Axl recording session in London - UPD.: M. Schenker's UFO tribute album (ft. Axl and Slash) to be released on Sept. 20th

[Barlog]

2 hours ago, adamsapple said:

All those studio experts...sure they must know more than professional musicians who have done that shit for roundabout 50 years. You know better. They know nothing.

Are you even able to open up to an actual SONG anymore or do you just analyze everything technically before ever giving it an actual chance to reach you and see the bigger picture and context?

If you start complaining about the vocal production, listen to the entire arrangement. What else should he have done, given what he was being provided with in the first place here? You do understand he did not write this song himself, do you? And you do understand with how much respect he generally approaches covers, always has, do you? If he went all bells and whistles on this one, how could any producer fit it in that particular mix and not mess up the entire song? He went the pro route and still managed to put soul and emotion in there. He did alright, more than alright actually.

I understand you all want him to scream and shout with rasp and all, but this is not what this particular song and production required. If he sang like this in AC/DC you would have tons of points alright complaining, but his performance on Love To Love only shows his class, versatility and sensitivity as a singer.

I repeat myself here, but yeah, I actually do like it. It's a thousand times better than the crap vocals he did for Monsters or some bad nights on stage. If he sings like that on his own songs for a new GNR album I have no complaints as long as it suits the actual song. And in case of Love To Love, it does.

The Wall Of Cope

[situation]

Just listened to the song this morning and I don't love the song nor do I like the original song.  I thought Axl was going to sound terrible after reading some of the comments over the last few days but I thought he sounded fine... really it was the only part of the song I enjoyed was listening to him... but definitely a one and done song for me. 

[allwaystired]

17 minutes ago, vloors said:

If you listen to the rest of the album every other singer sounds natural with no vocal effects including the even older singers like dee snider.

Axl doesnt.

And from what we know Axl recorded the song and took the song for 2 to 3 months to tinker with on his own before handing it in to Michael S.  Crazy as this really is a very short vocal needed for that song.

Any shoddy vocal effects are by Axl/carams doing by Axl choice.

Ah ok. I've only listened to this song....so yeah, that's weird! 

Didn't know that about the 2/3 months time it took. The endless tinkering of stuff is pretty on brand for Axl/GNR really though so not surprised! 

[Stiven.DxN.10]

Just listened to this song because the leak video was unable in Greece😜

It's a song that I like and I was waiting impatiently to hear Axl's voice on it. Unfortunately the vocals are over produced (again) but he delivered a great performance -if the vocals were drier it would be even greater-. It will be very interesting to see him sing it live and I think it suits him so much that it will be equal to WL. 

[Blackstar]

“Axl is a perfectionist,” Schenker says in the new issue of Classic Rock. “He puts everything under the microscope. He was not happy with his performance on Too Hot To Handle and Only You Can Rock Me, but he did such a great version of Love To Love.

“He would go back into the studio and do something else: ‘It’s not right yet, it’s not right yet!’ We waited and waited, and eventually, he got it. It’s a really good song for Axl to sing."

https://www.loudersound.com/news/michaerl-schenker-axl-rose-love-to-love

[Axeli]

I like the song and also Axl's voice. But my first thoughts was also that there is something done to his voice. Not much, but there is something. Been listening the song whole day and its growing. Also nice guitars and whole song is 3/5 for me. 

When Axl was in studio last time? 2008? 

[Appetitefordiscussion]

Stuck in my head even tho I didn’t think I’d listen to it more than once or twice. 
 

the ending vocal part is definitely cool to hear. I think this proves gnr could release an album (most definitely not to the caliber of Chinese) but I’d bet he’d sound great if they tracked an album full of mid range register songs like Sorry or Bad Obsession 

[TrixAreForKids]

His vocals have that Madagascar feel to it. Love it!

[there is no dana only zool]

My review: I think Axl's vocals are fantastic and I love them.  Also I thought the instrumentation, which gave me a very "worldly" & eclectic feel at times and reminded me of If the World seemed perfect for/and unsurprising as for why Axl chose this track.  Also, I found it interesting to hear Axl on a song with that kind of "off-beat" drum thing sometimes heard in prog.  The music itself reminded me occasionally of newer Maiden.   Finally, if one of the goals of a good song is to trigger emotion, then it did because I found it kinda sad, bringing to mind areas of my own life unsatisfactory at the moment.   To cure that feeling after the song was done, I immediately switched over to Wicker Man, Maiden, and blasted it as loudly as it could go. 

 

Final verdict: I love the song and Axl's vocals but probably won't return to it very soon, simply cuz it hits a little too deeply. 

[--DEA--]

I love every minute of it and Axl on top of that. No words! ❤️❤️💯

[BillConnor_1982]

One of the best songs I’ve heard in nearly 10 years. Added it to my iTunes as a bonus track for Use Your Illusion II.  this is how the album should’ve ended decades ago. Axl is back! Chinese Democracy starts now!

