jr.

4. Command: Must be able to grab the audience by the throat, put foot on said throat, and hold them captive for entire duration of the show.

Well, I am probably only semi-qualified to give an opinion on this, since I don't know too much about today's music. I'll preface this by saying I am only going on the bands I have actually seen live.

At one time, Steven Tyler was the quintessential frontman. He could say "Eat your chair", and people would do it. Unfortunately, he evolved into a charicature of...well, himself.

David Lee Roth has been a clown all his life, but it was his pairing with Eddie Van Halen, that enabled him to show his one-man circus to the world. He was never a great front man, in my opinion, because he always put himself before everything, even his audience.

Roger Daltry was a great front man, in his day. He had it all. Leather lungs, good looks, and a boy next door charm that captured the women, and an a$$ kicking side that captured the imaginations of the guys.

Ozzy was drunk when I saw him. LOL. So, I can't really say much about him. I will say this for Ozzy...when he left Sabbath, he was smart enough, for the next 10 years, to have young gunslingers on lead guitar. Randy Rhodes was great, and innovative, but in my opinion, Jake E. Lee was better. Ozzy, somewhere down inside, knew he couldn't carry it all by himself. Hence, the lightning quick youngsters. A distraction, or whatever you'd like to call it.

I'll say, Robin Zander had the crowd in the palm of his hand all three times I saw Cheap Trick. There was nothing flashy or overly spectacular about him. He just related well with his audience. Drew them in, and made them feel as though they were part of the show.

Ted Nugent, whom I've seen 4 times, didn't so much include his audience, insomuch that he snatched them up and beat them over the head with his guitar. I enjoyed it, though. Thank you sir, may I please have another. The great thing about Ted is, while he was never innovative (much), and never varied or strayed much from what made him top dog from 74-77, he remained true. One guitar, eight Marshall cabinets, and no effects in between to clog the signal. Here's my guitar, I'm going to play it. Loud. Dig it?

Obviously, the greatest front man of all time, was Freddie Mercury. If there is such a thing as doing what you were born to do, Freddie was the prime example of that. Onstage, he was personable, haughty, bold, shy, blatantly over the top, and wonderfully understated. He knew who to be for each and every song. He never forgot the fact that there were anywhere from 20 to 50 thousand people looking at him. Freddie made the audience an intricate part of the show. Oh, yeah, and he could sing a little bit, as well. He was a wonderful showman, and I am fortunate to have seen him live.

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Be strong then, and enter into your own body;
there you have a solid place for your feet. ~ Kabir