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- tejastech08
- Rep: 194
Re: Axl Rose vs. Bruce Dickinson: who's the best?
The running-around-like-a-madman doesn't necessarily elevate the performance for me, but that's personal, I guess
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That's the thing. Different performers choose different approaches. Axl approached it like it's a live show and felt he should provide extra entertainment than just the vocals. It's exactly why he is regarded as one of the very best frontmen ever. He gave people their money's worth, even when his voice wasn't at its best. Myles Kennedy stands there like a statue (and still struggles on the Axl material). If people want to hear the studio version, pull out the CD or iPod and crank it to 11 in your headphones. That's my view anyway. Axl once said at the Ritz 88 show: "People will think we're the sloppiest band in the world but I really don't give a fuck." 
But I do feel there is nothing wrong with performers that want to absolutely nail the studio version as much as possible. Roy Orbison's Black and White Night featured a lot of guest celebrity performers like Bruce Springsteen, but Roy himself pretty much went for the studio vocals and absolutely nailed it. Incredible to hear a 50 something dude with such an amazing voice sound pretty much just like he did 30 years earlier on the classic studio versions.
Re: Axl Rose vs. Bruce Dickinson: who's the best?
The running-around-like-a-madman doesn't necessarily elevate the performance for me, but that's personal, I guess
Agreed. I saw Leonard Cohen a few years back he barely moved, better than Axl all the same though.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Axl Rose vs. Bruce Dickinson: who's the best?
Axl may be a bit inconsistent but his material is significantly harder too. His songs push both edges of his vocal range - there's insane highs and some very low notes too - then he adds the rasp - them he moves around a lot. It's a very hard package to replicate. The other singers some people have mentioned simply don't have that range - corey taylor for example has a strong growl but there's no way he can sing those highs.
Re: Axl Rose vs. Bruce Dickinson: who's the best?
He's really not, if anything he's terribly inconsistent live. Compared to guys like Maynard James Keenan, Robert Plant, Chris Cornell, ... or even more modern guys like M. Shadows, Corey Taylor, etc... who consistently bring live (and raw, powerful) rock vocals that match the records almost note for note...
Cornell is definitely the better live singer but Axl has him beat in the front man/stage presence category. That's what polluxlm is referring to...the total package. Barring 2011, even on off nights Axl brings something to the table.
I love that performance of Come Together. One of the worst things about the CD saga is we never got more moments like that. The music world will never fully know what it missed out on by that saga being dragged out so long. A travesty that Come Together would be his last performance for six years.
