I have always been a Stones fan but have been amazed at the quality of Jagger's voice on CD as time has passed. He was at his best on the first album of the Stones and was brilliant on certain songs of A Bigger Bang, notably Laugh, I Nearly Died.

Between those two CD's, however, his voice has ranged from terrible, to mediocre, to puzzling, and back to incredible again. His voice changed to meet the demands of Everything is Turning to Gold, for instance, and then changed again for Some Girls. He screamed the lyrics to most of the songs of Exile, making it impossible to understand the lyrics, some of which were intelligent but totally unintelligible. I guess, with Jagger, one must expect the unexpected.

Anybody else have any observations?

His live vocals are very poor now. SAL is proof of that. Why they released that I'll never know. The growl and ebergy are gone from live shows. Listen to Urban Steels videos of the Chicago '97 show. Great vocals on that one!

Actually I don't think Jagger screams on all of EOMS. He sings very loud and raunchy on Rip This Joint in particular, but doesn't scream. He has a few moments where he gives a catcall type scream, like on Let it Loose "I aint in love I ain't in luck..." and after that line he does his passionate wail. But I don't think he screams his way throuhg EOMS, on the contrary, he is using his voice like an instrument, and one of the best album of Jagger consistently singing at his best!
I do know a lot of posters aren't happy with his voice now, but I disagree. I think he has aged into his voice well and he actually is more disciplined now with his singing and more consistant. However, I do miss the Jagger growl and his high pitched wail...

His voice grows inreasingly nasally as the years go on. I can't bare to listen to much of SAL because of the problem. "Honky Tonk Woman" was like nails on a blackboard on the last tour.

Totally disagree Justin, actually it is the oposite, he is singing more from his diaphram than his nose, hence he doesn't growl like he used to. He is all about singing from the lungs and diaphram now.

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whitem8
Totally disagree Justin, actually it is the oposite, he is singing more from his diaphram than his nose, hence he doesn't growl like he used to. He is all about singing from the lungs and diaphram now.

and maybe that why its so terrible now. Or maybe its just his emphasis on different words and accents on them; whatever it is, I can't take it, sounds so phony.

Also, I never thought he screamed though Exile, always thought that it was his best vocal performance . . .

Jaggers latest brilliant studiosinging/voice is from ALFIE, and even a couple of numbers from ABB just as Streets imo...and who can sings well jumpin around at stage age 65 is my brand new question?

Jagger's voice has seriously declined in more recent years. I think Laugh, I Nearly Died is an example of where Jagger's vocals actually hinder the effectiveness of the song because they are too heavy handed in places. Jagger has become noticeably nasally of late and he does have a habit of overaccentating the lyrics which becomes irritating. He's lost his vitality. His voice is now lower and at the same time much thinner. The first time i noticed the start of this decline was on Voodoo Lounge and since then he's deteriorated quite dramatically. Many of the Stones popular songs do require a scream type vocal which Jagger can no longer deliver. His youthful vocals were just so important to the effectiveness of the songs when the Stones were at their peak.

I thought Voodoo lounge was when his voice got good again. Actually Wandering Spirit. Gone were the over the top effects of the 80s. Singing and doing the show he does live require some compromise, but I think he's gotten better. My least favorite versions of his live voice are the 81 tour and the Steel Wheels tour. I was twelve when I first saw the Steel Wheels concert they showed on Fox, and I thought he was battling a terrible sore throat cause his voice sounded so deep. I still watched it over and over til I wore the tape out though.

[www.non-filters.com]

He lost a bit of his punch, yeah. But at the same time he actually learned how to sing, so in many ways he's singing much better today. I prefer the raw, untrained Jagger myself, but on records he still is able to sound raw and vital, imo.

Jaggers problem is overacting, I guess. In my view his voice sounds best when he just let's go a little bit and a leaves enough room for spontaneity. Maybe his vocals on Exile are especially strong because he managed just the right mix between experience and youthful "fire" on that record. His yelps and sighs came from the heart, much different from nowadays when every note and nuance seems conceived (like some overacting Shakespeare figure). Admitted, being 63 years old he has to use his voice a little more considered but still I'm sure that a little pinch of improvisation between the lines would work wonders.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-04-08 13:41 by Greenblues.

