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The "Axl's Voice" Thread - Please Keep All Discussion Here


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1 hour ago, Lies They Tell said:

There's tons of songs with higher pitched mid-range vocals. Especially female pop stars sing a lot like that. And it's not like Axl can't hit those notes. It's just that he doesn't sound like the raspy classic Axl anymore when he sings like that.

But if you want examples of non GNR songs with RASPY higher pitched mid range singing, there's a lot of that in classic rock. For example Love Hurts by Nazareth. Axl would be in Mickey mode, if he tried to sing that too.

Right. Dan is such an influence on Axl. Do you think it's possible to sing scom without mid range rasp?

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Hop

7 minutes ago, MidnightToker said:

Myles > Mickey. If GNR refuses to ever release new music again, which seems to be the case, just let Slash go do SMKC. That's the only way we'll be able to hear his new riffs. 

 Slash could do much more interesting projects, I mean, he's Slash! A blues album, another Slash & friends...how many more SMKC records do we need? 

Edited by El Guapo
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1 minute ago, Zinia_29 said:

Right. Dan is such an influence on Axl. Do you think it's possible to sing scom without mid range rasp?

What do you mean with possible? Of course it's possible. Axl's singing SCOM all the time without rasp.

Surely it would be possible to sing it in a different range too, but it wouldn't sound the same.

People might be even more disappointed if he sang it in a different range.  Maybe he could try to sing it in a different tone. Could that help? 

I don't know what the best solution is. Personally I don't even mind if he sings it the way he does. I just wish that they would release a new album with songs that fit Axl's current voice better. So that Axl would sound great during most of the concert. They'd play the classics that they have to play and Axl would sound like Mickey on them. But most of the time he would sound great cause the new songs would be easier for him to sing.

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That's a good research project for me - at what age did Dan McCafferty start singing "Love Hurts" at a lower tuning

EDIT: By 1979 Dan was already singing it at lower tuning - he was only 33 then

Axl was 33 in 1995...he started having a lot of trouble singing around then

Imagine how Chinese Democracy and the 2001-2002 shows would have sounded if Axl had tuned everything down. Maybe he would have used rasp?

 

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7 hours ago, Lies They Tell said:

Rock the Rock is exactly in the same pitch as the Brian Johnson songs. It's some low voice and lower pitched mid-range and then some higher pitched screaming. No higher pitched mid-range singing at all.

I think Axl's voice can be described like this:

 

Low voice - This is all good and raspy

Lower pitched mid-range - This is the most complicated part of Axl's voice and the limit of Axl's raspy singing voice. For example Madagascar, Brian Johnson songs and Rock the Rock have a lot of lower pitched mid-range parts. When the pitch gets higher than this Axl needs to scream in order to sound raspy.

Higher pitched mid-range - GNR songs are full of this higher pitched mid-range singing. Brian Johnson songs have none of it. Brian Johnson songs and Rock the Rock switches from lower mid-range chest voice straight to screaming smoothly. That's ideal for Axl's current voice. But trying to use the raspy singing voice in higher pitched mid-range parts is pretty much impossible for Axl these days. Higher pitched mid range works only when Axl's screaming.

High voice - is raspy only when Axl screams

The very highest pitch - There seems to be some problems there. Either it's gone or Axl's avoiding to use it for what ever reasons.

 

Then there's of course Axl's normal voice, which seems to be fine. I mean the voice that he uses on The Seeker for example. The voice that's not raspy, but not Mickey either. But that's a whole different story.

 

By the way, did you notice there is a "new" kind of rasp, too? I can’t say for sure when I observed it first (it couldn’t have been before 2011), but it’s definitely there. I call it the forced rasp. It’s the middle of the middle, and it’s actually kind of fake rasp which sounds like this because it’s sort of in the power mode. What I mean is the chorus of Chinese Democracy (although this was there even on the original version), but later he started doing it - or something very similar - in Civil War and the ending of Patience. You can (or still could around 2017 I think) hear it at the beginning of CV’s chorus ("My hands are tied"), but he switches to helium right after that. It’s more prominent in Patience, it lasts longer and only ends right before the "Whoa, I need you". It’s not the normal rasp he did in the old days, this is probably some new technique so as to get as close as possible. It sounds noticeably different though, and in no way is it the same thing.

Just another 2 cents.

 

Edited by jamillos
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8 hours ago, El Guapo said:

Hop

 Slash could do much more interesting projects, I mean, he's Slash! A blues album, another Slash & friends...how many more SMKC records do we need? 

