BlackKettle23 Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 While listening to SBS for the first time I couldn't help but notice that at the beginning of What Light Jeff's vocal is horribly out of tune. The specific part is ("if you feel like singin a song, and you want other people to sing along, just sing what you feel"...Most of the wrong pitch happens on the word "feel" where he aims too low but eventually slides up and is on the right note by the end of the word. For those of you who actually care to check this out, go back and give this section a couple listens. While it's certainly strange for a band to release a final, mastered track with such a glaring error, what's especially interesting is whether or not this was intentional. After all, the off-pitch lyric is "just sing what you feel, don't let anyone say it's wrong." I have an awesome live version of this track (that I got from this site) where aside from the very first line (same pitch error - not reaching high enough for the interval of a perfect fifth) he totally nails the vocal. Also, on the Kicking Television version of "Airline to Heaven" Jeff makes this same singing mistake at around the 3:19 mark ("turn your eyes to the lord of the skies") while singing the interval of a perfect fifth. From watching the SBS DVD and from reading about the album I know that most of the recording was done with everyone playing simultaneously instead of doing overdubs. Do any of you think it's plausible that while listening to the playback the band decided to leave the mistake since it would be antithetical to the lyric to fix it? Or do you think that Jeff just sometimes tanks singing a fifth above the tonic pitch and it is what it is? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighFives Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I believe Jeff didn't want ANY ONE to say its wrong. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
owl Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 The craziest thing is that Bob Dylan can actually sing like Pavoratti, but the soundman has repeatedly fucked up the pitch control since the mid 60s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gobias Industries Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Does it really matter, to be honest? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OOO Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 How can something be a mess-up when it is the original and definitive copy? What Light, on the album, IS the song What Light. So if he sings it the way you might say is correct, in concert, he's actually singing it wrong! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Does it really matter, to be honest? That's the kind of question that can cause message boards to implode. Careful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
owl Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Don't cross the streams! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dannygutters Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Singing is tough give the guy a break. Â But on the other hand isn't it neat how we all can slide into the right pitch just by thinking about it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 i noticed the What light situation and i think it is intentional, the way it happens on that line Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kalle Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 i noticed the What light situation and i think it is intentional, the way it happens on that line Yeah he does something similar at the begining of Side With The Seeds, alot of the vocals were done right off the floor so I figure they just didn't care about little stuff like that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dude Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Do any of you think it's plausible that while listening to the playback the band decided to leave the mistake since it would be antithetical to the lyric to fix it? Or do you think that Jeff just sometimes tanks singing a fifth above the tonic pitch and it is what it is? You better stay away from Otis Redding's catalog. That guy had a horrible time with pitch but more than made up for it with soulfulness / raw emotion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlackKettle23 Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 man, I figured someone would have thrown in a reference to a certain "sunken treasure" lyric by now. Also, do you guys remember on the IATTBYH DVD where Jeff's playing "magazine called sunset," the phone rings and interrupts him, and when he starts the song again he comes in off-key and makes that funny embarrassed face? Jeff is one of my favorite singers ever, so when I started this thread it was more out of a need to discuss deeper elements of the music on SBS, not to trash Jeff's singing ability. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Groo Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Jeff is an incredible singer, but everyone makes mistakes. Â That being said, I thought "What Light" was much better in Bb. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I think knows when he doesn't nail a vocal. But I don't think he cares too much. It adds character and human-ness to the songs/albums. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mchchef1 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 How can something be a mess-up when it is the original and definitive copy? What Light, on the album, IS the song What Light. So if he sings it the way you might say is correct, in concert, he's actually singing it wrong!Maybe your not listening to it right??  PS Jeff sucks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 If I recall correctly, most of the songs on SBS were recorded "live" at the Loft, with very few overdubs added. In circumstances like that, a few less-than-perfect notes will invariably slip through. There's really not much point in overanalyzing it.   Look at it this way: it's proof that Wilco won't use Auto-Tune. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dude Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Look at it this way: it's proof that Wilco won't use Auto-Tune. When Jeff redoes the entire Wilco catalog replacing Glenn and Ken's drums with a thunderously loud disco kick drum line, you can bet the Cher pitch corrector will be in full force. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I would guess that he didnt hit the note, but it seemed like the perfect mistake so they left it. And I agree, I think its the perfect mistake. It adds a whole other level to that line that makes the song even more cool. I find it hard to believe that a few off notes just "slipped through." Recorded live or not, if the band didnt like a take, they would have re-recorded it. Just because its recorded live doesn't mean they'd get lazy with mistakes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I find it hard to believe that a few off notes just "slipped through." Recorded live or not, if the band didnt like a take, they would have re-recorded it. Just because its recorded live doesn't mean they'd get lazy with mistakes.But you hinted at the key yourself: if the band likes the take, it stands ... even if there are a few "mistakes" scattered about. Live music is like that, and it's one of the reasons it's great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NationalDust Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Remember in IATTBYH, when (I think it was) Stirratt said someting about falling in love with all the little things that are fucked up with a song? Personally, I like the song, and I don't think I'd like it any more or less if it were pitch perfect. It's all for entertainment, so if the fans like it, it's serving its purpose and is correct. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 But you hinted at the key yourself: if the band likes the take, it stands ... even if there are a few "mistakes" scattered about. Live music is like that, and it's one of the reasons it's great. Yeah, I think we are saying the same thing. My point is that nothing "slipped through." This ceased being a "mistake" when they heard it and liked it. It had nothing to do with whether it was live or not. It had to do with the fact that band thought it was cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Yeah, I think we are saying the same thing.Yup, more or less. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 They should fire whoever was in charge of catching all the mistakes on "Dreamer in My Dreams." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 They should fire whoever was in charge of catching all the mistakes on "Dreamer in My Dreams."Imagine what Auto-Tune could've done for that hacking cough. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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