MOTLEY CRUE - Replacement Singers - Who Did It Better? Vince Neil - John Corabi
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
- In this video we look at the Good, The Bad, And The UGLY of Motley Crue as we look at the strengths and weaknesses of Vince Neal as opposed to John Carabi! Who Did It Better?
MOTLEY CRUE - Replacement Singers - Who Did It Better? Vince Neil - John Corabi
Comparing the previous frontmen of Motley Crue, John Corabi was, in my opinion, the better technical singer. However as we’ve seen, a lot more than just the vocals goes into answering the question of who did it better.
We’re going to be comparing Vince Neil side by side with John Corabi and I want to hear from you. Please share with me in the comments who you thought did it better and why!
As we look at some live performances from Vince Neil we’ll discuss his chemistry with the band and what he contributed to help create Motley Crue’s success.
I’ll also be looking at what changes the band underwent after John Corabi joined them and how that impacted the group’s reception from fans.
Check it out!
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John Corabi is the better singer, but Vince Neil is the man for Mötley Crüe. Love both!
Bro I agree buy at the end of the day when a band is not famous they are lucky to find 1 singer. Than after the fame they have anyone they want at there finger tips and those guys don't belong
Vince is a frontman and Corabi is a vocalist. Big difference if you ask me.
Amen!!! You nailed it. Long live Vince Neil!
I agree. Vince is a frontman. I love Corabi , Corabit just isn’t Motley Crue.
Vince is the recognazible voice, but John is a much better singer. MC94 is such underrated album, their best in my opinion.
@@grungil7570 I absolutely agree. The best Motley Crue album by far. I have it on regular rotation in my music.
Vince has a unique and instantly recognizable sound. That is the Crue sound. Not great vocals but some of the best sounding… I mean really really damned good bad singing ever.
John is just a bad ass vocalist. One of the best. Not a disappointing frontman either. Really just needed more exposure. Things just didn’t fall for him timing wise. Grunge didn’t just kill the glam scene. Younger fans, the people who buy most of the albums turned against the whole genre. Made fun of it like late 70’s kids did disco. They weren’t going to accept anyone who had been part of the glam scene just changing their style and image no matter how good they did it. Motley did it as good as anyone could, but it wasn’t going to sell to that crowd. And the purest crue fans weren’t ready to accept anyone else. A group of certain age fans were turned off by the general change in sound in rock music and of course annoyed by the snotty kids talking shit about the music they grew up with and still liked. I remember thinking that way. lol… I was like Cobain is a three chord guitar player.. and y’all are talking shit about Lynch and Sambora? Screw you. Lmao. A lot… I mean a whole damned bunch of people, 2 generations straddling that time period didn’t even give this album a fair listen at first. Almost everyone I know who loves it discovered effing badass it is way way after it was released.
I love Motley Crue. Grew up with them. But I honestly think the Corabi album was their best, sonically, song writing, everything just sounded amazing.
They were also sort of sober when making that album. I say sort of because they were all trying to get clean at the time, some with more success than the others, but they had a clarity for it they didn't have for some of their other recordings.
Hell yeah! Best Motley Album ever!
no way ..Shout at the devil probably one of the best albums every made by any band even the beatles. Every song on that album is great one after the other.
Really bad ass sound they had there. Smoke the Sky and Hooligan’s Holiday are jammin songs. That being said Vince is Motley Crue. John had no chance. Too bad.
@@bevolkisch4628 Ha! Better than? I think not dude. SATD was and is amazing but best album ever? Whatcha smokin? It's got the licks, grooves AND hooks but nowhere near best ever. It's gotta have something unique and the vocals are very unique I'll give you that but it lacks legendary status.
I grew up a Crue Fanatic! I was devastated when I heard Vince was out. I didn’t want to give anyone a chance to replace him. But when I heard the 94 album I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!! It was the best album the Crue has released to date in my opinion. I know it was a different band without Vince and different sound. But I enjoyed the music so much more. I got a chance to meet John a few years back at a show and told him that. He was such a great guy and very humble.
I actually loved both versions of the Crue, and saw them as two different bands. Vince fronted the party-band version and was an intricate part of their growth and success. John brought a darker but more musically serious aspect, and kudos to the band for having the versatality to change gears like that.
👍
I completely agree! John Corabi saved the band from extinction
Extremley well said.
It's like what Poison did when they fired CC Deville, and hired Ritchie Kotzen. Totally different band, and brought out more complex sides that you never would have seen otherwise.
Its hard to compare. Just like VH with Roth and Hagar. The band name stayed the same but VH became a different band with Hagar and then Cherone. Crue is the same way. It happened with Iommi and Sabbath. Sabbath w/ Dio different than with Ozzy. A truly different band just with the same name. I saw Corabi w/ Crue twice. John struggled with the Neil songs. We dont have any record of Neil singing any of Corabi's songs.
Both have good voices, but Corabi's Crue was the only time I really took the band seriously. Neil's Crue always sounded like pop, with a rock flavor. Corabi made it clear that Crue wanted to do hard rock and reaching into metal.
