Fil, you are normally mr. positive. It's actually refreshing to see that you are capable of criticizing a situation. Not everything is sunshine and roses, and glad to hear you call this situation out.
Batphink Reynolds ... Better still, you should have someone take away your electronic devices when you've been downing too many ales or Fosters or whatever your poison is.
You are so spot on here. Music has lost its soul. Music is emotion, raw, achingly beautiful, it should grab your heart and take you on a ride, it’s an experience. Autotune robs you of the mystery, the unexpected and truth of that experience
Possibly my favorite analysis yet, Fil. I appreciate not only your perspective, but passion as well. No need to apologize. Don't think the great Gary Richrath would have partaken in this.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for giving voice to an issue that has irritated me since the early '90's!!! I'm 60 years old and grew up with bands who could actually PLAY actual INSTRUMENTS and were as good live, if not better, than their album. I pity this generation. 🤘🎸💯
Fil, I agree with everything you said, with one slight exception. Kevin Cronin has full control over whether or not they use auto-tune on his mic. He's not out there selling records like one of the new one-hit wonders - he and the rest of REO are touring to make money. Period. Kevin has - in fact - a long-standing reputation for being extremely involved in every aspect of his live shows, and not putting up with hijinks. If there's an auto-tune on his vocals, it;s because he wanted it there.
Most rock singers do not have pitch perfect voices: mick jagger, Robert plant, Janis Joplin, joe cocker, Carole king , but they convey their feeling so well. Well done fil!!!!!
*In the old days,* the soundboard tech would just *mute the singers mic* if it was bad or *used a back-up tape.* In the 1990's, a audio tape was leaked of Linda McCartney from Wings (Paul's then wife) was so off key & bad on *Hey Jude* that it was learned that the soundboard techs just muted her mic for the show.
*Brad Delp of Boston* was one such singer. He couldn't sing those higher notes in *More Than A Feeling* live anymore. So Boston had to get younger musicians to sing those parts live. Since Delp died (suicide), Boston hired female musicians/singers to achieve the sound Brad Delp used to do when he was younger.
@@kevinthetruckdriver353 heard that recording on a morning radio show called The Ron & Ron show and there was a guy who called them who was interviewing Paul. when he mention Ron & Ron. Paul became so furious that he wish them to have cancer. sadly, that not a wise thing to say, one the guys on the show died of cancer or some HIV related diease and he lost Linda of cancer. I can understand he was extremely angry and embarrassed with people mocking his late wife but words can back you in the ass if you're not careful.
there's always a range for any note, it's not incorrect to be a few cents off. to me it's like saying that artists can only use bright red of a specific degree or none at all, just imagine what that would do to the best paintings in the world, that's what their doing to music and i thank you, Fil for exposing this oppressive trend to remove emotion from all music.
I saw REO live in the 70s and they really kicked ass. Kevin was absolutely flawless as well as the rest of the band. Fil you are correct! Auto tune has ruined music today. Love your channel Fil! And your music ed teachings. You’re really amazing! Thank you for educating a new generation. ❤️💋🤘🏼
I used to see REO in their early days in Racine WI. They were great! No auto tune needed. I agree the pure vocals need to be brought back. Sad music changed so much.
I also have seen REO several times back in the day and yes they were fantastic but I saw him live recently and he really has lost much of his vocal ability. I don't agree with the use of autotune, everybody's voice changes with time... Look at how many famous singers from back in the day who can't sing at all anymore.
U listen to many songs from the 60's 70's and even the 80's and I find myself with tears running down my cheeks! I no longer find this happening anymore! I'm 68 and I love your channel 💕
I’d never heard of vocal auto-tune before Fil’s explanation here. I knew nothing about it before this moment. But as I listened to Kevin singing in the recording of his band’s performance just prior to Fil’s comments, I was very consciously thinking to myself, “something’s off here”. “Something doesn’t sound right with his vocals”. I thought his voice sounded ‘short’ or ‘chopped’. I’ve listened to Kevin sing this song for nearly 42 years -since it first came out on REO’s album “You Can Tune A Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish” in 1978. I well know what the real and full performance of this song sounds like! In fact it was THIS song (and its twin Speedwagon hit, “Roll With The Changes” which was released on the same album) that made me a fan of the band when that pair of excellent REO hits first began to be played on the radio and inspired me to go buy my first REO Speedwagon album. As I listened to this particular recording of the song posted by Fil, even before he had begun his analysis, it was OBVIOUS to me that there was a richness or a fullness missing from Kevin’s vocals. As Fil began talking about this vocal auto-tune tweek that’s becoming popular in the music industry now, that’s when I realized my ears or my mind weren’t playing tricks on me. It was the NUANCE of the PHYSICAL EXPRESSION that was MISSING. That it’s PURPOSELY missing (has been PURPOSELY REMOVED) is a travesty. It’s a travesty because what’s been removed is the part that conveys THE EMOTION of the performance! What’s left is MECHANICAL, machine-like, nearly emotionless! Like Fil, I DON’T LIKE IT! Don’t like it at all.
Taylor swift,,,maybe she is good song writer, but her vocal abilities are questionable. I heard her singing live with Mick and she was awful, nothing like her records where she gets by with her limited range.
This is why I love this guy so much: he has passion. At 12:30-12:45 Fil is spot-on, bingo, bulls-eye, and any other superlative you can think of. Thank you!
I really hate to admit this, but in the 70's and the 80's when I was a child and young adult I didn't really like live recordings because they didn't sound as good as the studio recordings. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I learned to like and now prefer live music to studio recordings. now days I almost entirely purchase albums and watch videos of bands that are unsigned. In fact I would much rather watch a band in some dive whole in the wall. Now after watching this video I understand why that is, but I had no idea that auto tune is used so much now. You really enlightened me. Thank you Fil!
Completely agree! I only like independent music. All the big acts are so ... blah. There's no excitement, no thrill in listening to them. It's all muzak now.
