Stevie's Changing Voice

SapphireSister · #1 02-28-2010, 09:09 PM

So I’ve been thinking about this the last few days and wanted to see what you all thought. Between which 2 Stevie SOLO albums (not including Fleetwood Mac albums) do you think her voice changed the most? I’m going to have to say from Rock a Little to The Other Side of the Mirror for a number of reasons. First of all, as we all well know the RAL period was the peak of Stevie’s cocaine use and by the time she recorded TOSOTM the post-effects were obvious. Damage to the nostrils from prolonged cocaine abuse can strongly affect one’s vocal range and ability to hit certain notes. It can also directly affect the vocal chords which may have caused some permanent damage as a result of her snorting the drug. Even Stevie herself has acknowledged this in numerous interviews. Her voice was much less raspy and edgy on TOSOTM in comparison to RAL and she definitely went down an octave and could no longer hit many of the high notes she hit on RAL. I also think it’s possible that her age played a part. She was 37 when RAL was recorded and 41 when OSOTM was recorded although that’s not that huge of an age gap. On TOSOTM her voice is not only deeper but more mature and not as “rock and roll” or wailing and lacks the fluctuation and vulnerability she demonstrated on previous albums. Lastly, I would say that there is an obvious difference in her voice due to the fact that she was on heavy tranquilizers after she left the Betty Ford Clinic at the end of 1986. Of course this became most apparent during Street Angele but it’s obvious she was already feeling the effects of the benzos by 1989. In closing I would like to say that this thread is not about posing one album against the other. I’m not saying RAL is better than TOSOTM I’m just noting the differences in her voice (although I do prefer RAL if I had to say). Also, I love the changes in Stevie's voice and it's been a gift to hear all of the changes over the last 35 years! Thoughts?

louielouie2000 · #2 02-28-2010, 09:36 PM

I actually see a bigger shift between Wild Heart and Rock A Little. If anything, it seems her voice improved between Rock A Little and Other Side Of The Mirror. Not that I don't enjoy all incarnations of her voice either, for that matter.

StreetAngel95 · #3 02-28-2010, 09:36 PM

I posted a thread like this a little while ago, but it was a poll about which of her voices you liked best. I believe from Mirage to Wild Heart her voice changed Immensely. On Mirage, we were able to hear high notes like on Gypsy, from then to Wild Heart we started to hear the signature Stevie Nicks wails And vibrattos like on Nothing Ever Changes and"Wild Heart".

My favorite voice is RAL, because if i hear songs like, "Sister Honey" i just want to get up and dance!

SapphireSister · #4 02-28-2010, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StreetAngel95

I posted a thread like this a little while ago, but it was a poll about which of her voices you liked best. I believe from Mirage to Wild Heart her voice changed Immensely. On Mirage, we were able to hear high notes like on Gypsy, from then to Wild Heart we started to hear the signature Stevie Nicks wails And vibrattos like on Nothing Ever Changes and"Wild Heart".

My favorite voice is RAL, because if i hear songs like, "Sister Honey" i just want to get up and dance!

RAL has always been my favorite voice even before I knew she was on drugs. It's just so strong and raw and she ad-libs a lot and takes chances vocally. It may not be her highest quality vocals but I love it none the less. It's true rock n' roll a la Janice Joplin. "I don't really need this in my life. Why don't we forget about it?" Stevie has an unbelieveable amount of soul!

SapphireSister · #5 02-28-2010, 10:00 PM

[QUOTE=louielouie2000;874412]I actually see a bigger shift between Wild Heart and Rock A Little. If anything, it seems her voice improved between Rock A Little and Other Side Of The Mirror. Not that I don't enjoy all incarnations of her voice either, for that matter.

[/QUOTE

I would agree that vocally she improved from RAL to TOSOTM but for me it's not a matter of having a better voice but rather the style.

David · #6 02-28-2010, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SapphireSister

Between which 2 albums do you think her voice changed the most?

Rumours & Tusk.

SapphireSister · #7 02-28-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Rumours & Tusk.

Solo albums people! Not including Fleetwood Mac albums lol. Read the post hee hee. Hi David!

David · #8 02-28-2010, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SapphireSister

Solo albums people! Not including Fleetwood Mac albums lol. Read the post hee hee. Hi David!

I know, I just wanted you to say hi.

HI!!

Are you on Facebook?

vivfox · #9 03-01-2010, 12:24 AM

Between Wild Heart and RAL in the live setting.
Between Street Angel and TISL in the studio setting.

holidayroad · #10 03-01-2010, 09:09 AM

I notice the most difference between Bella Donna and The Wild Heart. Like some others have said, my fave voice is also RAL. Maybe it's because during that album, I became a fan. I'm unsure

#11 03-01-2010, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Rumours & Tusk.

Yes...

Quote:

Originally Posted by holidayroad

I notice the most difference between Bella Donna and The Wild Heart. Like some others have said, my fave voice is also RAL. Maybe it's because during that album, I became a fan. I'm unsure

Yes, however....

Quote:

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I actually see a bigger shift between Wild Heart and Rock A Little. If anything, it seems her voice improved between Rock A Little and Other Side Of The Mirror. Not that I don't enjoy all incarnations of her voice either, for that matter.

Agree completely.

DeeGeMe · #12 03-01-2010, 11:30 AM

It's not just the cocaine that had an impact on the quality of her voice. It was also the ciggies and coked-out performances where she'd scream and wail, probably shredding her vocal chords a bit in the process.

SapphireSister · #13 03-01-2010, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeeGeMe

It's not just the cocaine that had an impact on the quality of her voice. It was also the ciggies and coked-out performances where she'd scream and wail, probably shredding her vocal chords a bit in the process.

True but it made for some great performances IMO!

SapphireSister · #14 03-01-2010, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holidayroad

I notice the most difference between Bella Donna and The Wild Heart. Like some others have said, my fave voice is also RAL. Maybe it's because during that album, I became a fan. I'm unsure

It's funny, it seems like the RAL period is the fan favorite vocally as far as solo albums go (definitely for me) yet technically it was probably her worst (not that she could ever sound bad in my eyes).

SapphireSister · #15 03-12-2010, 05:30 PM

I was thinking today as I heard Gold Dust Woman (rumors version) that liking Stevie over the last 30 or so years is actually like liking different artists since it's such a different voice over the years. Does this make any sense at all?