Why did Axl decide to re-record vocals for Live Era?

[Spaghetti4twenty]

I'm sure this has been discussed a lot but I figured I'd bring it up. I was listening to Night Train from Vegas off the album and it still amuses me that they re did the vocals. I wonder if he just didn't like how raw they were during the UYI tour? Regardless, I find his vocals in 1999 to be some of the best work he's done. Perfect ratio of rasp and clean tone. Oh My God, some of CD, and Live Era 

[guitarpatch]

It was the industry practice for decades to do this. Countless “live” albums have been touched up or even mostly re-recorded by the entire band in the studio

[Rovim]

cause Axl can't leave shit alone? anyway, I'm glad it was released, I remember buying it when it came out. It's all kinds of fucked up, but does have its character imo and any Gn'R product that contains new music or a new take on it is a good thing I think.

[Dean]

Live Era divide's opinion among the fan base but I love it for the reasons you mention. I believe that Axl Rose was at the very top of his game vocally (and artistically) when creating Chinese Democracy, so I'm grateful that he decided to re-record vocals for the Live album. The songs sound amazing with his '99 voice. It's my go to version of Rocket Queen. Phenomenal. 

Whenever Live Era is discussed, I feel it necessary to always add a HUGE fucking thank you to @estrangedtwat for picking up this incredibly sought-after album on vinyl for me and saving me a load of money in the process!! A holy grail!!

Edited November 10, 2022 by Dean

[Sledge]

Yeah it's not unusual for artists to touch up old work. It's the same for the '22 NR video. As Slash does his guitar solo in the desert, Axl always wanted more stormtroopers on dewbacks but he was restricted by the technology of the time  Also when he walks past the gun store, it's now a Walkie talkie store. 

[Sonic Reducer]

20 minutes ago, Sledge said:

Yeah it's not unusual for artists to touch up old work. It's the same for the '22 NR video. As Slash does his guitar solo in the desert, Axl always wanted more stormtroopers on dewbacks but he was restricted by the technology of the time  Also when he walks past the gun store, it's now a Walkie talkie store. 

Brilliant

[Blackstar]

I haven't really listened to Live Era more than once. I just listened (with VPN) to the UYI box set versions of Nightrain and Rocket Queen Vegas and then to the same tracks from Live Era, and I reckon that he mostly did it to correct the phrasing on certain parts, because they couldn't be heard clearly on the raw live track (e.g. "tongue like a razor").

[James Bond]

I think what makes it stand out so much more on Live Era is that by 1998/1999, Axl's vocal tonality had changed so it makes it obvious when a new section is punched in. It's probably less noticeable for a casual listener on some songs, say Nightrain and Rocket Queen, since those songs are re-recorded from top to bottom. The giveaway is the nearly flawless take on those tracks and how he just didn't sound like that on the UYI tour. Plus, we have so many 1999 vocal sources (thanks Pele) that it's an even easier comparison. Sweet Child is another obvious one. That is definitely not what he sounded like on Paris 1992 where it's sourced from (and Duff's bass flub in the intro is fixed too - probably just grabbed from another show). Not at all uncommon practices for commercially released live albums, but somewhat of a strange mash-up on Live Era.

A funny one to me is Welcome to the Jungle where there's a mix of re-recorded vocals and bits that were left alone so you go between crystal clear 1999 Axl vocals and some of the signature UYI era chainsaw rasp. Used To Love Her is one where only the last verse is re-recorded. Estranged might be the biggest anomaly in the process. If you compare to the Tokyo 1992 source nearly the entire thing is re-recorded, but the line "Well I jumped into the river..." is left from the original. I get that touch ups will be punched in here and there, but it seems so bizarre to go through the effort of doing the whole song but leaving one line alone. You can generally tell the sonic change between the new vocals and old vocals on any of the touched up tracks if you listen closely - particularly the ones that have a mix.

For comparison's sake - Hells Bells from AC/DC's Live At Donington. Brian Johnson flubbed the entire second verse (check out the audience recording) and therefore had to punch it in on the video release. It's far less noticeable than anything on Live Era because it was done at the time so 1991 Brian still sounds like 1991 Brian. Back In Black from that show is what made the cut on the AC/DC Live album and even that is basically re-recorded from top to bottom. But again, less noticeable because it was done at the time and not several years later as Axl did. Imagine 2008 Brian going back and looping a show from 1981.

