Here Today... Gone To Hell!

it seems to have blown over after the hammerstein shows about how happy people are that Axl has his voice back.........Seriously, do you people realize what  a MONSTER issue that it was going to be if Axl got his voice back the way it used to be or if he lost it forever.....I was extremely worried earlier this year that Axl would have his 2002 voice and the entire tour/concerts everything would be a disaster.........If he never regained his voice GNR and the aura of AXL would be DEAD FOREVER.........I just listened to the download soundboard and was AMAZED at how great Axl sounded..It sounds liek 1988 all over again...........The fact that at the age of 44 that he somehow REGAINED his singing voice is unbelievable and literally saved his entire career and reputation..........I think people have taken it for granted that "oh he sounds good, now what song are they gonna play"....Just be glad he regained his singing voice and i would liek to know how the hell he regained it after it was clearly shot in 2002

Very true....although I was happy with 2002, I get what your saying. And I am extremely happy now.

I would've been fine with the 2002 voice, because I just actually wanted to see a show this time round!!

However, you're right...his 06 voice absolutely kicks arse, its amazing.

I would have poked out my eyeballs if he had the 2002 voice......Yes it is good to hear very strong Axl vocals.

 did axl have a vocal coach in 02'? can a vocal coach bring that rasp back because it was completley gone in 02'

This might just be the reason that axl is going for it 100%

Who knows, maybe it took 4 years of vocal coaching and training to get it this good!!
I haven't seen a single review talking bad about his voice this time!

If it's the oxygen that's helping him, who cares about the solo's, listen to his voice!!!

Does anyone else realize how much everyone on this forum largely overstates how much Axl has his voice back?  Yeah, I saw him at Hammerstein in May and it was really good, for the most part.  But cmon guys, just by viewing some of the stuff on You Tube, Axl blantly sounds like shit.  SOrry

I'll tell you guys what it is.....he isn't over-using his vocals mixes with the mic pack....and he probably prepared A LOT more before going live...He sounds amazing again... :yes:

I saw him the second nite @ hammerstein and he had some rough spots like on rocket queen. but he also said he lost his voice after the friday night show. at 44 and with his voice i can see him having off nights but he's 100% better than in 02'

On some of the songs earlier in the tour....yes.....but later on.....no......He sounded very good......update your YOU TUBE searches and look for a good quality boot..

Now there's a reliable source of information. Clips filmed on mobile phones and uploaded to Youtube.


I thought the whole band got better and better during the tour.


/jarmo

I agree, he is 100% better than 2002, I have no complaints. :peace:

On YouTube? Riiiight.
Also wanna comment on how shit his voice from the monitor mix sounds?

You Tube blows for bootlegs......his voice sounds fine and is 2nd to none when you're talkin' about live in concert rock vocalists 8)

his voice has sounded pretty amazing, especially for a 44 year-old, singing for about two hours - and these songs are HARD on the voice.  remember, he couldn't do it very well back in 1991-93, so it's particularly amazing he does it now.  Part of the reason is that he is not singing with the same roughness and sometimes even in a slightly lower key -- that's fine with me.

Ummm....ck out most of the boots in 92....and all in 93....his voice was strong for 2+ hours consistently....have a brew, sit down hit d/l and enjoy a great show.... :beer:

Ok fellas, I'm speaking about the Rock AM Ring Pro Shots on You Tube.  Do not tell me he sounds amazing on IRS or even the Blues.  Even read some of the comments.  Non-die hards have a much more objective perspective on it people.  However, I do think he has sounded really good for the  most part.  As I said, Hammerstein was really, really good.  I do think the word 'amazing' is somewhat of an overstatement, sorry for being honest. 

I said that only SOME of the songs in the EARLY shows sounded good...Rock Am was one of the first in the tour....Believe me...as the tour went on they got so good it sounded like 91' again.....ck out NIGHTRAIN...BROWNSTONE....and a few others from ROCK-AM.....you'll be alot happier.  :peace:

I'm not saying Axl's a coke head but he is a rockstar and I don't doubt he's done bit. I thought in 02 his voice was lacking clarity and pitch due to his breathing. During his rants he would put on a nasally sounding mock voice but it only emphasised the fact that his normal speaking voice sounded a bit nasally too. I'm wondering maybe with the pressure of the comeback was he doing a bit of charlie to get himself comfortable and confident for performing with a whole new band infront of the world again and it affected his voice. I remember on the live in Tokyo videos at one point Axl comes back out on stage and he looks like he's a bit of white powder smeared on his cheek, I can't remember it might be before Sweet Child, someone take a look. Anyway, I'm guessing maybe Axl's cuttin down on the coke and is alot more focused now, he's happy with his look, he's happy with his band, he's out partying, getting his hole, feeling confident and sounding fucking class!!!!

I'm just glad he's not singing like he did in 2002 so that the whole "OMG DID HE HAVE THROAT SURGERY?" rumors are gone.

He can still sing like he used to.

When he feels like it...

