Maps & Legends Radio, Sept. 28, 2012: Yowlers, Mumblers, and Crooners: Exploring Rock and Roll Vocal Styles

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I have been so taken with Creedence Clearwater Revival front man John Fogerty’s yowling vocals that I once named a cat after him. Some vocalists like Fogerty sound as electric as the plugged-in guitars that accompany them. Others, such as Al Green and Norah Jones, specialize in smooth styles that may belie the painful emotions they are singing about, or help the medicine to go down. Some rock vocalists like Bono and Björk wow us with their belting, full-bellied singing, while still others, like the Velvet Underground and early R.E.M., mumble their way through their music, perhaps in defiance of their audience. On this edition of Maps & Legends, we’ll explore several rock and roll vocal styles: Yowlers, Mumblers, Yodelers, Crooners, Belters, and Croakers. This last set will include a whirlwind tour through Bob Dylan’s vocal journey of fifty years, from throaty to well, even more throaty.