Spot on ! Thank you !! Fil, you should have been born in 1950. You would have feasted as a young man in the 60s and 70s. There were no home computers or video games in those days. For me and my friends it was all about how good are your speakers, amp, turntable, cartridge, reel-to-reel, and record collection. Then it was “Who did you go and see last weekend.” The arguments were about solid state vs tube, who makes the superior record cleaning system, and what kind of gloves should you wear when handling records. You would have fit right in.
Thank you so much for explaining this and making us all more aware of autotune everywhere. I still prefer live recordings of my favorite 70s group even when they were losing their voices. Live, without autotune, has so much more emotion and heart! You hit the nail on the head....it's all about the emotional connection!! Thank you!
This video comes from a professional movie house, that means it was properly mixed and recorded off of the mixing desk. The autotune was applied not during the performance, but on the post production of the video. It's not uncommon on a commercial release of a live album or video of a concert to undergo overdubs for mistakes, vocals to be completely replaced to make the band sound better as a live entity. Best example of a live album that almost is basically a complete studio recording would be Ozzy's Speak Of Th Devil, both performances of the vynil release of all Sabbath material and the the Diary Tour concert film sound absolutely nothing like the actual performances on the raw bootlegs. If you want to see a live band that performs and sounds better live than studio, go watch a Styx concert, they still play everything in the original key, and the harmonies are freaking spine chilling.
I grew up listening to the great bands of the 70s and you´re so so right about people feeling the music during that era and todays generation simply hearing it
Hi Fil! REO Speedwagen was played a lot in my house when my daughter was in high school! I loved them too! Music was played constantly in my house, and perhaps that is why my daughter got her degree as a music therapist! Indianapolis held lots of concerts, and I made sure she got to go!
I wish I could give this one several thumbs up. REO Speedwagon is from my hometown and, of course, one of my favorites. Finding this video pleases me...just yesterday, I realized I haven't listened to REO for much too long and was intending to crank it up today, anyway. I've only gotten to see them live once...bummer.
Being from the 60's and 70's era in music, you are spot on Fil. My grandsons are very much into music, much from my era because I've shown them the greats and turned it up so they can "feel" what we did back then, to some degree. They realize that TALENT was needed to make back then, no computers, auto tune or anything else. Pure skill and talent!
Why can't the music producers of today understand that when they remove the "imperfections," they remove the charm, or the "humanness?" Truely great analysis tonight, Fil!!
Laurie Kane As a music producer who refuses to use it, I can tell you it comes down to two reasons, neither of which is justified: 1. Laziness 2. No historical understanding of music
@@artysanmobile Yeah, I guess you're right. These producers have no business being in the music business. Imagine if George Martin had had this technology in the 60's, and if he had utilized it! The entire landscape of several generations of music would suddenly vanish out of existence!
@@artysanmobile perhaps you could somehow influence those who use auto-tune to stop. It truly ruins good music. Those who can't sing shouldn't be recording.
How it felts versus how it sounds, spot on statement, singers have become disposable because of autotune, most folks are now tuned to hear autotune, if they don't hear autotune, they think the singer sucks, I'm sure glad I grew up in the 70's!
So refreshing to hear analysis from a true music lover! You're so right here. The industries are just mass producing "perfection" for profit (movies with CGI, music with auto-tune, photos with photoshop, etc.). The creativitiy and authenticity is lost in those processes. I don't have a problem with using those processes, but within reason and not live.
Fil That is a perfect summation of the music today. I fell in love with music because of how it makes me feel and think. I never expected a perfect sound. And this an amazing song that got me through a tough breakup many years ago
Thank you, Fil for this. I had no idea that so much of this auto-tune was going on these days. There's a quote by audio engineer Ryan Shannahan on the Antares website where he says "“Auto-Tune is a tool I use on pretty much every vocal I engineer. I can’t remember the last time I worked on a record without it." I'm sure he's not alone and so I guess we can expect more and more perfectly pitched vocals in recorded music. I'm old school at 71 so I've been around a lot of both live and recorded music and I will say that this technology is part of the cultural trend in making everything perfect that wasn't perfect to begin with, which means the music industry is feeding crap to the public all in the name of revenues and profitability. Being aware of this now is key because I am not buying into this. I recorded some original music of mine with an engineer friend in a home studio and although my vocals are far from perfect the thought never occurred to us to ever want to alter what I had done. OK, we used Pro Tools to tweak a few blemishes in my guitar track but that was the extent of it. Thanks again Fil for this revelation.
That's telling them Fil. (The auto tune commandos). I agree. I saw REO Speedwagon at the Tulsa Fairgrounds in 1987 and they really put on a good show. Kevin had a great voice live. Great analyses! 👍
Thank you for this rant, It's exactly how I feel. I'm in my 50's and I used to work in record stores back in the day - plus I've seen countless hundreds of bands live. I'm so sad about auto-tune. But I do feel that there will some day be a rediscovery of real live performance.
Do you remember the top 40 in our day ? Our host was Casey Kasem. I lived for it it was the highlight of my week in a tiny little Alabama town with one traffic light. On another note it was Casey who taught me that REO Speedwagon got their name from an antique fire engine
I love searching TH-cam for multiple live performances of my favorite artists, and different renditions of the same song. I’m a country fan too, and some of my favorite are tracking down multiple versions of the same George Jones songs, and especially hearing him sing the same song at different stages of his career. Live performances are especially great because you get to hear the real artist, and that’s how you can tell who’s the best! It makes music fun! Great work!
As a singer in a band for (too many) years, I’m definitely losing my ability to hit some notes. When I perform, and half the reason I still perform, is that challenge a singer has - to be able to connect with the crowd. And honestly, sometimes I have to improvise, and really push beyond by limits. It can be very satisfying and sometimes very ugly. However, I (like you Fil) feel like auto tune would be sacrilege. Great subject Fil. You’re the best bro!! 🇺🇸
"Ridin' the Storm Out" back in 1973 was the first song I herd from REO Speedwagon and was hook. excellent "rant" on "auto-tune" and the music industry! I meant analysis "Chuckle" this is one of your best Fil.
REO Speedwagon are such a great band! They don’t need auto tune. The music industry today and its hierarchy should leave bands alone and let them perform naturally....that’s the best part of seeing a band live! Great analysis Fil! Cheers Mario!😎🤘🤘
Thanks Fil, I'm no professional, but I love great music. Interesting to hear your take on the auto tune aspect. I don't like music that is over produced. It needs to sound like it would live.
Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge 80's music fan & REO has been my favorite band of all time since I was 13 back in 1978 when they released "You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish" album. "Time For Me To Fly" was the breakout song that got me into REO in the first place. I have seen them 20+ times live & they never disappoint! In fact, just saw them in December and got Dave's guitar pick & also Bryan's drum stick! Love your videos! You are very musically inclined!
REO was one of those bands that came around every year during the 70's and into the 80's in the midwest. They had so many recognizable songs. I think we took them a little for granted back then. They've been "Riding the Storm Out" for a long time.
agree totally - they were always a part of the Midwest summer concert festival scene AND yes, we did take them for granted (coz we were dazed and confused haha)
Fil...love your videos! I was a teen in the 80s and LOVE 80s music. I agree so much that back then you had to actually have talent versus now...you can just get autotuned to perfection!! Thanks for having so much passion for what you do!
I love REO Speedwagon. They are still touring and they are still wonderful. I have so many memories with this song. Rock on!! Thank you, Fil for bringing out the info on auto tune. You are amazing with the criticism as well as the praise. ❤️🌹❤️
Brother I could not have said it better myself Kevin has such a beautiful voice the bands need control of the final product so people cannot mess with their music like that your right everything is about money these days art goes by the way side over greed on a positive note I love this video the twelve string sounds awesome Kevin glides around the stage playing that incredible intro and I love so many of their songs but this one holds a special place in my heart Thank You for your passion Fil :-)
Omg Fil, I am so with you on this auto tune bs. My aunt Anne Phillips is a singer from way back. She had a fabulous, very well-reviewed album in the early 60s called “Born to be Blue” - it’s amazing - she always says that today with all this technology, you can grab any young woman off the street and put her in a studio and auto tune her voice and presto! A pop star - talent not required 🙄🙄🙄 She sang with greats like Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller and this stuff makes her so sad. I love how you’ve said that people like Janis Joplin and Neil young and Bob Dylan didn’t need perfect pitch - they gave you ALL the feels with the heart they put into their music! \m/
I have learned more about music in three months, by watching your reaction videos, than I previously knew in my fifty six years of living! What an outstanding, heartfelt, beautifully articulated response to soul killing auto tune! Thank you, Fil, for your support of REAL music and the integrity that must go with it! Great as usual-you keep up the stellar work! Treff
Makes me think of London Calling which is one of my fave songs. I'm no musician but there's a tiny part where the guitar sounds "off" and I think it gives the song character. I'm glad it sounds the way it does.
Quick story about REO, a friend of mine came back from Indiana University in the early 70s and was raving about this great band REO Speedwagon. Little did we know this unknown band in 1972 would turn out to be a super group.
WOW!!!! I've always enjoyed your comments and I like the positive way you do it but I REALLY appreciated your analysis of this video and your commentary on the industry. I love a lot of REO's stuff (and I did see them live with Chicago last year) and as you say, "THEY DON'T need this extra processing!!!! As a cover band gigging 50+ year old musician trying to do my best with my band to play this great music from the 70s-90s, it just makes me sick the way talented musicians use autotuning, backing tracks, click tracks whatever to make their "wall" of sound. Please industry, listen to Fil's voice. Let's get back to pure music (particularly vocals) from the heart and soul and not from software!
There are a few songs that when I sing them, my voice cracks with emotion, sometimes I even cry. How does autotune deal with that? I prefer 'real' myself. Great rant by the way, I loved it. You are absolutely right that music needs to be felt, not just heard.
YES and thank you, Fil, for being the one who finally has the guts to say it out loud. This is one of the most honest videos on TH-cam, and anyone who listens to music needs to watch this. You’re THE MAN, Fil! 🙌🏻👏🏻❤️
If Autotune hadn't been invented we would have never heard the names of more than half the "Artists" we have today. That's probably why I love to play acoustic guitar so much it's as honest as it gets. REO No doubt Absolute Professionals at what they do. I'm sure they've had a blast doin it. "Take It on The Run" my personal favorite. Especially the Solo's. Thanks Fil great and honest job as usual. See you Tuesday. ." Live Eruption" Yer The Ambassador To The People Of Rock. Melt our faces off ! ROCK 🤘
ITA!!! I can't imagine how Johnny Cash's version of Hurt would sound like utter crap if it had been auto-tuned... his expression and feeling when he sings it absolutely guts me every time! The sanitized version would do nothing to move me.
"I'm singing this note 'cause it fits in well..With the chords I'm playing...I can't pretend there's any meaning here....Or in the things I'm saying...But I'm in tune...Right in tune...I'm in tune...And I'm gonna tune.....Right in on you...Right in on you.....Right in on you." Getting In Tune, the Who.
Zenzi Cubik To those of us who have a lifelong love of music, those words have one meaning, somewhat ironic. To the bozos programming radio and producing pop music, those very same words have no ironic meaning whatsoever. They literally don’t know the meaning.
Thank you Fil for venting out and speaking the truth. Auto Tune is like taking a Van Gogh painting of flowers out of the museum in Amsterdam and having an artist repaint it an make the flowers perfect as a photograph and put that version on display.
I immediately went to TH-cam and watched this entire performance and watched the whole performance. You are right. I didn't notice the auto-tune. I did notice it right away. I just wasn't feeling moved and it sounded sanitized. As the performance went on it became glaring. I watched another much earlier performance and loved it. What a world of difference. I also went back and watched some live performances of Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley, (The Righteous Brothers) just to guys harmonizing and singing full out was amazing. No auto-tune there. Thank you Fil for shining a light on this. Maybe in the future analyze The vocal talents of The Righteous Brothers.
