How about Steven Tyler's "rendition" of the National Anthem, eh!

Look - it's simple...if they don't want Steven Tyler to sing the national anthem like Steven Tyler, don't ASK Steven Tyler to sing it...he didn't do as bad a job as many more I've seen before...

He's not Pavarotti for crying out loud...some people are lucky they can even hit those notes at all...it really is not the easiest song to sing.

I may catch some flak for this opinion, but people make too much out of this song - maybe it's time for a newer, easier, more contemporary song to sing about how you feel about your country...(imho)

Have a new national song writing contest...that ought to spark some patriotism...and a new national argument to take our minds off of the real national issues...

And I guess as long as I'm going...why do people sing the national anthem (in most all countries) at all types of sporting events anyway? What is that meant to imply? 'Fairness and good sportsmanship'? Because it sure doesn't seem to make that happen automatically...(imho)

*we now return to our regular programming...


Edit: Just for the record, I think the song can be sung with great beauty and emotion - but juggling 1.5 octaves and difficult verse is like juggling 3 balls...not everyone can do it. Other songs like, 'America the Beautiful' and 'This Land is Your Land' for example, are songs that can be sung with the same feeling and emotion to express love for your country.

Agreed

About a replacement for the anthem, don't think that's gonna fly...

Who's responsible for that travesty?

I could understand his selection if the game was on FOX and they were trying to promote American Idol, but the game was on CBS.

I don't get it.

IMHO...

Don't put anyone on a national televised game that's going to butcher the song.

It's disrespectful.


TL

is it available as a cd single yet?

Unless they are Rosanne Barr, (has she been deported yet?) I'm not sure they intentionally mean any disrespect for the song. They are singers, and egos being what they are, they are inclined to put their personal stamp on any song. That's what they do. Some do the song very nicely. Some unfortunately, butcher it...they most likely think they were chosen to sing it for their "rendition", and not a classical version.

Why do we sing the National Anthem at sporting events?
by Matt Soniak - July 5, 2008 -

On the night of September 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and amateur poet, accompanied American Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner to negotiate a prisoner release with several officers of the British Navy. During the negotiations, Key and Skinner learned of the British intention to attack the city of Baltimore, as well as strength and positions of British forces. They were held captive for the duration of the battle and witnessed the bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry. Inspired by the American victory and the sight of the American flag flying high in the morning, Key wrote a poem titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry.”Upon his return to Baltimore, Key gave the poem to his brother-in-law, who noted that the words fit melody to the popular drinking song, “The Anacreontic Song.” Key’s brother-in-law took the poem to a printer, who made broadside copies of it. A few days later, the Baltimore Patriot and The American printed the poem with the note “Tune: Anacreon in Heaven.” Later, the Carr Music Store in Baltimore published the words and music together as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The song gained popularity over the course of the nineteenth century and was often played at public events like parades and Independence Day celebrations (and, on occasion, sporting events). In 1889, the Secretary of the Navy ordered it the official tune to be played during the raising of the flag. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that it be played at all military ceremonies and other appropriate occasions, making it something of an unofficial national anthem.After America’s entrance into World War I, Major League Baseball games often featured patriotic rituals, such as players marching in formation during pregame military drills and bands playing patriotic songs. During the seventh-inning stretch of game one of the 1918 World Series, the band erupted into “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The Cubs and Red Sox players faced the centerfield flag pole and stood at attention. The crowd, already on their feet, began to sing along and applauded at the end of the song.Given the positive reaction, the band played the song during the next two games, and when the Series moved to Boston, the Red Sox owner brought in a band and had the song played before the start of each remaining contest. After the war (and after the song was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution in 1931), the song continued to be played, but only on special occasions like opening day, national holidays and World Series games.

During World War II, baseball games again became venues for large-scale displays of patriotism, and technological advances in public address systems allowed songs to be played without a band. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was played before games throughout the course of the war, and by the time the war was over, the pregame singing of the national anthem had become cemented as a baseball ritual, after which it spread to other sports.

Read the full text here: Why do we sing the National Anthem at sporting events? - Mental Floss

I thought it was horrible, and I'm a big fan of Aerosmith's older material. In his 60's now, he seems to have lost some range and timbre.

The Star Spangled Banner is an extremely difficult song to sing. Most don't truly have the range to sing it well and probably shouldn't try. They are taken out of their element and exposed as having less talent than they are known for.

And I agree Kurt, I've said it many times, these people should respect the song and stop trying to "style-ize" it. Sing the song the way it was intended, that's how you honor it and the country.

It was pretty bad, but the fans love him! I think he is from there or something. At least that is what I heard, and the people wanted him to perform. He is for sure not going to Hollywood! No no and NO

And why don't they sing the whole song? Tough song to sing?

They only sing the first verse...try singing the whole song...

How many Americans actually know all the words to "The Star Spangled Banner"?

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust;"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I know TL - there wouldn't be any time for the game!

