Stevie's Voice on In Your Dreams

[Jondalar]

I'm really liking her voice on this album. I think her voice sounds weathered, beautiful, lived-in and is perfect for an album about her life experiences. She sounds like she has lived these songs and she has. I have to say the more I listen to Moonlight, the more I think it's probably one of the best vocals of her career. Same with Your May Be The One. Of course, her voice is perfect for Soldier's Angel and Ghosts are Gone, but even on the mellower songs like For What's Worth, her voice adds depth to the songs. You believe her.

I also like the way she tries everything on this album vocally. She not saying "NO" I can't sing that. She just sings it. It's what a lot of her latter albums were missing - VARIETY!

I hope this album helps her build confidence about her vocal ability. If she can hit that note on Italian Summer, she can navigate about anything.

[darklinensuit]

Not to take anything away from Stevie, but I think that is Dave's greatest achievement as producer of this album. Recent songs like "Candlebright" and "Destiny Rules" sound fine instrumentally, but just wrong vocally, IMO. Dave appropriately matched songs to vocals.
For example, "Annabel Lee" could have been a disaster. Mid-tempo songs with long notes are not always kind to Stevie these days. But there are some nice spots on this version.
And while the verses of FWIW are soft and pretty, the chorus sounds much deeper-voiced (almost "God's Garden"-esque!), but somehow Dave gets it to fit so it never sounds terribly flat or droning. Again, I'm not dismissing Stevie's talent & contribution. She had to be able to perform the vocal - but a talented producer gets the right take.

- Jake

[louielouie2000]

I agree with your summation... she seems to have her passion back vocally. Especially with songs like You May Be The One and Moonlight. Trouble In Shangri La in comparison seems pretty poor vocally. She tended to be very monotone and came off as disinterested because of it. Stevie uses a much fuller range on In Your Dreams, and just sounds way more into her songs this time around.

[Jondalar]

Not to take anything away from Stevie, but I think that is Dave's greatest achievement as producer of this album. Recent songs like "Candlebright" and "Destiny Rules" sound fine instrumentally, but just wrong vocally, IMO. Dave appropriately matched songs to vocals.
For example, "Annabel Lee" could have been a disaster. Mid-tempo songs with long notes are not always kind to Stevie these days. But there are some nice spots on this version.
And while the verses of FWIW are soft and pretty, the chorus sounds much deeper-voiced (almost "God's Garden"-esque!), but somehow Dave gets it to fit so it never sounds terribly flat or droning. Again, I'm not dismissing Stevie's talent & contribution. She had to be able to perform the vocal - but a talented producer gets the right take.

- Jake

In more ways than one, Dave brought her out of safety zone.

[darklinensuit]

I agree with your summation... she seems to have her passion back vocally. Especially with songs like You May Be The One and Moonlight. Trouble In Shangri La in comparison seems pretty poor vocally. She tended to be very monotone and came off as disinterested because of it. Stevie uses a much fuller range on In Your Dreams, and just sounds way more into her songs this time around.

The number one complaint non-fans have about Stevie is that she has "lost" her voice. I hear this from friends all the time. It was important to me that she really shine vocally on this one.

IMO, the chorus to "Moonlight" sounds VERY much like the chorus to the song TISL, especially towards the end when Stevie keeps repeating "strange" with Sharon & Lori. Musically they sound almost the same to me. I thought Stevie's somewhat flat vocal sounded pretty good on the chorus of TISL, but not so much in the verses. But in "Moonlight", her vocal is excellent in both parts. She varies her voice to suit different parts of the song.

- Jake

[Jondalar]

The number one complaint non-fans have about Stevie is that she has "lost" her voice. I hear this from friends all the time. It was important to me that she really shine vocally on this one.

IMO, the chorus to "Moonlight" sounds VERY much like the chorus to the song TISL, especially towards the end when Stevie keeps repeating "strange" with Sharon & Lori. Musically they sound almost the same to me. I thought Stevie's somewhat flat vocal sounded pretty good on the chorus of TISL, but not so much in the verses. But in "Moonlight", her vocal is excellent in both parts. She varies her voice to suit different parts of the song.

- Jake

and she ends on sorta of a high note, her vocal on that song is stellar.