I wish Crue continued with Corabi
AGREED
This is my take on this judging from all you said. Vocally from a technical standpoint, I would say corabi, but just because he is more sound vocally doesn't mean he made crue better as a band in regards to the essence of the band. Corabi is not unique. He sounds like others. Vince Neil was the total package in his prime. Looks, moves, stage presence, and sex appeal ( The women love Vince. Js). The original 4 was the perfect fusion that " punched rock in the face and took it by storm". When I hear corabi, I think of STP , Soundgarden, etc. Not Crue if that makes sense. Yeah Vince is past his prime now, but back then corabi couldn't touch Vince as a front man. Vince completed the puzzle of Nikki, Tommy, and mick. Vince, Nikki, Tommy, and Mick are CRUE and no one else can make the magic those 4 brought to the table in what they did in music in regards to them. No one can front Crue like Vince. No one.
You said it better than I did. Yes, Corabi a better singer than Vince, but then again it is more than technique to fans. It is a whole package, the memories. You know what I mean, The Beatles would not be Beatles if George Harrison was replaced by Eric Clapton, better guitar player but not the same.
Very well said.
@@rrtds9378 AGREE 💯% with both of you!!
Concordo 100% contigo.👍
Yes you are right 100%
Back in 97 and early 00 was kinda heretical to say that Corabi's Crue album was good. I remember being bullied and crusified in CZcams and Facebook for sayin' Corabi's Crue album was their best. Right now I'm happy to see that everybody has come to their senses and recognize that fact: John brought out the best version of Motley Crue and the self tittled album Is a masterpiece with no flaws.
I fucking agree!
I saw Corabi live with Crue. He was freaking awesome. That album with him is the best thing Crue did period. In my opinion. So much harder and richer.
No. Theater of Pain and Dr. Feelgood is better than that
@@bossky6622 lol!
Theater of pain is the worst album they released in their entire career!
Take home sweet home and smocking in the boys room out and you're left with nothing!
Weak composition and terrible production!
@@theondulle8475 What about Louder than Hell and cityboy blues.
@@chelseapearl3438 yeah!!🤘🏻 And Use It Or Lose It 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻😃
No question. The Corabi album was phenomenal.
That Corabi album is the best thing Crue ever did. It's the only album of theirs that I can listen to without skipping any songs.
Cool!
Lol!
100% agree. Poison Apples is easily my fave Crüe song
So true too bad my friends don’t agree!
I can listen to maybe one song. it's not cure. At all.
I got to see Corabi last weekend here in Mexico and I didn't know him honestly, I loved Motley Crue but I was so impressed with his voice and I think he is AMAZING!!! Thanks for this video.
Cool, Fer!
Vince was a garage cover band singer and was limited with his vocals. That version of Motley Crue was in a way in your face type of glam metal and I liked it. When John was brought in, the music changed and was a bit darker. I put the album with John at the top of my favorite motley albums. In my opinion, I think they should of changed their name because it wasn’t Motley Crue.
Trüe
What about Hagar replacing DLR, Coverdale replacing Ian Gillian, Bolin replacing Blackmore, Nicks and Buckinham replacing Weston, Walker and Welch, Johnathan Cain replacing Greg Rolie and adding Steve Perry? All these personal and writing changes put these bands in a different musical direction yet they retained the band name.
I think uniqueness of the voice should not be underestimated. I think this is the reason folks like Vince and Ozzy were so successful. Certainly the most proficient singers but you know them when you hear them almost from the first note.
Ozzy WAS a pretty formidable singer at his peak (Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage) but your point is still well made
yep. Vince voice always sounds like he was shot up with seroids.
Yeah, Vince has never been a great live singer but his unique voice is what makes Motley Crue's tone. He has gotten way worse lately but hopefully he can get better.
I love the Corabi Motley Crue album. It's just a different band with Corabi though.
I agree, and think it's obvious, that Corabi is technically better. Vince was less about skill and more about chemistry and charisma. He's iconic in their sound. You always know Motley Crue when you hear them. Technically sound, no, but iconic, for sure.
When the Corabi album came out, I was one of those fans who took a hard pass on it. I never gave it a chance. I played Hooligans Holiday a bit on my radio show, but never dug into the rest of the record. I went back to it after The Dirt and was blown away by my stupidity back then. It's a great album. I should have been more open minded when it was out! It would be interesting to have seen what they could have done with Corabi on subsequent recordings, if they had continued down that road.
I too dismissed it. I bought this about 2008 as a cut out CD at Big Lots of all places. I popped it in on the way home and was floored! Stupid fanboy me at 23 didn’t realize just how good this was.
Back then there was Blockbuster Music which would open a CD, let you listen to it, and then seal it back up if you didn’t want to buy it. They made a sale that day LOL.
Good memories from that store. The Cult self titled album also sold me. I listen to it til this day.
Same here, just now realizing how good it was
I loved this album in 94. I find people are more and more going back to it. If you read the opening of Corabi’s book he talks about the moments after he got kicked out of Motley Crue. All the meeting with famous people were gone. But he was at his X’s house and his son was laying on his lap, and he said, “Dad I love you.” That changed his life. He rediscovered what was really important and John Corabi not only became a better musician in subsequent years, he was/is very much into his family. I have a lot of respect for the way he handles himself and how he’s managed his career. Large arenas? No. Meaningful music and being present for his family? Yes.
John Corabi is unbelievable and he can still sing he’s got the pipes, Vince has his limitations and he says Nikki Sixx knows what he can do and what he cannot do vocally as a singer, but Vince’s voice is a huge part of the history of Motley Crue.