For goodness sakes, its THE national anthem. Doesn't our country have roots we should be proud of? When I hear it sung with style and grace It makes me proud,when I hear it shredded to crap by almost everyone that sings it nowadays. I'm ready to put them up against a firing squad. You can't sing it with the respect and honor it deserves,don't even try.

Steven's performance was excellent compared to how Christina Aguilera does it..

Q: In the above explanation of the song, Might someone infer from that, the song was originally intentionally to be sung as a 'rousing cheer', rather than the 'ballad' it is so often sung as today?

This song has become a great American contest. Everyone watches and wonders whether the person will be able to pull it off or not. If they don't, they get dragged through the streets and tarred and feathered. It's just all part of the game and in keeping with the competitive spirit. Everyone tries their best up there and even those who just didn't do a good job are alright in my book for getting up there and giving it a shot.
The point was never supposed to be that the person singing was the best singer in the world - they are supposed to be people that represent the mainstream America. If that wasn't the point they could just hire singers that would be able to hit it with perfection. Most of them would stand for very little and it would take a lot out of the beginning of the game, but the song would be perfect enough for everyone. The only one I think that really deserved the amount of ridicule they got was that chick last year that couldn't even remember the words. That was a truly disgraceful mess.

I would have much rather seen Tyler up there not doing a perfect job than see someone I have never heard of with perfect pitch. It just wouldn't be the same.

Steven Tyler sang it in tune with a standard enough rendition of it. Don't know what all the fuss is about.

Steven Tyler is more a rock screamer than a singer. Why would anyone expect more than what he gave?

In my way of thinking:

1) Whether he sucked or not is a matter of taste and opinion. I heard quite a few people say they liked it.

2) The roots of the country go back a bit farther than this song

3) If it really IS such an issue when artists butcher this song then your complaints should be directed to the producers of the event in question. They pick the artists and let them do what they want. Again and again and again.

4) One persons opinion of "disrespect" is another persons exercising the right symbolized by this very song to interpret how they perform the song. I am not counting, of course, a blatant show of disrespect ala Roseann Barr

5) We make way too much of this. If it was really the consensus of the majority that this kind of "butchery" of our national anthem should be stopped, there would have been an outpouring to the networks, who would have bowed to enough pressure.

6) Thunderbird - you're a good man!

Sort of, he sure did it "his way"

Anyway, Tyler should stick to rock and roll, I was not impressed. I can't imagine him getting through an audition on Idol and going any farther.

Man, look: Steven knows that we know that he knows he can't sing! And he knows that we know it doesn't really matter because he's a rock star. He's a legend. He's got a swag that has worked in his favor all these years so no one should have expected that he would sing the song beautifully. He's got his own sound that his fans are accustomed to and if you're a fan, you aren't tripping about it.

Before we go saying he's not a good singer, remember that he actually is a fantastic singer. Think about ballads like I Don't Want to Miss a Thing. This guy has great control and great pipes.

The problem is that he sounded super tired and really was just out of his comfort zone.

Gee, I was trying to figure out what was SO bad and how he messed up SO bad. YET, the first few words could have been stronger. YEAH, one word was wrong, BUT FIT PROPERLY, but the words are the entire first stanza almost 100% correct. I even checked against a site, in case *I* was wrong. BTW by FIT, I mean, among other things, the meaning didn't change.

Did I like the WAY in which he sang it? Well I think he sang it better with more respect and feeling than many I have heard. Nearly ALL put some crazy spin on it.

Steve

I think he did an okay job, but the high notes were a bit abrasive on the ears. I wonder if he would perform it any differently if he had a chance to do it again (in light of all the 'controversy' that was stirred up online).

I don't think it was bad at all. A little uninspired perhaps.

If they wanted a traditional rendition they should of hired someone else other than a veteran rock star.

Here's one that ticks all the boxes you mentioned. Contempary. Easy to sing. Easy to remember the words. Even Steven Tyler could do a creditable version of it.

I didn't watch the Probowl (my Nuggets were playing at the same time)...But I did catch the National Anthem.

This guy did a GREAT job. This is what I'm talkin' about!

That was a pretty good rendition there Kurt...I agree.

Air Force...who would have thunk it:p
I haven't done any intra service rivalry in a while...lol

I really doubt Steven Tyler meant any disrespect with the way he sung it...just sang it...well..like an old Steven Tyler.
I have to admit I knew there would be 'controversy' about halfway thru it tho. Blame whom ever's great idea it was to have him sing it...well ..like Steven Tyler.
Roseanne's certainly appeared to me to be a deliberate stab at humor...poor taste would be more accurate.
Call me old fashioned...but some things should definitely be given the reverence they/it deserves.

If you think that was bad, you should have seen the whole group, when they couldn't even get on stage without bumping into the drum-set.
Like I did in '76... I believe...Anaheim Stadium. Worst concert I ever went to.

The only good thing about it was Rick Derringer doing a great version of Rock n Roll Hootchie Koo, all by his lonesome ...yea go figure...lol

I liked it. I like him.

But I got a real kick out of #55's expression at about 1:11.