RS"Readers' Poll: Which Singer Has the Most Unique Voice? "

[Duda]

6. Axl Rose

Slash still remembers the first time he heard Axl Rose's singing voice.

It was on a low-fidelity cassette tape that he heard shortly before joining Guns N' Roses.

"His squeal was so high-pitched that I thought it might be a technical flaw on the tape," he wrote in his memoir, Slash.

"It sounded like the squeak that a cassette makes just before the tape snaps – except it was in key."

When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman.

Axl is an extremely difficult man to work with, but few other men on earth could sing material like "You Could Be Mine."

Maybe that's why Velvet Revolver has had such a hard time finding a new singer.

Rolling Stone

[Flayer]

Good picture for them to use.

[KiraMPD]

Maybe that's why Velvet Revolver has had such a hard time finding a new singer.

LOL

[Chewbacca]

Where's Layne Staley? Bob Dylan? No. 1? He's good, but meh... definetely not my favorite singer.

[SunnyDRE]

Jeremy Enigk from Sunny Day Real Estate and it isn't even close.

[Flayer]

Tom Waits earned his spot.

[packersnroses]

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

[dalsh327]

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

[packersnroses]

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

Who knows, but Axl didn't join Slash's band, like this article seems to be misleading to.

[Georgy Zhukov]

Tom Waits earned his spot.

Agreed and so did Dylan.

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

Who knows, but Axl didn't join Slash's band, like this article seems to be misleading to.

I just noticed that. Slash saw Axl sing in Hollywood Rose and was impressed and ended up replacing Tracii in Guns N' Roses. The only original members at that point were Axl and Izzy so as far as I am concerned it was Axl and Izzy's band, not Slash.

[realpoti]

Layne Staley, Chris Cornell, Mike Patton ? Anyone ?

[MB.]

Well, the list is about 'unique' voices, not about 'best'. I think the list is not so bad. All those voices are very recognizable.

[GNR123GNR456]

Jeremy Enigk from Sunny Day Real Estate and it isn't even close.

Who?

[RocketQueen1985]

Tom Waits earned his spot.

Agreed and so did Dylan.

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

Who knows, but Axl didn't join Slash's band, like this article seems to be misleading to.

I just noticed that. Slash saw Axl sing in Hollywood Rose and was impressed and ended up replacing Tracii in Guns N' Roses. The only original members at that point were Axl and Izzy so as far as I am concerned it was Axl and Izzy's band, not Slash.

Duff got together with Axl and Izzy and it was Duff who asked Slash and Steven if they wanted to join Guns N' Roses, that's what it says in Duff's book anyways.

[Georgy Zhukov]

Tom Waits earned his spot.

Agreed and so did Dylan.

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

Who knows, but Axl didn't join Slash's band, like this article seems to be misleading to.

I just noticed that. Slash saw Axl sing in Hollywood Rose and was impressed and ended up replacing Tracii in Guns N' Roses. The only original members at that point were Axl and Izzy so as far as I am concerned it was Axl and Izzy's band, not Slash.

Duff got together with Axl and Izzy and it was Duff who asked Slash and Steven if they wanted to join Guns N' Roses, that's what it says in Duff's book anyways.

How much do you know about early guns lore?

[Cosmo]

Brian Johnson, Lemmy Kilmister and Zach de la Rocha also have VERY unique voices. Should've made the list.

[Mansin Humanity]

where's les claypool?

[Jakey Styley]

Jeremy Enigk from Sunny Day Real Estate and it isn't even close.

Most uniquely generic, maybe.

[RocketQueen1985]

Tom Waits earned his spot.

Agreed and so did Dylan.

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

Who knows, but Axl didn't join Slash's band, like this article seems to be misleading to.

I just noticed that. Slash saw Axl sing in Hollywood Rose and was impressed and ended up replacing Tracii in Guns N' Roses. The only original members at that point were Axl and Izzy so as far as I am concerned it was Axl and Izzy's band, not Slash.

Duff got together with Axl and Izzy and it was Duff who asked Slash and Steven if they wanted to join Guns N' Roses, that's what it says in Duff's book anyways.

How much do you know about early guns lore?

So Duff is lying?

[Georgy Zhukov]

Tom Waits earned his spot.

Agreed and so did Dylan.

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

Who knows, but Axl didn't join Slash's band, like this article seems to be misleading to.

I just noticed that. Slash saw Axl sing in Hollywood Rose and was impressed and ended up replacing Tracii in Guns N' Roses. The only original members at that point were Axl and Izzy so as far as I am concerned it was Axl and Izzy's band, not Slash.

Duff got together with Axl and Izzy and it was Duff who asked Slash and Steven if they wanted to join Guns N' Roses, that's what it says in Duff's book anyways.

How much do you know about early guns lore?

So Duff is lying?

Just asking. Duff may be telling the truth, but we tend to get different stories from all the band members. Oh vh1 behind the music Steven said that he and Slash saw Axl and Izzy in Hollywood Rose and said "we need to get that singer and guitar player"

In one interview with original guitarist Tracii Guns, Duff was already in the band and Duff was never in Hollywood Rose. I am going with Duff's story over Steven's..

