now, then............. Peter Frampton and that pipe thing attached to his mic stand which created a weird vocal effect? What was that?

I thought that was what Cher used on that dance hit with the weird vocal.

That is the talk box, a guitar effect pedal. That is much older than Auto Tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDiy0Wmj9l0

Richie Sambora uses it on Livin on a Prayer and other songs too.

[Rip Rokken]

I thought that was what Cher used on that dance hit with the weird vocal.

I always hated that song, but I've wondered if there was a first version without the autotune because I didn't notice it for a few years. Anyway, it got interest and they tried to protect their secret by claiming she'd sung into a Vocorder. The secret got out though, and pop music has sucked worse ever since. It seems EVERY song I hear these days uses it.

[SusieP]

do they use it on Britney Spears?

More than you or I could imagine I'm sure

Thought so.



Stupid question time now, then............. Peter Frampton and that pipe thing attached to his mic stand which created a weird vocal effect? What was that?

I thought that was what Cher used on that dance hit with the weird vocal.

That is the talk box, a guitar effect pedal. That is much older than Auto Tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDiy0Wmj9l0

Richie Sambora uses it on Livin on a Prayer and other songs too.

Got ya. Thank you for explaining.

Told you I didn't know anything about this kind of stuff.

But that's maybe 'cause I sing in tune.

[strangegrey]

If it's done right and used for it's intended purpose (eg to touch up a bad note here or there on an otherwise great vocal take as opposed to masking someone's complete inability to sing) it's hard to notice unless you have really good ears for it.

Depends on how good the artist is. However, the singers from the glee soundtrack are reportedly very good singers, but that entire soundtrack is loaded with autotune and it's noticable...

I agree though...used to touch up a slightly pitchy vocal phrase, it's hard to catch, Using it to 'crutch' an entire singing performance from beginning to end.....it can be very noticable.

Granted, that plastic slut made it almost chiche to use the effect heavily. It's sad...

[Andrew]

Chunks of chunks even...

So many crap singers these days. Whiney ass voices and warbling thru the notes to hide the fact they can't hold on themselves. Then (God help us) Babs Streisand steps in and shows how it is really done.

I need some Masterplan to clean out my ears now.

[BobbyinTN]

If it's done right and used for it's intended purpose (eg to touch up a bad note here or there on an otherwise great vocal take as opposed to masking someone's complete inability to sing) it's hard to notice unless you have really good ears for it.

Depends on how good the artist is. However, the singers from the glee soundtrack are reportedly very good singers, but that entire soundtrack is loaded with autotune and it's noticable...

I agree though...used to touch up a slightly pitchy vocal phrase, it's hard to catch, Using it to 'crutch' an entire singing performance from beginning to end.....it can be very noticable.

Granted, that plastic slut made it almost chiche to use the effect heavily. It's sad...

Agreed. It's got its place and can save a lot of time in the studio, for a singer that can sing. I had it used on a couple of notes in a song a few years ago and felt horrible about it until they said there's not a artist that doesn't use it, and like the engineer told me, they might be able to tweak a note here and there, but they can never create a singer's feeling or emotion or tone, so I didn't mind too much afte that.

LOL

[squirt1]

This was a Lionel Ritchie/ Quincy Jones debacle. Barb, Celine & Josh should have written a check since they do not need face time. Who are MOST of those people ????? Whether guilt or publicity or both it equals zero, goose egg, nothing in my opinion !

[JasonD]

This was a Lionel Ritchie/ Quincy Jones debacle. Barb, Celine & Josh should have written a check since they do not need face time. Who are MOST of those people ????? Whether guilt or publicity or both it equals zero, goose egg, nothing in my opinion !

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/interac ... -the-world

Click on the above link then roll your mouse over top of the people's faces to see who's who.

[DrFU]

I liked it; the rap was fine; tough job blending that wide of a range of styles and talents into one song. Loved Jennifer Hudson.

[StevePerryHair]

I liked it; the rap was fine; tough job blending that wide of a range of styles and talents into one song. Loved Jennifer Hudson.

+1 I agree. It wasn't bad at all. I think a lot of people just love the nostalgia of the first one so it's hard to look at it objectively, which is understandable. The rap doesn't bother me at all. Love it or hate it, Rap is a million times more popular now than in the 80's, so they had to reach their target audience. I like it because it added a lot of diversity.

[Ehwmatt]

I liked it; the rap was fine; tough job blending that wide of a range of styles and talents into one song. Loved Jennifer Hudson.

+1 I agree. It wasn't bad at all. I think a lot of people just love the nostalgia of the first one so it's hard to look at it objectively, which is understandable. The rap doesn't bother me at all. Love it or hate it, Rap is a million times more popular now than in the 80's, so they had to reach their target audience. I like it because it added a lot of diversity.

Rap is a vile affront to music. SOOOOOOO fucking awful and not only does it exhibit everything that's wrong with the music industry, it exhibits a lot of what's wrong with society as a whole, especially among younger people. If every rapper was exterminated in a plane crash or other similar accident, the world would instantly become a better place.

How did we go from talented blacks anywhere from Miles Davis to Hendrix to Levi Stubbs (Four Tops) to hell, I'll even give Whitney Houston props for having a killer voice to having no-talent hack black rappers ? It's a complete joke.

Fuck diversity for diversity's sake too. God rap pisses me off if you couldn't tell.

[Rockindeano]

Chunks of chunks even...

So many crap singers these days. Whiney ass voices and warbling thru the notes to hide the fact they can't hold on themselves. Then (God help us) Babs Streisand steps in and shows how it is really done.

I need some Masterplan to clean out my ears now.

Hey Wombass, are you being serious? I don't know if you can find a voice better than hers....ever.

PS- Go fuck yourself.

[slucero]

Hip Hop was really fun and cool BEFORE the gangsta rap thing took over... Digital Underground (The Humpty Hump), early LL Cool J...

[StevePerryHair]

I liked it; the rap was fine; tough job blending that wide of a range of styles and talents into one song. Loved Jennifer Hudson.

+1 I agree. It wasn't bad at all. I think a lot of people just love the nostalgia of the first one so it's hard to look at it objectively, which is understandable. The rap doesn't bother me at all. Love it or hate it, Rap is a million times more popular now than in the 80's, so they had to reach their target audience. I like it because it added a lot of diversity.

Rap is a vile affront to music. SOOOOOOO fucking awful and not only does it exhibit everything that's wrong with the music industry, it exhibits a lot of what's wrong with society as a whole, especially among younger people. If every rapper was exterminated in a plane crash or other similar accident, the world would instantly become a better place.

How did we go from talented blacks anywhere from Miles Davis to Hendrix to Levi Stubbs (Four Tops) to hell, I'll even give Whitney Houston props for having a killer voice to having no-talent hack black rappers ? It's a complete joke.

Fuck diversity for diversity's sake too. God rap pisses me off if you couldn't tell.

Just cause there's an old man inside you, doesn't mean they could have discounted a whole very large part of the music industry right now, just to please ya matt

[Journey/Survivor]

Rap is a vile affront to music. SOOOOOOO fucking awful and not only does it exhibit everything that's wrong with the music industry, it exhibits a lot of what's wrong with society as a whole, especially among younger people. How did we go from talented blacks anywhere from Miles Davis to Hendrix to Levi Stubbs (Four Tops) to hell, I'll even give Whitney Houston props for having a killer voice to having no-talent hack rappers ? It's a complete joke.

Fuck diversity for diversity's sake too. God rap pisses me off if you couldn't tell.

Agreed on this!!! Rap was the worst thing to ever happen to the music world. I hate to even use the words rap and music in the same sentence.