Got to see REO Speedwagon outdoors @Tulsa Fairgrounds back in1987. Great concert! Been a fan since 1977, RIP Gary Richrath and God bless. But I agree Fil, REO does not need auto tuning. Awesome video! 🤘
Thanks Fil for voicing how I also feel. The business insults true artists. I buy no "new" artists nowadays. I refuse to spend my money on fakers. Anyone with a soul should do the same. In the day I bought private collections and estate collections. I can safely say you probably can't name a recording artist or artists from the beginning of recorded music to this day that I do not have, EXCEPT for music made by new "artists" in the last 15 years. I buy 5 to 10 new cds monthly but only to fill in holes in the library. I'm not about to spend my money on crap artists that use artificial means to make "music". Period. That came from 50 years of searching and collecting. I have Wings of Pegasus - Persistence.
One of the greatest compliments I ever received from someone attending one of my band's performances was, "I'd heard your guys's demo and thought, 'They're pretty good, I'll have to check them out', but now that I'm here I'm really impressed! I don't mean to berate your recording project, because it's good, but you guys are even better live and I think your band is one of the Twin Cities' best!" Those words are everything you're talking about in this analysis, and I couldn't agree more. I've been out of the game long enough that I don't have any time with auto-tune but as I started watching this video I thought, "There's something different going on here" and I was wondering what I was picking up on. And then you pointed it out. Excellent job sharing, teaching, and enlightening the viewer!
I remember about 3 years ago noticing that most tunes on my car radio were annoyingly autotuned and not subtly - it got to the point that I had to get Sirius and now enjoy the '60's, 70's, 80's and the Beatles channels without any of the awful processing, especially the vocals. I do listen in to the current music channels at times but not for any length of time, especially when the first sign of autotune pops up.
I heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend, who heard it from another that this was going to be about Auto-Tune. Just had to do it take off on a lyric there. Fil thanks you. Flagging good idea.
I didn't notice it, until you had mentioned it. I stepped back the video, and noticed where auto-tune kicked in. My brother was showing me one of his songs on youtube and he was cringing about that version not using auto-tune. I was shaking my head inside, because my thought was that he needed to believe in his true sound.
Oh the humanity!! I agree 100% with you Fil. So so sad the state of music today. I was looking for something real, someone real and honest , a genuinely talented artist who played the music I loved. That's when I stumbled across your channel. I'm glad there was someone else(you), who felt the same way I did. 🤘☮️
All this machinery, making modern music, can still be open hearted Not so fully charted, it's really just a question of your honesty! Yeah, your honesty!
Wow! Fascinating discussion on Auto Tune. I really learned a lot. I think I know what you mean about how Auto Tune kind of gives everyone the same "stock" timbre to their vocal sound. I really admire and appreciate your dedication to music, Fil. Your integrity is refreshing , man .
That's the first time I have seen Fil genuinely pissed off. Bravo Fil! Everything you said is so true.
And well he should be.
Fil, you are normally mr. positive. It's actually refreshing to see that you are capable of criticizing a situation. Not everything is sunshine and roses, and glad to hear you call this situation out.
Mike Betts ... Is it possible that you were actually trying for actually when you put in accuracy? It actually fits the sentence more accurately.
@@JW...-oj5iw
.....woahhhh
Absolutely.
Batphink Reynolds ... Better still, you should have someone take away your electronic devices when you've been downing too many ales or Fosters or whatever your poison is.
To be fair, I don't think auto-tune makes REO Speedwagon any worse than they already are.
This young man is wise beyond his years. Once again, thank you Fil for sharing your incredible passion for music with all of us. Mucho respect to you.
You are so spot on here. Music has lost its soul. Music is emotion, raw, achingly beautiful, it should grab your heart and take you on a ride, it’s an experience. Autotune robs you of the mystery, the unexpected and truth of that experience
You have hit the nail on the head. Says it all, thank you!
'Auto tune' should be legally stamped on every 'Music seller'. Let the listener decide!
But can you autotuna fish?
@@ChuckJolley Sure, 'Like a Sturgeon, tuned for the very first time.'
yeah like the explicit lyric stickers
RIP Gary Richrath....the real awesome guitarist that made REO a real rock band
And a inspiration for Power Metal
Possibly my favorite analysis yet, Fil. I appreciate not only your perspective, but passion as well. No need to apologize. Don't think the great Gary Richrath would have partaken in this.
You are wrong Fil, the music of today does make me feel something-nauseated, and now I know why. Love your channel!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for giving voice to an issue that has irritated me since the early '90's!!! I'm 60 years old and grew up with bands who could actually PLAY actual INSTRUMENTS and were as good live, if not better, than their album. I pity this generation. 🤘🎸💯
Fil, I agree with everything you said, with one slight exception. Kevin Cronin has full control over whether or not they use auto-tune on his mic. He's not out there selling records like one of the new one-hit wonders - he and the rest of REO are touring to make money. Period. Kevin has - in fact - a long-standing reputation for being extremely involved in every aspect of his live shows, and not putting up with hijinks. If there's an auto-tune on his vocals, it;s because he wanted it there.
It's good to see a young person with an understanding of art and expression.
Fil is awesome!
You're a gem, Fil. Glad you're part of the conversation.
Most rock singers do not have pitch perfect voices: mick jagger, Robert plant, Janis Joplin, joe cocker, Carole king , but they convey their feeling so well. Well done fil!!!!!
💖🤘💯
Indeed
*In the old days,* the soundboard tech would just *mute the singers mic* if it was bad or *used a back-up tape.* In the 1990's, a audio tape was leaked of Linda McCartney from Wings (Paul's then wife) was so off key & bad on *Hey Jude* that it was learned that the soundboard techs just muted her mic for the show.
*Brad Delp of Boston* was one such singer. He couldn't sing those higher notes in *More Than A Feeling* live anymore. So Boston had to get younger musicians to sing those parts live. Since Delp died (suicide), Boston hired female musicians/singers to achieve the sound Brad Delp used to do when he was younger.
@@kevinthetruckdriver353 heard that recording on a morning radio show called The Ron & Ron show and there was a guy who called them who was interviewing Paul. when he mention Ron & Ron. Paul became so furious that he wish them to have cancer. sadly, that not a wise thing to say, one the guys on the show died of cancer or some HIV related diease and he lost Linda of cancer. I can understand he was extremely angry and embarrassed with people mocking his late wife but words can back you in the ass if you're not careful.
there's always a range for any note, it's not incorrect to be a few cents off. to me it's like saying that artists can only use bright red of a specific degree or none at all, just imagine what that would do to the best paintings in the world, that's what their doing to music and i thank you, Fil for exposing this oppressive trend to remove emotion from all music.