No coke in Tokyo buddy....his voice was just spent at that point....you could here it start to go during YCBM....when your voice starts to go, and then you take a 30 minute break for a solo.....sweet child ain't gonna sound to good.......I have had experience with the singin' thing... :peace:

if he is talking about axl in the old times he is right
i mean, dont wanna start a old vs new discussion, but axl is better than the 2002 a lot and i mean a lot LOT better than that tour, but the other day i was watching the tokio dvd after listening some bootlegs, and he has lost some of his voice, don get me wrong nightrain in RAR was simply amazing just like the old times, but he is not capable of doing an entire show with that quality now, dont bash me, i understand he is in his 40's and still keep rocking, so even not stronger than the old times its a dream come true seeing axl touring again like he is doing now  :)

I just watched the 2002 VMA performance on youtube and i must say his voice is so much better, does anyone know if where I can see the full paradise city performance from the VMA's in 2002, I can't find them on youtube.

They only did the last part of PC after Madagascar......if that's what you mean....if not, look up gnr mtv.....It'll be there

I don't know I reckon if he wanted coke in Tokyo he'd get it or someone would have it. It was the powder on the cheek thing that got me thinking at the time...but yes you're right his voice probably was getting tired. Still and all it was well rusty in 02, he definately had a breathing problem, his was trying to get it but couldn't. I'd say thats why he pulled the tour, he's a bit of a perfectionist and probably felt his voice was letting him down

Thanks I found it, I just wondered why it was so short, I guess they had to do a short performance because of time restraints

We realized this in May, but yes, this is a great thing. '02 sucked.

even in 1988 or 91/92 when his voice would wear down it would still be very raspy and hoarse (which is fine with me-i think the more hoarse and rasp the better-check out inglewood july 29, 1991 or august 1988 orange county fairgrounds)  as opposed to 02 when it sounded like mickey mouse..........now when he may wear down its raspy again...Maybe thats why its been so long since axl has returned..maybe he needed to recover his voice

His voice has been back for awhile now. In 2002, I was just so happy to see GNR perform that I did not even realize how his voice had changed. But looking back now. Wow!  :o He has improved indeed!

I think the 02' voice was stronger...he def. held the screams out longer.  I do enjoy the newer voice too.  Just listen to 2002's Live and Let Die screams...or opening to Jungle.  He held the notes 5 times longer on those songs.  I guess going back to the raspy voice takes a lot out of you and you can't do both.  Either way I'm satisfied.

He only did the full Jungle scream like two or three times in 01-02. I can think of Rio, Osaka and the VMA's off the top of my head.

And notice how after doing the full Jungle intro at the VMA's that he was completely out of breath afterwards.

He's lost a fair amount of weight since that time and now he can actually achieve vibratto in his falsetto, something he couldn't do in 2001-2002.

I never thought he lost it.............

there's a soundboard from download?

can I get this in appetite for collection?

Not exactly - the whole show is available as Axl's monitor mix.

Only "My Michelle" and "Paradise City" are available from the show in soundboard/broadcast quality (TV source).

where can i download this?

The only song that Axl can't seem to nail live right now is Paradise City. I think he would probably nail it if he sang it earlier on in the set. 

haha i bet axl was on coke in tokyo...
remember duffs interview on the video? He was extremely yaayyyyed....
i thnk the yay makes ur voice raspier and better...

Could you call it Yayo instead. Its sounds so much better.
Sorry, I just love Scarface.  ;D

Ok so i'm listening to the show right now...and since being at hammerstein, i think axl's voice is great once again.  BUT, for only about half the show.  It gets "tired" after about 10 songs...thats the only thing that is a little discouraging.

Personaly, I think he is amazing at RAR. Just listen to 'Nightrain' or the sing along on KOHD. He's just brilliant.

He's singing better than during the UYI Tour. Just my opinion.

what's even more significant IMO is that he played so many shows, without any cancels (on his behalf)

Even in the illusion tour, some shows got cancelled!


Perhaps Axl has found some inner peace now

You tell me anybody who can sing like Axl does at his age and not get tired after 1 song?? Give the guy a break, he's trying his best and I'm just glad he's out there performing and sounding a hell of a lot better than in 02. Whatever he's doing to sound like he does now I hope keeps it up for years to come  :smoking:

There's no two ways about it; Axls voice is somehow better now than it's ever been.

Anyone who says his voice wears out eventually needs to look up any bootleg from the Illusions tour to find out what he really sounds like when his voice wears out.

+1 - I know you all love the rasp, but it's a double-edged sword which is why he is using it less now. However, I'm going to resist the temptation to sermonize about his vocal technique for the thousandth time since it has approximately the effect of trying to teach Darwinian theory to people from the middle ages.

Leeds 02. you can get the video (or you used to be able to) from sladdi's website. I thought his voice was really good at that show (being there in person) though i do admit, the VMA show was appaling. He, in fact the whole band, sounded amazing at hammersmith

His voice sounds a lot better than it did back in 2002. ?No doubt about it. ?And that is a very good thing for Axl and his fans. ?Kind of why I hope they perform at the VMA's, so this time he will out perform all the lip synching garbage that MTV promotes these days.