A blues album would be f'n killer.  He could spit one out in a week with that Jimmy guy he jammed with a few years ago.  Huge Slash fan but I am done with SMKC. 

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8 hours ago, El Guapo said:

Slash could do much more interesting projects, I mean, he's Slash! A blues album, another Slash & friends...how many more SMKC records do we need? 

I hope he does another project like the Universal Monsters soundtrack. That was more interesting than the last couple SMKC albums. A blues album or another 'Slash & Friends' album would be really cool too though.

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7 hours ago, jamillos said:

By the way, did you notice there is a "new" kind of rasp, too? I can’t say for sure when I observed it first (it couldn’t have been before 2011), but it’s definitely there. I call it the forced rasp. It’s the middle of the middle, and it’s actually kind of fake rasp which sounds like this because it’s sort of in the power mode. What I mean is the chorus of Chinese Democracy (although this was there even on the original version), but later he started doing it - or something very similar - in Civil War and the ending of Patience. You can (or still could around 2017 I think) hear it at the beginning of CV’s chorus ("My hands are tied"), but he switches to helium right after that. It’s more prominent in Patience, it lasts longer and only ends right before the "Whoa, I need you". It’s not the normal rasp he did in the old days, this is probably some new technique so as to get as close as possible. It sounds noticeably different though, and in no way is it the same thing.

Just another 2 cents.

 

I don’t even consider that voice rasp. It’s just a forced strained scream voice. 

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13 hours ago, DTJ80 said:

Unfortunately the ‘big’ songs are in areas where his voice can’t go these days. But because they are SCOM/NR etc they will always be played so - I have zero idea how you get round that. Make them acoustic (ala the Sounds City) version of NR and rejig the format of them - extreme I know and maybe a horrendous idea but something needs to be done.

Simple drop scom. I dont think the fans would care. Casual fans must have already seen the band, so people seeing this band for the first time and really, really wanting to play scom would havd to be few and far between. So what if they dont play scom. In terms of NR, maybe get the crowd to do it, and axl can just clme in certain places.

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2 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

I hope he does another project like the Universal Monsters soundtrack. That was more interesting than the last couple SMKC albums. A blues album or another 'Slash & Friends' album would be really cool too though.

Id like him to do a reformation of original snakepit band in 94  and just do a one off few shows in the US as an anniversary and take it to oz....they were scheduled to play here in 95 but cancelled but did some record instore appearances as promotion. Im sure matt, gilby and mike inez would do it.

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2 hours ago, Sydney Fan said:

Simple drop scom. I dont think the fans would care. Casual fans must have already seen the band, so people seeing this band for the first time and really, really wanting to play scom would havd to be few and far between. So what if they dont play scom. In terms of NR, maybe get the crowd to do it, and axl can just clme in certain places.

That would be the easiest solution however i just don’t see them dropping it - even if most folk will have seen the band already.

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Sad that the time has come for Axl. His voice is done. That last piece of greatness that were the raspy high screams have finally died too. All that is left is his lower register. He should record some some stuff in it, tune the GNR down if possible and sing out his days with class and dignity. The mickey stuff is just not cool.

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39 minutes ago, Pedrolg said:

Sad that the time has come for Axl. His voice is done. That last piece of greatness that were the raspy high screams have finally died too. All that is left is his lower register. He should record some some stuff in it, tune the GNR down if possible and sing out his days with class and dignity. The mickey stuff is just not cool.

Doesnt have to be that way to record an album, technology should be advanced enough to change and alter his voice in studio and make him sound like old Axl or close to it so we get an incredible album.....assuming they can write good songs of course.

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31 minutes ago, ax1 said:

Doesnt have to be that way to record an album, technology should be advanced enough to change and alter his voice in studio and make him sound like old Axl or close to it so we get an incredible album.....assuming they can write good songs of course.

1. Are you kidding? Is that what you’d want – some fake crap? 
2. Axl doesn’t need it – listen to Rock the Rock. 
3. And in general, this forum is full of drama queens. One show sucks – and the band is over, Axl can’t sing any more etc. Yeah, it’s been downhill since 2017 (well, 2016), but I’ve heard "Axl is done" a few times before. He pulled the AC/DC stuff (which is, ironically, what I think has worn his neck down the most), and after sufficient recuperation, he still can achieve a lot, as long as he gets off his NITL couch and starts doing something. I like joking about some aspects on the one hand, but come on, we don’t know shit after all. 

