Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2019 10:06:12 GMT
Robert Edward McCracken (25 February 1982)
Associated Acts: The Used (2001 - Present)
Vocal Range: F♯2 - D6
Significant High Notes:
D6 ("The Back of Your Mouth")
C♯6 ("Lunacy Fringe")
G♯5 ("Empty With You" Acoustic from PureVolume Sessions, "The Mouth of the Canyon")
G5 ("Blow Me", "Put Me Out")
F♯5 ("Kiss It Goodbye", "Wow, I Hate This Song")
F5 ("Blow Me", "Clean Cut Heals", "The Mouth of the Canyon", "The Nexus", "Selfies in Aleppo")
E5 ("Cathedral Bell", "Cold War Telescreen", "The Divine Absence (This Is Water)", "Moving the Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)", "The Ocean of the Sky", "Obvious Blasé", "Paralyzed")
E♭5 ("Blow Me", "Cold War Telescreen", "Find a Way", "Heart-Shaped Box" Live at Emo Nite 2019, "Iddy Biddy", "Lunacy Fringe", "Paradise Lost, a Poem by John Milton", "Vertigo Cave", "Wow, I Hate This Song")
D5 ("About You (No Songs Left to Sing)", "The Back of Your Mouth", "Bloody Nose", "Broken Windows", "Choke Me", "Cut Up Angels", "Dark Days", "Darkness Bleeds, FOTF", "Devil Beside You", "The Divine Absence (This Is Water)", "Give Me Love", "Gravity's Rainbow", "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)", "Hard to Say", "Hospital", "I'm a Fake", "Imaginary Enemy", "It Could Be a Good Excuse" Demo, "Kiss It Goodbye", "The Lighthouse", "Light With a Sharpened Edge", "The Lonely", "Machine", "Men Are All the Same", "Moving On", "Moving the Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)", "The Nexus", "Noise and Kisses", "Now That You're Dead", "Obvious Blasé", "Over and Over Again", "Poetic Tragedy", "Pretty Handsome Awkward", "Put Me Out", "The Ripper", "Rise Up Lights", "Selfies in Aleppo", "Sick Hearts", "Slit Your Own Throat", "Sun Comes Up", "Surrender", "Take It Away", "Watered Down")
C♯5 ("A Box Full of Sharp Objects" Demo, "Alone This Holiday", "Anthem of Our Dying Day", "At Least I'm Good at Something", "Bloody Nose", "Cry", "Days Are Numbered", "Empty With You", "Evolution", "For You", "Funeral Post", "Generation Throwaway", "Getting Over You", "Give Me Love", "Handjobs for Jesus", "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)", "I Caught Fire", "Into My Web", "Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)", "Meant to Die", "The Ocean of the Sky", "On My Own" Live & Acoustic at the Palace, "Open Your Eyes", "Pain", "Paradise Lost, a Poem by John Milton", "Paralyzed", "Pieces Mended" Demo, "The Quiet War", "Quixotica", "Revolution", "Rise Up Lights", "Say Days Ago", "Shine", "Sold My Soul", "Sound Effects and Overdramatics", "Zero Mechanism" Demo)
C5 ("1984 (infinite jest)", "All That I've Got", "BIG, WANNA BE", "Blow Me", "Blue and Yellow", "Born to Quit", "Broken Windows", "Choke Me", "Clean Cut Heals", "Come Undone", "Dark Days", "Disaster", "El-Oh-Vee-Ee", "Evolution", "Funeral Post", "Gravity's Rainbow", "Greener With the Scenery", "Hands and Faces", "Hospital", "Hurt No One", "I Come Alive", "Kiss It Goodbye", "Let It Bleed", "The Lonely", "Machine", "Make Believe", "Moon-Dream", "The Mouth of the Canyon", "Moving On", "My Pesticide", "The Nexus", "Noise and Kisses", "Obvious Blasé", "Ocean Size", "Overdose", "Pretty Handsome Awkward", "Pretty Picture", "Put Me Out", "Slit Your Own Throat", "Sun Comes Up", "Take It Away", "This Fire", "To Feel Something", "Together Burning Bright", "Tunnel", "Under Pressure", "Upper Falls", "Vertigo Cave", "Woodchuck", "Yesterday's Feelings")
B4 ("1984 (infinite jest)", "A Box Full of Sharp Objects", "Alone This Holiday", "The Best of Me", "The Bird and the Worm", "Bloody Nose", "body bag", "Bulimic", "Buried Myself Alive", "Cathedral Bell", "Choke Me", "Cry", "Cut Up Angels", "Days Are Numbered", "The Divine Absence (This Is Water)", "Earthquake", "Empty With You", "Find a Way", "For You", "Handjobs for Jesus", "Hands and Faces", "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)", "Hard to Say", "Heart-Shaped Box" Live at Emo Nite 2019, "Iddy Biddy", "I Caught Fire", "I'm a Fake", "Imaginary Enemy", "In a Needle", "Into My Web", "It Could Be a Good Excuse" Demo, "Kenna Song", "Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)", "Light