DOES ANYBODY ELSE REALIZE HOW SIGNIFICANT IT IS AXL HAS HIS VOICE BACK


..well i guess its helpful, especially as he is a lead singer, and all that. ?:hihi:

i guess i have to agree with that :hihi:

His voice is much better that 2002.  Not quite the Illusion era, but then again he's 44 now.  But for being 44, sounds awesome.

and yet another stupid topic.

so what`s more stupid?  the topic, or the people who`re posting in it?

 :P

Again, check out some of the bootlegs from the Illusion tours. His voice is somehow better now. For one small example, check out Estranged on the Tokyo DVD.

That was a concert....where his voice had left him an hour prior to that one song......There are A LOT more shows that are A LOT better......his voice back then was untouchable....several different metal magazines awarded him vocalist of the year a few times from 91 - 93.....I read them when it was happening. I was a teenager then. He sounds good now, but he used to be ridiculous... :peace:

He did have one back then and that is why he sung that way. The rasp is him singing WRONG.

Thats why I referred to it as one small example.

I've heard probably 100+ shows from that tour and there wasn't one show where Axl sounded as good consistantly through the whole show as he does now.

I saw that tour 3 times (when it came through Detroit) and he didn't sound as good as when I saw them at Hammerstein earlier this year at any of those 3 shows.

Yeah...ck out some late 92...and all of 93' that are good quality.......like I said...ridiculous.

"DOES ANYBODY ELSE REALIZE HOW SIGNIFICANT IT IS AXL HAS HIS VOICE BACK?"

I think the proper question is does anybody not realize how significant it is? ?

It is totally obvious that it is much better than in 2002. ?All the 2002-Axl radicals that argued till the end of time that his voice wasn't any different have the contrary proof in their faces, and ears of course. ?Watching the Rock Am Ring 2006 show gets me ecstatic. ?No show in 2002 did that other than the VMA's which was mainly caused by the novelty of just seeing him after all those years.

Even my mother who has been totally turned off by Axl since 2002 exclaimed "WOOOOOOO! He's Baaaaaaaaaaack!" after seeing him nail "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" at the Budapest show.

It's truly awesome. ?Now, if he'll drop the release date at the VMA's this year I think we'll mostly all be happy (unless the album still doesn't come out of course).

?? I saw them at the Palace in 91, at the Silverdome in 92 and back at the Palace in 93. Not to mention all of the boots in between.

He was definately alot more hit or miss back then than he is now.

I am going to absolutely disagree with you.......let's just hope cd comes out soon.... :peace:

ummm... yeah  ::)

When? Do you think that about just today or what era?

axl is back!, and better than ever.

I just hope he has the ability to sustain what he has done throughout the whole tour.  The monitor mix was shitty, but the rock am thing was good. 

Likewise, I haven't heard his voice sucked live from the people who actually been to a concert in 2006 or 2002.

The falsetto he used might have not worked great on some of the old songs, but the pitching was rather stable in 2002. That must be resulted from proper breathing and vocalization without straining the throat.

As I see it this time he's added variety to that. variations like to husk here and to screech there and not to shout himself hoarse. A stunning technique, I guess. His talking voice is not really raspy is it?

Yep, his voice sounds better than ever. underlying it is the solid foundation.

It sounds good....but never will be as good as 93'.....that was maybe the best he or any other vocalist ever sounded live....

well maybe it's something to do with taste. But did you attend a concert then?

I have video and audio from 93'...several shows....all incredible....I was supposed to go to a couple shows in the city (NY) IN 91...but got in trouble both times....I was a teenager then.......friends of mine that went to the 93' shows say this as well.....he was unstoppable...and he still is  :peace:

then at ant cost go and experience it yourself this time, mate. : ok: I reckon you'll drop the word "still".

I saw them live in 2002...Albany, New York...6th row front n center....But yeah, I am going to see them when they come around....forget about it.... :yes:

It sounded great in STockholm and have sounded great in everything I?ve downloaded. Actually I think he sings better than ever. With old GnR he sometimes missed but had a great rasp to the voice. I think he hits the notes better and the rasp sounds great. It?s that beautiful blend of aggression, passion and talent that shows.

"It is noted that Axl's voice has improved significantly during the mid part of 2006. Performing at the Leeds Festival in 2002, Axl's voice was weak and somewhat out of tune. This was also the case at the 2002 Video Music Awards performance. However subsequent performances in the 2006 tour have shown a clear improvement in his vocal abilities, and Axl now has skills comparable to those he possessed during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the original Guns n' Roses were operational. There has been speculation that Axl may have had a successful throat surgery to "fix" his voice."

wikipedia


haha - thats the reason guys :)

His voice is good now, but still not as fantastic as it used to be in the 80's. You want a proof?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCDw3TNV6ps&mode=related&search=

Listen to Nightrain RAR.. and tell me it's not the best ever!

I think Nightrain is a great example of just how well he is singing these days. It's always near the end of the set and he just RIPS it up at almost every show.

caps lock really, really sucks.