[t-p-d-a]

Same with Motley Crues: Live: Entertainment or Death (1999) and Carnival of Sins Live (2006)

The worst is Carnival of Sins, in some parts it's like two Vince Neils are singing at the same time

I agree with "industry practice" at the time. Just to improve the quality, bring the best and re-recording parts more crazy or bigger. Like the high note on Nightrain, he never did this live.


 

[D4NNY]

I have a question regarding Mr Brownstone on Live Era… Duffs backing vocals during the chorus sound so off, it clearly isn’t Duff 🤣 I believe it sounds like Robin? Is that actually confirmed? Is it just common knowledge to the hardcore fan base that it isn’t duff?

[Bansidhe]

7 minutes ago, DustNBones1990 said:

I have a question regarding Mr Brownstone on Live Era… Duffs backing vocals during the chorus sound so off, it clearly isn’t Duff 🤣 I believe it sounds like Robin? Is that actually confirmed? Is it just common knowledge to the hardcore fan base that it isn’t duff?

I think it's a raspier than usual sounding Izzy.
Mr Brownstone was from London 91 and he was still there at that point.

[Bansidhe]

Yeah, this is the show.
Obviously some stuff was tweaked for Live Era but you can see and hear Izzy doing the "Used to do a little" parts.

 

I don't know if you're still not supposed to put unofficial links but if you search "Guns N Roses - Mr. Brownstone (Live in London / 1991) (ERA ORIGINAL AUDIO)" on a well known video streaming site...

[D4NNY]

4 minutes ago, Bansidhe said:

Yeah, this is the show.
Obviously some stuff was tweaked for Live Era but you can see and hear Izzy doing the "Used to do a little" parts.

 

I don't know if you're still not supposed to put unofficial links but if you search "Guns N Roses - Mr. Brownstone (Live in London / 1991) (ERA ORIGINAL AUDIO)" on a well known video streaming site...

Thanks for clarifying that, I don’t know why I never thought of Izzy, I just always assumed Duff had been replaced in the Live Era mix 😊👍🏼

[Spiritual_Chaos]

12 hours ago, Spaghetti4twenty said:

I'm sure this has been discussed a lot but I figured I'd bring it up. I was listening to Night Train from Vegas off the album and it still amuses me that they re did the vocals. I wonder if he just didn't like how raw they were during the UYI tour? Regardless, I find his vocals in 1999 to be some of the best work he's done. Perfect ratio of rasp and clean tone. Oh My God, some of CD, and Live Era 

KISS - Alive from 1974 only has the drum track intact from the "live recording" if I remember it correctly. 

The live tracks from the 70's that KISS put on some collection in the  90s to push the reunion, had brand new 90s vocal tracks by Paul. That beats Axl. It's 20 years later.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Spiritual_Chaos

[Spiritual_Chaos]

1 hour ago, James Bond said:

For comparison's sake - Hells Bells from AC/DC's Live At Donington. Brian Johnson flubbed the entire second verse (check out the audience recording) and therefore had to punch it in on the video release. It's far less noticeable than anything on Live Era because it was done at the time so 1991 Brian still sounds like 1991 Brian. Back In Black from that show is what made the cut on the AC/DC Live album and even that is basically re-recorded from top to bottom. But again, less noticeable because it was done at the time and not several years later as Axl did. Imagine 2008 Brian going back and looping a show from 1981.

Noel didn't like that Liam improvised the lyrics to Wonderwall, so he switched out that part for their 2000 Familiar to Millions release with another concert's take. I guess that is similar in that it's not noticeable. But it still irks me a bit. 

As Liam let the audience sing the choruses of "Wonderwall" and also changed the words to other parts of the song ("By now you should have somehow realised not to sniff glue" / "And all the lights that light the way are doin' me fuckin' 'ead in!") at the 22 July gig, the version on the various audio formats features a different vocal track to the original one recorded at Wembley. This also applies to Noel's backing vocals. Most of these overdubbed vocals were recorded at Oasis' gig at the Yokohama Arena, Kanagawa, Japan on 5 March 2000. Only one line ("I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now") in the first verse is from the actual Wembley gig, as Liam failed to sing this line correctly in the Yokohama performance.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Spiritual_Chaos

[Guest]

There's a few isolated vocals videos out there of stuff from Live Era and it's super obvious they have been done in a studio. Rocket Queen and Estranged are easy to find

[James Bond]

46 minutes ago, Spiritual_Chaos said:

Noel didn't like that Liam improvised the lyrics to Wonderwall, so he switched out that part for their 2000 Familiar to Millions release with another concert's take. I guess that is similar in that it's not noticeable. But it still irks me a bit. 