One thing I love about her vocal on Soldier's Angel is that it reminds me of Johnny Cash's vocal on Hurt. I totally believe her. That is her experience.

[melacine]

Oh yay! I'm glad someone started a thread on this topic :D I ADORE Stevie's voice on the record. I love that she's singing in a higher register. I really hated the deep gravel voice from Say You Will (think Destiny Rules) and it's so nice to hear her sound more like she used to.

Oh, and Moonlight rocks :thumbsup: ha ha, just had to get that in there.

--Shel

[LiquidDiamonds]

If this is considered weathered...I will take it over the TISL drone any day!:thumbsup:

The beginning of Moonlight sounds almost RAL era to me.

[desertangel]

...totally! :nod: Vocally, I thought several songs could easily have passed for recordings of 20+ years ago. Whether that was the producer or simply Stevie finally being in a good place and time in her life again, is unknown to us at this time. I do hope someone gets the opportunity to publicly ask her about it though, if they haven't already.


.... hmmm - exactly how good is that chemistry between Stevie and Dave?! :xoxo: :laugh:

[Artemis]

In my opinion, IYD is the first album since Tusk (and arguably The Wild Heart), where Stevie's singing has been better, and not worse. I think it might be a combination of Dave's production, Stevie's own talent, and Stevie finally being comfortable with her voice. I think sometimes in the past ten years she's tried to sing like she used to; and failed miserably; whilst here she's recognizing the limits of her voice and working around it to create a multi-textured album. She uses her voice in more effective ways on one song (Moonlight) than she has for the last 5 or so albums she's been involved in!

[tabruns]

I think you all are forgetting that Stevie has been on a years-long project to get her voice back into shape. She talked about working with a vocal coach during The Dance tour, and she mentioned it again during Trouble In Shangri-La. So it's not a surprise that her singing has improved here....it's been improving on the later albums.

Remember that she went for higher notes for the first time in a long time on "Sorcerer" on Trouble In Shangri-La. As for the title track, I think her layered vocals are meant to be the way they are for the chorus on that song. That's actually part of the hook of that song. "Candlebright" I would agree would have benefited from a more supple vocal if she were able to do one at the time.

The one song where I would agree she just simply sang it poorly is "Say You Will". That song needs a happy/flirty vocal treatment and it's just lacking. Even though it did well on the AC chart, I think it would have done better if Nicks had put a better vocal on it. Her vocal sounds really flat on that song....I don't know why it ended up that way, but some here have mentioned that she was really annoyed with Buckingham at the time of the recording.

[Morgana]

Stevie's voice is stronger than it's ever been in some time, almost as strong as her old Rhiannon days. It feels like she has come through a lot of healing which included her voice and spirit. She is truly singing from her heart and that passion is what makes this CD so awesome. Moonlight is my absolute fav song, her voice is awesome and almost like crystal clear. To me it feels like Stevie has put her heart and soul in this cd and Dave managed to capture that.

[tabruns]

How would you all characterize Stevie's voice in different phases of her career? I sometimes get kind of fuzzy on when her voice seems to change, but for now I'd say roughly:

Fleetwood Mac/Rumours - Her first "voice", which got blown out by singing "Rhiannon" so often but without a vocal coach

Tusk - I remember her voice sounded shockingly different when I bought this album. Very cracked, ravaged....it sounded particularly fragile on "Storms"

Bella Donna - This was a "thank god she didn't lose her voice" record. Her voice comes back a lot stronger though not back to her "first voice". I remember at the time that many critics cited Bella Donna as the first evidence that Nicks could be a very good technical singer.

Mirage - her voice sounds the same as on Bella Donna to me

The Wild Heart - ditto

Rock A Little - Here her voice changes again....it seems huskier and raspier. *Not* weaker, just rougher.

Tango In The Night - Her voice sounds less raspy than it had on Rock A Little, but now she's starting to get into the "powerful but limited range" type of vocals

The Other Side of the Mirror - sounds the same to me as Tango

TimeSpace/The Chain - ditto

Behind The Mask - ditto

Street Angel/Enchanted - Actually her vocals seems to have slightly more nuances here (I think) than the Tango-Mask era

The Dance - I think this album shows the very first inklings of improvement from the vocal coach....the way she ends "Silver Springs" (the lines "...silver spring...my blue-green colors flashing...") are actually with a softer Fleetwood Mac/Rumours-ish "first voice"

Trouble In Shangri-La - Again, I think the monotone layered vocals of the title track were intentional. That was part of the hook of that song. "Sorcerer" shows real vocal growth as she actually tried for an upper range for the first time in a long time.