Do you know the difference between a shift key and caps lock?

i dont 'do' capitals full stop, never mind an entire sentence blasting them across the screen. thank you.

I don't understand what your gripe is. Was this directed at me?

If I'm not mistaken I used caps on one word just to emphasize it.

I saw GNR in Dublin in JUne which was excellent. His voice was spot on and all the players were great. I have been watching the Rock AM Ring on "Youtube"

I have 3 words - "Jesus Fucking Christ"

He was quite simply awsome, better than the YUI tour and the performance has to be up there with one of there best. People I work with and some of my friends cant understand my passion for GNR. I have played them "Jungle" from Rock AM Ring and they were quite simply stunned. They all said the same thing - Jesus that guy can fucking sing, what a voice (or words to that affect) I posted a link to Nightrain (Rock AM ring) for a friend who thinks GNR are shit/past it. His reply was that it was quite simply awsome, "parts of that blew me away."

Axl and the band got stronger and stronger during the tour. Ron is nailing the solos easily. W.Axl.Rose is back and the world is a better place for it. Quite simply the greatest rock band on the planet by a fucking mile, if youve not seen rock am ring then get on youtube, its like watching Axl in 1988

Yea I agree with this. Its so fucking funny watching this. Axl was such a fucking crazy ass. Ball of fucking energy...he always looked like he was about to go off...and can barely contain himself. Even during slower songs. Just great.

But saying that. Axl really is so much cooler now then during the UYI days. But the Appetite/Lies days were something so fucking majestic. Axl really was almost always spot on vocally too. So powerful. They also had a lot less technical issues then. Man that was a time that will never happen again. Even if it was the old lineup reformed (which I really don't want), it wouldnt even come close to how cool shit was in the land of GNR. Amazingly we are closer to that level of greatest then GNR has ever been. This GNR is greater then any late 90/91 and on incarnation. It feels real again. And Axl's voice is in fine shape.

I really don't think it's anywhere near the same level as the early '90s, nor is his energy on stage (go watch Coma on YouTube, it's literally draining after you see it, I felt like all my energy had been zapped afterwards), but his voice is a definite improvement over 2002. People mentioned Nightrain - the reason his voice sounds so good on some of the old Appetite material is very much because his voice is more like it was in the mid-'80s now. He's got a "thin" rasp so when he hits the high notes like in Nightrain he can control the rasp. But when he tries a deep rasp - such as on November Rain - you can tell he is still incapable of doing that.

It's just an age thing. It's to be expected.

I agree with the original poster that he does have most of his voice back.  But I believe that this is the result of Axl making a choice to sing like his old self as opposed to getting something back that he lost.  Even during the 2002 tour, he would at times be raspy and sound great but I think he chose to sing in the helium voice because it was easier on the vocal chords and maybe thought people would like it.  But I'm sure he's heard all of the complaints about the 2002 voice and has gone back to using the rasp on most occasions, although he still at times uses the helium voice when he gets tired.  He sounds great, but I don't think he ever lost his old rasp; he just chose not to use it.

Axl didn;t just regain his voice, he regained his persona & the band regained its great chemistry and look. He's an exciting guy again, very unpredictable. 2002 was a blasphemy against anything that GNR did from 1985-1994, but 2006 GNR is a blesssing. They embody the human spirit that spirit is back in every perofmrance I've been watching all summer on YouTube.

THis is an excellent post. I am wondering if Axl has to go back & rerecord Chinese Democracy because of his newly discovered voice. I think CD will do better now, it may be the best Rock album in 2007, and GNR is keeping up with loooks and they will definitly fit in the MTV crowd of pop and rock stars (whether die-hard "punk" fans like it or not) when the music comes out.

BTW - I believe he lost his voice in the 1990s because he stopped singing for 3 years while fighting law suits. Yout, one of the producers had him sing again over accoutic guitar in 1997-1998.

MNW

You summed up prettty much exactly how i feel about this whole year, good post. Im so happy axl has his voice back. I think its better then ever. GO GNR!

Axl never lost his voice in 2002, he sung that way because its the correct way to sing and less strain on his voice. Just look after the first hammerstein show singing the way he is now, he could not talk and almost had to cancel the next show.

Just listen to the demos, esp BETTER Axl is singing like he does on the demos so why would he have to rerecord anything? Axl was saving his voice for the studio and now that the vocals are finished he can sing with the rasp again and not worry about it not sounding perfect on the album.

Axl on the demos sounds just like he did on the UYIs.

Hi all!
I know this topic is already old, but it needs a little update, i think. ;)

As i listened to the 2001-2002 bootlegs some years ago, i didn't recognized Axl. I thought they had a new singer, really. It didn't sound like Axl and i can't imagine that it was animus of Axl, that he didn't rasp his voice. I think he couldn't. I don't know if it's true, but I've heard that he stopped smoking and drinking. Over there he didn't sing live for for 7 years. The voice changes then. In 2006 then, Axl was back. His voice was amazing and I thought to myself "This is our old Axl". But the stuff I hear at the moment from the 2009/2010 tour is better than everything I've heard the last 15 years of Axl. Seems like has practised very much to get his voice back. Maybe he has started to smoke again? Who knows... I don't care really about the reasons. I'm happy that Axl is back. I think he is very happy too! The album is great, the tour is amazing. Could it be better? :beer:

Cheers,
Mirko

I think he's better than he's ever been right now - he can turn the grit on and off, seemingly without effort. I'm hoping that this is the result of some technique he learned, and that he isn't blowing his voice out the way he was in the early 90's. He doesn't do as much screaming as he did back then, so maybe he's fine, but I can't help getting concerned.

