Re: Kurt Hummel Spoiler Thread - part 16

[Lottie2303]

I am not one person for disliking actors without reason. I am fine to admit when I like Blaine songs (i.e. I LOVE "Somewhere only we know as it suited Darren's styles and also fit the storyline). I am not delusional to say for instance Lea is a bad actress just because I don't like Rachel. Because that would be wrong. But Darren's voice is really thin and weak nowadays. I have no knowledge about music whatsoever, but even I can listen that Darren's voice is damaged. Same with Lea, who most certainly had more power in S1 compared to now. I actually really feel for him because not even Glee should destroy his voice. In case they continue to use him so much, I am sincerely concerned his voice will be permanetly damaged once the show is over. Those saying Darren sounds good are biased - I am sorry to say that. All his songs are weak at best. Overall 95% of the cast really do not suit the Beatles at all.

[Glorfindel]

Listing of the songs:

1) Let It Be.
Beating the other songs by a mile, with their hands tied on their backs.

2) Here Comes The Sun.
Because I like the lighthearted sound of it: sometimes you just have to lighten up a bit, especially with all the gloom and doom of Glee.

3) Get Back.
Only beaten by 'Here Comes The Sun' because I don't like the original of GB. Chris sounds great though.

4) Drive My Car.
Because of Kevin, that's all.

5) Got To Get You Into My Life.
Because of Chris of course.

6) You've Gotta Hide Your Love Away.
Again: Kevin, and Becca's good too. Too bad it's so boring.

7) Something.
Maybe I need an intervention for liking this song, lol.

8) Help.
Because of the Warblers in the middle, and at least it suits Darren's voice.

9) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Clubs Band.
Some of the voices are good, but it's boring and the screaming at the end.....

10) a Hard Day's Night.
Not suited for their voices, but at least they kinda sell it?

11) Yesterday.
Don't like the adornments, but the way it is now it's tailormade for Lea. Too bad that means that it's not my style. The first half is quite beautiful actually, but the 2nd half is horrible, imo. This is one my most favorite Beatles songs: it should be sung simple and I can't get over the frills and dramatics they put in.

13)All You Need Is Love / I Saw Her Standing There.
ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz combined with WTF!? is this arrangement mess.

14) Hey Jude.
This is bad, really bad. And it's my favorite Beatles song!

[Ranwing]

Same with Lea, who most certainly had more power in S1 compared to now.

My personal problem with Lea as a singer in general and with Yesterday in particular is that she resorts too much to vocal tricks instead of just giving songs the room to breathe and letting the real emotion come from her and not just her voice. Yesterday is a very spare, simple song that doesn't stand up to a lot of embelishment. What made the original so powerful was the absolute yearning you could hear in Paul McCartney's voice. Paul isn't the best or strongest vocalist on the planet (nor was John or George) but what made the Beatles numbers so powerful was their ability to communicate the real emotion without requiring tons of vocal gymnastics. I know that Lea really dialed this one back by her standards, but she still oversang to me and rather than getting her real emotion (and man, does she have reason to have this kind of emotion right now), the feel of the song comes across as artificial.

I still think that IWTHYH is still the high water mark of just what you can do with a Beatles song, both in arrangement and in performance. Chris was able to communicate the most powerful emotion without resorting to tricks, and he was able to translate a song about youthful love to one of longing for his father. I just don't think that any of the songs in this ep come anywhere close to accomplishing what they did with IWTHYH.

[brisallie]

@Marie, for me is always nice to read your knowledge in music

Even though I dislike how much exposure has Darren on the show, by other side I don't hate as much as wants him to hurt his voice and don't sing anymore, that's cruel, I wish his take some vitamins or see a doctor to get better. Going back to my not so nice side, I hope this means he is taking some rest for a long time.

And please, count me as someone who also likes "Somewhere only we know", I think Darren's voice fits well with pop songs, either popular ones or indies.

[Jellyrolls]

I am not one person for disliking actors without reason. I am fine to admit when I like Blaine songs (i.e. I LOVE "Somewhere only we know as it suited Darren's styles and also fit the storyline). I am not delusional to say for instance Lea is a bad actress just because I don't like Rachel. Because that would be wrong. But Darren's voice is really thin and weak nowadays. I have no knowledge about music whatsoever, but even I can listen that Darren's voice is damaged. Same with Lea, who most certainly had more power in S1 compared to now. I actually really feel for him because not even Glee should destroy his voice. In case they continue to use him so much, I am sincerely concerned his voice will be permanetly damaged once the show is over. Those saying Darren sounds good are biased - I am sorry to say that. All his songs are weak at best. Overall 95% of the cast really do not suit the Beatles at all.

I'm not sure that it was actually Glee that has damaged voice. I'm thinking that it was more the live performances he does that has damaged his voice because he was singing/screaming all out for them over animatedly because that's what his stans love about him.

Maybe I'm wrong (and I'm sure Marie will correct me if I'm wrong), but recording a couple songs a week shouldn't really damage a person's voice unless they are consistently singing out of their range or really screaming/screeching instead of singing every single take for a large number of takes.