Say You Will - This album slides a little bit back into the "powerful but monotone" voice of the Tango-Mask era. I don't hear her going for nuances once in awhile like she did on Trouble In Shangri-La. The "Say You Will" vocal is completely flat and compromises the song....that's the first time where I would say that it's not a question of vocal limitation its simply that Nicks didn't put in a good vocal performance.

In Your Dreams - I think her vocals make a great leap forward with this album. It actually sounds like a weathered, older version of her "first voice". It's one of the amazing things about this record.

Anyone have a different take on the vocal eras?

[Jondalar]

How would you all characterize Stevie's voice in different phases of her career? I sometimes get kind of fuzzy on when her voice seems to change, but for now I'd say roughly:

Fleetwood Mac/Rumours - Her first "voice", which got blown out by singing "Rhiannon" so often but without a vocal coach

Tusk - I remember her voice sounded shockingly different when I bought this album. Very cracked, ravaged....it sounded particularly fragile on "Storms"

Bella Donna - This was a "thank god she didn't lose her voice" record. Her voice comes back a lot stronger though not back to her "first voice". I remember at the time that many critics cited Bella Donna as the first evidence that Nicks could be a very good technical singer.

Mirage - her voice sounds the same as on Bella Donna to me

The Wild Heart - ditto

Rock A Little - Here her voice changes again....it seems huskier and raspier. *Not* weaker, just rougher.

Tango In The Night - Her voice sounds less raspy than it had on Rock A Little, but now she's starting to get into the "powerful but limited range" type of vocals

The Other Side of the Mirror - sounds the same to me as Tango

TimeSpace/The Chain - ditto

Behind The Mask - ditto

Street Angel/Enchanted - Actually her vocals seems to have slightly more nuances here (I think) than the Tango-Mask era

The Dance - I think this album shows the very first inklings of improvement from the vocal coach....the way she ends "Silver Springs" (the lines "...silver spring...my blue-green colors flashing...") are actually with a softer Fleetwood Mac/Rumours-ish "first voice"

Trouble In Shangri-La - Again, I think the monotone layered vocals of the title track were intentional. That was part of the hook of that song. "Sorcerer" shows real vocal growth as she actually tried for an upper range for the first time in a long time.

Say You Will - This album slides a little bit back into the "powerful but monotone" voice of the Tango-Mask era. I don't hear her going for nuances once in awhile like she did on Trouble In Shangri-La. The "Say You Will" vocal is completely flat and compromises the song....that's the first time where I would say that it's not a question of vocal limitation its simply that Nicks didn't put in a good vocal performance.

In Your Dreams - I think her vocals make a great leap forward with this album. It actually sounds like a weathered, older version of her "first voice". It's one of the amazing things about this record.

Anyone have a different take on the vocal eras?

The low point in her career vocally was The Other Side of the Mirror, Behind the Mask and Timespace period. I liked her voice on Rumours. That is when I thought it was prettiest. On Bella Donna she just sounded strong. Her vocals on Bella Donna are my favorite. They were more craggy on The Wild Heart and I remember when Gypsy came out; people were talking about how Stevie's voice seemed to have dropped or changed. Her vocals on Tango were stellar. She sang Seven Wonders to the hilt. I think she sang Talk to Me, Has anyone ever Written and I Can't Wait great. It's just that I don't think she even tried much on the other songs. Say You Will and TISL she did not sound that great. I like her vocals on this record because of what I stated above.

[LiquidDiamonds]

How would you all characterize Stevie's voice in different phases of her career? I sometimes get kind of fuzzy on when her voice seems to change, but for now I'd say roughly:

Fleetwood Mac/Rumours - Her first "voice", which got blown out by singing "Rhiannon" so often but without a vocal coach

Tusk - I remember her voice sounded shockingly different when I bought this album. Very cracked, ravaged....it sounded particularly fragile on "Storms"

Bella Donna - This was a "thank god she didn't lose her voice" record. Her voice comes back a lot stronger though not back to her "first voice". I remember at the time that many critics cited Bella Donna as the first evidence that Nicks could be a very good technical singer.