Nobody can sing it like vince. His voice HAD a different sound than most people's, the tone and pitch was awesome in the 80,s, carobi is good but hes a vocalist, vinnie is a frontman and a helluva metal singer, I heard him sing a iron maiden song in the 80,s and he blew us away, BUT if you wanna keep the sound you have to practice and sing to keep your voice in good shape and vinnie hasn't, that's why he is being hated on so much on videos. That and the fact that he keeps falling down and can't get up like the old woman on the tv commercial. Lol. Both are awesome in my opinion but vinnie rocks motley crue like nobody else ever will, PERIOD
John Corabi is a true artist and you have to listen to the Scream album to really understand what his true musical fit was. Much deeper, and more southern rock in style, Motley was more of a blunt instrument and Vince fit that mould better, John on the other hand was a more sophisticated animal and probably should have scratched a bit deeper once the Scream finished up. Love them both though!
👍
Thought I was the only one to remember Scream. Saw them live back in '91. I agree as far as different vocal style, absolutely. He's definitely a talented artist that isnt talked about, enough
The Scream should have been HUGE Corabi, Bouillet, Travis!!! The talent on board was insane and that album is FIRE. Just never got the push for some reason so they guys left for bigger bands.
I think if management hadn’t pushed him out that Generation Swine album would have cemented him in the band and given the Crue new life in the 90’s.
For me Corabi is easily a much better vocalist than Neil. But Neil belongs in Motley Crue, and the Crue needs him as he is such a defining element of their sound.
You take any member out of Crüe it isn't Crüe
@@ogan2631 and that would be a good thing
Sadly Vince has fired his vocal chords and cannot sing anymore
I must add that self titled Motley album with John was the best motley produced/mixed record . Damn that was a heavy fat record and Tommy’s kits was ungodly ! Just a huge heavy record with great tones , the guitar was nice and meaty and strayed away from that nasally sound mick had. It was produced by Bob Rock , just Friken heavy
👍X 1000
Again .... excellent observations.
Vince is the sound of.the band no one else can replace him no matter how they sing
Grew up on Motley and Tommy was my first drummer influence. However, my favorite Motley album is hands down, Motley Crue with John.
Cool!
You can't imagine how much for many is like that!
No doubt Corabi is better... but Vince (for good or for bad) is the sound of Motley. 🤘
Thanks for watching!
I think jp hit the Neil on the head. John was a better singer, but Vince is the sound of Motley. It’s just not Motley Crue without Vince.
I have seen Motley twice. Once with Crabby and once with Vince. There is no comparison. Crabby rules! You should review the scream record. (The first one with Crabby)
Corabi is clearly a better singer.
Vince is a bigger star.
Vince is such a shell of his former self, specifically LIVE, so it is difficult to be objective. It is difficult to watch our heros embarrass themselves.
Vince has always been hit and many misses live. From the beginning to now! He’s never been a good live singer.
The self titled 1994 album with Corabi is one of my favourite albums of all time and my favourite Crue album… I still play it very regularly to this day…. love his voice. However I do understand why diehard fans never liked him as singer. Maybe they should have changed the band name at this point. I prefer Corabi by a long shot but also fully understand I’m in the vast minority.
I feel the same way. That album was right up there with Shout. Cora i was a breath of fresh air. He wrote lurics, he composed, and he also played multiple instruments. Name one Motley album after Vince returned that was worth a damn. At that point they were living off of their past endeavors. Youre right, they should have changed their name when Corabi wntered the picture.
🥂 🙏(high5)
No doubt it’s the best Crue Album.
wonder what crue would have been like with stephen pearcy instead
I agree completely!
Corabi is easily the better singer, While Vince was the better front man, The one Corabi Album was also as good as anything in Motley's catalogue and deserves it's place on the most "underrated" albums of the era list.
My opinion too. I blew a few tweeters on Hooligan's Holiday. Much heavier.
Saw Vince Neil live in a really small venue during the Exposed era and the energy and sound were unbelievable. Definitely in the top 3 best shows I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to countless rock shows.
Exposed was a gem. I only saw Vince in concert exposrd era on dvd and i was so impressed. He had it going,
John Corabi is such a great singer! The Crue/Corabi record really brought out the best in Tommy Lee's abilities he's great on that record as well
It's understandable why people tend to like Vince in Crue,much like Dave vs Sammy. However, the corabi version was so so good, new style writing I think elevated Tommy's drumming for sure. He kills it on that album. Corabi is a much better voice, and I immediately bought the UNION albums knowing he was part of that group.
So did I!!! I hate that they only did 2 albums and 1 live album.
I did the same, buying the Union album. I am a diehard Van Hagar fan, I've been a Sammy Hagar fan since he sang fir Montrose, HSAS, his solo stuff killed, then with VH. Sammy took them to another level, a higher level, and brought them hit albums not just hit singles. He went as far as getting VH better contracts and way more money.
But back to Corabi Crue; absolutely their heaviest and best material they ever created, and I am a Motley Crue live wire fan. But Corabi Crue kicked ass!
John Corabi sounded awesome live and played the guitar well but Vince did have a unique sound that fit!
Corabi very underrated. Definitely the best Crue album musically… unfortunately it was at the wrong time. Love ‘Til death do us part’ off that album.
