Will Axl's voice be enhanced on Chinese Democracy?

[BaDoBsEsSiOn418]

We all know he doesn't have the same voice that he did years back.  There were times during the '02 tour when he sounded dead-on, but honestly, he isn't the same.  Do you guys think his voice will be tweaked a bit on CD?

[Nytunz]

We all know he doesn't have the same voice that he did years back.? There were times during the '02 tour when he sounded dead-on, but honestly, he isn't the same.? Do you guys think his voice will be tweaked a bit on CD?

well, if u listen to the late shows in 2002, then u can hear that his voice is "almost" like back in the days..! I tthink its even better! Take a look at this clip!!! This is not one of the late shows, i think. But anyway! A great part of Nightrain!!

http://www.newgnr.com/dloads/shortclips/axlntrain.wmv

[GnFnR87]

wow, your right, he's really fucking good there!

[willow]

I really doubt that it will be enhanced. No need too! His voice is as strong as ever. You can't go by damn bootlegs, the quality is very poor. I've seen him 3 times with the new band and I think its as strong as ever! Honestly it is!

[Cornell]

Wow - that just brought back memories!    I just HAVE to see them again.   OK, yeah, I just got over being pissed about the riot in Philly! 

[SON OF A PREACHER]

People forget how Axl had bad days vocally  back in the 80's as well... I have a couple of bootlegs where he just murders patience with aweful vocals ....I think he still has the same cool vocals. But sometimes they bail on him. 

[Nytunz]

Did u guys remember how Axl sounded in the end of the Illusion tour?? Hes voice was destroyd! Really bad! He is much better now! Wait and see!

[punky_chick27]

wow thanks for they clip he sounds fuckin awsome and looks great to. 

[Nytunz]

wow thanks for they clip he sounds fuckin awsome and looks great to.?

yeah! I love that clip too! Thats why i posted it! Axl has never changed, only followed the fasion!

[axls#2]

I think if anything his voice should be better because as we all know he hasn't done that much touring. I think the illusion tours really fucked up his voice because of all the shows they did.  I also think it should be better because i don't think his lifestyle is as hard on his voice now as it was then.

[Nytunz]

I think if anything his voice should be better because as we all know he hasn't done that much touring. I think the illusion tours really fucked up his voice because of all the shows they did.? I also think it should be better because i don't think his lifestyle is as hard on his voice now as it was then.

well, no need to say more! 

[F*ck Fear]

Maybe it will be tweaked on a few tunes like he did on Oh My God....But I don't think every song will have his voice enhanced.

[journey]

We all know he doesn't have the same voice that he did years back.? There were times during the '02 tour when he sounded dead-on, but honestly, he isn't the same.? Do you guys think his voice will be tweaked a bit on CD?

What do you mean he doesn't have the same voice? I've heard him live and it sounds like the same voice to me.? And plus, no one is always "dead-on" at live shows. I'm sure a lot of singers voices are somewhat enhanced in the studio, but that's just to give it a cleaner sound.

[Nytunz]

Maybe it will be tweaked on a few tunes like he did on Oh My God....But I don't think every song will have his voice enhanced.

well, i dont think that have anything to do with Axl`s voice quality! Alot of bands us this tweak type of ting thease days! Just listen to Tool - Eulogy! Maynard James Keenan is probobly one of the greatest singers inthe word... But he use the tweak voice on that track! Its just t make the song cooler!  And a bit more raw! To use that it have to fith with the other part of the song to.. and it did whit Oh My God!!

[mikegiuliana]

Did u guys remember how Axl sounded in the end of the Illusion tour?? Hes voice was destroyd! Really bad! He is much better now! Wait and see!

Very  true, he has had ten years rest now... I think he will do  fine..

[Dave_Rose]

I really dig Axl's new voice I think he has still got it my self and he sounds really good on Nightrain!!!

[Sino-lieS]

Its very true about Axl's voice....it is just as good now as ever. The later shows of 2002 showed he definitely still had it.