Mirage - her voice sounds the same as on Bella Donna to me

The Wild Heart - ditto

Rock A Little - Here her voice changes again....it seems huskier and raspier. *Not* weaker, just rougher.

Tango In The Night - Her voice sounds less raspy than it had on Rock A Little, but now she's starting to get into the "powerful but limited range" type of vocals

The Other Side of the Mirror - sounds the same to me as Tango

TimeSpace/The Chain - ditto

Behind The Mask - ditto

Street Angel/Enchanted - Actually her vocals seems to have slightly more nuances here (I think) than the Tango-Mask era

The Dance - I think this album shows the very first inklings of improvement from the vocal coach....the way she ends "Silver Springs" (the lines "...silver spring...my blue-green colors flashing...") are actually with a softer Fleetwood Mac/Rumours-ish "first voice"

Trouble In Shangri-La - Again, I think the monotone layered vocals of the title track were intentional. That was part of the hook of that song. "Sorcerer" shows real vocal growth as she actually tried for an upper range for the first time in a long time.

Say You Will - This album slides a little bit back into the "powerful but monotone" voice of the Tango-Mask era. I don't hear her going for nuances once in awhile like she did on Trouble In Shangri-La. The "Say You Will" vocal is completely flat and compromises the song....that's the first time where I would say that it's not a question of vocal limitation its simply that Nicks didn't put in a good vocal performance.

In Your Dreams - I think her vocals make a great leap forward with this album. It actually sounds like a weathered, older version of her "first voice". It's one of the amazing things about this record.

Anyone have a different take on the vocal eras?

Bella Donna/Mirage is my favorite era for her Vocals.

I would say Street Angel was the most shocking and disappointing change for me.

I loved The Dance Era vocals...GDW, Landslide, and Silver Springs are my favorite renditions of these songs.

TISL - After The Dance vocals I was very disappointed to hear the vocals on this Album.

SYW drew a mixed reaction. I thought the vocals in Thrown Down and EFO were a much needed improvement.

IYD - Thank you Dave! :thumbsup:

[Artemis]

Anyone have a different take on the vocal eras?

I know next to nothing about the technical aspects of music, so if I sound like a total moron here, I do apologize :laugh:

I'd say..

Buckingham/Nicks - Her "young girl" voice, still instantly identifiable as Stevie, but quite weak.

Fleetwood Mac / Rumours / Half of Tusk - More mature version of her young-girl voice, able to hit those high notes, able to be soft and delicate. Evident on the White Album, Rumours, and Sara, Beautiful Child and most of Sisters of the Moon.

The other half of Tusk - Angel and Storms, I think anyway, are notably different from the vocals on Sara, Beautiful Child. Sisters of the Moon straddles both. During most of the song, she sounds as she did on Rumours, but on the "Mooo-oooo-oooon" parts, the change is evident. Her voice is getting rockier here, deeper.

Bella Donna / Mirage - She's lost access to most of her high notes, but her voice has become more powerful; ie, Edge of Seventeen. Sustained notes now consistent with the rest of her voice; ie, Gypsy.

Wild Heart - Almost identical to Bella Donna / Mirage, but a much more noticeable use of vibrato.

Rock A Little - Raspier by far, noticeable strain when trying to hit some notes (think Sing For Things, HAEWAFY) her roughest vocals, I'd say.

Tango / OSOTM - Very limited range now, but a lot of power, gains quite a nasal quality. Noticeable problems with her voice when she tries to sing notes she just can't hit - WISYA.

Behind The Mask / Street Angel - While her voice isn't as nasal as it will become, her range barely changes at all, and she just sounds bored throughout. (The Street Angel tour, however, shows a remarkable return to form)

The Dance - A notable improvement, her voice sounds strong and confident, never straining. Her Rhiannon and Dreams are particularly stunning. Gold Dust Woman shows her using different levels in her singing, and Silver Springs shows the passion and emotion. Lots of vocal nuances.