As Liam let the audience sing the choruses of "Wonderwall" and also changed the words to other parts of the song ("By now you should have somehow realised not to sniff glue" / "And all the lights that light the way are doin' me fuckin' 'ead in!") at the 22 July gig, the version on the various audio formats features a different vocal track to the original one recorded at Wembley. This also applies to Noel's backing vocals. Most of these overdubbed vocals were recorded at Oasis' gig at the Yokohama Arena, Kanagawa, Japan on 5 March 2000. Only one line ("I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now") in the first verse is from the actual Wembley gig, as Liam failed to sing this line correctly in the Yokohama performance.

Funny enough that's probably my most listened to version of Wonderwall. I like how it sounds with the electric guitars and the piano cuts through nicely on the end. Have you ever listened to the botched Wembley night? Liam is completely off the rails. It makes for a wild listen.

[darkside259]

if only axl have a liam kindalike comeback 

[Spaghetti4twenty]

2 hours ago, DustNBones1990 said:

I have a question regarding Mr Brownstone on Live Era… Duffs backing vocals during the chorus sound so off, it clearly isn’t Duff 🤣 I believe it sounds like Robin? Is that actually confirmed? Is it just common knowledge to the hardcore fan base that it isn’t duff?

I’ve heard that and it does sounds like Robin. Doesn’t really sound like Duff or Izzy to me but who knows 

maybe they pulled that off of the 1999 re-recorded appetite 😂

also I always thought Mr Brownstone was done really well by the 2002 band. I liked Robins playing and back up vocals. Whenever I hear Robin doing a slash solo it sounds like a Chinese Democracy version of the song compared to when Dj plays it, it sounds like a GNR tribute band.

https://youtu.be/FzaX9ABdYdY

Edited November 10, 2022 by Spaghetti4twenty

[James Bond]

29 minutes ago, darkside259 said:

if only axl have a liam kindalike comeback 

You mean re-learning the live set to suit the current parameters of your voice, dusting off deep cuts, and releasing three brand new studio albums, two EPs, and two live albums - all in the span of five years?

We'll have to keep dreaming.

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, Spaghetti4twenty said:

Whenever I hear Robin doing a slash solo it sounds like a Chinese Democracy version of the song compared to when Dj plays it, it sounds like a GNR tribute band.

 

Nailed it there

[TheSlashrose]

I confess that when I bought Live Era at the time I didn't imagine it had been re-recorded.

[TheSlashrose]

And Yeah Robin is on Mr Brownstone 

[James Bond]

3 minutes ago, TheSlashrose said:

I confess that when I bought Live Era at the time I didn't imagine it had been re-recorded.

I was the same with AC/DC Live At Donington which basically got me into music. I just assumed it was as honest as it gets. I first experienced it on DVD when I was 11 or so. It wasn't until I got my hands on the VHS version (which had overdubs of its own) that I realized the full scope of it just from comparing the differences between the two. Later on it was the audience shot version which revealed even more.

Granted, for the most part it's just mistakes that were corrected or tweaked for a cleaner presentation, but then in some instances like Fire Your Guns on the DVD they've patched in a completely different solo from what Angus' hands are doing - presumably from another live take of the song. The VHS version kept the original solo. In some songs its reversed where the DVD has more original audio. It's seemingly as complicated and head scratching as the Live Era sessions. 

[koldweather]

Yeah 1999 axl vocals were pretty awesome. Then he seemed to go too clean on the live shows in 2001-2002.

The only anomaly to that is Chiba 2002. I heard that for the first time the other night and was just shocked at Axls vocals. It was such a fusion of 2002, 2006 and most bizarrely 1986-87 Axl.

Rocket queen is just amazing, straight up 86 Axl vocals on that one, particularly first two verses.

Then the rest of the tour was well...2002.