Ageing rockers and their voices...

[Miss Vicky]

Originally Posted by madformac

As for Lindsey, I'm sorry but I don't know how you can say Lindsey is singing better now than before. His vocal range is now so limited. Sure on softer, subtle songs he's fine but on the rockers his voice is shot to pieces... I can only think it's the blind loyalty to Mac and it's members that is clouding your judgement. Lindsey's voice live is not as it was. He was a little bit weaker on The Dance tour but it was still very good. Somewhere between '97 and '02 his vocal chords got wrecked.. Lindsey's best live voice was on the Concert For The Environment in 1986. Unfortunately for the public he was at his prime when he had finished live work with Fleetwood Mac.

Lindsey's voice up until the Tusk tour was quite high but it was perfect for harmonising. His voice got more aggressive during the Mirage Tour and reached it's peak between 1986 and 1993.

Everybody has their favorite Fleetwood Mac era but I fail to see how his voice has improved by losing it's range? As a performer he's made up for it by his spastic motions and antics on stage during the last tour.

He's still a hell of a guitarist and with some vocal coaching and less smoking could probably get into shape for the possible 2007 tour.

Blind loyalty my ass.

I say his voice sounds better than ever because it does. It's deeper, more masculine, sexier. I went to three of the SYW concerts and was blown away by his performance-not by his stage antics-but by the sound of his voice, the passion with which he plays, and by his electrifying presence. My best friend, who is decidedly NOT a fan of Fleetwood Mac, went with me and was "amazed" by LB as well. I fail to see how you can imply that the sound of his voice is "an embarrassment" to the band.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by madformac

His vocal range is now so limited.

So is Stevie's, yet people still fall head over heels for her progressively weak voice. It's all a matter of personal taste. As Victoria said, I prefer his more masculine sounding voice to his balls-being-tweaked voice from the seventies. He has more power to his voice than he did back then and I think it's changed for the better. Sure, he hits lots of bum notes and sometimes screams too much, but rock music isn't meant to be perfect. Unlike Stevie, he still has enough vocal stamina and control to be able to belt out tunes like a rock star, imo.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by dissention

Anything sounds better than the late 80s/early 90s, my dear! Those years were torturous. The period from '94-'98 is one of my favorites in terms of her voice. I just downloaded the East Rutherford show from '97 and it really makes me miss those days, and they were only eight years ago. She was on ****ing fire.



Me, too.

I love the HOB live show she did during that period. Her Rhiannon gave me chills and I was so excited because it felt like she was back, as though she had been gone.

[tuigirl]

Actually, I happen to agree with MFM in that his voice has really gotten quite a bit worse over the last couple of years, esp in the higher bits, he sounds very strained for most songs which is a shame (why can't he and Stevie share the vocal coach?). I'm worried that the Mac will eventually cease to be if we can no longer hear the singer singing GYOW, Don't stop and the like..maybe Stevie could take over his vocals as well..she was in my opinion helping him along quite a bit on this last tour..don't get me wrong his guitar playing is still great, maybe even better in parts, and he makes up for any singing troubles with his talent in that dept

Incidently, I think Don Henley still has a super voice and sounds just like he used to..Joe Walsh on the other hand is better playing his guitar....

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by dissention

So is Stevie's, yet people still fall head over heels for her progressively weak voice. It's all a matter of personal taste. As Victoria said, I prefer his more masculine sounding voice to his balls-being-tweaked voice from the seventies. He has more power to his voice than he did back then and I think it's changed for the better. Sure, he hits lots of bum notes and sometimes screams too much, but rock music isn't meant to be perfect. Unlike Stevie, he still has enough vocal stamina and control to be able to belt out tunes like a rock star, imo.

Well, that is a little unfair - Stevie has more range, but shows it rarely a la B&B in its current mode and Circle Dance. Maybe its just the old stuff that is rote.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Well, that is a little unfair - Stevie has more range, but shows it rarely a la B&B in its current mode and Circle Dance. Maybe its just the old stuff that is rote.

That's your opinion. I don't hear much of a range from her and haven't in years, especially since something went sour for her voice in late 2000/early 2001 and it never returned. She never had much of a range to begin with and it has only gotten worse through years of misuse and abuse. Listening to her sometimes, it sounds like she's trying incredibly hard to croak out those songs. But we won't agree, so carry on.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by dissention

That's your opinion. I don't hear much of a range from her and haven't in years, especially since something went sour for her voice in late 2000/early 2001 and it never returned. She never had much of a range to begin with and it has only gotten worse through years of misuse and abuse. Listening to her sometimes, it sounds like she's trying incredibly hard to croak out those songs. But we won't agree, so carry on.

I thought B&B showed power and range, esp. when she hits the A. I am not alone in that, even Tower agreed with me

But, I do agree that she rarely uses it and that pisses me off a little, esp. since 2000 - TISL was painful to listen to though I give her leave while she was sick, but the rest of it was as well, esp, SDMHA

[madformac]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

Blind loyalty my ass.

Never seen your ass so I couldn't comment on that point Vicky..

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

I say his voice sounds better than ever because it does.

Great arguement there.....