Even when Shout.. and Dr are my favorite albums, at the time when Motley´s album with Corabi came out I felt that energy that was missing in the band. The writing, singing and the two guitars just blew my mind. I had the chance to see them once in Mexico City, with Corabi, and I think that if they could have recorded a second album, they could have stayed together for many years. I know, both teams are diferent, same happend with Sabbath and Maiden. Just for the record, I´m not a music expert.
DUDE! That DF/Walk this Way comparison was PERFECT. I usually catch this stuff, but damn!
The original singer is nearly always the best, or at least the one that had most of the hits.
In my opinion that is.
I don't think it matters who was better. It's who you're used to.
I mean, Queen isn't queen is it.! No matter how good they are now.
LOVE THE VIDS.🥰🥰...
KEEP'EM COMING.🤞🥰...
RICH(UK).🥰🥰🥰.!.!.!.
Nearly always, but look at Iron Maiden haha
@@sweetslice22 very true 🧐
so wish they would have just started a new band with Corabi. that album rocks and I still listen to it regularly
Don’t forget John could play guitar, so that opened up Mick to do more on album & live. Self titled album was totally different band.
This is a difficult one. I love Motley Crue, but the vibe of the Corabi album is so different that it's hard to compare. It is definitely the most mature album the ever did, and I love it, but it's almost a different band. And when I want to hear the Crue I want the albums with Vince. His voice is so unique and such an integral part of the sound, it hardly matters how accomplished he is as a vocalist. That said with Corabi they definitely produced the best grunge inspired record by an 80s metal band, Subhuman Race by Skid Row a close second.
Vince had iconic vocals. It is such a unique sound that you can't replace him without changing the identity of the band. Corabi? Well, they weren't the fun party band any more with him. They might have done better with a band name change much like Creed and Alter Bridge.
In this case, John Corabi is by far the better singer. I'm not a huge metal fan, so my opinion means very little.
Btw, I just found out that Kerry Livgren finally released his Cantata "The Raising of Lazarus" which he's been working on for several decades. I just ordered it from Kerry's website, Numavox, and I can't wait to hear it. I believe he's one of the best songwriters, orchestrators, and lyricists ever! Kansas has never been the same since Kerry left to start AD and then Proto-Kaw.
Hey Ken, that's another one you could do Stapp vs. Kennedy (obviously Myles is a much better singer).
Rumor has it, they wanted to change the name but the label wouldn't let them.
Heavy sound CD and I loved it
Good points. That album was NOT an album for parties.
Just rewatched this video. My 20 year old son has finally made the jump from rap to rock. He loves the Corabi album. Even though Corabi didn’t take the band up a notch, Vince hasn’t really done anything since. This band is great. I grew up on them. Vince was the man for the first ten years, Corabi would have been epic if Nikki would have stayed that course. Hard to have the chemistry with one album when you’re facing backlash from the fans. People who like a show like Vince the best, and people who like real good music like Corabi the best.
Ken, keep pumping out the good content.
I love Vince Neil .... But in 94 ... was like a strong Uppercut in my face with Corabi iii People should listen to it differently today ... The Best Album Ever ... Pure Music .. Pure Hardrock !!! This record is one of a kind.... TIMELESS !!!
As far as I'm concerned it wasn't even Motley Crue once Vince was no longer with them
Thanks for sharing!
Totally agree. Should have put that album out under a different name.
Maybe not, but it was undeniably good. They never wanted to call the band MC, but the record company insisted. To me comparing this album and music to anything MC of yore is like comparing apples to alternators.
I have to stick with Vince. Been a huge fan since they first hit the LA scene back in the day. John is not joke by any stretch but Vince IS Crue for me. I love these videos Ken. Keep these up. AWESOME!!!
I really dig how you break things down in the overall picture. I do believe it can agree on the assessment. Vince is more of a frontman while Corabi is more of a vocalist. I’ve also noticed Vince Neil seems to be getting back into a better form, almost back to his older self with the last couple of performances I’ve seen, so I’m glad he’s put the effort in. I also like hearing some of the musical lore behind some stuff. Very good stuff man.
What an awesome video. Just straightforward conversation. Like sitting with a beer and your neighbor mixing it up. Very well done!
I really love Mötley Crüe and they wrote killer songs ! Vince Neil is the soul of MC because of the huge succes and this is history ! "Dr Feelgood" is a 80's masterpiece but the Corabi album is, for me, my favorite album of MC equal to "Dr Feelgood" back in the day ! The writing on this album is flawless, they have re-invented themselves in the grunge era and the production was massive. John Corabi is one of my favorite singer since the 1994 album ! I love his raspy voice ! Thank you for this video (remember Ken, i was the one to ask for a video on John Corabi). Too bad they just do 1 album and an EP ("Quaternary"). By the way, John Corabi is releasing a new song today :-)
The drums on the self titled corabi album are still some of the best sounding ever.
Vince Neil is one of the Best Rock - N - Roll singers ..... His sound is very distinct and that is what makes a great rock and roll singer...... Vince Neil has never been a middle of the road or mediocre singer......
Album sales tells the story..... The sold-out coliseums the sold out concerts open air venues......
And yes let's not forget us fest 83 motley Crue did an awesome job as a band they're one of the greatest......
I can't believe people would always have something horrible to say about one of the classic quintessential voices of rock and roll..... Long live motley Crue Long live Vince Neil....
Dude, what? He’s legit one of the worse successful singers to I’ve ever heard and I’m a big Motley Crue fan. Vince is awful. He’s blessed to have hooked up with the rest of the band.
