Is Roger Daltrey an overrated singer?

[geoffster]

He's got loads of energy and looks the part (and was excellent in the movie of Tommy, I thought) but as a singer he's always seemed kind of weak, at his best like a poor man's Robert Plant. What does anyone else think?

[Robert G]

Or a poor man's rubber plant, maybe? Sorry, but it's late. But I think you've got a point there, geoffster.

[gary baldy]

He's an evil Tory aswell! Promised to leave if Labour got in but never did! Like Paul Daniels! Shame!
Dodged tax throughout the 70s then came back and slipped on his Barbour and green wellies in the 80s.
Talking about my generation indeed!
Who's Next - genius record! Rest of it? Rubbish!

[cherrybomb]

Politics and tax evasion (a popular savings scheme in the 70's) aside.

Roger Daltrey can still belt out the classics and he can act and he is better looking than rubber faced Plant.

[andy-hughes]

Based on his singing - as opposed to his politics, lifestyle, or body of work written by Pete Townsend, RD would probably agree, he's not the best singer in the world, but he is the best singer in the Who, which is all that's required. It's pointless comparing Daltry and Plant - as is comparing Page and Townsend as guitarists, it's who works best for the band they are in.

[luckyboy]

Who cares about the guys politics...He's a legendary front man with a great and varied vocal range. see me feel me, and won't get fooled again are examples of his variety.

[Sooper]

I think Daltrey is a ledgendary front man with bags of energy and can belt out a tune with the best of them. I certainly wouldnt compare him with Plant who is completley different in every way. The are both brilliant but in different ways. The Who have always been a bit rough around the edges but thats what makes them stand out as one of the few decent rock bands that we have left.

[Stevee]

Daltrys a legend and he was a star long before Plant.

Also if a Trout farm in Sussex is tax exile its an new one on me, because that where he was in the 70's.

[smyth5bellie]

Sooper... you have hit the nail right on the head there. "Substitute" is a prime example of what the who are all about. When learning to play it on the guitar, you can hear how the who have this rough edge around their sound, and i think this also applies to Daltreys voice....but thats my opinion hey!

[barneysdad]

I feel that dredging up politics just to slur a legend is just plain stupid.He is the frontman with one of the most influential bands of our time, could you do it?Regarding Robert Plant fantastic singer with Led Zeppelin that he was (I have seen him doing solo stuff and it isn't to my tastes) ,nobody has mentioned that most of Robert Plants repertoir sounds as if it was stolen from Janice Joplin.The main thing is just enjoy the music for what it is and the good times that it can remind you of!!

[Mattk]

the sign of a good front man is if you could picture the band without the lead singer and in this case the answer is a definite NO !