Discussion of Axl's Voice: Only When It Was Funny?

monkeychow

Axl's recent performances both in Ac/Dc and GNR remind me of this clip

Recent gigs have high rasp levels and clear power. No apparent struggles.

Like, seriously, what the fuck you could have been singing like that the whole time?.

Here's what had assumed was the situation previously:

1980s: Natural Power in Axl's Voice

1993 : UYI tour does permanent damage

2001-2: Axl seems to have wobbly voice in a few registers. Perhaps this is his new 'natural voice' post damage. Very limited rasp.

2006: Axl has learned to control his new voice and adds in more old school rasp. However he still struggles to sing cleanly around certain midrange notes. Hides this with incredible high pitched power raspy screams.

2009: Adding even more screaming and yelling. yet seems weaker on the softer songs especially in lower voice.

2010: Still using a bit of rasp but less of the 2006-2009 high screams - shorter bursts.

2011-2014: Rasp is slowly removed and screams become less high pitched and shorter in duration. Most stuff sung in a high clean voice.

So basically I'd figured all these changes were compensating for some type of damage or issue done early on. I loved the rasp and screams in 2006 and 2009 - but I'd started to think the glory days of this stuff were gone - as performances from 2014 really made it seem like he just couldn't conjure that level of power anymore - and who could blame him - surely that's a young mans game....

But here we are in 2016 and he's pulling out screams and rasp with Ac/Dc and GNR. The GNR ones are almost as insane in high notes as the 2009 high pitched stuff and I would say generally stronger overall than he's been since 2006 if not the 1990s, then, this Ac/Dc stuff - watching a gig from 2012 you wouldn't think Axl could nail brian johnston the way he has. Many people felt that classic Axl would have been good casting for Ac/Dc but that modern Axl would be forced to mickey and ruin the songs. Boy was that wrong.

So I can't help but wonder. It's awesome that Axl is doing this now. But WTF happened in the past? Why did we have to listen to such mickeyised versions of the songs and pay hundreds for it for 5+ years....odd.....did Axl have a vocal problem in the past that he has finally got on top of....or did he just not give a shit at the time?

-Jack-

My weird theory that makes no sense is that he was saving it for when it mattered most... but that assumes he always thought there was a reunion in the cards... which probably wasn't the case in say, 2002 during the VMAs.

I think the most likely theory is that he got coached up and prepared harder for this reunion than he had ever done for previous tours... still fucking bizarre though. Let's hope it lasts!

bigbri

I don't think he gave a shit, honestly.

elevendayempire

It's bizarre – never in my wildest fantasies did I imagine that in 2016 we'd have Axl back on 2006-era form, fronting my dream hybrid GN'R line-up and somehow finding time to do double duty as the lead singer of AC/DC. And the media suddenly loves him.

How? How did this happen?

Lomax

bigbri wrote:

I don't think he gave a shit, honestly.

I agree with this. But not in a negative way.

I think he just liked to experiment and make use of all his different voices, keep them all trained in.

Also, another possibility could be the oxygen tent.

Axl supposedly had an oxygen tent at all guns shows since at least 2006.

There's a behind the scene video which shows his oxygen tank.

Being in the throne he can't get near his oxygen and I think that has really helped his voice.

Maybe Mother Goose was slipping some helium into the old O2 supply to liven things up a bit...

AtariLegend

I don't think he's in 2006 form, I just think the AC/DC tracks suit him more and he's having fun.

I think people here seem to have a very hazy memory of 2011-14. Yes Rock In Rio was bad and their were alot of iffy performances, but their were good ones too. He did seem to be going through the motions at times, but it wasn't always a disaster.

As for 2001/2002. I thought we were talking years ago about suggestions he blew out his voice and needed surgery? Did that not happen? ...And yes I did think he gave a fuck in 2002, it's just it was all a mess. He had alot of bad advice in that era and handled things badly, for example the album fiasco. I don't think the cluster fuck it became (ignoring the voice), was because he didn't give a fuck.

I personally don't want him to spend too much time with AC/DC. People really are under estimating the age issue. In 15 years he'll be almost 70 not far off the average life expectancy. Oh and Robert Plant in 2007 during Zeppelin reunion wasn't much older than Axl is now, his voice was a mess. Go watch that show on youtube, he's barely singing on half the material.

Resurgence or not, we're probably on borrowed time with Axl's voice. He needs to be making the most of it with Guns over the next few years.

CSS 2.0

I agree that he isn't in 2006 or 2010 form. It's actually well beyond that.

Has not sounded this consistent since the 80s.

johndivney

"Oxygen" tent.

Yea he sounds better across the acca dacca songs that he does the guns ones these days.

If it all holds together this'll be a major triumph for him. Down through the years people I meet if they're metal or music fans I ask them their favourite singers & invariably nobody ever mentions axl. When I ask them about him I receive a mixed response. Now tho he's like the saviour of rock can't do a thing wrong, like a goodwill ambassador for rock n roll ffs. So yea he really has a chance to blow some minds. It's all good. His guns performances are better than they've been in years & he's giving a different audience a buzz too, good times. Long may they continue. The medication's finally working & there's hope for us all.

elevendayempire

johndivney wrote:

"Oxygen" tent.
Yea he sounds better across the acca dacca songs that he does the guns ones these days.
If it all holds together this'll be a major triumph for him. Down through the years people I meet if they're metal or music fans I ask them their favourite singers & invariably nobody ever mentions axl. When I ask them about him I receive a mixed response. Now tho he's like the saviour of rock can't do a thing wrong, like a goodwill ambassador for rock n roll ffs.

It's the greatest heel-face turn ever. Years of the media painting him as the asshole, and now they're all over him.

Smoking Guns

Fuck 2006..... He is on 1993 level right now.

I agree with Atari, the AC/DC thing is fun and cute but I want attention back on GNR soon. This voice needs to be on an album and this voice was MADE for Slash riffs. Sure a couple ballads are okay but we need some in your face aggressive balls out rock with Slash and Axl.

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