They wouldnt have gotten to where they were when JC came in if he had been at the helm since 81, thats for sure. In that era, VN was their perfect front man and because of him Motley became what they were. Everyone knows this.
Story was Nikki Sixx heard Corabi's record with The Scream and decided he had to have Corabi in Motley Crue. The record Corabi cut with Motley Crue is the best thing the band has done and I think what Corabi was capable of inspired the rest of the band to make better more challenging music. Corabi talked about jamming with Crue, how tight and heavy and bluesy they were - I'd love to hear those jam sessions, because as KT points out, Nikki Sixx had to write songs within the limits of what Vince Neil could deliver. Corabi blew those limits away, and the fact Corabi could play guitar added another heavy dimension to the band.
The Corabi album is awesome. He and the guys really clicked in writing. I heard corabi take over for Steven Pearcy once when Stephen walked off the stage. Band kept playing, corabi took over. Wow. I could hear him do the whole show.
Mate, that would have been something to see!!
The album they did with John is the best of their career.
Highly talented,no doubt.👍
John Corabi by a landslide
Neil’s vocal is what made Motley Crue to me. You’re right about Nikki, great songwriter.
I feel that the title album with John was a far more mature album musically and lyrically. It’s my favourite Crüe album and I have been a Crüe fan since the beginning.
Obviously, management would have never let them rebrand themselves as a new act. There are times though, I can't help wonder what the outcome would have been if that had happened.
I still go back to this album far more than any other record by the Crue. The few live clips that exist with Corabi show them at the height of their powers. Even Sixx seemed to be more on point as a bass player.
Certainly, the vibe of the original Crue was lost, and I get that. I just really dug this iteration of the band, and would have liked for them to get another bite at the apple. It may have even saved Generation Swine, though I doubt it.
Thank you for your video. On a professional level John is one of the most talented musicians out there. It's a shame the fans didn't give him a chance. I was a Motley fan and worked their shows back in Philly. They were a lot more edgier when John was in the band. He not only sang though. He wrote, played guitar, harmonica etc.. He changed the sound because there was an extra musician, not just a front man.
Vince had more commercial appeal even tho John was a better singer but the songs were better with Vince
Awesome channel dude wish I had this resource when I was younger. Keep on keepin on Ken
I like both versions of Motley Crüe but the the band is not the same without Vince, Nikki, Mick and Tommy they have a unique sound and chemistry when you see them live. RIP Randy Castillo.
Did Motley Crue have any hit songs with John Carabi? I really don't recall songs with him. I actually like the sound of Vince's voice myself back in the day.
Thanks for weighing in!
They didnt but should have. That album was phenomenal and musically puts anything they did with Vince to shame. It allowed the rest of the band to play to their full potential whereas with Vince they had to play to his abilities.
I remember hearing Hooligan's Holiday on the radio, but that's it.
I was one of those who did not give Corabi a chance when things first went down. I had been a Mötley Crüe fan since the early 80's. Neil was it for me.
In hindsight, I wish I, and other fans, had given Corabi a chance. I've listened to the lone album he did with them and it is a solid album. It's held up much better than I thought it would. And I think it would have given the band a new lease on life (that I don't think it really got until it fully embraced its' roots 2008's "Saints of Los Angeles").
It's no knock on Neil. He is too vital to the success of the band (though I do like your insight on how Sixx was able to craft his songs to work around Vince's limitations). And for what I hope is the final tour--if it ever happens--I'm ecstatic if he's out there front and center, healthy, and given us one last go-round of nostalgia.
But I'll still always wonder "What If..." Corabi stayed with the band and they went in that direction.
Thanks for sharing!
Ken, you have always impressed me. I'm not a vocalist, I'm the lonely bass player in the shadows of great guitarists, but I did write lyrics for most of the bands I've played in and I always referred the vocalists your way. What impresses me most about you, is your interaction with your people's. I've spoken to you on Twitter and FB long ago. I see you always replying to posts where most just ignore or don't even engage. I also commend you on your professional opinions and positive spirit. Anyways just saying what's up and wish more ppl were as interactive as you are. I've fallen ill and had to let go of my gear so I no longer play, but, after a few years of researching my illness, I've found that bass.....can actually help in the healing process of my illness, because bass frequencies have a positive effect on the human body. Funny how things work, the bass player has always gotten the short end of the stick and been the butt of jokes, but now.....I'm finding that bass is a very important part of not only music, but actual life. I hope to put out a paper on what I've found before I depart from this place, and I hope it will be a new found glory for bass players around the world. Sorry for the long post I tend to blather on about stuff lol. One last thing, my daughter is 5 and she wants to be a singer. She sings every day and that has been my driving force to push as hard as I can to stay around so I can see her succeed at her dreams so maybe one day she will be a student if yours.
Great stuff once again Ken :)
After hearing Crue with more of an open ear,being older. I realize how bad Of a singer Vince has always been. When I hear him now,he sounds about the same as back in the day. That being said,Vince is Motley Crue. So I’ll go with Vince.
I’ve never been a very big fan of Vince Neals voice John has a much more open bigger sound which I prefer. That being said Vince did have an interesting tone which worked great for those songs and the times.
This is why 70's rock is so eternal. You had guy's like Robert Plant and Roger Daltrey who encapsulated both the iconic front man and the stellar vocalist.