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23 minutes ago, jamillos said:

1. Are you kidding? Is that what you’d want – some fake crap? 
2. Axl doesn’t need it – listen to Rock the Rock. 
3. And in general, this forum is full of drama queens. One show sucks – and the band is over, Axl can’t sing any more etc. Yeah, it’s been downhill since 2017 (well, 2016), but I’ve heard "Axl is done" a few times before. He pulled the AC/DC stuff (which is, ironically, what I think has worn his neck down the most), and after sufficient recuperation, he still can achieve a lot, as long as he gets off his NITL couch and starts doing something. I like joking about some aspects on the one hand, but come on, we don’t know shit after all. 

Im not kidding at all. I wouldnt consider it fake if it was produced through his actually singing. Im not talking about pure computerized music. Maybe it wouldnt need to be done with every song or every line, but if he can sing and get help to get his illusions voice back or earlier we can make something incredible here.

I dont think Ive been much of a Drama queen here either...Ive seen them live a couple years back and had the time of my life, and hope to see them this summer again.

Edited by ax1
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2 minutes ago, ax1 said:

Im not kidding at all. I wouldnt consider it fake if it was produced through his actually singing. Im not talking about pure computerized music. Maybe it wouldnt need to be done with every song or every line, but if he can sing and get help to get his illusions voice back or earlier we can make something incredible here.

I dont think Ive been much of a Drama queen here either...Ive seen them live a couple years back and had the time of my life, and hope to see them this summer again.

Didn't mean you in particular. And again, he doesn't need any of that - gigs and studio are two different beasts, aren't they. It'll be fine. 

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2 hours ago, Pedrolg said:

Sad that the time has come for Axl. His voice is done. That last piece of greatness that were the raspy high screams have finally died too. All that is left is his lower register. He should record some some stuff in it, tune the GNR down if possible and sing out his days with class and dignity. The mickey stuff is just not cool.

Although to be fair we all said the rasp and voice in general was all over with in 2002, and 2011-2014.  At this point I still think it is unclear whether it is age, effort, or a combination of both - I certainly thought that Axl was not ever going to be sounding like he did in 2016 back in 2014.  

 

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15 minutes ago, WhazUp said:

Although to be fair we all said the rasp and voice in general was all over with in 2002, and 2011-2014.  At this point I still think it is unclear whether it is age, effort, or a combination of both - I certainly thought that Axl was not ever going to be sounding like he did in 2016 back in 2014.  

 

yeah. I wish he could tell us what's really happened with his voice. But it's not gonna happen. he won't make an interview  :(

I still got hope for vocal better days  ;)

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On 2/5/2020 at 5:11 PM, Tom-Ass said:

A blues album would be f'n killer.  He could spit one out in a week with that Jimmy guy he jammed with a few years ago.  Huge Slash fan but I am done with SMKC. 

I want him to get like.. Stonesy, you know.

Assemble a band based on Mr Brownstone. 

Slash can groove so hard, the 70’s stones are up there with Aerosmith as his fav bad... but he does weird quasi-metal tangents all the time.

The first Snakepit really benefitted from Gilby... he needs a strong rhythm guitarist personality. 

Get a fucking black dude in there... and not Kravitz. Less hot topic more grit. 

the clock is ticking :(

Edited by Ant
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1 hour ago, WhazUp said:

Although to be fair we all said the rasp and voice in general was all over with in 2002, and 2011-2014.  At this point I still think it is unclear whether it is age, effort, or a combination of both - I certainly thought that Axl was not ever going to be sounding like he did in 2016 back in 2014.  

 

His rasp has come and gone in the last 20 years, but the constant thing is that his range has progressively declined since that time. It's just natural with ageing, but pretty much with every tour he has come back and not quite been able to hit the same high notes. Compare performances of TWAT from 2006 onwards and he gradually has more difficulty getting to the highest points. Unfortunately it's reached the point now that he's struggling to sing the high notes of Gnr setlist regulars and you get some pretty rough voice cracks, like in Better the other night or TIL in 2018. 

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1 hour ago, WhazUp said:

Although to be fair we all said the rasp and voice in general was all over with in 2002, and 2011-2014.  At this point I still think it is unclear whether it is age, effort, or a combination of both - I certainly thought that Axl was not ever going to be sounding like he did in 2016 back in 2014.  

 

100%

The only time I ever thought he was finished was in 2013/14 and he proved us wrong with how he knocked it out the park in 2016 both with AC/DC and Guns N' Roses. The man still has a voice, but he also has a comfort zone for the way he sings songs and massive gaps between tour legs, I reckon he forgets how to get back into that zone for songs like This I Love. 

This could be solved by rehearsals in the build up to a tour leg starting.

That's just my opinion. 

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