I don't think it is fair to say Axl has regained his vocals, his classic raspy voice has always been there in some form, I just think this current incarnation of the band has brought the best out of him.

It sounds like the Axl of the illusion days singing Chinese democracy, especially on that Toronto bootleg.  How the hell he still can sing like that I can?t figure out.  He hits notes I didn?t even know existed. 

No, it's not. Trust me, it would sound like shit. Axl's sound is way better than he sounded at illusions

True! Sometimes it's like he's beyond human!

You can't compare in this instance, the current vocals of Axl are both new and unique, amazing in other words, I haven't heard anything like it for a while. So far this tour really has been something special, during future concerts we'll be comparing the dates then, to the greatness of the "2009/2010 Chinese Democracy World Tour" now.

I let a friend of mine listen to this I live from the Toronto show and he asked me what he sings through to make his voice sound like that.  I said it is his real voice.  Ashamed I have to wait another 8 months to see them.

Hell no. He could never have sung There Was a Time, This I Love, Catcher In the Rye etc. in those days - possibly not even in the studio.

agreed that he sounds better than ever. more stable and expressive.

This subject is near and dear to my heart, because to me GnR has always been about the music first.
The guitars, bass, drums, beat, rhythm, attitude. This is a GnR song.
But more than anything, It's Axl Rose. His voice, style, rasp. Whatever it is, to me it's the most bad ass, kick ass rock-n-roll sound ever.
Right now, for whatever reason, he sounds like a man possesed. I say that because it's really easy to make a guitar or keyboard or drums to sound like they did 20 years ago. A voice(especially one so powerful and unique) is very difficult to maintain.
Go listen to any number of singers who are trying to hit the notes that they used to. Sometimes it's painful to watch, sometimes it works out. Right now, Axl is on fire. He's putting on one hell of a performance.
Maybe he's doing it because it's unconventional or because people said he couldn't do it. I hope so. Either way, this man is putting on a clinic to anyone who wants to know how to be a world-class rock star.

Lucky for them, we've saved the best for last.

im gonna assume you're saying his voice wasnt good in 2001 as well.

everyone is entitled to an opinion i supose. i went to RIR 2001 and to me his voice was nothing but perfect...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbFmXK5I0rc

from 2:13 - 2:30 =  :drool:

his voice was tired by the end of the show, of course, it was 3 hours long

i cant help but think that some fans went with the critics... "if everyone is saying it sucks, maybe it does"

I thought Axl's voice was amazing in 2006, but when i heard some stuff on youtube from this tour i thought "WOW!" It sounds a lot like early Axl (i think better in many ways) but on the new material i think he has developed a more versatile sound than he ever had before. Those are some complicated songs to sing in the studio, and to recreate them live is truly incredible. I was a little worried that by the time he hit Toronto he might be blowing his voice out a little (especially with a show the night before), but it turns out i had nothing to worry about. Somehow he brings it every single fucking night. I don't know how he does it, but it is pretty fucking impresive.  He's doing something right.

I don't know how he does it but how his voice is holding up this tour and how it has been over the last few years has been pretty amazing.  There was a Time REALLY impressed me.. he nailed it!!!

....yes the album is great,tour is amazing and voice back or not  it?s Axl Rose!

 8)

So that's how you wants him to sing?? No rasp at all?  Hmm I guess we don't have the same taste.. 

Axl's voice 2010>2007>2006>2001.

Better than 2002 but right now worst than 2006.But the good news are that he always improve his singing during the tour,so maybe he will sing like 2006 in a few weeks.Im completly sure.

What?  :confused: Have you been at any of the recent shows? In 07 he was great and in 09 he was even better.
Yourtube doesnt do live performance justice.

He is starting the engine,i have seen a lot of videos and listened to mp3 and he is good,but he makes a lot of mistakes singing in diferent tones.Ex twat and catcher,but he is way better than the first time he singed them in this tour

I think Axl has learned when and how to rest it.  The "rasp" is an effect, good singers can turn it on and off.   That effect takes its toll on your voice if you keep doing it and doing it (ie. Brian Johnson). The fact that he pulls off a piece like This I Love at the end of a 2 1/2 - 3 hr show is impressive. I imagine his spirits are also higher not having to work with a bunch of drug addicts.

I think this 90's, '02, '06, '10  thing is overblown.  Of course your range, tone and style are going to change over 20+ years.  It just amazing at 47 he can outperform 99% of front men on a nightly basis.  Plus, did anyone see Hershel Walker on Strikeforce.  No way he's 47!  GO OLDER DUDES...me being one.

