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On 14/12/2017 at 1:52 PM, shootingstar said:

And I of course agree with your agreeing  especially the highlighted part was a nice way to put it.

But what conclusion can we make out of this?

I would say simply: Axls voice is not as bad as it sounds.

On this song, he clearly uses both types of midrange voice ! Why it happens? Technical mistakes or he is choosing that? If he chooses, the midrange rasp without the "passagio" probably hurts his vocal chords...I don't know...someone could ask him in an interview without offending him.... Anyway I think that with some respiratory and vocal training he could do it better, rasping or not!

On 05/12/2017 at 2:47 PM, shootingstar said:

Don't know where to start. But been analyzing Axls vocals since 2001. Some say it is his falsetto that is weak. I would say that is totally wrong. His falsetto is better that during the 90's.

His weakest songs have been YCBM and SCOM for example. Or yesterdays during 2017. Why? These are mid range songs vocally. (And az/dz songs are not)

Something I've noticed is that he's not using his normal, nasal, raspy non falsetto voice, especially in the mid range.. and replace it with a lower and weaker clean falsetto. It is his "normal" low and mid range voice that is worned out and TOO RASPY so he replace it with a weaker falsetto.

 

A good example is prostitute during verses where he shifts, not so smoth, from falsetto to the deeper nasal mode. Especially during the 3rd verse.

I totally agree with you! The midrange voice is the problem, but only because he is doing some technical mistakes! When someone sings correctly, you have to make some transitions in the larinx position, witch is called ‘passagio’. He is doing that very early, in range that he doesn’t need to do it! It can be corrected with some vocal training again. In 2001 he did the passagios perfectly! Even singing without drive, it sounded powerful back then. 

Once it’s been said, when you hear it live, it sounds good, maybe just a little bit  weaker...

2 hours ago, AlexC said:

That's great but AC/DC doesn't fit that theory.

Or the second half of the North American Tour.

And the South American Tour after Rosario.

AC/DC : it shows that he choose when to use it or not! He had to prove he could. 10 shows... NITL : he alternates! He started doing his best, and he did it in some shows, not every show! WTTJ he tries to do it raspy! Paradise no! Nightrain sometimes. 

After all, when I was watching them live the whole band and the voice were ok!  

I'm a singer and I study vocal technique for 5 years now! Axl can sing with drive whenever he wants to. But to sing with the drive, or raspy, in the way he used to sing,  damages his vocal chords. It's not a technical drive, it is a potent, high, screaming-like sound!  Maybe he could use some other kind of drive, but it would not sound the same either. So he learned how to do the passaggio, that is a way to get the high notes without forcing the vocal chords. In the record we can listen it clearly: Better, Streat of Dreams - final, the beginning of This I Love - the best done in my opinion. In the live performance we get some problems: he is not that good in singing live doing the passaggio! He some times get out of tune, miss power in other times, it sounds very different from the originals in some songs and he gets out of breath. The last aspect is explained because when do a clear voice, the air goes freely and finishes early comparing to a forces sound.  This is something that happens because: he is older; he sings running ou walking, he is not in the best physical shape! RIR2001 is a perfect exemple of a great performance with clear voice! 

14 hours ago, jacdaniel said:

Hi All

 

I love Guns N Roses and Slash's guitar playing and I've waited for years for this reunion to happen.  I won't get to see the show in person until May this year.  I've watched as many of the shows as possible on youtube and the one thing I've noticed is that Slash seems to be quite low in the mix, especially during the rhythm sections and even some of the solo's.  Some of the outro solos on Easy, Chinese and Coma in particular are difficult to hear.

I find that if I want to enjoy ONLY Slash's guitar playing, I normally end up watching some videos of SMKC were I can hear him a lot clearer.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this? 

I guess its just more difficult to get the sound spot on when you are playing stadiums and have extra musicians to include in the mix?

Not at all! He is very high on the live mix ! But you can listen Richard also, and that's good!! But  I think that the kick of the drumns was too loud In the show I was in. 

TWAT was killer. Slash was great ! Based on the videos, Slash is starting to lead the band again, making it sounds like GN'R. Fortus is a little bit aside, but it's happening naturally.  And Ferrer is starting to understand that solos and the songs only get finished when Slash finishes it!!! 

Rock in Rio 2 was by far the best GNR I have seen. It was life changing... And Tv Globo did a great job on the filming that night.

I mean... It's not officicial, but is the original band becoming big. Very natural, spontaneous!

Tokyo is representative of a time...the Illusion era. I prefer the pre-AFDestruction and AFDestrucion eras. In the Illusion era AXL's voice got a lot o problems (he could screams more than he could sing a lot of shows) and Slash intended to be the main part of the show. In the Tokyo DVD I don't like the final mixing.. the drums are to loud, very low base guitar. I think that AFDemocracy is much better. I miss a little power of Axl's voice in some of the songs, but the band is amazing. I wish they have recorded it in 2014. Judging by youtuve videos, his voice is full of rasp. In Porto Alegre (Brazil) he was amazing.

My opinion :

Axl -- excellent in most of the songs. Good stage performance, charisma, vocal range good as usual. He uses clean voice in low and high vocals, alternating with the rasp/drive vocals in others songs. WTJ has a lot of rasp, SCOM very clean (I would prefer it with rasp, but the clean vocals are with a decent power).