TISL - Very similar to the dance, but it's nice to see some glorious falsetto notes. She goes for some high notes again, and she hits them nicely. Sometimes sounds overly nasal - Too Far From Texas springs to mind, again, lots of vocal nuances.

SYW - combines both the power in The Dance performances, with the worst of the nasal quality in TISL. Particularly evident on SYW and Destiny Rules. She sounds fantastic on Thrown Down and Running Through The Garden, while she resorts to shouting on Everybody Finds Out. Very flat vocal delivery throughout, and noticeably different to the vocals on TISL.

IYD - She seems to have lost most of the nasal quality in her voice, but, when it is noticeable, she uses it in a much more effective way. The vocals are more nuanced, rather than flat and boring, so it doesn't sound jarring and works really effectively. Some gorgeous high notes throughout, and she never tries to go for a note she can't hit.

If I was to lump her voice into categories, I'd go.

B/N-Tusk - Young Stevie.

Bella Donna/Mirage/Wild Heart - Powerful, Rock Voice Stevie.

Rock A Little - Inconsistent vocally Stevie.

Tango/Other Side Of The Mirror/Behind The Mask/Street Angel - Sleepy Stevie.

The Dance/Trouble In Shangri-La - Return to form Stevie.

SYW - Nasal Stevie.

IYD - Knows how to use her voice effectively Stevie.

[equeen102289]

I was shocked when Moonlight started. I never thought I'd hear Stevie sing like that again. Thank you, Dave. :xoxo:

What I love most about her vocals on this album is that they are not nasally. Or as someone said before, when it does get slightly nasally, it's used in an effective way. It's as if Stevie has finally learned what to do with this mature voice she has gained over the years.

Now I'm just hoping she will use these same vocals on the songs live and not slip back into that "Dreams" comfort zone range.

[LittleSpacey]

I have always loved Stevie. And I have to say, OSOTM has always been an album I LOVE. I always wondered if that voice she used on that album was somehow changed electronically or something because it sounds so radically different from anything else. It sounds like the voice on the Red Rocks concert. Nasally is one way Id describe it. However, it has this kind of echo-y, almost electronic sound to it. I have always wondered why it sounded like that. Hmmmm.

[mikephxaz]

I'm really liking her voice on this album. I think her voice sounds weathered, beautiful, lived-in and is perfect for an album about her life experiences. She sounds like she has lived these songs and she has. I have to say the more I listen to Moonlight, the more I think it's probably one of the best vocals of her career. Same with Your May Be The One. Of course, her voice is perfect for Soldier's Angel and Ghosts are Gone, but even on the mellower songs like For What's Worth, her voice adds depth to the songs. You believe her.

I also like the way she tries everything on this album vocally. She not saying "NO" I can't sing that. She just sings it. It's what a lot of her latter albums were missing - VARIETY!

I hope this album helps her build confidence about her vocal ability. If she can hit that note on Italian Summer, she can navigate about anything.


i absolutely agree with your thoughts!

[jwd]

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC VOCALS ON IYD! Stevie and everyone involved with the record's sound should be so proud.

[carrie721]

If she can hit that note on Italian Summer, she can navigate about anything.

one thing that baffles me is that so many people think stevie sings higher than she really does :shrug: the last note on italian summer is lower than the highest notes in rhiannon, EO17, silver springs, etc. and i'm talking about her performances from the last decade, not the 70's/80's. i agree that her voice sounds good on IYD but you can't say her range on italian summer should make her confident in her upper register.

[louielouie2000]

one thing that baffles me is that so many people think stevie sings higher than she really does :shrug: the last note on italian summer is lower than the highest notes in rhiannon, EO17, silver springs, etc. and i'm talking about her performances from the last decade, not the 70's/80's. i agree that her voice sounds good on IYD but you can't say her range on italian summer should make her confident in her upper register.

I fully agree with this. Stevie's definitely singing in the same register as she was on TISL... she's just using a broader range/is less monotone on IYD :).

[RickRobert]

She sounds great on IYD :blob2: Using more of her range too. She hits high B flats on Wide Sargasso Sea - she hasn't done that in a while. Hope that doesn't stop her doing it live...