And did he sing twat and catcher with more accuracy in 2006 than now? He didn't sing catcher. How can you compare 2006 to 2010 on these songs? and on boots and mp3s.
I'm disagreeing in this bit.

according to axl the relationship of the band is based on faith and trust: they have no faith in him, and he doesn't trust them for shit. :hihi:

im talking about that he singed worst than now in the first dates of this tour ( about catcher and twat).

And about he is singing worst than 2006 if you read im talking about he is warming up and finding the tones as always has been

I don't think Axl lost his voice at all, i think Axl was probably recording his vocals for cd at that time (2002) and thats probably why he wouldn't hit the rasp notes. Probably to avoid any kind of damage so everything would go as planned on the cd

Of course we all know Axl's best was during the Illusion tours and in the 80s but 2009/10 has been really surprising! He's much better on his cardio

na we all know axls best is now. and probably in south america he'll surpass himself again.

Axl was "preserving" his voice during the 2001-2002 era because he was laying the vocal tracks for CD. The fact that he went out and toured before a finished album shows how bad he wanted to share his new music and be with his fans, so he could not resist giving his fans a premature "sneak peak." He knew deep in his heart that there were still huge legal obstacles looming in the distance and that CD's release was still far off. He yearned to speed things up, but had to play the 'reinvention" of Gnr carefully with all legal parties involved. But he loves his music, touring, and his fans; he couldn't keep away. I think this 2010 tour is an unleashing of his soulful, raspy voice. It is Axl picking up where he left off in 93. A sober band and a bandana and the freedom to "let lose" on his vocals is what is giving him his new aura of confidence and old school swagger. He is definitely in his element. No offense to the 2002 tour, but he did seem more uptight and "stiff" and unnaturl (not quite to the point where he was a parody of himself), but somewhat "forced" nonetheless. 06-07 was good, but I think all the legal pressures of getting CD out were still weighing on him, and the braids were still constricitng his confidence. With an actual album to back up his tour, he gained the confidence to sport his trademark bandana and loosen up his dancing and jivin moves. His old slither sway looks as natural and organic as 1988. He "feels" the band and the bluesy jive and pop/metal groove in his soul again. AXL IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

lol

Axl (as well as the rest of the band) sound better than ever right now.

Asia was amazing and so was Canada.

Canada was a bit tougher on everybody I think.

Back to back shows. That's tough when you do what Axl does.

You don't really want to run marathons two days in a row. But that's what GN'R did all over Canada.


Now before you start with the "other bands do it". Have you see any band that does what GN'R does? Axl doesn't just stand and sing.

Axl and GN'R could probably sit down and play, and thus saving themselves, but they don't. They give it all every night, every show.



I wish people would actually think a bit before saying shit like "he doesn't sound great"....




/jarmo

Jarmo, did you say earlier you had other axl pictures you were saving till the end or was that someone else.

I don't know what others have said.


I think I said Axl pics are like the icing on the cake.

Not necessarily the my main priority since most photographers focus on him anyway.






/jarmo

Jarmo, you think they will ever think before they say anything? lol Guess there are just a lot of people that will never be happy.

i think the band sounded great at the end of the 2006 tour.But its normal .Always the bands sound worst at the beginning of the tours.And talking about live concerts and frontman performances bruce dickinson is the man.Ive never seen someone jumping and singing like him( i have seen 10 tours).But of course Axl rose is very,very close to him.2 true legends

 :confused:

You're too much into your theory. You know the saying: seeing is believing.

They sounded great in 2006 and 2007.

They sound better now.



Does Iron Maiden do three hour sets?

As I've pointed out, comparing GN'R to other acts is lame.

Nobody does what GN'R does. It's that simple.

You can go to a concert by some other band and think "wow, that's a high energy show". Fair enough.

Then you realize the band walks around on stage playing fast songs while the crowd are the ones supplying the energy.

Or the band plays for less than two hours...

Or you forget that nobody sings like Axl.


Not many people seem to take these things into account when comparing shows.


/jarmo

i agree with most of your points jarmo.  Axl certainly puts a lot of effort in and i think thats the main reason for the solo's and jams.  (he needs a rest sometimes).

As a guitar player though, i also feel for bands like Slayer.  It would be very hard to play guitar for 3 hours at that speed, even if they do just stand there.   :hihi:

There may be better "technical" singers, but rock n roll has never had a better all around singer. By "good singer," I don't mean technicalities like range and key etc., I mean the ability to communicate ones emotions and feelings in a variety of ways. Axl can do it. There is an earthy, visceral and organic vibe to his vocals that Halford, Tyler, Dickinson, Dio, Bach, Chris Cornell,  etc. lack. Axl can do everything. He can sing very low and very high, but he also does more with his vocals than just "hit the right notes." It is not just what you have, but what you do with what you have, and Axl is the master.  He can sound scratchy, raspy, screechy, or bluesy. There is a rawness and honesty in his vocals that the other great rock singers can't even begin to touch. Most of the other legendary rock singers sound like high voltage opera singers on steroids, which is cool and impressive, but it doesn't cut right through to your core. Their vocals are smooth and refined, but they lack the soulful cry, angst, pain, and yearning that Axl is able to communicate.