[HoldenCaulfield]

IMO, he sounded as good in '02 as he ever did, but that's just my preference. I'm sure there'll be some tweaking, there is with pretty much everyone. But I'll be damned, in that clip, the first 10 seconds, you'd think that was Axl in the early part of the UYI tour...

[dave-gnfnr2k]

He will sound fine, just listen to the 2nd part of the big daddy SCOM, that is how he will sound on the album.

[Gunner80]

You all have to remember there's no stress in the studio like there is being on stage. I believe he'll have no trouble sounding great without studio magic.

[mikegiuliana]

I think everyone sounds good in studio releases.. Live shows are the way to go...

[ppbebe]

I say. I think it?s enhanced.
Unlike other singers, he can sing in various tones of voice.
I presume he practises plenty of daily vocal exercises and occasionally on his way to training he stumbles on a new vocalization.
He must have gained a greater variety of tones and demonstrated some of them in 2002.?

[younggunner]

As long as he sounds like the version of SCOM on Big Daddy and the way he sounded on the new clips on the BOston promos ill be more than happy. But Im sure there will be some effects added to his vocals with the new material. It will be a lil of everythign i think

[D]

Axl sounded so raspy on the illusion tour cause his voice was shot

listen to the afd album axl's voice is close to that now.

its clean and clear.

he has found out a way to develop a live voice that doesnt injure his throat but on the cd i think he will have the same voice as ever.

Most artist do develop a way to sing live that isnt so hard on their voice because singing the style axl sings and for the length of time he was forced too.

I remember reading a Kurt Cobain article where the doctor told him he needed to see a vocal coach to stop destroying his throat and to learn to sing properly

i think this is what axl had to do.

Studio singing isnt taxing on your vocals cause u can take your time, sing line by line, use a computer to help certain spots so u dont have to murder your voice

Im confident axl will not disappoint

his opening WTTJ vma scream and his LALD screams prove he has it when he wants it but just sung properly to not injure his voice.

[Gunner80]

Axl sounded so raspy on the illusion tour cause his voice was shot

listen to the afd album axl's voice is close to that now.

its clean and clear.

he has found out a way to develop a live voice that doesnt injure his throat but on the cd i think he will have the same voice as ever.

Most artist do develop a way to sing live that isnt so hard on their voice because singing the style axl sings and for the length of time he was forced too.

I remember reading a Kurt Cobain article where the doctor told him he needed to see a vocal coach to stop destroying his throat and to learn to sing properly

i think this is what axl had to do.

Studio singing isnt taxing on your vocals cause u can take your time, sing line by line, use a computer to help certain spots so u dont have to murder your voice

Im confident axl will not disappoint

his opening WTTJ vma scream and his LALD screams prove he has it when he wants it but just sung properly to not injure his voice.

Axl had professional vocal training. Gloria Bennett was his coach.

[Sterlingdog]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Axl have surgery in the early 90's to correct damage to his vocal cords?  Its my understanding that many singers don't sound quite the same after that. 

[axlholic09]

LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON

[Smoking Guns]

That nighttrain clip is the best i have heard of him.  also, i thing some of the latter shows of the illusions tour, 93, were some of the band's best.  But anyway, his voice sounds killer in that clip.  It was classic Axl.

[oneway23]

I've never understood the debate over axl's voice on the '02 tour....he had off nights like any other vocallist who endures the rigors of a live performance, yet overall I thought he sounded phenomenal....a tad different, but fantastic all the same...Nothing that can't be attributed to age, rust,  or general wear.....As far as studio recordings go, it's just standard fare these days that artists use pro-tools rigs or pitch equalizers of some sort....This might rub some folks the wrong way, but the artist presents a painting as a finished product...who cares  about any "tricks" that may have been used?  In the end, you're only going to see the end result as the artist  intends anyhow...With regard to demos, if we have the good fortune to hear them one day, and they happen to sound awful in relation to the CD, well, then we can bicker.....somehow, i doubt it....