Perhaps he recorded all his songs in one day or something, and some of them are weaker because his voice got more tired as the day went on.

Lea's voice definitely seems a lot rougher and raspier than it was early on. I wonder if she smokes more now than she once did or something.

[Glorfindel]

I'm not sure that it was actually Glee that has damaged voice.  I'm thinking that it was more the live performances he does that has damaged his voice because he was singing/screaming all out for them over animatedly because that's what his stans love about him. 

I think it's a combination of both (and really: it already started with his Broadway stint). Still: a good singer can endure that constant use of his voice.
But Darren just doesn't have a strong voice to begin with, and he isn't helping it either because he doesn't use the right techniques to give it the proper support, plus he doesn't give his voice the rest it needs outside of his work on Glee during the season (with all his 'schnabbels') nor does he exercise his body thoroughly enough to give it that extra bit of stamina.

Maybe I'm wrong (and I'm sure Marie will correct me if I'm wrong), but recording a couple songs a week shouldn't really damage a person's voice unless they are consistently singing out of their range or really screaming/screeching instead of singing every single take for a large number of takes.

Perhaps he recorded all his songs in one day or something, and some of them are weaker because his voice got more tired as the day went on.

To be fair to Darren: that's exactly what they are doing. They record too many damn songs without giving the often used singers proper time to prepare and record. Naya recorded her 3 songs in a day for the Beatles episode, and although that sounds like an easy task compared to 'real' work it really isn't. Glee is like a freaking music factory, spewing out songs by the hour, when it usually takes months to record and produce an album.
And it's a common known fact that most songs they give Darren are out of his range and/or his wheelhouse.

Now, as said before: a good singer can still recover from this regular abuse, but it is very straining on any voice. It's audible in Lea and Chord  now, and when Chris was recording several songs at the end of season 2 while being sick you could hear it in his voice too at that time (but his voice was all healed and completely okay again at the start of season 3, and his advanced vocal training kept it okay from there on).

Lea's voice definitely seems a lot rougher and raspier than it was early on.  I wonder if she smokes more now than she once did or something.

I was wondering that too, tbh. Smoking is so bad for a voice: I can't believe there are singers that are willingly risking ruining their voices by smoking.

[brisallie]

Does Lea smoke?  That is a surprise for me because I always thought she's someone who takes care of her voice regularly.

[Jellyrolls]

Does Lea smoke? That is a surprise for me because I always thought she's someone who takes care of her voice regularly.

If memory serves me correctly, I think she said she didn't smoke at one point, or perhaps was the "I smoke when I drink" type, but I know I've seen quite a few pictures of her with cigarettes in her hand the past couple of years. I don't know if she is a heavy smoker, but I do think that I hear more of the raspiness in her voice that I associate with singers who smoke than I did in season one and two.

[arina]

I know that everyone has different taste etc but there really are people who say Darren is better on Got To Get You Into My Life??? I think there defintiely were songs in the past which suited Darren's better but I don't see this one as one of them at all.

[arina]

I know there is one picture of Lea smoking from years ago but I personally have never seen anything else that would indicate she smokes.

[sheny]

I know that everyone has different taste etc but there really are people who say Darren is better on Got To Get You Into My Life??? I think there defintiely were songs in the past which suited Darren's better but I don't see this one as one of them at all.

The only people who think that are Darren stans, the same people also say "Hey Jude" is the best Beatles cover Glee has ever done  and Darren's wailing at the end of the song is amazing. Those people will never admit that someone else is better than him even if it's true. I read comments from a lot of Klaine fans who are not Blaine stans but like them both and they all think Kurt sounds better.

[Ranwing]

I don't know if smoking is the cause for the deterioration in Lea's voice. I'm wondering if it might be due to the fact that she' no longer singing nightly at a show and isn't doing basic daily vocal exercises to keep her voice in shape. Any skill deteriorates when not practiced regularly and if she's not singing much except for being in the studio and the occational exhibition nowadays it might explain why her voice isn't what it used to be. Going for periods of not singing and then spending the day in the recording studio will show in the quality of the recordings.

[Lottie2303]

I know that everyone has different taste etc but there really are people who say Darren is better on Got To Get You Into My Life??? I think there defintiely were songs in the past which suited Darren's better but I don't see this one as one of them at all.

Agreed. For instance, I think "Animal" suited Darren's voice better. But in this case, Chris is clearly the superior one.

I guess Darren's tour are good points in regards to his voice. But boy, did he damage it. He has a nice pop voice and I can totally see his songs in the radio. Why does he try to reach notes he cannot properly sing without hurting himself?!

I am currently listening to "Get Back" again. I really don't get over the fact how Lea is singing. She really sounds so odd.


@Wendy: I totally agree with everything you said. I am still not fond of Yesterday. But her voice was most certainly better during S1. All the points about Lea smoking are most certainly interesting.

[AnneNeville]

Is serenading people we just met 5 minutes ago some new trend on Glee?

Not really, since apparently Blaine "serenaded" Kurt with Teenage Dream back in S2...

At least it was a good performance. Despite my qualms with Blaine, Teenage Dream was actually a very good Glee cover and it was for Kurt. The other two songs totally ruined and butchered and destroyed well loved songs for inferior, unimportant crushes who mean nothing to the show.

