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Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
I watched this LONG video awhile back. It’s long but interesting if you have the time. A classically trained singer hearing and evaluating Axl’s voice for the first time. Not necessarily the best performance to evaluate and his voice is clearly not her cup of tea, but she is fascinated by it and sees the immense potential.
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
His vocal chords were pierced for our transgressions, his throat was crushed for our iniquities.
None of us actually know. But...
You can't sing like he did and keep singing like he did. That voice we came to know and love wasn't any kind of natural singing voice. In the times when they were doing clubs and small shows, you know he was doing things not productive to his voice - drinking, smoking, cocaine... and also trying to sing over the amplifiers. To some extent, that continues after getting signed and the touring in the 80's - although by some accounts he stopped with the cocaine because it made it harder to sing. You can listen to shows from the club times and then later in the late 80's and see the kinds of vocal performances he would give... sometimes forcing things out in an inhuman way, almost screaming.
He had different vocal coaches off and on.
We can all hear in the 1992 shows something had changed. Actually this is one of my favorite times for his voice, but it wasn't necessarily good for him.
With the new material I believe he was going for more of a cleaner sound and like glam rock sort of vocal style. I think, if you listen to the end of 'Rocket Queen' on Live Era, you can hear what he was going for. That's what I think he was aiming for when fans started to call things Mickey or note how off-key he could be in the 2002 shows. I think this was also to protect his voice. He wasn't 28, he was into his 30's going into 40's, that makes sense.
2006...some of those Canada shows...2009, amazing. But did he find out he screwed something up when he *did* go back into the studio in the little bits that he did, forcing himself into 'safe mode' vocally?
For all the positives of the ACDC stuff, I don't know if it was any different than some of what he did before or since.
In 2001/2002, he was in shape - writers even talked about how he'd taken up kickboxing and he had a 6 pack in Vegas... and 2006 he was lean and mean, but we know later on his cardio got in the way.
I think he's lost control in the register he's been trying to default to that's safe for him, and that's why things can be inconsistent. Like, why not let it rip during that November Rain at Graceland? Maybe he couldn't?
There could have been some surgeries. They could have went well, and some not to swell. That would add a layer into the whole Chinese Democracy intrigue, certainly.
The end of Rocket Queen is one of my favorite moments lyrically, musically, and vocally from GNR. A long time ago I made a compilation of various live and 'live' performances. "What happened to Axl's voice?" Man... just listen to Rocket Queen. A human can't do this.
- dave-gnfnr
- Rep: 16
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
I watched this LONG video awhile back. It’s long but interesting if you have the time. A classically trained singer hearing and evaluating Axl’s voice for the first time. Not necessarily the best performance to evaluate and his voice is clearly not her cup of tea, but she is fascinated by it and sees the immense potential.
I never understand why some people say this France version of SCOM isn't the best performance to evaluate when its probably one of the best versions of SCOM voice was of the 90s. At least she didnt do the awful Toyko one.
I dont even think there are many ones from the 80s that he does better than this one
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
faldor wrote:I watched this LONG video awhile back. It’s long but interesting if you have the time. A classically trained singer hearing and evaluating Axl’s voice for the first time. Not necessarily the best performance to evaluate and his voice is clearly not her cup of tea, but she is fascinated by it and sees the immense potential.
I never understand why some people say this France version of SCOM isn't the best performance to evaluate when its probably one of the best versions of SCOM voice was of the 90s. At least she didnt do the awful Toyko one.
I dont even think there are many ones from the 80s that he does better than this one
Live versions are tough to evaluate, but I guess it’s more raw and there’s nowhere to hide. She said in the comment section how she listened to the studio version afterwards and it was completely different and more to her liking.
- dave-gnfnr
- Rep: 16
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
dave-gnfnr wrote:faldor wrote:I watched this LONG video awhile back. It’s long but interesting if you have the time. A classically trained singer hearing and evaluating Axl’s voice for the first time. Not necessarily the best performance to evaluate and his voice is clearly not her cup of tea, but she is fascinated by it and sees the immense potential.
I never understand why some people say this France version of SCOM isn't the best performance to evaluate when its probably one of the best versions of SCOM voice was of the 90s. At least she didnt do the awful Toyko one.
I dont even think there are many ones from the 80s that he does better than this one
Live versions are tough to evaluate, but I guess it’s more raw and there’s nowhere to hide. She said in the comment section how she listened to the studio version afterwards and it was completely different and more to her liking.
right because live is their actual voice where as the studio they use autotune and things like that to fix their voices.
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
Miguelox26 wrote:From his reappearance in house of blues and rock in rio onwards he appeared with that vocal timbre, sharp, angry, powerful and with a lot of control, but it was different, what really happened?
80s/90s rasp ruined his voice. Just listen to this SCOM intro:
In 1986 his voice is much more delicate, a unique swirl in his throat.
Now take 1991 in comparison:
https://youtu.be/SjSZ4GDdyEI?si=FzZpB0HEWnWJ70Tf&t=279
In 1999 Axl hadn't sung for years. Probably to try and heal the damage. 00s comes around he is no longer using the rasp like he used to. He said in an interview this was a conscious choice.
Already in 1988 his voice was damaged to the point he could no longer fully replicate his AFD sound. The You're Crazy version from the Late Show in 88 is the last time we hear the classic Axl voice. In 1991 he's struggling to sing, has to cancel shows. In 1992 he has regained control and he sounds better, but with much less texture to his rasp. Again in 1993 his voice is starting to thin out, and he pretty much only sings on Sympathy and the Springsteen Come Together until laying down vocals for Live Era and CD in 99. His vocals here are good, but live he doesn't use the rasp almost at all.
Likely AC/DC shattered much of what was left.
I loved your analysis. Do you have a link for that interview where "he said in an interview this was a conscious choice"?
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
I loved your analysis. Do you have a link for that interview where "he said in an interview this was a conscious choice"?
I don't remember which it was. He said something along the lines of "I want to use a cleaner voice, but I do realize the fans love the rasp".
Maybe some of our GN'R historians can point the way.
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
I think everyone has valid points. The dude couldn’t maintain what he did when he was young. Age is a massive factor too. Dude is about to be 62. Add in what wine/alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep at times, elevation changes from travel, all of the years of that shit can factor in. I saw a few videos of my grandfather 10-20 years apart and it was a trip how brittle his voice became over the years. Also Axl didn’t really sing consistently for long periods of time over the years. I’m sure that is a factor. I’ll give it to him though. He tries. I’m sure it drives him nuts not to be able to nail the end of YCBM like he used to.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: What happened to Axl's voice?
uruguns wrote:I loved your analysis. Do you have a link for that interview where "he said in an interview this was a conscious choice"?
I don't remember which it was. He said something along the lines of "I want to use a cleaner voice, but I do realize the fans love the rasp".
Maybe some of our GN'R historians can point the way.
It's the 'China Exchange' video interview in 2016.
Axl said:
"For a while, like with Chinese, I was trying to get my voice a lot clearer. I feel like that maybe fans didn't… necessarily respond to that so much as well, sometimes, at shows and things but I think it was very good for me to be even better at what I am doing right now."