[BaDoBsEsSiOn418]

OK, I guess you guys are right.  I don't know...I guess I haven't heard as much of the '02 tour as others, and maybe the VMAs left an impression in my mind.  I'm sure Axl won't disappoint =)

[oneway23]

That's a huge issue for GNR right now and their future success....the fact that, much like yourself, the VMA's left a bad taste in many people's mouths...one solid single, I suspect, will clear that right up...

[D]

u cant judge a perfomer on live vocals though.

imagine if we judged axl on the illusion tour, some nights were pretty bad but we heard him on the cd so we understood.

i dont think it will be any different now.

you have to realize he hadnt toured in 8 years or so, u cant just start shredding your voice, im sure he was building it back up and shakin off the rust. Plus while still recording i guarantee he wasnt gonna do anything crazy to fuck his cords up.

he was clearer and much higher though than any other time i can ever remember him being.

[grog mug]

It's hard waiting this long, ecspecially when I go back to the nights in Vegas and Columbus and hearing Axl on top of his game both nights.  When did he have an off night in 2002?  I don't recall any gig where he sounded bad, maybe out of breath at the VMA's but when he wanted to sing and could hear himself he sounded GREAT.

[estranged.1098]

btw, you can download some stuff from newgnr.com regarding Axl's new voice:

- SCOM from Big Daddy;
- studio clips (7s of The Blues, Madagascar and Chinese Democracy);
- and a part of Rocket Queen from Live Era, which many people claim is Axl's new voice.

[Smoking Guns]

The last part of Rocket Queen from Live Era is new Axl for sure.  It is so clean.  It does sound bad ass.  If there is a song where is voice is different, and for the worse, it is definitely Paradise City.  No real grit/power/growl in his voice from the shows that I have seen.  The two shows I saw were still phenomenal none the less.

[IndiannaRose]

The last part of Rocket Queen from Live Era is new Axl for sure.

The whole song was re-recorded. Axl sounds excellent on that re-recorded track, and if he sounds anything like that on Chinese Democracy then I'll be extremely happy.

[Smoking Guns]

Are you sure about the whole song?  That is nuts if you are right.  I think it sounded great in the Tokyo version.  What we really need is a DVD of Live at the Ritz 88 to go along with the 92 Tokyo Vids and maybe the Vegas Videos from the Hard Rock to fully break down the major change in his voice.  Ha!

[IndiannaRose]

Are you sure about the whole song?? That is nuts if you are right.? I think it sounded great in the Tokyo version.? What we really need is a DVD of Live at the Ritz 88 to go along with the 92 Tokyo Vids and maybe the Vegas Videos from the Hard Rock to fully break down the major change in his voice.? Ha!

I'm totally sure. I have about 3,000 live audio files from the band all the way from the early 80s to 2002. I can pretty much tell what tracks Axl re-recorded in Live Era. There is not one live show I have where Axl has the same tone, pitch, and amount of rasp as he did in Live Era. Actually the beauty of Axl's voice (and all the cocaine, cigarettes, and alcohol he consumed) is that he pretty much sounded different on every show of the band's carreer. He was/is a very dynamic singer so it is not that hard to tell of what era certain sound clips of his were recorded on. There were other tracks re-recorded in Live Era as well but I won't go into that unless the subject really wants to be spoken about.

[Smoking Guns]

Let me guess, Estranged is the main one....  3,000 is a lot.  Yup, it is not hard to tell the era at all.  I would still love to have a DVD version of the 88 Ritz Show.  It is the definitive Guns show, that I have seen anyway.  My VHS version is just so shitty.  But I agree.  Axl's voice was different a lot of the times.  I think that is what made it so great and unique.