Jarmo is right about Axl not just sounding great, but moving around the stage so much as well -- WHILE he's singing his guts out! I played a friend of mine some youtube clips of the new shows. i told him they're playing 2 1/2-3+ hours each night and he said that's what he's used to -- he's only really into jam bands like Phish, Moe, etc. and they play long (and, to me, extremely boring) shows. The first clip i played, he said "I gotta tell you, i'm not used to seeing the singer move. Like, at all". So yeah, a Guns show packs a helluva lot more into that time frame than a band just standing around playing. Btw, my friend said to definitely let him know when they're coming around here. He's pissed he didn't go to Toronto with us.

Yes, I agree. On top of Axl's amazing singing, he is a genuine entertainer with almost inexhaustible stamina. How many blues rock/pop/metal/hard rock frontmen do you know who actually dance, move, and "feel" the music? Gnr have that lose, bluesy swagger to their music that separates them from other hard rock/metal bands. Often, in those metal bands the singer just stands in front of his mic or behind his guitar, head-banging. But Axl doesn't just dance, he runs around the stage, kicking, swaying, slithering, jumping, and spinning, while still finding time for some offensive hand gestures.
To me, the only similar comparison is Mick Jagger. I remember watching him in 94 during the Voodoo Lounge tour and being blown away by his constant movement and stage presence.  I was 15 and in 10th grade. Mick was 51 (4 years older than Axl) at the time and seemed ancient to me, but he was mesmerizing nonetheless. Axl puts everything he has into his show. Clearly he has been keeping in physical shape just like Mick Jagger. Most guys in their 20s and 30s couldn't run around a stage for 2 1/2 hours while singing at the top of their lungs. It is hard enough to just talk in a normal voice after jogging for 30 minutes, let alone sing. Axl is a rock n roll phenomenon. No one better.

You will see,its happening slowly,look at the this i love performances.Hes singing better and better.

that happened in 2006 and in every tour of every fuckin band.Thats not a teory is the normal thing.

an by the way,iron maiden play long sets always not 3h but they play 2hand 15min for ex.without solos.but i like guns and maiden.the only thing iv said that bruce dikcinson jumps,moves and run a lot more than axl right now.but i really like both,and yes 3 h singing with the rasp is something to be proud of.

Exactly right. The fact is Axl is as good now as he has ever been in a live environment.

I can't help but wish GNR would put out a live CD/DVD to showcase this fact - along with the fact that this lineup is as musically raw and adept as any to carry the Guns name. I don't want to start a new thread on it, but I would love to know if anyone who's in a position to ask knows where Axl stands on the idea of a live release at this point.

Can anyone deny that this is the most optimistic and positive feeling time for GNR since the mid 90s? It seems like a shame not to have an official document of it.

He sounds great live these days, like really great if you have not been to a show try and get to one, youtube vids sound ok but in real life, just WOW!  Not only does he sound great he seems very happy on stage : ok:

I don't think Axl's voice went anywhere to be honest.

Every singers voice changes throughout their career, whether it's a different tone, pitch or depth. Everybody goes on about 2002 being bad, when personally I loved his voice back then as well. It worked really well on songs like 'Street Of Dreams' 'Madagascar' and many more. People also go on about the VMA 2002 performance, when I believe Axls voice was on top form also. The opening scream was amazing, just listen to how long he held it for. And after that long scream he had the job of not only singing but running and dancing. But many people also regard the Madagascar performance from that same show as the best live version ever, even though it wasn't the full song.

So my point is, Axl's voice has always been there. When you also take into account that he never performed publicly from 1994 - 2000, I think you have to say Axl's done well to keep his voice in such good shape.


Lee

Look, no one is denying that Axl and the band get better and better. And No. Bands often get tired being on the road long.

That's not the point. What im saying is you are wrong in assuming he sings worse now than in 2006. Fyi, the worst is worse than the worse.

The truth is, he sounded greater than ever even at the beginning of the tour in dec 2009 in person. No one that saw GN'R both on this tour and in 2006/7 would disagree. Some people even say he and the band sounded better than on the albums.
But, guess they couldn't be because that's against your theory, hah?
I was there for gods sake.

End of the discussion.

Axl appears to sound the best he has in the last 10 years right now IMHO

(http://www.mypictureshare.com/img/g/P.gif)

axl sounds fucking great live nowadays, as do the band.....
but still, axl blows it on some of the new songs....he still has a little work to do there, but all in all....it sounds like a monster that's been unleashed.
after watching/listening to the recent boots everything sounds  way better than 06....

Very True.

Absolutely right! : ok:

Ok,forget it.We are in the same boat,i really liked all the shows,bi only said that i didnt like how he singed some songs( sorry,this i love,catcher and twat).But yes,the show were awsome,as always has been

Its a breathe of fresh air actually! im gonna be honest, when i saw this new gnr thing the first time in 2002, i thought Axl was finished! I was really really happy when i saw Axl with his voice back in the hammerstein shows in 2006.