I relate to slightly flat in blues performances😎
Well said, David.
@@aprils6589 thanks
You just painted a picture through your words of what music is. Honest, real and raw, and definitely untouched by Auto tune. 👍
@@cindypowers4993 ❤️
I saw REO live in the 70s and they really kicked ass. Kevin was absolutely flawless as well as the rest of the band. Fil you are correct! Auto tune has ruined music today.
Love your channel Fil! And your music ed teachings. You’re really amazing! Thank you for educating a new generation. ❤️💋🤘🏼
Great video Fil! I totally agree and was really happy to hear you will not show performances that use for autotune future vids. You rock!
WOW been listening to REO SPEEDWAGON here lately, One of my favorite bands! WOW!!! Thank YOU FIL!!!!
I used to see REO in their early days in Racine WI. They were great! No auto tune needed. I agree the pure vocals need to be brought back. Sad music changed so much.
I also have seen REO several times back in the day and yes they were fantastic but I saw him live recently and he really has lost much of his vocal ability.
I don't agree with the use of autotune, everybody's voice changes with time...
Look at how many famous singers from back in the day who can't sing at all anymore.
Thanks for speaking up for purity. YES! It's about how music makes us FEEL!!!!
Another amazingly pure voice from that era....two actually. Dennis from Styx and Steve Perry from journey. Steve Perry? Phenomenal.
🏠💯
You forgot the best... Ian Gillan! Mic drop.......
Steve Perry 'THE VOICE'!
@@LostMyMojo100 The Greatest Rock Singer Period. That's saying something, considering the greats." Born Again" still mind blowing today.
John Farnham, THE VOICE!
Thank you Fil. You nailed it perfectly. It used to be about the talent. These days image is all that matters.
U listen to many songs from the 60's 70's and even the 80's and I find myself with tears running down my cheeks! I no longer find this happening anymore! I'm 68 and I love your channel 💕
I’d never heard of vocal auto-tune before Fil’s explanation here. I knew nothing about it before this moment. But as I listened to Kevin singing in the recording of his band’s performance just prior to Fil’s comments, I was very consciously thinking to myself, “something’s off here”. “Something doesn’t sound right with his vocals”. I thought his voice sounded ‘short’ or ‘chopped’. I’ve listened to Kevin sing this song for nearly 42 years -since it first came out on REO’s album “You Can Tune A Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish” in 1978. I well know what the real and full performance of this song sounds like! In fact it was THIS song (and its twin Speedwagon hit, “Roll With The Changes” which was released on the same album) that made me a fan of the band when that pair of excellent REO hits first began to be played on the radio and inspired me to go buy my first REO Speedwagon album.
As I listened to this particular recording of the song posted by Fil, even before he had begun his analysis, it was OBVIOUS to me that there was a richness or a fullness missing from Kevin’s vocals. As Fil began talking about this vocal auto-tune tweek that’s becoming popular in the music industry now, that’s when I realized my ears or my mind weren’t playing tricks on me. It was the NUANCE of the PHYSICAL EXPRESSION that was MISSING. That it’s PURPOSELY missing (has been PURPOSELY REMOVED) is a travesty. It’s a travesty because what’s been removed is the part that conveys THE EMOTION of the performance! What’s left is MECHANICAL, machine-like, nearly emotionless! Like Fil, I DON’T LIKE IT! Don’t like it at all.
Such a great album title! Hi Infidelity is as well!
Madonna...Britney...a lot of careers would have died without auto tune.
Taylor swift,,,maybe she is good song writer, but her vocal abilities are questionable. I heard her singing live with Mick and she was awful, nothing like her records where she gets by with her limited range.
@@michaelholycross8718 I am not a Madonna fan, but her first major songs came out in the early 80"s before auto tune..
Good analysis and even better rant. 👍
I couldn't agree more. REO is phenomenal live. All the artists from that Era. Today's era is equivalent to Millie Vanillie
This is why I love this guy so much: he has passion. At 12:30-12:45 Fil is spot-on, bingo, bulls-eye, and any other superlative you can think of. Thank you!
I really hate to admit this, but in the 70's and the 80's when I was a child and young adult I didn't really like live recordings because they didn't sound as good as the studio recordings. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I learned to like and now prefer live music to studio recordings. now days I almost entirely purchase albums and watch videos of bands that are unsigned. In fact I would much rather watch a band in some dive whole in the wall. Now after watching this video I understand why that is, but I had no idea that auto tune is used so much now. You really enlightened me. Thank you Fil!
Completely agree! I only like independent music. All the big acts are so ... blah. There's no excitement, no thrill in listening to them. It's all muzak now.
Spot on ! Thank you !! Fil, you should have been born in 1950. You would have feasted as a young man in the 60s and 70s. There were no home computers or video games in those days. For me and my friends it was all about how good are your speakers, amp, turntable, cartridge, reel-to-reel, and record collection. Then it was “Who did you go and see last weekend.” The arguments were about solid state vs tube, who makes the superior record cleaning system, and what kind of gloves should you wear when handling records. You would have fit right in.
Thank you so much for explaining this and making us all more aware of autotune everywhere. I still prefer live recordings of my favorite 70s group even when they were losing their voices. Live, without autotune, has so much more emotion and heart! You hit the nail on the head....it's all about the emotional connection!! Thank you!
Always respected REO. Excellent songwriting, great lead and talented musicians.
This video comes from a professional movie house, that means it was properly mixed and recorded off of the mixing desk. The autotune was applied not during the performance, but on the post production of the video. It's not uncommon on a commercial release of a live album or video of a concert to undergo overdubs for mistakes, vocals to be completely replaced to make the band sound better as a live entity. Best example of a live album that almost is basically a complete studio recording would be Ozzy's Speak Of Th Devil, both performances of the vynil release of all Sabbath material and the the Diary Tour concert film sound absolutely nothing like the actual performances on the raw bootlegs. If you want to see a live band that performs and sounds better live than studio, go watch a Styx concert, they still play everything in the original key, and the harmonies are freaking spine chilling.
