Jeff Beck, Blues De Luxe

I agree @loomisjohnson, I don’t directly hear Ray Charles in Richard Manuel’s voice. That’s a good thing! He internalized it, deep down inside, and it came out as his own voice. As did Van Morrison. By the way, Van and Richard trade lines in The Band’s "4% Pantomime" on their Cahoots album. Two great singers, a great band, and a good song. Who could ask for anything more! The depth of feeling and mutual admiration and love when Van sings "Oh Richard" and Richard sings "Belfast cowboy" brings me to tears.

I have to admit my opinion of Rod (and many "like" him) being influenced by my utter contempt for "Rock Star posturing". That’s was one reason I loved The Ramones showing up. Speaking of fashion: Did anyone else find it funny when all 4 Beatles suddenly had mustaches at the same time? What a coincidence. 😉

Perhaps it’s just me @loomisjohnson, but Rod has always struck me as one of the thousands of guys who try too hard to sound "soulful" (black). I can understand wanting to have the gravitas of Big Joe Turner and/or Ray Charles, but a skinny little kid from England who dresses like a girl (frilly shirts, satin bell bottoms, shag/rooster hairdo) can hardly expect to pull that off.

Rod has that "gravelly" texture in his voice, but that’s just on the surface. There’s no depth to his voice, unlike Richard Manuel, who did sound very Ray Charles-influenced, but who expressed sincere emotion, including pain. Clapton heard it in Richard’s singing, and so do I. Rod sounds no better to me than Michael Bolton: fake emoting. I’ve never understood why The Faces brought in Rod Stewart. They had a perfectly good singer in Steve Marriot. Far better than Rod, imo.

Of the UK guys, I’ll take Van Morrison and Gary Brooker. You know, men 😉 .

I’d love to be able to hear the Truth album without having to hear Rod Stewart’s voice. Jeff didn’t hesitate humiliating Rod when I saw them on stage together on Jeff’s first U.S.A. tour (it was well-deserved). But I did get to hear Nicky Hopkins play piano that night, so it was worth enduring Rod.