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

It's deeper, more masculine, sexier. I went to three of the SYW concerts and was blown away by his performance-not by his stage antics-but by the sound of his voice, the passion with which he plays, and by his electrifying presence. My best friend, who is decidedly NOT a fan of Fleetwood Mac, went with me and was "amazed" by LB as well.

I'm not talking about the depth of his voice, I think he sounds better deeper than very high pitched, I'm So Afraid is proof of that.. What I'm talking about is the vocal range of his voice. He's trying to sing the songs as he used to instead of changing his approach to accomodate his diminished range.

Stevie is a classic example. She doesn't have the range she used to either but she has changed her approach and sings the songs differently as a result. I'm not a fan of hers but I have to admit she impressed me on the SYW tour because I expected it to have suffered far more.

I think maybe you need to hear more of Lindsey live over the years to make a proper judgement. I'm not a vocal coach but even I can tell Lindsey was strained on the last tour.

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

I fail to see how you can imply that the sound of his voice is "an embarrassment" to the band

Actually I said " I would hate to think it was so bad they couldn't tour again without becoming an embarassment."

Not quite the same really......

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I thought B&B showed power and range, esp. when she hits the A. I am not alone in that, even Tower agreed with me

That's nice. Her renditions of that song so far this year have been spotty. Sometimes she tries, other times she doesn't; most likely due to not being able to hit all the notes because she's so weak vocally from the damage she's done to her voice. These past few years, she has had a pattern of starting out strong for a few early shows and then getting weaker, turning into a burnt out husk of her already burnt out husk of her former self (copyright: Sparky ). It hasn't been the same since Enchanted for me.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

But, I do agree that she rarely uses it and that pisses me off a little, esp. since 2000 - TISL was painful to listen to though I give her leave while she was sick, but the rest of it was as well, esp, SDMHA

It was painful and she didn't seem to care. Like I said, something left her voice during that time and I don't think it'll ever return. I'm not a big fan of it since then.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by dissention

So is Stevie's, yet people still fall head over heels for her progressively weak voice. It's all a matter of personal taste. As Victoria said, I prefer his more masculine sounding voice to his balls-being-tweaked voice from the seventies. He has more power to his voice than he did back then and I think it's changed for the better. Sure, he hits lots of bum notes and sometimes screams too much, but rock music isn't meant to be perfect. Unlike Stevie, he still has enough vocal stamina and control to be able to belt out tunes like a rock star, imo.

OK I JUST saw Stevie belt tunes out like a rock star less then 2 weeks ago. The Edge wail is currently like 15 seconds long. add to that her covering Rock and Roll. Hell thats the definition of belting like a rock star. And then there's Fall From Grace and Outside the Rain.. And then there's Circle Dance, which isnt rocking but really freaking shows how good her voice is currently.I think Stevie can belt like a rock star currently better then Lindsey. Lindsey makes up for it big time with his guitar playing, and overall rock antics, so I'd say he might win the battle over all, be Stevie sings Lindsey under the table with Edge of 17 and Fall From Grace compared to Go Your Own Way and Im So Afraid.

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Roger Daltrey has an amazing voice in my opinion In fact I'd go as far to say it's one of THE rock voices.

I've never forgiven him for doing that music video in bed with Barbra. Enough said.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

I think Lindsey's voice was best in the 70s. I love it on Without A Leg To Stand On, Blue Letter, and Crystal. I like the OOTC songs as well, but I prefer the early vocals.

- Jake

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by madformac

Roger Daltrey sang very well at Live 8, in fact he was a revelation to me because I expected the massacre he performed at the 9/11 gig. All I'm saying is he doesn't have a great range for a singer. Then again, in a rock band like The Who it doesn't really matter due to the type of music they play anyway.

As for Lindsey, I'm sorry but I don't know how you can say Lindsey is singing better now than before. His vocal range is now so limited.

In my earlier post I talked about how a singer's range doesn't necessarily make them a better singer in my eyes.
Look at Marianne Faithful for instance. She had a better range in her youth, with her angelic girly voice but I'd take her world-weary smokey croak of Broken English any day.

Range means nothing to me. Celine Dion has range, but I'd prefer Lou Reed's speak-sing, Roger Daltry's passion or Neil Young's slightly-out of tune sweetness any day.

As for Lindsey, I just prefer his deeper voice now. I don't care that he hasn't got the range any more.

[mylittledemon]

Lindsey and Stevie HAVE lost a lot of their range, period. There is no disputing that. That happens with age. It's whether or not they can still use what they have presentably that is the question. They can still pull off making records, and doing live shows, without all of us out in the audience cringing.

[madformac]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

In my earlier post I talked about how a singer's range doesn't necessarily make them a better singer in my eyes......

Range means nothing to me....


As for Lindsey, I just prefer his deeper voice now. I don't care that he hasn't got the range any more.

The point is that Lou Reed, Dylan, even Daltrey write and sing songs that suit their voices. OK, they don't have the range but at least I assume they know it because the songs are suited....

Lindsey is trying to sing the songs as he used to. Now his range has decreased he should adapt the songs to his voice and he isn't doing so. Which is why you get the strained vocals.. I'm sure he could get some of his range back with coaching. The greater his range the more tools he has to use. The more tools an artist has, the more they can improvise in theory..