Maybe Vince Neil isn't the best singer, but he has such a specific sound that makes him ''good'' and/or unique. Again, never heard of the replacement singer! Also, do you think we will still be talking about and listening to 70-80-90's bands in the year 2040 or so? Or do you see anything getting better in the music scene anytime soon?
It's a very difficult task to top the bands of the 80s and I don't think that will happen. My band and some others do try to build upon what they did in the 80s in the "new wave of traditional heavy metal" and that old heavy metal style at least stands stronger than many other genres that have declined.
Vince's voice is the Crüe. New music will never top music from the past. Talking about mainstream music.
Also lets face it VINCE NEIL was much more of an image pc as well and it was the 80s,CORABI not such a great image pc and they had lots of female fans!!
Corabi is a better vocalist, but Vince was instrumental in making the band successful, epic, and unforgettable! Being a teenage girl in the 80’s, Vince was woven into the fabric of our rock n roll souls!!!
Corabi was a WAY BETTER VOCALIST and a better performer all the way around. I liked crue before Corabi but the Corabi album was probably there best one.
John Corabi is a fantastic singer. Motley Crue 1994 is one of their heaviest and best CD's. If they had released it under another band name "featuring 3 of the 4 members of Motley Crue" I think it would have done better, John is not Vince and the Crue fans couldn't get behind him. Ranking for me - Shout, Too Fast and then 1994 IMO. The Scream and Union with Corabi on vocals both great bands too!
Who’s the better singer? That’s a pretty easy question. Corabi could pull off anything Neil could do, and did do exactly that at shows. Now…Imagine Neil attempting to sing “Uncle Jack”, or “Smoke the Sky”, or “Hammered”. It’s not a pleasant thought. If you want the truth on that, listen to Generation Swine. Written for Corabi, you can tell these songs don’t fit Vince’s voice.
Corabi was a better vocalist. He was more versatile. Now that Vince is basically done, why not invite John back and cut a few tracks? He did 25 year anniversary of that MC album live with his kid on drums. Pick up a copy. Amazing. It’s pretty obvious John can still sing.
I jumped on the Crue train in 1983. Loved them. Like many I was shocked when they split. But honestly the Corabi album was stellar. I kinda wish they'd stayed apart because we could have had two good bands.
Is so interesting a topic. When I was younger I never gave the 94 album a listen, corbi was the enemy,lookin back now I wasn't mature enough and my musical tastes changed completely, when motley took out the music to crash your car to boxed set I bought it, I couldn't believe my ears what I'd missed, the 94 album is one of my all time favorites. The same thing happened when Axl split from g'n'r, when he released the Chinese democracy album I didn't want to know, 3 year ago I seen it in a charity shop and gave it a listen, couldnt believe it so good, it's in my top ten too.
In the shout at the devil era we have to realize that probably Vince and all the band was drunk or in drugs and I don't think that he warm up or anything like that.
I've been a massive Motley Crüe fan most of my life and love (almost) everything they did with Vince, but gotta admit they did their best material with Corabi!
Hey ken , Mike here in Baton Rouge la , as long time close friends with Lillian axe 🪓 John Corabi is one of the many close friends to the band , so having met him , and heard him sing even recent , yes he has the better range and keys .
I wanted to say how very much I appreciated the way you did this video , very tasteful ! John was and is a more vocally blessed individual I agree , vi ve as you stated was the better fit as a lead n frontman , we all got used to that high cut through voice and it made Motley have their sound we all loved in the early years n the dr feel good album . Primal scream was also a really great song .
Ken , thanks for being sensitive and tasteful , nothing wrong with calling out the truth about vinces range and his in ability to hold it down through the tears , but as most high sort of screamers they can’t hold it for years to come without the proper training and coaching .
You are a great coach n teacher love what you do and appreciate you brother , may the good lord continue to bless ya , loved your personal testimony and I like you have a similar one . Having got out of the band scene and yet still friends with those here in the music scene , I reach out to my band friends n try to be a good influence . Appreciate you very much ken ! Keep up the awesome work ! God is good !
The Corabi album was great. I love it. I didn’t grow up at all during the era of either Crue. However, I was raised with older music and Crue has and always will be one of my biggest inspirations for music. That said, the band shouldn’t have been known as Motley Crue once Vince was gone, and even Nikki admitted that.
Regardless of how Vince has been in recent years, and how he was live back then and now, he was and is Crue. The four of them started something that was just magical and ground breaking. Idc if you like them or not. They were the most dangerous and notorious band back then. The four of them cannot be replaced in ANY light in my eyes. Are they best musicians individually? Mick Mars definitely, but the rest? Maybe not individually, but together they worked. Vince will forever be my favorite. He was what they needed in the frontman department. In his prime, he really was untouchable on stage regardless of vocals. Just my opinion.
John corabi is technically the better singer period but Vince Neil is the better fit for Motley Crue
Thanks for weighing in!
I think both is good. Vince is more party. John is more serious, dark. If I can feel their pain through music and lyrics, then it's good. Passion , heart , soul through music , then it's good.
We don't get that through a lot of audio tunes these days.
YT algorithm brought me here, and I am glad it did. Ken's break-down was right on point. I wonder how much farther Motley Crue would have gone with Corabi...
Also, as an audio geek, I could not help but notice how perfect those rack limiters were set while Ken was breaking things down. It shows that he knows his stuff.