[RocketQueen1985]

Tom Waits earned his spot.

Agreed and so did Dylan.

"When Slash realized the superhuman voice was actually legit, he knew he had found his frontman."

Right. Because Slash was the one that put the band together.

If they never took that trip to Seattle, would GNR have fallen apart before they even had a record contract?

Who knows, but Axl didn't join Slash's band, like this article seems to be misleading to.

I just noticed that. Slash saw Axl sing in Hollywood Rose and was impressed and ended up replacing Tracii in Guns N' Roses. The only original members at that point were Axl and Izzy so as far as I am concerned it was Axl and Izzy's band, not Slash.

Duff got together with Axl and Izzy and it was Duff who asked Slash and Steven if they wanted to join Guns N' Roses, that's what it says in Duff's book anyways.

How much do you know about early guns lore?

So Duff is lying?

Just asking. Duff may be telling the truth, but we tend to get different stories from all the band members. Oh vh1 behind the music Steven said that he and Slash saw Axl and Izzy in Hollywood Rose and said "we need to get that singer and guitar player"

In one interview with original guitarist Tracii Guns, Duff was already in the band and Duff was never in Hollywood Rose. I am going with Duff's story over Steven's..

Yep, Duff is the one I believe as well.

[Georgy Zhukov]

I will take Duff's book over a heavily edited and biased documentary.

[KiraMPD]

Just asking. Duff may be telling the truth, but we tend to get different stories from all the band members. Oh vh1 behind the music Steven said that he and Slash saw Axl and Izzy in Hollywood Rose and said "we need to get that singer and guitar player"

In one interview with original guitarist Tracii Guns, Duff was already in the band and Duff was never in Hollywood Rose. I am going with Duff's story over Steven's..

From every thing I've read so far, they both seem to be right. Everyone bumped into each other on the Hollywood scene before the final line-up formed.

I think Steven wanted to recruit Axl and Izzy at one point and Slash was in agreement with getting Axl but was not comfortable playing with another guitarist at the time.

Later Hollywood Rose broke up and Axl joined L.A Guns with Tracii. Eventually Hollywood Rose was reformed again and they ended up merging the two bands to form Guns n' Roses (I think as a way for Izzy and Axl to work together again). Duff later joined as their bassist. Duff booked a tour in Seattle but Tracii and their drummer at the time did not want to go. They ended up quitting, the reason may have been their reluctance to go to Seattle, but its also been said that there was tension between Axl and Tracii. Anyway, they recruited Slash and Steven because Axl, Izzy and Duff had all bumped into them at some point or another, and went to do the Seattle tour and the rest is history...

(this a brief summary, I believe there are other details such as Slash auditioning for Axl and Izzy's band and getting snubbed and several lineup changes during the early years)

Edited January 26, 2012 by KiraMPD

[Georgy Zhukov]

Just asking. Duff may be telling the truth, but we tend to get different stories from all the band members. Oh vh1 behind the music Steven said that he and Slash saw Axl and Izzy in Hollywood Rose and said "we need to get that singer and guitar player"

In one interview with original guitarist Tracii Guns, Duff was already in the band and Duff was never in Hollywood Rose. I am going with Duff's story over Steven's..

From every thing I've read so far, they both seem to be right. Everyone bumped into each other on the Hollywood scene before the final line-up formed.

I think Steven wanted to recruit Axl and Izzy at one point and Slash was in agreement with getting Axl but was not comfortable playing with another guitarist at the time.

Later Hollywood Rose broke up and Axl joined L.A Guns with Tracii. Eventually Hollywood Rose was reformed again and they ended up merging the two bands to form Guns n' Roses (I think as a way for Izzy and Axl to work together again). Duff later joined as their bassist. Duff booked a tour in Seattle but Tracii and their drummer at the time did not want to go. They ended up quitting, the reason may have been their reluctance to go to Seattle, but its also been said that there was tension between Axl and Tracii. Anyway, they recruited Slash and Steven because Axl, Izzy and Duff had all bumped into them at some point or another, and went to do the Seattle tour and the rest is history...

(this a brief summary, I believe there are other details such as Slash auditioning for Axl and Izzy's band and getting snubbed and several lineup changes during the early years)

Things would have been a lot different if Tracii ageed to go to Seattle. Seattle at that point had to have been the second biggest music scene on the coast. I wouldn't be surprised if this is when Axl got a taste of Seattle music.

I think Slash changed is mind about Izzy when he heard all the ideas he had. According to Tracii everyone who knew Izzy at the time were amazed how he came up with such cool riffs. Like over half the riffs on AFD were Izzy, but Slash's ended up being more memorable.

Tracii noted now Axl got fired from L.A. Guns even though he lived with Tracii at the time. The two went home and decided to start a band calls Guns N' Rose, and recruited Izzy because he was not in a band at the time. Then Duff "Rose" McKagan came along and they became Guns N' Roses.

[Anonymity]

Klaus Meine