Trin9498 Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 (edited) I like the song. Actually, I like it more as time passes. However, what's the deal with his voice?? Did earlier versions have better vocals? Edited September 26, 2015 by Trin9498
EvH Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 I frigging love the song. I love Axl's "old man" voice, adds to the atmosphere. And there's some amazing guitar layers on the Rock Band files.It was my favorite song from ChiDem from day one. 1
Trin9498 Posted September 26, 2015 Author Posted September 26, 2015 I'm definitely a fan of the solo. The voice isn't awful it just sounds like he ripped a carton of cigarettes before laying down the vocals.
EvH Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 I'm definitely a fan of the solo. The voice isn't awful it just sounds like he ripped a carton of cigarettes before laying down the vocals.Ahaha true. I guess that's what they call an acquired taste
BreakDown2014 Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 One of my favs on CD and definitely a special one since it sticked almost since day 1.I really like how he sounds on this song. It's really different though from everything else. It adds a lot to the atmosphere indeed
IncitingChaos Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 (edited) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU_hFp5pM9Q7:38: "I remember... seeing on the web, somebody said <whinynerdvoice>, 'Why'd he have to sing that song with, like, an old man's voice?', it's like, maybe 'cause one of the influences was Hemmingway's "Old Man and The Sea", fucking, y'know, just by chance, I DON'T KNOW... but y'know, on the web, they know everything..."http://youtu.be/oU_hFp5pM9Q Edited September 26, 2015 by IncitingChaos 1
Słash Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 When an Early version of the demo leaked, it was hard to believe it was Axl's voice, I thought whenever the album comes out or when CD was announced it would have different sounding vocals, but its a nice song and im used to that voice now.
Free Bird Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 Could have been one of the best songs from CD. Sad the samples make it god awful Actually it's still a good song but could have been much better
Estranged Reality Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 Axl in Tom Waits mode.I used to fuck around and post (really bad) vocal covers of songs back in the 2006 era, usually on HTGTH, and I'd always get slagged off for it. Before the demo of Madagascar leaked, I posted a really raspy cover version -- and then the weird old man rasp ended up being the way that Axl sung it on the final version. I'm not bragging, but clearly I'm a psychic. True story. 1
Gordon Comstock Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 I like the vocals on the album version, but I wonder what a studio version of him singing it like he did in 2001/02 would sound like. I almost never listen to the album or leak version anymore, it's almost always an '02 or '06 version because 1) the solo is higher in the mix, and 2) I can't be driving around listening to Martin Luther King quotes over music, the quotes kinda ruin the song...
Gunner55 Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 I frigging love the song. I love Axl's "old man" voice, adds to the atmosphere. And there's some amazing guitar layers on the Rock Band files.It was my favorite song from ChiDem from day one.I loved when I first got a copy of Madagascar without all the quotes over the solo. So much greatness got buried under that on the album.
CAFC Nick Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 Axl in Tom Waits mode.I used to fuck around and post (really bad) vocal covers of songs back in the 2006 era, usually on HTGTH, and I'd always get slagged off for it. Before the demo of Madagascar leaked, I posted a really raspy cover version -- and then the weird old man rasp ended up being the way that Axl sung it on the final version. I'm not bragging, but clearly I'm a psychic. True story.I remember this haha.Russian roulette?! 1
Lies They Tell Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 It's not a terrible song, but neither is it one of my favorites on CD. The old man voice definitely makes it more interesting though. I bet the song sounds even better when Axl actually is an old man cause it's the kind of a song that should be sung by an old person.
Bono Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) Could be a great song if Axl didn't sound constipated and it didn't have the MKLK quotes and samples tat simply make the song desperate to be epic and poignant. Fails miserably though. *Edit: I just went and listened to it for the first time in years and it's pretty terrible to be honest. The melodies are great but the song overall is just a fucking mess. Typical Chinese Democracy material in that sense. Edited September 27, 2015 by Bono
Bumblefeet Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 I like it better live than I do on CD. The production for that track just sounds very dated, as does the horn synth.