[Cruel Intentions]

I think the song is fine. It pretty much sounds like what I'd expect 2021-2024 Axl to sound like in a recording studio with the vocals touched up. Not that it matters anyway, since we're never getting any new GNR studio sessions, but this just shows he could still record new vocals for an album and it would sound good. No one is going to mistake his vocals for early GNR, but a new album wouldn't need to have the same sound anyway if he truly wanted to make new music (he doesn't). 

[rocknroll41]

1 hour ago, Axeli said:

I like the song and also Axl's voice. But my first thoughts was also that there is something done to his voice. Not much, but there is something. Been listening the song whole day and its growing. Also nice guitars and whole song is 3/5 for me. 

When Axl was in studio last time? 2008? 

He was in a studio twice in 2017 (once for Rock The Rock and once for Children of the Revolution).

Before that, as far as we know, the last time he recorded vocals was in 2007, yes. He recorded a song with Ashba, during his time in the band, but it’s never been clarified whether or not that song has vocals. There’s also a pic of Pitman in Axl’s home studio in 2015, but they coulda just been tinkering with old stuff, rather than recording anything new.

Edited 16 hours ago by rocknroll41

[6lake sa66ath]

Big fan of the original UFO track and you can totally hear why this would cater to Axl’s sensibilities.

After a number of re-listens it ticks the box for me and particularly that outro which managed to do the old neck hair raising so that’s a a good track in my book.

[pbj_jam]

This is bad, even for the fatman's standards and to top it all off, someone had to mention the classic how much of a perfectionist he is. Thankfuly its so bland and dull that it shouldn't offend anyone, yawn.

[tboneman]

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAJcOyxvZDJ/?igsh=MXQ3bXM0bHFoZjJxeQ==

Melissa produced Axl's vocals on this release according to her. She also played the strings and did the orchestration. 

Edited 16 hours ago by tboneman

[gnfr20179]

20 minutes ago, tboneman said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAJcOyxvZDJ/?igsh=MXQ3bXM0bHFoZjJxeQ==

Melissa produced Axl's vocals on this release according to her. She also played the strings and did the orchestration. 

Being as the song is growing on me, I think she did a great job, and Axl too of course.

[El Guapo]

I like the song a lot and it's totally something I can picture young Axl listening to.

To say something positive - in Axl's take, I can still hear the emotion in Axl's voice. Tone aside, that's what I always loved about his singing, real emotions.

[Rindmelon]

6 hours ago, adamsapple said:

All those studio experts...sure they must know more than professional musicians who have done that shit for roundabout 50 years. You know better.

Nobody is claiming they are musically at the level of GNR or any of it's members.  

6 hours ago, adamsapple said:

They know nothing.

tautology?

6 hours ago, adamsapple said:

Are you even able to open up to an actual SONG anymore or do you just analyze everything technically before ever giving it an actual chance to reach you and see the bigger picture and context?

Yes, but when it's the first recorded vocals on a song for years and years by Axl and GN'R is your favorite band it shouldn't be surprising that people are going to give there views on how it sounds.

6 hours ago, adamsapple said:

If you start complaining about the vocal production, listen to the entire arrangement. What else should he have done, given what he was being provided with in the first place here? You do understand he did not write this song himself, do you?

Has anyone here pretended it's a song he wrote? If people like it then that's great, that doesn't bother me, why would it?. What I don't understand is why people like you get so clearly worked up and triggered by people not liking something you do. Why would it matter to you?

6 hours ago, adamsapple said:

I understand you all want him to scream and shout with rasp and all, but this is not what this particular song and production required.

I agree, full blown rasp and screaming would not have worked for this at all. But the vocals still sound processed to me and apparently others as well..

As you were.

[Gunner55]

Maybe I should listen to the original to have some kind of comparison, but I dunno. UFO has never really been my thing. 

I mean, I think Axl sounds fine. Definitely older, but maybe just going with the tone of the song? I dunno, I should probably listen to the original for comparisons sake haha

I don't think Axl sounds bad by any means on the track. It's definitely nice to hear something new from him. I probably won't be coming back to this song frequently but that's if no fault of his. 

[Sisyphus]

I'm not familiar with UFO's songs but my very first impression upon hearing this was RIP Axl's voice. It's over. 

[Ratam]

I like Axl mellow singing, pit long intro and short Axl singing, it seem like two separate  songs. And MS is an great guitar player too.  

Edited 14 hours ago by Ratam
Error

[6lake sa66ath]

If you haven’t even listened to the original at least start there before going all in on your opinion of Axl’s rendition I would say. 

[drlaban]

The effect/processing makes it sound like a recording from the 70’s. Probably as intended. 

[Ratam]

12 minutes ago, Ratam said:

I like Axl mellow singing, pit long intro and short Axl singing, it seem like two separate  songs. And MS is an great guitar player too.  

Pity long intro