[ClintroN]

fuck yeah, cool clip

[dave-gnfnr2k]

Let me guess, Estranged is the main one....? 3,000 is a lot.? Yup, it is not hard to tell the era at all.? I would still love to have a DVD version of the 88 Ritz Show.? It is the definitive Guns show, that I have seen anyway.? My VHS version is just so shitty.? But I agree.? Axl's voice was different a lot of the times.? I think that is what made it so great and unique.

The first part of estranged is axls redone vocals the 2nd part I think is from the UYI tour.

[kupirock]

Listen example The Blues soundboard 11.22.02 - Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA ...he sings like good old days

[LaXl]

Well, I think he does sound different now, more like ealry Axl, less rough.  I also think he can put on that roughness but probably doesn't want to go through what he went through on the UYI tour, where he complained about his throat after most shows (or so I'm told).   I think the biggest difference is the ear piece he now uses, which he never used back in the good old 90's.   Things like that can make a huge difference to a singer, because it's more like being in the studio if you have your own mix direct in to your ear on stage, and so being more aware of his voice, he's probably taking it more easy without even noticing it...Also, when singers such as Axl scream their tits off, there's more chance of staying in tune... 

[Cocaine__tongue]

In my opinion, Axl's voice hasn't changed much over the years. As someone has already posted, Axl has had in the past nights were his voice was amazing and some other nights in which his voice wasn't that great.

Either if you take as an example his early years or the latest ones, he has better and worse nights, like everyone has a better  or worse day, in terms of excellence, at their own jobs. Sure he wasn't incredible at the vma's in 2002, as a lot of people think, but in general he was great during the short aborted tour. And by the way, either if he sings great, good, average or poorly (which doen't ussualy happen), he's the best by far at what he does.

[norway]

agree cocaintongue

filters and tweaking etc will only contribute to the album i think but i hope they also they put somethin raw in the vocal recordings like rocker from hollywood rose. Some pure basic axl-to-mic raw, real energy!!!

The vocal track in one in a million capture it\ hope to hear stuff like that too

[Crashdiet]

Will his voice be enhanced on CD... of course. Because every artist in the studio does.

Reverbs, delay, eq's, Sometimes autotune.....  I owe a studio so i know.

But lets get one thing straight you can't polish a turd... Axl's voice will be great on CD

[Gunner80]

Will his voice be enhanced on CD... of course. Because every artist in the studio does.

Reverbs, delay, eq's, Sometimes autotune.....  I owe a studio so i know.

But lets get one thing straight you can't polish a turd... Axl's voice will be great on CD

I don't think it will be enhanced, but will have some pretty interesting effects added for nuance.

[LaXl]

Axl's voice - on a good or bad day is different now to the 90's Axl, in my opinion.   It's somehow thinner, less powerful - not that that's a good or bad thing, it's just down to your taste.  Axl is Axl, it's always going to piss on most other singers, but there is a difference.  Like I said earlier though, I think he could still do it the old way more or less.  One thing that I think would help him a bit, is if he went to all rehearsals, but I heard somewhere that the band play without him, and when you have a gap, it can take a while to get back into the swing of things.

[badapple81]

Judging by those studio clips from the Boston promo, yes his voice probably will be tweaked somewhat.

[LaXl]

Everyones voice gets fucked around with in the studio...Anyway, knowing Mr. Rose, there's going to be at least 6 vocal tracks for every song, so it's gonna be cool! 

[Lord Kayoss]

Anytime someone references Axl's voice being shot or 'not what it used to be' are basing it off the VMA's performance in 2002.? His voice was fine that night - he just got a little too excitied and ran around way too much.? It was his first time on live MTV in ten years with that very fact being the key - he doesn't have quite as much of the explosive energy and stamina he had a decade ago.? His voice is fine but will probably have some vocal effects on certain songs on the new album as he sees fit.

[noonespecial]

"I think everyone sounds good in studio releases.. Live shows are the way to go..."

Agree...live is where it's at...

[estranged.1098]

"I think everyone sounds good in studio releases.. Live shows are the way to go..."

Agree...live is where it's at...

Me too, but live... not bootlegs.