Singing in the Pain

I've heard Steve Tyrell's singing voice and have never understood his appeal. Evidently, neither can Rex Reed, who has written an entertainingly scathing review.  Some excerpts: "Who needs singing when grunting and shouting will do just as well for an undiscerning crowd, bused in from expensive rest homes, who don’t know the difference."  "An evening of all that groaning and yelling is like a root canal before the Novocain sets in." "Musically, I’ve heard better phrasing from goatherds calling their flocks by moonlight. I shudder to think what tough, sophisticated Cole Porter would say if he came off sounding like Carole King. Mr. Tyrell is so square that he refuses to sing the word “cocaine.” The result is the first time I’ve ever heard “I Get a Kick Out of You” with a jolt of Valium. Tethered to the Rat Pack prototype, he never bothers to break out of the old mold long enough to get under the skin of the song itself. Of course, with due respect, he knows his limitations. God forbid what might happen if Mr. Tyrell ever tackles anything by Stephen Sondheim."  Read it all and have a good laugh.