Estranged Reality Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 Axl in Tom Waits mode.I used to fuck around and post (really bad) vocal covers of songs back in the 2006 era, usually on HTGTH, and I'd always get slagged off for it. Before the demo of Madagascar leaked, I posted a really raspy cover version -- and then the weird old man rasp ended up being the way that Axl sung it on the final version. I'm not bragging, but clearly I'm a psychic. True story.I remember this haha.Russian roulette?!Yep!You were actually the one who reminded me fairly recently (maybe a year or so ago) in a thread about vocal covers. I had totally forgotten about when I used to post those recordings. Ah, to be a bored teenager again.
BangoSkank Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 Think it really could have benefited from less rasp (can't believe I'm saying that as a Tom Waits fan). I also would have upped Bucket's solo in the mix. It's hard to really make out how awesome it is over the samples. Layering is really my biggest beef with the album, but nevertheless I dig this song. There's a lot of cool sounding components and Axl is in defiant mode (which is when he's usually best).
ChineseIRS Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) Love the song and Axls "old man" voice. I think it fits perfectly. Only thing i wish is they had Robins backing vocal at the end like they did live in '02 instead of Axl doing it himself. Edited September 27, 2015 by ChineseIRS
BetterDay7 Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 I really like the mlk quotes! It's just impassioned and I love that.
amacfantasy Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) I agree about this topic, Madagascar as a song is as good as they come. But the choice of vocal style for the studio version I'm not crazy about. I know a lot of people will call me crazy but I prefer mickey style vocals for this song. That one live recording of the song from one of the 2002 shows that's circulated around I used to listen to all the time pre release and I had some fan made music video for it (you can see it somewhere on youtube). I personally love that version but maybe it's because I listened to it first and so much and obviously in 2002 Axl's mickey vocals were on point lol. But in all seriousness I do see the merits in the "old man style" vocals for this song and as a hardcore Axl fan I can see past that and even quite enjoy the idea of sounding like a broken man which is related to that..... but I can't tell you how many original GNR lineup fans / casual GNR fans I have talked to and when they hear that studio version they go "OMG Axl's vocals are so bad and gone listen to that it's like anyone could do better than that on Madagascar" has anyone else had casual GNR fans think that when they are listening to Madagascar studio version ? And so I kinda cringe when that song plays and critical Nu GNR people are listening. Here is the live one I listened to and that video I was referring to minus the subtitles Edited September 28, 2015 by amacfantasy
nproducing Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 can anyone send me the version without samples?
Jordan Rose Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 So much bullshit in this thread. You reckon an old man can sing that fucking insane, long, high, sustained scream? Considering that nearly all the rest of the album except Better has him singing in a completely new, clean style, don't you think there might be some significance to him using his more familiar rasp on this song? Madagascar is communicating a really important message to both the fans and the old band so it's fitting that he should sing it in his familar Illusions era voice. But, fittingly, it sounds like a voice that has been unused for six years and has gotten a little rusty. It was one of the first vocals he put down in 1999 and the way I hear it is not 'tired old man' but 'fucking angry dragon waking up from a 9-year slumber.' He starts off a little rusty because the voice hasn't been used in so long but when he gets going, stretches out and hits that crescendo it's fucking epic.
wasted Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 I think I remember Axl saying something about making the vocal for Nov Rain something anyone can sing. It's more relatable. Thats how I see Madagascar plus hes down but not out so he doesnt sing it like a metal power vocal. I see it about emotion, singing Madagascar clean or heinken rasp isnt really right. It's rise of the fallen rocky 4 in the house. 1
Val22 Posted September 29, 2015 Posted September 29, 2015 I have loved this song since I first heard it on the famous MTV awards show. The melody and the words are amazing. Not sure what it's about, but I just love it. it's a very passionate song. This was the song I was most anxious to hear when CD was released.
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