[Jondalar]

one thing that baffles me is that so many people think stevie sings higher than she really does :shrug: the last note on italian summer is lower than the highest notes in rhiannon, EO17, silver springs, etc. and i'm talking about her performances from the last decade, not the 70's/80's. i agree that her voice sounds good on IYD but you can't say her range on italian summer should make her confident in her upper register.

It's the power of the note and no warbling. She sounds like a SINGER! She doesn't be Mariah Carey to achieve confidence. She sounds great on that note and hopefully it will give her more confidence.

[gypsy4life]

Stevie's voice, on this album, and the latest live shows she has done, is exceptional.
My Mom was watching a clip from the Heart and Soul tour, and she said "Stevie is singing like she did years ago."

She is on fire, and I am loving every second of it!

I think her vocal on "Italian Summer" may be some of the longest, strongest notes she has sang in years.

[HejiraNYC]

one thing that baffles me is that so many people think stevie sings higher than she really does :shrug: the last note on italian summer is lower than the highest notes in rhiannon, EO17, silver springs, etc. and i'm talking about her performances from the last decade, not the 70's/80's. i agree that her voice sounds good on IYD but you can't say her range on italian summer should make her confident in her upper register.

I agree. Yes, we are all euphoric over the fact that there is a new friggin' Stevie Nicks album to explore and enjoy. But in the cold light of day, although her vocals are terrific throughout, note-for-note, this album is consistently in her lower register. I mean, she goes downright basso on the chorus for "For What It's Worth." Yeah, there are a couple of high excursions on "Wide Sargasso Sea," but with that exception, she sings comfortably within a male tenor range. TISL contained a lot more vocal range. A lot more. IYD is the first Stevie album that I could sing along to comfortably with no effort at all.

[jwd]

IYD is the first Stevie album that I could sing along to comfortably with no effort at all.

BULL****! :lol:

[Keith]

"burning from the middle.."

Still listening to the stream, but for the first time I actually stopped and listened to the same song (I had only been listening to the record from start to end).. and the song was Moonlight. Everything about this song, but especially her vocals... stunning...

I love the almost whisper rasp of the beginning vocals - as soon as she starts singing, her voice becomes the focus... and there is so much going on in the song.. but it's her voice. I love how she sings "she's lonely.. lost.. she's disconnected...." the whole verse.

and the ending... "she sat in a chair for months.. just staring.."

you know. how ever this record does saleswise I think the success will be how much many of her fans will love this album.. it's already found a permanent home in my soul.

and Annabell Lee begins.. and he dances around in his flat.. smiling and listening..

[melacine]

I was shocked when Moonlight started. I never thought I'd hear Stevie sing like that again.


Amen, I can't agree more :nod:

I fully agree with this. Stevie's definitely singing in the same register as she was on TISL... she's just using a broader range/is less monotone on IYD :).

I don't know music technically, so maybe the "same register" was the wrong term to use. But I'm sure you can understand what we mean by it. Her voice sounds different than TISL. It's not that deep gravel sounding voice she had on Say You Will especially and to a lesser degree on TISL. To a total music amateur like me, it sounds like she's singing higher. I mean compare Destiny Rules to Moonlight?

I was blown away when I heard people say her voice sounds weathered, I don't think she's sounded this good in years, and my jaw dropped open when I first heard Moonlight. :thumbsup:

--Shel

[Thrown_Down]

I agree, the vocals on 'Moonlight" are like nothing I've heard from her in years. Sort of soft and girly in places... Not really heard that since Rock A Little.

[nightbird28]

I was shocked when Moonlight started. I never thought I'd hear Stevie sing like that again. Thank you, Dave. :xoxo:

What I love most about her vocals on this album is that they are not nasally. Or as someone said before, when it does get slightly nasally, it's used in an effective way. It's as if Stevie has finally learned what to do with this mature voice she has gained over the years.

Now I'm just hoping she will use these same vocals on the songs live and not slip back into that "Dreams" comfort zone range.


I know! For a moment I thought I was listening to Stevie back in the 70's.

[WildHearted]

Basically, she's not belting all the songs.

Even when the notes are low, at some points Stevie is using her head voice (Moonlight) to sing them rather than her chest voice.