MR

Floor Jansen (Nightwish, ReVamp, After Forever) nails it and then some. She isn't called the queen by many for nothing!

YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/6bwZ2zWVZd4

I'm not Floored by this performance. Hate to be the contrarian here, but that rendition did absolute nothing for me. Her voice is geared more towards Ayreon's kind of music...covering Ann is tough....I thought no one could do it. I've only heard TWO singers that could come close, and only ONE nails it.

Lana Lane...who comes as close as anyone...not sure if she covers Ann, but tonally, she's about on par.

But Gretchen Wilson? Yeah, the country singer NAILS Ann on this song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqQkECIn738 "Barracuda"

Now Gretchen doesn't really sound like Ann, but absolutely nails this fucking tune.

And she even does Nancy....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KRzICeBXBE 'Straight On'

The European vocalists: Jansen( Floor, and Irene), Sharon den Adel, Anneke, Simone Simons, Christina Scabbia...etc just don't have those kind of tools in the tool box to sing Heart. They're metal singers. They can belt, for sure...but most have the same diction issues as Arnel.

I liked Gretchen's performance with the AiC guys, too. She doesn't quite have the same power and range, but, shit, few singers can hang with Ann Wilson.

I like Lana, too. Met her a long time ago at a fest where she and Erik were selling their music. (Erik performed, she didn't.)

Perhaps it’s the audio/video quality that’s making it seem less than impressive. Here’s Floor Jansen singing Alone with higher quality audio. Maybe you still won’t like it, but I still love it.



https://youtu.be/EpxOKueE-_0

I’ll concede, however, that her studio delivery is a bit better. But she was also 5 years younger when she recorded it vs the originally posted live performance. Age, as well as being in Nightwish and adhering to their fairly strenuous touring schedule, seems to be having an impact on her. But Nightwish did things right and took 2017 off from touring and recording. While they didn’t ever say it, I suspect that preserving Floor’s voice was one of the motives.

Listen to the difference even two years makes:

Nightwish- Ever Dream live 2013

Nightwish- Ever Dream live 2015

S2M wrote:The European vocalists: Jansen( Floor, and Irene), Sharon den Adel, Anneke, Simone Simons, Christina Scabbia...etc just don't have those kind of tools in the tool box to sing Heart. They're metal singers. They can belt, for sure...but most have the same diction issues as Arnel.

I would have to disagree with this when it comes to Anneke. The range of styles I have heard from her is incredible. Classifying her as a "metal singer" is almost showing ignorance. I'd love to hear her cover Heart...I think she'd do a respectable job.