Fortus -- in my opinion, the best guitarist in GN'R. He has a mix of bluesy/rock/jazz /virtuoso stile, a very nice guitar sound.

Bumblefoot -- the most technical guitarist in GN'R. Sometimes I miss some feeling in his playing. But he is very important in GN'R context. Very good person, speaks well, sings well and play solos that none of the others could.

DJ - well... he doesn't know how to improvise. He knows his parts "by heart". That's why he does mistakes. His guitar sound and effects don't help either. If he played only with a Marshal overdrive, a little chorus and a bit of reverb, with much less compression, his imprecisions would be less perceived. I have to admit that for the general public watching the show in the arena, his stage presence is very good.

Frank -- I liked him when I was at the show, and in the DVD/Blue-Ray he is excellent. I enjoyed his drums sound in the final mix.

Pittman -- for the first time I could listen his things. It's ok. He sings well, duplicates Axl's voice sometimes. He is ok.

Dizzy -- He could play better in the past in my opinion. But he didn't do any mistake. Just Nnot a Great player.

After all I'm very happy. GN'R never intended to be perfect live. It's rock n'roll, sincere. They could have overdubbed mistakes, but they didn't, and I appreciate that. The show is great show as a whole.

Slash said once he never listened GN'R albuns once it was done....

My guess is that as long as the shows are ending for a while, he didn't actively controlled 'not to rasp'. When we are singing, the "right way" to do it is letting the air flow free, and it results in a pure voice. Opera singers do that, but they have a limited range. When Axl sings high notes that way (only in the head voice and not rasping), people may not like it, but he can sing a lot of shows, day after day. When he rasp, the main notes come with a lot of harmonics, and it gives it the effect that people like, and that is his trademark. I think he couldn't do it for many shows without damaging his vocal chords again. But it's only my opinion. What do you people think?

I can say Axl's voice is ok when you are in the show. Listening in good qualitiy records, it's clear that he intentionally switchs from a raspy voice (dangerous to his vocal chords) to an acute but not raspy

voice. If he didn't do it, he could not be able to keep singing. What really matters is the live audience, and the effect still quite good!

He is a good player, but not as good as Slash, Bumble or Fortus when improvising. On the other hand, he is very IN THE BAND and he is loyal to Axl, and I think he helps him to keep GN'R alive.

Well ! I can bring you exactly what happened yesterday in Porto Alegre show: it was massive, intense. I'm a big fan since 1989. This is my third GN'R show: 1992(or 93) in São Paulo (in the rain, they cut the show - only 1h30, the sound was just good, but it was killer after all), in 2010 here in Porto Alegre and the yesterday one. I can tell you. The band is much tighter than in 2010 and in RIR 2011, and Axl was amazing. I can tell you: we can't judge this band by youtube videos. They put out a real rock show, like no other nowadays. I don't want to argue. I know a lot of you have been frustrated because of the lack of knew songs, the lack of Slash, blah, blah. But I can tell you: I couldn't miss Slash. And a big fan of him (I am a guitarist myself) . The 3 "new" guys steals the show (DJ Ashba technically is less than Slash, but plays with the heart also, Richard is a mix of high level technique with a blues- very similar with Slash, but cleaner and more technical, and Bumble is the best). They played all the hits and Chinese, Shaklers, This I Love, Better, Catcher of the Chinese Democracy album, plus I Used to Love Her ( a surprise to everybody) and Nice Boys. The voice was aggressive, it could even hurt the ears in the acutes notes. In the end, people was very happy and satisfied.

Abnormal

It rules.

and finally, Catcher

Cool !!!!

This used to be a fan forum.

Axl used to sound good

Not really !! GN'R shows were not predictable. I'm a fan since 1987, and had K7 tapes of shows, when it was hard to find them, and VHS, etc. In many shows Slash was completely drunk and out of tune in some parts, and Axl had serious problems to reach the high notes, and the rasp was a way to keep singing, but it hurts the vocal chords. The original Tokyo VHS shows that, as the Illusions tour. He COULDN'T sing anymore without the rasp !!! BUT, they were raw and they were "rock n'roll", they had attitude...and we were young ! Now that magic scenario does not exist anymore. The Slash departure was a shot in the band imaginary. So that's the question. If we look to GN'R nowadays and try to find that spirit...we would be beating a dead horse. From a technical point of view, Axl can sing with less pressure to the vocal chords, letting the air to flow more freely, which is the correct way TO BE ABLE TO DO LIVE SHOWS. You may not like the result. But he is not sounding bad at all, maybe different. He do the rasp, but in a controlled way. Of course I would prefer to be 16 years again, to live that rn'r moment....but I'm almost 40....and I like to have Axl still singing. And one last thing: we can't compare GN'R/ AXL to Mettalica, Stones, etc... Axl is a natural baritone, who sings in the hyper acute registre of the voice, and this makes all the difference with the aging.

This used to be a fan forum.

Just bought the tickets !!!

Porto Alegre

Justa POA for me also!

I think that the lack of a new album or perspective is killing the band as a real band. It makes it look like a tour band playing for Axl. I am sure it's not true. The lack of a new album may have a lot of different reasons (label, money, Axl's time....) but it results in this kind o general feeling.

Poor Frank...."Come on!!!"

Nightrain