I grew up listening to the great bands of the 70s and you´re so so right about people feeling the music during that era and todays generation simply hearing it
Great rant, Fil! Love REO and can’t wait for the real thing❣️
Hi Fil! REO Speedwagen was played a lot in my house when my daughter was in high school! I loved them too! Music was played constantly in my house, and perhaps that is why my daughter got her degree as a music therapist! Indianapolis held lots of concerts, and I made sure she got to go!
Was a big fan of REO back in the 70's. Really loved their live album. There were so many, many great rock bands during the 70's👍😎🤘
Until they turned too bubble gum (for me)
You get what you play for is amzing!
The 60's 2!
@@paulablissett9396 absolutely 👍
@@stargazer1460 YAAAAASSSSS!
I wish I could give this one several thumbs up.
REO Speedwagon is from my hometown and, of course, one of my favorites. Finding this video pleases me...just yesterday, I realized I haven't listened to REO for much too long and was intending to crank it up today, anyway. I've only gotten to see them live once...bummer.
No apologies necessary about auto-tune, I agree with you 100% This was a great analysis as always.. I saw Reo several times and they are a great band.
Being from the 60's and 70's era in music, you are spot on Fil. My grandsons are very much into music, much from my era because I've shown them the greats and turned it up so they can "feel" what we did back then, to some degree. They realize that TALENT was needed to make back then, no computers, auto tune or anything else. Pure skill and talent!
Why can't the music producers of today understand that when they remove the "imperfections," they remove the charm, or the "humanness?" Truely great analysis tonight, Fil!!
Perfectly put music now is clinical yuck
Laurie Kane As a music producer who refuses to use it, I can tell you it comes down to two reasons, neither of which is justified:
1. Laziness
2. No historical understanding of music
@@artysanmobile Yeah, I guess you're right. These producers have no business being in the music business. Imagine if George Martin had had this technology in the 60's, and if he had utilized it! The entire landscape of several generations of music would
suddenly vanish out of existence!
@@artysanmobile perhaps you could somehow influence those who use auto-tune to stop. It truly ruins good music. Those who can't sing shouldn't be recording.
One of my favorite bands. I have photographed them so many times. They are right up there with STYX as being one of the best live band performances.
Another great one Fil. Keep em coming.
How it felts versus how it sounds, spot on statement, singers have become disposable because of autotune, most folks are now tuned to hear autotune, if they don't hear autotune, they think the singer sucks, I'm sure glad I grew up in the 70's!
Some day people will be remembering the thrill of driving cars without auto-control.
Robert Cross I love your profile pic! Sluggo!! 👏👏
Hahaha.....True
I do it everyday.I don't even want a Modern car.
Amy Lee ... You are an amazing singer.
@@JW...-oj5iw Say What?? you got the wrong Amy Lee
So refreshing to hear analysis from a true music lover! You're so right here. The industries are just mass producing "perfection" for profit (movies with CGI, music with auto-tune, photos with photoshop, etc.). The creativitiy and authenticity is lost in those processes. I don't have a problem with using those processes, but within reason and not live.
Fil That is a perfect summation of the music today. I fell in love with music because of how it makes me feel and think. I never expected a perfect sound. And this an amazing song that got me through a tough breakup many years ago
Thank you, Fil for this. I had no idea that so much of this auto-tune was going on these days. There's a quote by audio engineer Ryan Shannahan on the Antares website where he says "“Auto-Tune is a tool I use on pretty much every vocal I engineer. I can’t remember the last time I worked on a record without it." I'm sure he's not alone and so I guess we can expect more and more perfectly pitched vocals in recorded music. I'm old school at 71 so I've been around a lot of both live and recorded music and I will say that this technology is part of the cultural trend in making everything perfect that wasn't perfect to begin with, which means the music industry is feeding crap to the public all in the name of revenues and profitability. Being aware of this now is key because I am not buying into this. I recorded some original music of mine with an engineer friend in a home studio and although my vocals are far from perfect the thought never occurred to us to ever want to alter what I had done. OK, we used Pro Tools to tweak a few blemishes in my guitar track but that was the extent of it. Thanks again Fil for this revelation.
That's telling them Fil. (The auto tune commandos). I agree. I saw REO Speedwagon at the Tulsa Fairgrounds in 1987 and they really put on a good show. Kevin had a great voice live. Great analyses! 👍
Thank you for this rant, It's exactly how I feel. I'm in my 50's and I used to work in record stores back in the day - plus I've seen countless hundreds of bands live. I'm so sad about auto-tune. But I do feel that there will some day be a rediscovery of real live performance.
Now I understand why the 'top 40' today all sounds the same. I can't even sit and listen to it.
Me neither-🤢🤮 ... it's GARBAGE.
Do you remember the top 40 in our day ? Our host was Casey Kasem. I lived for it it was the highlight of my week in a tiny little Alabama town with one traffic light. On another note it was Casey who taught me that REO Speedwagon got their name from an antique fire engine
The country band Diamond Rio got their name from the same place - in later days REO was known as Diamond-REO.
@@meliplay YES! I remember; it would come on Sunday mornings here in Chicago- I loved it!!
@@meliplay I loved Casey Kasem! He was fantastic. Got my transistor radio out, every Sunday morning it was for us (I'm all the way in Australia)
I love searching TH-cam for multiple live performances of my favorite artists, and different renditions of the same song. I’m a country fan too, and some of my favorite are tracking down multiple versions of the same George Jones songs, and especially hearing him sing the same song at different stages of his career. Live performances are especially great because you get to hear the real artist, and that’s how you can tell who’s the best! It makes music fun! Great work!
As a singer in a band for (too many) years, I’m definitely losing my ability to hit some notes. When I perform, and half the reason I still perform, is that challenge a singer has - to be able to connect with the crowd. And honestly, sometimes I have to improvise, and really push beyond by limits. It can be very satisfying and sometimes very ugly. However, I (like you Fil) feel like auto tune would be sacrilege. Great subject Fil. You’re the best bro!! 🇺🇸
I'm so glad that you explained this. I immediately heard the difference but assumed it was because he's getting older and just sounds different.
