I hate a cappella music.
Well, that’s overstating it. I hate a cappella covers of band-driven songs.[1]
- Billy Joel fans expect bluesy piano riffs, not swaying boys in bowties.
- If someone loves the Beatles, they want George’s gently weeping solos, not this guy’s kazoo impression.
- U2 isn’t U2 without The Edge’s shimmering rhythms.
- No one wants to hear a beatboxed Ringo imitation, spat and sputtered into the microphone.
- Your tenor’s falsetto might be pretty sweet, but it ain’t no pennywhistle.
So… a cappella groups: stop ruining our favorite songs. Stick to music written for your genre.
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For what it’s worth, I’ve sung in several a cappella groups (some decent, some terrible). I’ve never met an a cappella arrangement that did the original justice. ↩
Matt Hauger 