With a Sharpened Edge", "Listening", "The Lottery", "Lunacy Fringe", "Maybe Memories", "Meant to Die", "Moving the Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)", "My Cocoon", "Obvious Blasé", "The Ocean of the Sky", "On My Own", "Over and Over Again", "Pain", "Paradise Lost, a Poem by John Milton", "Paralyzed", "Pieces Mended", "Poetic Tragedy", "Revolution", "The Ripper", "Rise Up Lights", "Say Days Ago", "Selfies in Aleppo", "Shine", "Sick Hearts", "Sold My Soul", "A Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work in Progress)", "Sound Effects and Overdramatics", "Surrender", "Take It Away", "The Taste of Ink", "Wake the Dead", "Watered Down", "With Me Tonight", "Wow, I Hate This Song")
B♭4 ("801 Underground", "At Least I'm Good at Something", "The Back of Your Mouth", "Blow Me", "Born to Quit", "Broken Windows", "Burning Down the House", "Cold War Telescreen", "Come Undone", "Dark Days", "Darkness Bleeds, FOTF", "Disaster", "Earthquake", "El-Oh-Vee-Ee", "For You", "Funeral Post", "Getting Over You", "Gravity's Rainbow", "Hospital", "Hurt No One", "I Come Alive", "Just a Little", "Kissing You Goodbye", "Let It Bleed", "The Lonely", "Machine", "Make Believe", "Men Are All the Same", "Money Monster", "Mosh 'N Church" Demo, "The Mouth of the Canyon", "Moving On", "Ocean Size", "On the Cross", "Paradise Lost, a Poem by John Milton", "The Quiet War", "The Ripper", "Slit Your Own Throat", "Together Burning Bright", "Quixotica", "Woodchuck", "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison")
A4 ("1984 (infinite jest)", "About You (No Songs Left to Sing)", "All That I've Got", "Alone This Holiday", "BIG, WANNA BE", "The Bird and the Worm", "Blood on My Hands", "Bloody Nose", "Blue and Yellow", "Born to Quit", "A Box Full of Sharp Objects", "Bulimic", "Buried Myself Alive", "Burning Down the House", "Clean Cut Heals", "Cut Up Angels", "Darkness Bleeds, FOTF", "Days Are Numbered", "Devil Beside You", "Disaster", "Earthquake", "El-Oh-Vee-Ee", "Empty With You", "Force Without Violence", "Funeral Post", "Generation Throwaway", "Give Me Love", "Greener With the Scenery", "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)", "Hospital", "Hurt No One", "I Caught Fire", "Iddy Biddy", "I'm a Fake", "Imaginary Enemy", "In a Needle", "Into My Web", "It Could Be a Good Excuse" Demo, "Just a Little", "Kenna Song", "Kiss It Goodbye", "Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)", "The Lighthouse", "Light With a Sharpened Edge", "Listening", "The Lonely", "Machine", "Meant to Die", "Men Are All the Same", "Moon-Dream", "Mosh 'N Church" Demo, "The Mouth of the Canyon", "My Pesticide", "The Nexus", "Now That You're Dead", "The Ocean of the Sky", "On My Own", "On the Cross", "Open Your Eyes", "Over and Over Again", "Overdose", "Pain", "Paralyzed", "Pieces Mended", "Poetic Tragedy", "Pretty Handsome Awkward", "Put Me Out", "Revolution", "The Ripper", "Rise Up Lights", "Say Days Ago", "Shine", "Sick Hearts", "Slit Your Own Throat", "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Live From Maida Vale, "Smother Me", "Sold My Soul", "Something Safe" Demo, "Sound Effects and Overdramatics", "Surrender", "The Taste of Ink", "This Fire", "To Feel Something", "Together Burning Bright", "Tunnel", "Upper Falls", "Wake the Dead", "Watered Down", "With Me Tonight", "Yesterday's Feelings", "Zero Mechanism" Demo)
Significant Low Notes:
F♯3 ("The Bird and the Worm", "Buried Myself Alive", "Cathedral Bell", "Empty With You", "Find a Way", "For You", "Getting Over You", "Give Me Love", "Hard to Say", "Meant to Die", "Moving the Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)", "Obvious Blasé", "On My Own", "Paradise Lost, a Poem by John Milton", "Paralyzed", "Poetic Tragedy", "Revolution", "Rise Up Lights", "Say Days Ago", "Shadow of the Day" Live From Maida Vale, "Shine", "Sold My Soul", "Sound Effects and Overdramatics", "Under Pressure", "Wake the Dead", "Watered Down", "Wow, I Hate This Song")
