Rank Axl's Live Vocals Over The Years

[D-GenerationX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCe8C0Cz6-w

Came across this the other night.  It's snippets of 'Nightrain' taken from his entire career, showing the changes.

The clips are from : 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014

So, listening to the clips, what would your top 3 be, in order?  I would go :

1) 1992
2) 1988
3) 2006

I hear people say they think his voice was shot in 1992, but I just could not disagree more.  I don't find it as scratchy as it was in 1991, for example.

1988 is good and raw, and always holds a special place to me because that's when you first got to know him.

2006 is just great. That's actually how I found this vid, looking for 2006 clips.  He has some of that trademark rasp, but has better overall range than the old days, I think.

The less said about 2011 onwards, the better, I think.  Not sure what the hell happened there.   

[kaasupoltin]

Judging by the clips I'd put it this way:

1) 1992
2) 1991
3) 2006

But I don't think this comparison is really fair with only one song and a limited amount of film/audio material used For example in the early 1992 Axl's voice was really shot, and sometimes it sounded like he couldn't even manage to finish the show. 1993 on the other hand is really underrated in my opinion, probably partly because it's lacking pro shot and soundboard material, but Axl sounded great throughout the year. So, judging by listening to the bootlegs from all these years, I'd put my list this way:

1) 1993
2) The second half of 1992
3) 2006.. or 1991.. or.. hmmm.. it's hard.

[JAEBALL]

I didn't realize it at the time maybe, but 2006 was the best I have heard Axl... Rock AM Ring in Germany

the energy he had, the pitch, the "rasp"... he just nailed that whole show

so ill go 1. 2006 2. 1992 3.1988

[D-GenerationX]

I've been listening to that 2006 Rock Am Ring concert pretty religiously the past week or so.  Great, great show.

[D-GenerationX]

Judging by the clips I'd put it this way:

1) 1992
2) 1991
3) 2006

But I don't think this comparison is really fair with only one song and a limited amount of film/audio material used For example in the early 1992 Axl's voice was really shot, and sometimes it sounded like he couldn't even manage to finish the show. 1993 on the other hand is really underrated in my opinion, probably partly because it's lacking pro shot and soundboard material, but Axl sounded great throughout the year. So, judging by listening to the bootlegs from all these years, I'd put my list this way:

1) 1993
2) The second half of 1992
3) 2006.. or 1991.. or.. hmmm.. it's hard.

1993 is pretty solid.  That 7.16.93 concert is awesome.

1991 I think has the best setlists, but the voice is pretty ragged.  As amazing as that setlist is from 8.3.91, you can hear even from the so-so quality bootleg we have that he's voice is pretty shredded. 

[nick6sic6]

I'll put 2006 first because i was front row in 2 shows and witnessed the raw,high-pitched,screaming bloody murder voice and I get chills now just thinking that...
1988 next,
and 1993.

[D-GenerationX]

I'll put 2006 first because i was front row in 2 shows and witnessed the raw,high-pitched,screaming bloody murder voice and I get chills now just thinking that...
1988 next,
and 1993.

Wish like hell I could have caught that tour, but he never came around here.

I didn't get there until 2011, and...not quite the same.

[nick6sic6]

Around here is ?
I can see droping demanding songs vocally,like you could be mine,nightrain...years later.
Purple last played child in time in 1995...
His voice is still holding pretty good i think.Just don't include in future setlists garden of eden 

[D-GenerationX]

Around here is ?
I can see droping demanding songs vocally,like you could be mine,nightrain...years later.
Purple last played child in time in 1995...
His voice is still holding pretty good i think.Just don't include in future setlists garden of eden 

Philly didn't get a show in 2006 after the 2002 no show. 

But we didn't even get one in South Jersey, which is where I eventually saw them in 2011.

[kaasupoltin]

1991 I think has the best setlists, but the voice is pretty ragged.  As amazing as that setlist is from 8.3.91, you can hear even from the so-so quality bootleg we have that he's voice is pretty shredded. 

I don't think his voice was that bad in 1991, or at least not as bad as it was sometime during the 1992 tour. It was different for sure, but so was the sound of the whole band too. But again, it's hard to rank this stuff by the years, because Axl's voice might have been bad one day and the next day it was pure magic.