Misunderstood is the best Aerosm... I mean Crue song with John and a true masterclass in songwriting.
Vince is the essence of Motley Crue! Limited range means nothing. He’s the vibe! His tone is everything! Love Vince
I think Motley Crue did such a great job at marketing each member kind of like the Beatles. Also, they marketed themselves more of a gang....one for all....all for one in interviews and Crue fans bought into that. So you ended up have 3 really bonified superstars in Nikki, Vince, and Tommy. Mick never seemed to want the spotlight on him too much. To change that at that time was going to be tricky. The timing was bad also because music was changing fast and it really seemed a bit like jumping on the bandwagon and I think that turned people off a bit. A lot of Crue fans were not going to go the Pearl Jam and Nirvana route...ever. With that being said the Corabi Crue had some really good songs. My favorite being Til Death Do Us Part but it never really felt like the Motley Crue that people "grew up" with.
Exactly! Couldn't be any better explained. Crue is not MC without Vince. I still couldn't accept Styx without DeYoung or Journey without Perry.
Just found your channel Ken and it's great.... As a rocker from the '80s it's great to hear your detailed analysis of the singers and the songs... Thought it was especially cool and I never gave it a thought of the Walk this Way/Dr. Feelgood comparison.... Anyway great stuff and I subscribed to your channel..
PS.. cool that you're related to one of my favorite singers of all time the Red rocker..
Motley’s albums were hit or miss for the most part, BUT the Corabi album…EVERY song is killer!
I love Corabi. I saw Vince open for Sammy in St Louis a few years back and not to bash Vince, but the audience over sang him and I am glad we did. It was fun, but Vince was just terrible. However, I was glad to see him, and happy to pay for it. Sammy just over does everybody, so The Circle abosulutely KILLED it. What a who's who of a band. Love me some "The Circle".
Vince has a sound that is all his own and when combined with the other three guys it has a perfection in and of itself. Vince's studio releases have always sounded better by far than him singing live (especially these days). However, I don't really care how the sausage gets made as long as it's delicious when served up. It just works.
There is no Motley Crue without Vince or any of the other original members in my opinion.
Always love to hear different prospectives. Enjoyed your take. I agree with some of what you say. I was lead singer over two decades and also studied history and science. I take a scientific analysis approach to things. Grew up with metal, grunge, blues which I feel most guitar/solos, come from minor pentitonic scales. But as far as vocals Vince gets trashed on now but it's amazing all he's been through,drinking, drugs etc he's even alive. You showed old clips of Vince live back in day where many bands vocally barely had to do nothing and girls would scream but didn't show any live of this Corabi fella, not really fair. And let's face it Corabi came in at a time in history where this type of music was on the down low, grunge ruled, not his fault.
Vince wasn't hired for his voice it was for his charisma. Nikki knows how to write for Vince. Couldn't imagine anyone else fronting that band in the 80's!
Corabi is so much better. That said, if Corabi is in the band from the start, it’s highly unlikely Motley get as big as they did. Vince is technically a terrible singer but he has the attitude and a unique sound that fit.
The results to the Neil/Corabi debate is exactly the same as the Roth/Hagar debate!
Neil & Roth represent the core structure of the band, their rise to fame. Both are the epitome of their Party Boys image of the bands.
Now, with Corabi & Hagar, they brought a certain maturity and legitimacy to their bands. The musicianship levels rose several degrees above the original incarnations of the bands. I’m sure it helped that both Corabi & Hagar brought certain guitar skills to the table.
At first, I didn’t care for the Corabi album, because it wasn’t “the Crüe”. Years later, my eyes were opened and now I love that album! I really, really wish they would’ve recorded another album with him. I’m excited to hear that Mick Mars is gonna have Corabi on his solo album!
The Corabi Crew album has to be the most underrated and one of their best albums. You put this CD in and it kicks ass for 12 tracks - from the opener 1.Power to the music , pushing your sound system to it's limits with a Hot input signal , to the last track driftaway. Vince was always weak live - but they were so loud (has to be one of the loudest concerts i've ever seen "Dr Feel good" tour in my life. But nobody cared how Vince sounded - it was the total vibe and package is what sold. But the Corabi CD is the only crew CD I can listen to beginning to end.
When my neighbor asks me to turn it down, I play track 1 - "Power to the Music" as my "fuck you" listen to this shit! lol
I truly believe this album had it all- definitely power through & through. Corabi's voice is awesome. John knows how to use his voice. It's a weak example but please bare with me; it's like Ozzy era Sabbath vs Dio. Dio by far has a greater and more powerful voice than Ozzy. But the majority love Ozzy era Sabbath. Same thing happened to John.
But John Corabi fucking kicks ass as a singer/vocalist and he also knows how to play guitars and bass.
My honest opinion is I think singing this catalog is a huge job to do every night, even more so than their peer bands from the 80s. Vince is not losing his voice. He's not croaking on stage. He, for whatever reason doesn't annunciate the lyrics or even make an attempt to get all of the words in. He skips so many lyrics and doesn't quite form many of the words. People have made videos just trying to make out what he is saying when he sings live and can't even come close to what the lyrics are. And I'll just say that style is not my cup of tea.
I became a Corabi fan when I first heard Union, which featured Bruce Kulick. Corabi to me is one of those guys like Jizzy Pearl who can jump into any band and shine.