"Ridin' the Storm Out" back in 1973 was the first song I herd from REO Speedwagon and was hook. excellent "rant" on "auto-tune" and the music industry! I meant analysis "Chuckle" this is one of your best Fil.
That was great Fil. How it sounds vs how it feels..that sums it up. So many old songs remind me of times and places and how I felt at the time.
"Golden Country" is as relevant today as it was 40 some odd years ago. And it Rocks!...
First song that I ever heard by REO in 1972 on FM radio. I love the video that was released of Golden Country with the Trade Towers and Iraq War.
REO Speedwagon are such a great band! They don’t need auto tune. The music industry today and its hierarchy should leave bands alone and let them perform naturally....that’s the best part of seeing a band live! Great analysis Fil! Cheers Mario!😎🤘🤘
Thanks Fil, I'm no professional, but I love great music. Interesting to hear your take on the auto tune aspect. I don't like music that is over produced. It needs to sound like it would live.
REO always a must see back in the day! Still great. Thanks Fil.
I love REO Speedwagon! Never seen them live though! I was always at a Dream Theater or Van Halen show!! REO Speedwagon are amazing!
Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge 80's music fan & REO has been my favorite band of all time since I was 13 back in 1978 when they released "You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish" album. "Time For Me To Fly" was the breakout song that got me into REO in the first place. I have seen them 20+ times live & they never disappoint! In fact, just saw them in December and got Dave's guitar pick & also Bryan's drum stick! Love your videos! You are very musically inclined!
REO was one of those bands that came around every year during the 70's and into the 80's in the midwest. They had so many recognizable songs. I think we took them a little for granted back then. They've been "Riding the Storm Out" for a long time.
agree totally - they were always a part of the Midwest summer concert festival scene AND yes, we did take them for granted (coz we were dazed and confused haha)
REO live was awesome. The key-boardest worked so hard to keep up with the rest of the Band. Me and my friend love Riden' the Strom Out...
Love this guy's passion...
Fil...love your videos! I was a teen in the 80s and LOVE 80s music. I agree so much that back then you had to actually have talent versus now...you can just get autotuned to perfection!! Thanks for having so much passion for what you do!
Their opening music sounds so clean. I feel REO is underappreciated.
I love REO Speedwagon. They are still touring and they are still wonderful. I have so many memories with this song. Rock on!! Thank you, Fil for bringing out the info on auto tune. You are amazing with the criticism as well as the praise. ❤️🌹❤️
Brother I could not have said it better myself Kevin has such a beautiful voice the bands need control of the final product so people cannot mess with their music like that your right everything is about money these days art goes by the way side over greed on a positive note I love this video the twelve string sounds awesome Kevin glides around the stage playing that incredible intro and I love so many of their songs but this one holds a special place in my heart Thank You for your passion Fil :-)
I LOVE IT!! Fil... THANK YOU 👍 I knew you would eventually say this because you LOVE music and you are genuine 👍
That whole album was incredible. "Roll with the Changes" is also a fantastic song. 😊
Outstanding heartfelt argument against use of autotuning, etc, and as advocacy for support of independent artists today.
Omg Fil, I am so with you on this auto tune bs. My aunt Anne Phillips is a singer from way back. She had a fabulous, very well-reviewed album in the early 60s called “Born to be Blue” - it’s amazing - she always says that today with all this technology, you can grab any young woman off the street and put her in a studio and auto tune her voice and presto! A pop star - talent not required 🙄🙄🙄 She sang with greats like Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller and this stuff makes her so sad. I love how you’ve said that people like Janis Joplin and Neil young and Bob Dylan didn’t need perfect pitch - they gave you ALL the feels with the heart they put into their music! \m/
Your aunt- WOW 😲!!! Hey, we have the same last name- maybe we're related because we DEFINITELY think alike!💖🎸💯
Michele Parker ha ha we do! Are you in UK or US? I know
Parker is a very common name in Britain - my husband’s heritage is British
Hee hee! I'm in the US, Chicago, Illinois. 😃
I checked out "Born to be Blue" by your aunt. Veeeeery nice! Don't know why I never heard her before! Kinda reminds me of a female Chet Baker.
Michael McNeill ah thanks, I love that album 🥰
I have learned more about music in three months, by watching your reaction videos, than I previously knew in my fifty six years of living! What an outstanding, heartfelt, beautifully articulated response to soul killing auto tune! Thank you, Fil, for your support of REAL music and the integrity that must go with it! Great as usual-you keep up the stellar work! Treff
Listen to Exile On Main Street by The Stones. Recorded in Keith Richards basement. Raw, rough, Rolling Stones. Perfect.
Makes me think of London Calling which is one of my fave songs. I'm no musician but there's a tiny part where the guitar sounds "off" and I think it gives the song character. I'm glad it sounds the way it does.
Quick story about REO, a friend of mine came back from Indiana University in the early 70s and was raving about this great band REO Speedwagon. Little did we know this unknown band in 1972 would turn out to be a super group.
WOW!!!! I've always enjoyed your comments and I like the positive way you do it but I REALLY appreciated your analysis of this video and your commentary on the industry. I love a lot of REO's stuff (and I did see them live with Chicago last year) and as you say, "THEY DON'T need this extra processing!!!! As a cover band gigging 50+ year old musician trying to do my best with my band to play this great music from the 70s-90s, it just makes me sick the way talented musicians use autotuning, backing tracks, click tracks whatever to make their "wall" of sound. Please industry, listen to Fil's voice. Let's get back to pure music (particularly vocals) from the heart and soul and not from software!
There are a few songs that when I sing them, my voice cracks with emotion, sometimes I even cry. How does autotune deal with that? I prefer 'real' myself. Great rant by the way, I loved it. You are absolutely right that music needs to be felt, not just heard.
