not for who's better, just differences

[VideoHere]

two great vocalists, each approach is different...real interesting

couldn't find a live dio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frihQ0cdcTA

[ronws]

Well, Bob, I am going to use a word that you have a lot of problems with. But I think this will illustrate what I mean.

Steve has a lighter voice than Ronnie. It does not mean that Steve is singing lighter. Listen to him. He is belting however much his voice will belt. But he does not have the same rasp as Ronnie.

Even when Ronnie is singing lightly, such as in the beginning, it is still a "heavier" sound, to me.

Their vowel usage is a little different. Steve likes the oh sound, which makes him sound warm.

Ronnie likes to tilt back to a as in the word cat when he wants some of that trademark rasp.

Likely, you will not find a live version of Ronnie singing this song.

And now, for something completely different, useless trivia from ronws.

Kerry Livegren became a born-again christian and wanted to include more of those lyrics for the album Vinyl Confessions. Steve did not want to sing those lyrics. And left.

So, they hired John Elefante. He had the range but a different sound. After a while and lackluster sales, Kerry took off on his own to make christian rock records with guest singers, such as Ronnie.

The rest of the band floundered on, Robbie Williams (the violinist) trying to keep things together. The guys still had to work. Phil Ehart (the drummer) started playing on others' projects. Steve went off to start another rock band. Eventually, most of the members got back together and got Steve Morse (quintessential) player from the Dixie Dregs to play the lead that Kerry used to play.

As for whether Kerry toured on the album you linked, I don't know. Probably a bar and club tour with a lesser known singer, as Ronnie would be too busy with Dio projects, and later, Heaven and Hell (the dio version of Black Sabbath) projects to do a tour with Livegren.

[gno]

Interesting Bob. Both great singers. Ronnie has superior technique - he rarely falters, whereas Steve can be heard blowing it on many live performances - be it from drinking or just belting too much during the shows. I happen to love Steve's style. Both are excellent - Ronnie is just spectacular. But for me Steve goes down as one of my favorites, despite whatever technical difficulties. It doesn't matter to me. I just love the style and tone of the early Steve Walsh - from that era. For some reason his style changed later....and I'm not into his later style - but I love the 70's and 80's stylistic performances.

I think Steve really belts it probably too much to be able to sing song after song and show after show live. But I like his belting. Whereas Ronnie uses the right amount of weight so that he can sing show after show with consistent technique. Plus Ronnie knows how to use very healthy distortion whereas I'm not sure that Steve's distortion is healthy - although it sound really cool.

With Ronnie's technical abilities he seems to have a voice with more sound colors and dynamics - more tricks up his sleeve - more weapons in his aresenal so to speak.

However - Steve style has the mass appeal - easier for the general populous to like. He's on more commercial hit records than Ronnie, for whatever that's worth. (well I guess that could have been worth a lot more to him had they not sold all their rights to Don Kirshner when they started out. Of course without Don Kirshner maybe they would never had become famous?)

[Jens]

Very intresting... However ronws did John Elefante get his name before or after puberty?

[VideoHere]

geno, i can't agree more.....i love the tone walsh had.....i love singers who flirt with their highest notes or a singer who moves to the edge of his range and then some more "umph" comes out out of nowhere...

sometimes i feel like i can hear the singer saying to us..."okay, are you with me fans, because i'm gonna belt a note i pray i get, but i've just got to let it fly, because i'm in the groove now and there's no turning back."

but the thing is whenever this feels like it's going to happen, the singer 9 times out of ten hits the note.

when i hear this kind of intensity, i'm really gonna like the singer.

dio is great, but walsh is more bluesy, more soulful....

brother ron, i do agree..

this particular performance is one of my all-time favorites from walsh....from beginning to end..so intense!!!

[gno]

That's a great example of his bluesy style. You're right - he just goes for it. He doesn't play it safe. That's what makes his style so cool.

[ronws]

Very intresting... However ronws did John Elefante get his name before or after puberty?

Well done, Jens. That was funny.