F3 ("Broken Windows", "Clean Cut Heals", "Cold War Telescreen", "Disaster", "For You", "Gravity's Rainbow", "I Come Alive", "Just a Little", "Kiss It Goodbye", "The Lonely", "Lunacy Fringe" Acoustic from PureVolume Sessions, "The Mouth of the Canyon", "Moving On", "My Pesticide", "The Nexus", "On My Own" Acoustic from PureVolume Sessions, "Overdose" Live & Acoustic at the Palace, "Pretty Handsome Awkward", "The Ripper", "Rise Up Lights" Live From Maida Vale, "Together Burning Bright", "Tunnel" Live & Acoustic at the Palace, "Upper Falls")
E3 ("About You (No Songs Left to Sing)", "All That I've Got", "Alone This Holiday", "Blue and Yellow", "Bulimic", "Buried Myself Alive", "Cathedral Bell", "The Divine Absence (This Is Water)", "Empty With You", "Force Without Violence", "Hands and Faces", "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)", "Hard to Say" Live & Acoustic at the Palace, "Imagine" Live & Acoustic at the Palace, "Imaginary Enemy", "Kissing You Goodbye", "Moving the Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)", "On the Cross" Save Yourself Mix, "Over and Over Again", "Pain", "Paralyzed", "Pieces Mended", "Revolution", "Selfies in Aleppo", "Shine", "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Live From Maida Vale, "Smother Me", "A Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work in Progress)", "This Fire", "Upper Falls")
E♭3 ("The Bird and the Worm" Live & Acoustic at the Palace, "Broken Windows", "El-Oh-Vee-Ee", "Empty With You" Acoustic from PureVolume Sessions, "Evolution", "I Come Alive" Live Rdio Presents Vulnerable Release Show, "Money Monster", "Pretty Picture", "Put Me Out" Acoustic, "Quixotica", "Wow, I Hate This Song")
D3 ("About You (No Songs Left to Sing)", "All That I've Got" Acoustic version, "Alone This Holiday", "Blood on My Hands", "Bloody Nose", "Blue and Yellow" Live & Acoustic at the Palace, "Born to Quit", "Buried Myself Alive", "Cathedral Bell", "Disaster", "Earthquake", "Force Without Violence", "Funeral Post", "Gravity's Rainbow", "Hands and Faces", "Heartwork", "Kiss It Goodbye", "Kissing You Goodbye", "Machine", "The Mouth of the Canyon", "Now That You're Dead", "The Ocean of the Sky", "Over and Over Again", "Pretty Handsome Awkward", "Put Me Out", "The Ripper", "Selfies in Aleppo", "Surrender", "Watered Down", "Yesterday's Feelings")
C♯3 ("The Best of Me", "Bloody Nose", "Cry", "Earthquake", "Generation Throwaway", "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)", "Imaginary Enemy", "It Could Be a Good Excuse" Demo, "The Nexus", "Put Me Out" Live Rdio Presents Vulnerable Release Show, "Shine" Live Rdio Presents Vulnerable Release Show, "Surrender", "Yesterday's Feelings")
C3 ("About You (No Songs Left to Sing)", "Clean Cut Heals", "Darkness Bleeds, FOTF", "Funeral Post", "Machine", "Make Believe", "Pretty Picture")
B2 ("About You (No Songs Left to Sing)", "Cry", "The Divine Absence (This Is Water)", "Generation Throwaway", "Hands and Faces", "Heart-Shaped Box" Live at Emo Nite 2019, "Kenna Song", "Maybe Memories" Demo, "My Cocoon", "Shadow of the Day" Live From Maida Vale, "Surrender", "Yesterday's Feelings")
A2 ("Force Without Violence", "Iddy Biddy", "Yesterday's Feelings" Live & Acoustic at the Palace)
G♯2 ("For You", "Heartwork", "The Quiet War", "Thought Criminal")
G2 ("Iddy Biddy", "Together Burning Bright")
F♯2 ("Thought Criminal")
..................................................................
Blue marks falsetto notes.
Underlines mark notes obscured in the mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Bold marks particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.
Green marks distorted/screamed notes.
Summary:
Bert McCracken is best known as the lead vocalist for The Used. In early 2001 he recorded vocals to a demo tape he was given when he was invited to join the band, and swiftly after he became an official member. Later on that year they recorded a demo album called Demos from the Basement, and after many copies being sent to many record companies, in early 2002 they signed with Reprise Records. In June of that same year they released their self-titled debut album, which launched them into the mainstream thanks to songs like "The Taste of Ink", "Buried Myself Alive" and "Blue and Yellow". From there they went on to become one of the most prominent names in the emo scene.