Oh I agree! I was just implying that to me Blaine's serenade was a bit different since hé had met Kurt 4 seconds ago and it couldn't be sure had feelings for him, whereas Ryder and now Sam deliberately did it to woo the girl. But yeah the cover was good at the time, unlike the other ones

But Blaine's serenade wasn't really a serenade to Kurt.  That song would have happened whether he had met Kurt or not.  That song was about introducing the Warblers--not serenading Kurt.  

And it took months for Blaine to realize he had feelings for Kurt--and it was at an awkward moment--when Kurt was singing a tribute to a dead bird.  

Who knows, maybe Sam will be the same.

Also, I'm crossing my fingers that the Penny thing won't be a real LI, but that the school nurse has been added because Jayma is being phased out. I don't mind Sam, for example, developing a huge unrequited secret crush on a staff member (though I kind of wish they'd lay off his character for a while). That's better and more high school than some of the other story lines.

[AnneNeville]

Thank you so much for posting your thoughts, Marie!

[AnneNeville]

Marie piping in (lol).

I agree with you: Darren is sounding worse as before, very strained and weak, and the decline of his voice can be literally 'followed'/witnessed from month to month. He is really damaging (has already damaged) his voice and it's very audible. 'Hey Jude' and 'Help' actually scared me (as a vocal coach who's first job is to keep a voice healthy), that's how damaged his voice sounds.

We may not like the overexposure of Blaine on the show, and I think he has a limited, mediocre voice, but when he started on Glee his voice was still pleasant and very enjoyable ('Somewhere Only We Know' is one of my most favorite Glee songs) when he got the right songs . Now.....not so much.
This is not good, and I'm quite worried.  

I will "wait and see" what happens with Darren post-episode two. He sounds so bad, and if that strain is so noticeable, the PTB must have also noticed. I am thinking that 5x1 and x2 were treated as a unit, and I wonder if they did not realize how badly Darren's voice had been damaged over the summer (I'm assuming the summer tour did a lot of this, on top of last year's over use) and by the time they started recording it was too late to do another rewrite.

If I were Glee, I'd be pretty angry if the person I thought was my star/top-seller had hurt their voice so badly over the summer (I doubt that they think of themselves as responsible). That's not fair, but I'm just thinking of dollars and cents and the way that Glee seems to "own" their performers (including having the right to make them tour together over summers if they want). Darren just got a big raise, yes?

Again, I don't blame Darren. I am worried, too. I'm just curious about how the producers might perceive the changes to his voice vs. his responsibilities to the show (will they give permission for other actors to tour independently in the future?).

I hope that, if he's really hurting himself--which it seems he is--and being hurt by his singing on the show/touring that, despite the fact that he's supposed to be their warbler, they'll give him some vocal rest. Bad that he's starting a season this way, and I shouldn't hold my breath since Lea is also showing some wear and tear.

[Buenos]

I love how Chris voice has actually improved through his years on Glee. Take his line on "Let it be" it's so distinct and so Kurt yet the tone is pure and clear.

Kevin I think has a better "pop' voice and technically Matt, Jenna and Lea are stronger, but Chris is like Naya in that they have very distinct refreshing original vocals when they sing on Glee. When they let them fly within their wheelhouse you know they are singing .

Keep in mind that certain opinions predominate in one forum because that is the " last stand " of certain Stans, it is their last refuge.  

The show is weird, Jacob has a strong nice voice yet he's used the least on the Beatles tribute for Lima. Would have loved to hear him on "Something" if they hadn't given it to Chris or say Matt. Just Chord ruins it.

On second thought I think Unique on the song would have been interesting and way preferable to Chord.

[Ranwing]

I would have loved to have heard Cory tackle Something. He wasn't the strongest technical singer on the show by a longshot, but he could get to the soul of a song really well. He would have been able to really express the emotion of that song and not let it be the built in bathroom break that Chord turned it into.

[Buenos]

I would have loved to have heard Cory tackle Something. He wasn't the strongest technical singer on the show by a longshot, but he could get to the soul of a song really well. He would have been able to really express the emotion of that song and not let it be the built in bathroom break that Chord turned it into.

Cory was way underrated as a vocalist, he understood the meaning of the songs he sang. 

[Buenos]

Jenna tweeted she's recording two "awesome songs" today.

So back to work for them.

[Buenos]

[M&M]

McKinley and everything in it need to leave. Now.

[Buenos]

Chris Colfer in USA Today

[ladydianab]

Okay, please don't hurt me but..I really thought that Lea and Chris sounded awful on "Get Back". It just did not sound right to me so I asked my son to listen to it thinking that since he is playing in the school band (Tuba/Sousaphone) maybe he could tell me why it might be off. He was no help. He said it was pretty bad but could not tell my why. I had another friend listen to it. This time a big Beatles fan. He said it was pretty bad but doesn't know the specific reason why. I love Chris and he was so good with GTGYIML. In that song I felt he did an excellent job at singing in a lower voice/range. It was painful to listen to Get Back.

[Buenos]

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