But now his voice is even better! He was probably just out of shape in 2002.

some people on this board are completly deaf.

in 2002 Axl's voice was clearer yes, and it probably didn't fit for all songs no, but on certains ones like KOHD my god, it was just astonishing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RamNJSGQsKM

plus, his voice was incredibly strong and powerful, as never in Guns history

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j06dVpEZn_U&

I wonder if he's got lessons, or quit smoking or something..?
His voice is really really really quite phenomenal again. He's better than he was even on the illusion tour.  Maybe he's just fitter? He is a bit fatter though. Would like to see him drop that then he can be my poster idol again. He looked kinda cool in 07.

Dont agree with this. I was really disappointed with Axl in 2002, but i do think that had to do with Cardio and maybe who knows for the fact he was recording the tracks to Chinese Democracy and he wanted to keep his rasp intact for the recordings.
I hate when he sang like that. The only song i like more without the rasp is Madagascar.
I think it basically had to do with cardio and with the fact that Axl was in a hiatus for so long, in terms of touring. It happens....  i honestly thought Axl was finished, and i can see now how unfair that thought was, because its just not true.

In 2006 Axl was amazing, when i heard him sing at those New York shows i was really relieved and in shock that Axl was back in black! It was an amazing moment to be a GNR fan, no doubt, and with the leaks after, i have to say that 2006 and 2007 were the best years to be a gnr fan!

in 2010 Axl sounds even better, the good thing about his voice now, is that he sounds just like in the records or even more powerful, it reminds me when GNR ripped the world apart in 87/88.

I went to see GNR for the first time at the O2 Arena in London. I took my friend with me whose not into GNR or rock. Hes into his Indian music and hip hop etc etc.

He was absolutely shocked  :o  to see how good Axl's voice was/is. I have turned my friend into a GNR fan now  ;D He kept on going on about it after the show. Lets be frank, Axl is nearly 50 years old. Its not easy to sing and run around like a mad man. Hes a brilliant front man. His voice is incredibly strong and powerful. You have to give the guy credit. Hes a LEGEND. Brilliant voice and a fantastic front man.   :)

Not many people can do what he does at his age.

Forever W.AXL ROSE!!!  :peace:

I agree. Also The Blues/SOD was really good in his clearer voice.

That was really great, reminds me of his scream on IRS in the album.

See, people mistakes his rasp to good singing. His range was much better in 2002~2007, when he could pull off most of the new songs more like in the album.

I'm not saying his voice isn't good now, tho. I do like it how it is, specially in the old songs like Rocket Queen.

I was at that show - that was in Albany 2002.  GREAT show.  Glad it was caught on video. 

True! his voice is amazing! His stage presence is still awesome and the rest of the band is great!

"That was really great, reminds me of his scream on IRS in the album.

See, people mistakes his rasp to good singing. His range was much better in 2002~2007, when he could pull off most of the new songs more like in the album.

I'm not saying his voice isn't good now, tho. I do like it how it is, specially in the old songs like Rocket Queen."


Have u perhaps been checking to the Nice Boys and Whole lotta rosie videos on this tour?

His range is better than ever!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never seen Axl hitting a higher note than the one he hit in TWAT in Tokyo last year. Maybe the 2006 VMA's scream, but I think this one is even higher. :)

Yes, I did. But I'm afraid you don't really know what range is.

Good point, but he was rather inconsistent. I can't just compare it to the TWAT from Madrid right now, tho.

I think he's better right now with his voice control, but saving it a bit more.

I hear you, I'll add Madagascar. I'm not fond of the vocals on The Blues & Madagascar on the album, in fact. I think the demos were better, vocally speaking.



I think the good compromise was found in 2006. still powerful voice, more raspy for the rock songs, still high and versatile for the ballads.

of course he's still great, but in 2010 you can see he manages differently his singing, less long screams or vocalises. but hey, everyone gets older and I'm sure he'll be just amazing on the future album.

I do know.. he can sing as long as he did in 2002 now...

Check this out and you'll understand: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_range

I just thing Axl was saving his vocal chords back in 2002 for the recording of CD.

the voice was always there, it just wasn't used to the maximum on purpose.

Hell, the voice is better in 2010 than it ever was.

I think Nico might have a point here

What? That's not an excuse. Then why did his voice sucked at VMA's? That show was kind of important. No time to "save for the recording" there. How I see it is that Axl wasn't at his best shape in 2001-2002. If you have noticed he doesn't run that much on stage anymore. On 2001-2002 he ran and jump around like he did in UYI Tour so he was out of breath more quickly. Now 2006-2010, he sounds KILLER because he moves wisely on stage.

These are the best years of Axl..

Enjoy..

:beer:


PS. Axl sounds and looks better than ever...

Axl's voice is back. This is the best since the UYI tour.   He didn't sound right in 2001. In 2006 he was starting to sing like he used. In 2010, there's no questions he's back.