I love Union. I purchased their two albums because of Corabi. He is a great singer, song writer and musician because of his skill and depth.
I'm Looking for comparisons of the singers with Foreigner Styx and Boston next that would be interesting
Great suggestion!
I'll already go with the Legend Lou.
When I think of the CRUE, I think of Vince, Tommy, Nikki, and Mic, together they did Motley Crue better!
Back in the 90s i played in many rock bands and we stuck to the sound of the 80s we still had good crowds
Corabi was a very solid singer but the Crue sound with Vince is way too iconic for them to ever have anyone else step in.
Interesting video Ken. I saw Crue when they were on the Shout At The Devil tour. Cool, but not great. They for sure got better in the next few years. Fast forward 30+ years and I had the pleasure of mixing for John Corabi when he was in Australia. He did all the songs off Motley Crue and sounded fantastic. Real nice and easy to work with as well.
The 25th anniversary live record is amazing !!
I saw John Corabi in Nashville not long ago, opening for Winger and Tom Keifer of Cinderella at the Ryman Auditorium. He was awesome. He played all his stuff with Union, Dead Daisies, etc. The only Crue song he did was "Hooligan's Holiday", which was great, but I wished he had done "Misunderstood". Overall, he was amazing, as were Winger and Tom Keifer.
As far who's better, both are fantastic with what they have/had done with the rest of the Crue, regardless of album sales and ticket sales. What mattered was the music, and both John and Vince fit perfectly with their eras.
I do hope someday we'll get a soundboard recording of the 1994 tour, with Corabi, as I'm dying to hear him do "Shout at the Devil" with that voice of his..
Most interesting video I've seen outta you yet Ken. You actually picked up a sub for this one lol. First off, let me say I'm an UNAPOLOGETIC Crue head from the age of about 6 lol. I remember the first time I heard them, a neighbor kid was riding up the road with a little gray cassette player on the handle bars of his bicycle, I was already by that age CONSUMED with love and passion for rock and roll in the form of Ted Nugent, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, etc. But this kid had something different I'd never heard before blaring from the little single speaker cassette player on his handle bars. On his way back down I was standing by the road waiting and stopped him.. and was like WHAT is THAT!? He handed me a cassette case, with knock em' dead kid still blaring from the bicycle, I'm looking at these four guys on the cover.. and they were like KISS, only different, and cooler lol... This ofcourse was a cassette copy of "Shout at the devil". I have no idea now, what I traded him for it.. but it was a couple of cassettes of some sort lol.. I just knew I couldn't let this guy leave with this music... I had to have it. That was the birth of my Motley Crue fandom at a super young age, and I had every single new album asap when they came out all the way up through high school lol. I say all that to say, I LOVE Vince Neil. But there is no comparison in either style or substance of his voice that can compare with the masterful John Corabi. I dare say, the 1994 self titled album with Corabi is my favorite, with that first one I heard (Shout) being my second favorite. For you to say that Corabi didn't up the game of the Crue is kinda odd to me. I mean, sure... When it comes to commercial success, sure... Crue were bigger with Neil. HOWEVER.. You also have to take into account the climate that 94 album came out in. AT THAT TIME... Being a band of the 80s was a horrible albatross to carry in the music industry. The album was a commercial failure... as was the tour. But that was NOT John Corabi's fault, Nor the bands fault. In my opinion, they made the best album of their career with John.. both stylistically, Substance wise, everything. The songwriting was SO much deeper and more 3 dimensional. They were writing really serious songs for the first time... I think John really pulled something out of Nikki that may have never came out of him otherwise. Songs like Misunderstood, Uncle Jack... and then theres also just some really great balls to the walls rock and roll songs on there... Things like "Hooligans Holiday" or "Smoke the Sky"... It's just a GREAT album... and maybe it wasn't commercially as successful, But I think musically, and lyrically, it's just a Motley Crue MASTERPIECE... And also, Personally, as a Motley Crue fan still to this day... one of my biggest disappointments, was that they gave in to the pressure from the bean counters, and we never got a second album from "Corabi Crue".... I feel like, if they'd given it about two years, and put out another album with John... that was a direct progression from "94"... it would have done much better the second time around... say around 96... because many of those bands at THAT time , Marilyn Manson, Etc... Were more influenced by bands Like Motley Crue, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Ozbourne, etc... and they were looked at more like elder statesmen at that point rather than the played out has beens they were viewed as in the early part of the grunge movement. That album I believe was the poster child for coming out in the wrong place at the wrong time.
PS... I also believe that 94 album was probably more in line with what Nikki Sixx really WANTED Motley Crue to be from the get go... I think its what Nikki would have been doing all along had he not had to work within the limitations of Vince's voice and style.
I've seen Motley live 7 times throughout the 80's and into the 2000's. Vince has yet to give a decent vocal performance in the shows I've attended. In fact, to remain politically correct, he sounded like a Little Rascal's character who had a speech impediment that Eddie Murphy parodied on SNL. I've seen Corabi live a couple of times with The Dead Daisies. Great vocals on each occasion and he's also an excellent guitar player. I will say that Vince is a better front man than Corabi. But on his absolute best day, Vince could not compete with Corabi vocally. Who did it best... Corabi is more talented overall and his album with Motley is my favorite. But Vince is the face and voice of Motley Crue and always will be.