--UNOFFICIAL-- BotB: Singers & Songwriters: Round 3 Roy Orbison vs Elvis Costello

[a21schizoidman]

ROY ORBISON


Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed "The Big O," was an influential Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades. Orbison is best known for the songs, "Ooby Dooby," "Only the Lonely," "In Dreams," "Oh, Pretty Woman," "Crying," "Running Scared," "You Got It". He was known for his smooth tenor voice, which could jump three octaves with little trouble. He was rarely seen on stage without his trademark black sunglasses. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1989, he was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Only the Lonely:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFxbIYF6cmw

Ooby Dooby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6512LFJjU3I

It's Over:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itoVtnuQkko

Blue Bayou:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-rlECiW4BA

vs


ELVIS COSTELLO


Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus 25 August 1954) is an English musician and singer-songwriter, with Irish ancestry.[1] Costello came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres, before establishing his own unique voice in the 1980s. Steeped in wordplay, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader than that of most popular songs, and his music has drawn on dozens of genres. Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "Costello, the pop encyclopedia, can reinvent the past in his own image".[2]

Costello and Canadian jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall were married on December 6, 2003 at Elton John's estate outside London. Their first children together, twin sons Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James, were born December 6, 2006 in New York City.

Oliver's Army:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD_wmYI32sM

Veronica:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k4ZXzhwCkM

Watching The Detectives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCBRohCCewM

Pump It Up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVngzaBsrSM

[Soror_YZBL]

Voted for Roy. Elvis is a tremendous songwriter, but he'd be hard pressed to top Orbison for sheer pipes.

[afterstasis]

i really had to think about this one because both are truly incredible, but i think elvis just barely edges roy out.

[a21schizoidman]

i really had to think about this one because both are truly incredible, but i think elvis just barely edges roy out.

i think this is the most difficult choice out of this round, the first was Dylan vs Denver, the last one is gonna be a 3 way (Joni Mitchell, Jim Croce, and Paul Simon) and it seems like it will be a blowout

but Veronica and Oliver's Army are two of my favorite songs, but its hard to pass up Roy, such a great voice and memorable songs

[afterstasis]

if i were to take my top 5 songs from each artist, roy would win... but elvis has more of a variety that i really enjoy.

[Runesmith]

This match was really tough for me, too. Both musicians are probably two of the greatest songwriters and lyricists to ever grace this earth, but I ultimately voted for Roy, based on the strength of his voice. Roy's voice is prettier, although Elvis' sarcasm-drenched singing complements his songs very well...now that I think about it, I probably should have voted for Elvis...

[obsoleteshock]

Songwriting always tends to edge out singing chops for me when evaluating singer-songwriters, so Elvis Costello takes the cake here by a decent margin. Orbison did have pipes, though.