Bert has always used his high range more than any other part of his voice, with his lower range often not getting as much attention. At the beginning of his career, his distortion technique was a particularly prominent part of his style. Unfortunately, this led to him requiring vocal surgery just before the start of the tour for The Used's third album Lies for the Liars, released in 2007. Since then however his vocal technique has improved hugely, and while he still does distorted vocals in the studio, he tends to stay away from them live. His falsetto is pleasant enough, and can even reach into the sixth octave, though it’s extremely rare for him to go that high. His lower range has become somewhat more prominent over time. At the start of his career he would rarely venture very low, however around the time of 2009's Artwork and 2012's Vulnerable he started to use his lower range more often, though his high range has always been the most utilised part of his voice. As the frontman for The Used, Bert McCracken is arguably one of the figureheads of emo music.
{Discography}The Used:
The Used (2002): D3 - D5
In Love and Death (2004): B2 - D5 - E♭5 - C♯6
Lies for the Liars (2007): C♯3 - E♭5 - E5
Artwork (2009): C♯3 - C♯5 - D5
Vulnerable (2012): G2 - D5 - F♯5 - G5
Imaginary Enemy (2014): A2 - B2 - D5
The Canyon (2017): G♯2 - F5 - G♯5
Heartwork (2020): G♯2 - B2 - F♯5 - G5
The Used (2002): D3 - D5
In Love and Death (2004): B2 - D5 - E♭5 - C♯6
Lies for the Liars (2007): C♯3 - E♭5 - E5
Artwork (2009): C♯3 - C♯5 - D5
Vulnerable (2012): G2 - D5 - F♯5 - G5
Imaginary Enemy (2014): A2 - B2 - D5
The Canyon (2017): G♯2 - F5 - G♯5
Heartwork (2020): G♯2 - B2 - F♯5 - G5
{Questionable Notes}G♯6 ("Moving the Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)" [5])
F♯6 ("A Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work in Progress)" [5], "Rise Up Lights" [5])
D6 ("The Ocean of the Sky" [5])
B5 ("Take It Away" [5])
A5 ("The Bird and the Worm" [4])
G5 ("Surrender" [4])
F5 ("Paradise Lost, a Poem by John Milton" [6])
E5 ("The Lottery" [4], "Watered Down" [6])
D5 ("Cathedral Bell" [2], "Hurt No One" [5], "Under Pressure" [2])
C♯5 ("Wake the Dead" [2])
C5 ("Force Without Violence" [2])
E3 ("Say Days Ago" [1])
E♭3 ("Hands and Faces" [4])
D3 ("Take It Away" [1])
C♯3 ("Days Are Numbered" [3])
B♭2 ("I'm a Fake" [5a])
A2 ("Surrender" [1])
F2 ("Clean Cut Heals" [4])
E♭2 ("Force Without Violence" [1][3])
Plus a lot of yelps and "woos" that weren't worth listing here.
Any aimless spoken passages such as the one in "Choke Me" would go here.
..................................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to the singer in question.
[3] marks notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
[5a] brief, aimless notes that aren’t representative of the singer’s range.
[6] marks implied harmonies; notes that are so buried in the mix that their existence cannot be confirmed.
F♯6 ("A Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work in Progress)" [5], "Rise Up Lights" [5])
D6 ("The Ocean of the Sky" [5])
B5 ("Take It Away" [5])
A5 ("The Bird and the Worm" [4])
G5 ("Surrender" [4])
F5 ("Paradise Lost, a Poem by John Milton" [6])
E5 ("The Lottery" [4], "Watered Down" [6])
D5 ("Cathedral Bell" [2], "Hurt No One" [5], "Under Pressure" [2])
C♯5 ("Wake the Dead" [2])
C5 ("Force Without Violence" [2])
E3 ("Say Days Ago" [1])
E♭3 ("Hands and Faces" [4])
D3 ("Take It Away" [1])
C♯3 ("Days Are Numbered" [3])
B♭2 ("I'm a Fake" [5a])
A2 ("Surrender" [1])
F2 ("Clean Cut Heals" [4])
E♭2 ("Force Without Violence" [1][3])
Plus a lot of yelps and "woos" that weren't worth listing here.
Any aimless spoken passages such as the one in "Choke Me" would go here.
..................................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to the singer in question.
[3] marks notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
[5a] brief, aimless notes that aren’t representative of the singer’s range.
[6] marks implied harmonies; notes that are so buried in the mix that their existence cannot be confirmed.
{Credits}Photo by Steve Brazill. For more details click here.