YES and thank you, Fil, for being the one who finally has the guts to say it out loud. This is one of the most honest videos on TH-cam, and anyone who listens to music needs to watch this. You’re THE MAN, Fil! 🙌🏻👏🏻❤️
If Autotune hadn't been invented we would have never heard the names of more than half the
"Artists" we have today. That's probably why I love to play acoustic guitar so much it's as honest as it gets.
REO No doubt Absolute Professionals at what they do. I'm sure they've had a blast doin it.
"Take It on The Run" my personal favorite. Especially the Solo's. Thanks Fil great and honest job as usual. See you Tuesday.
." Live Eruption"
Yer The Ambassador To
The People Of Rock.
Melt our faces off !
ROCK 🤘
Fil, your best observation to date, truly.
Live and raw is always best.
Makes me hug my bootleg DVDs and video tapes of live concerts💯❤
ITA!!! I can't imagine how Johnny Cash's version of Hurt would sound like utter crap if it had been auto-tuned... his expression and feeling when he sings it absolutely guts me every time! The sanitized version would do nothing to move me.
For years I've been saying I could go into a studio and they could make me sound good. Spot on Fil! They all sound alike now.
"I'm singing this note 'cause it fits in well..With the chords I'm playing...I can't pretend there's any meaning here....Or in the things I'm saying...But I'm in tune...Right in tune...I'm in tune...And I'm gonna tune.....Right in on you...Right in on you.....Right in on you." Getting In Tune, the Who.
Zenzi Cubik To those of us who have a lifelong love of music, those words have one meaning, somewhat ironic. To the bozos programming radio and producing pop music, those very same words have no ironic meaning whatsoever. They literally don’t know the meaning.
Thank you Fil for venting out and speaking the truth. Auto Tune is like taking a Van Gogh painting of flowers out of the museum in Amsterdam and having an artist repaint it an make the flowers perfect as a photograph and put that version on display.
EXCELLENT JOB FIL ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT
Thanks!
I immediately went to TH-cam and watched this entire performance and watched the whole performance. You are right. I didn't notice the auto-tune. I did notice it right away. I just wasn't feeling moved and it sounded sanitized. As the performance went on it became glaring. I watched another much earlier performance and loved it. What a world of difference. I also went back and watched some live performances of Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley, (The Righteous Brothers) just to guys harmonizing and singing full out was amazing. No auto-tune there. Thank you Fil for shining a light on this. Maybe in the future analyze The vocal talents of The Righteous Brothers.
Goddam beautiful song any man ever had his heart broken it’s for us
Got to see REO Speedwagon outdoors @Tulsa Fairgrounds back in1987. Great concert! Been a fan since 1977, RIP Gary Richrath and God bless. But I agree Fil, REO does not need auto tuning. Awesome video! 🤘
Thanks Fil for voicing how I also feel. The business insults true artists. I buy no "new" artists nowadays. I refuse to spend my money on fakers. Anyone with a soul should do the same. In the day I bought private collections and estate collections. I can safely say you probably can't name a recording artist or artists from the beginning of recorded music to this day that I do not have, EXCEPT for music made by new "artists" in the last 15 years. I buy 5 to 10 new cds monthly but only to fill in holes in the library. I'm not about to spend my money on crap artists that use artificial means to make "music". Period.
That came from 50 years of searching and collecting.
I have Wings of Pegasus - Persistence.
One of the greatest compliments I ever received from someone attending one of my band's performances was, "I'd heard your guys's demo and thought, 'They're pretty good, I'll have to check them out', but now that I'm here I'm really impressed! I don't mean to berate your recording project, because it's good, but you guys are even better live and I think your band is one of the Twin Cities' best!" Those words are everything you're talking about in this analysis, and I couldn't agree more.
I've been out of the game long enough that I don't have any time with auto-tune but as I started watching this video I thought, "There's something different going on here" and I was wondering what I was picking up on. And then you pointed it out. Excellent job sharing, teaching, and enlightening the viewer!
Well put Fil.
Wow, Fil, you are so right about every single thing you said here, especially about auto tune! Thank you!
Spinal Tap never employed auto-tune. They were real man!
Auto-tune cant go to 11!😳
Autotune is incompatible with dubly noise reduction.
@@garylaverty6607
Bahahaha!
@@garylaverty6607 , "Dubly" noise reduction? Is that a misspelling of Dolby or a Spinal Tap joke that I don't remember all these years later?
@@goodun2974 it's a Spinal Tap joke.
I remember about 3 years ago noticing that most tunes on my car radio were annoyingly autotuned and not subtly - it got to the point that I had to get Sirius and now enjoy the '60's, 70's, 80's and the Beatles channels without any of the awful processing, especially the vocals. I do listen in to the current music channels at times but not for any length of time, especially when the first sign of autotune pops up.
I heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend, who heard it from another that this was going to be about Auto-Tune. Just had to do it take off on a lyric there. Fil thanks you. Flagging good idea.
I didn't notice it, until you had mentioned it. I stepped back the video, and noticed where auto-tune kicked in.
My brother was showing me one of his songs on youtube and he was cringing about that version not using auto-tune. I was shaking my head inside, because my thought was that he needed to believe in his true sound.
Very cool. I wish you would've picked one with the late great Gary Richrath
Oh the humanity!! I agree 100% with you Fil. So so sad the state of music today. I was looking for something real, someone real and honest , a genuinely talented artist who played the music I loved. That's when I stumbled across your channel. I'm glad there was someone else(you), who felt the same way I did. 🤘☮️
I'm reminded of a line from Rush " and the words of the profits were written in the studio walls concert hall and echoes with the sound of salesmen"
Phophets maybe?😂
@@johndef5075 Given the music industry, 'profits' may be appropriate.
All this machinery, making modern music, can still be open hearted
Not so fully charted, it's really just a question of your honesty! Yeah, your honesty!
Um, that was Simon & Garfunkel not Rush
@@robing4074 no my dear it was rush the song is the spirit of radio
Wow! Fascinating discussion on Auto Tune. I really learned a lot. I think I know what you mean about how Auto Tune kind of gives everyone the same "stock" timbre to their vocal sound. I really admire and appreciate your dedication to music, Fil. Your integrity is refreshing , man .