I should not have stated earlier that Jagger screams the lyrics of the EOMS songs. He is always passionate. It just seems a shame that he and Richards spent so much time writing the smart lyrics and nice melodies, and the average fan, including myself, cannot understand a word of what he is singing.

I suppose I would rather have more passion and feeling over the ability to hear and understand what he is singing.

whereas some may regard jagger's vocals on Laugh, I Nearly Died as brilliant, others like me find his vocals on that song rendering it unlistenable....to each his own....in general, it's pretty obvious to me that his vocal prowess and power has eroded dramatically over the years...

<Jaggers problem is overacting>

Also his strength, imo.

Laugh, I Nearly Died has a GREAT vocal track. It Won't Take Long is right up there as well.

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DandelionPowderman
<Jaggers problem is overacting>

Also his strength, imo.

Haha, yeah, I second that, because acting has always been a key ingredient of the Jagger persona. So it all comes down to the right dose, I guess.

But, honestly, just look at the cover of "Wandering Spirit" - such a fine album - and tell me, if the man on the bed is looking like a cool, relaxed rock star who just recorded the best solo album of his career. Quite the opposite, I guess. Every muscle seems to be flexed to the max - working hard to give us the unstoppable youthful JAGGER. Eight years earlier, on a strikingly similar cover shot, at least there was some irony and fun left. Mick, Dorian Gray is looming.I guess you should stop posing like this, because otherwise you'll end up just like that fitness trainer on the Dirty Work inner sleeve ;-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-04-10 02:47 by Greenblues.

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Greenblues

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DandelionPowderman
<Jaggers problem is overacting>

Also his strength, imo.

Haha, yeah, I second that, because acting has always a key ingredient of the Jagger persona. So it all comes down to the right dose, I guess.

But, honestly, just look at the cover of "Wandering Spirit" - such a fine album - and tell me, if the man on the bed is looking like a cool, relaxed rock star who just recorded the best solo album of his career. Quite the opposite, I guess. Every muscle seems to be flexed to the max - working hard to give us the unstoppable youthful JAGGER. Eight years earlier, on a strikingly similar cover shot, at least there was some irony and fun left. Mick, Dorian Gray is looming.I guess you should stop posing like this, because otherwise you'll end up just like that fitness trainer on the Dirty Work inner sleeve ;-)

Actually, some nine yeers later Mick re-found the irony button again, or how should we interpret the thin-ass Elvis pose here:




- Doxa

God! Ass in the doorway...

I can't believe the vast differences of opinion on Mick's vocal performances; I think that EXILE, especially Let It Loose shows him at his very best. I don't think he screams his way through this cd at all. I think some may confuse the passion for screaming but over all, this is Jagger at his peak...IMO. I love Goddess, I love the Alfie soundtrack, and I think Laugh, I Almost Died is brilliant. I also love the Mick who sang Worried About You!! He has many different voices and to not recognize this I think discredits his abilities.

Still today there are times when Jagger just forgets, for gets to over emote, and lets it rip; that is when he is still best. Like "It won't be long", "She saw me coming". I came to dislike LIND a good bit; more for the lyrics than the vocals.
But Exile, Goats Head Soup are Jagger's best. He might have done his best singing on GHS.

Mick is a brilliant vocalist period. I watched the American Idol show that featured the Stones music and it quickly became apparent that Mick is very unique (I've always known that but needed a little affirmation). Other people trying to do his songs just does not work. He has the voice and the attitude to put these songs across in very original and effective way that others don't have. Don't get me wrong there are better SINGERS than Mick Jagger but maybe no better singers in rock bands. That said for me here is my personal takes on Mick' various phases:
Early days 62-65 this my favorite period on record I love his vocals on songs like Confessin' the Blues and Route 66. When Satisfaction came out he just took himself to another level the sneer of that song is brilliant
1966 upto IORR is all done well
1975-76 - Went from great to just horrid live. He was fine on Black and Blue I just don't like thise two tours on the slower tunes he was ok but the rockers the lyrics are not audible at times and he sounds like he is coked out.
1978-1983 - He bounce back nicely. On Some Girls he is awesome!! Live singing is spotty but overall much better than 75-76.
1985-1988 - Seemed like he wanted out of the Stones and not to beat on Dirty Work again but had Mick paid more attention to that album it would have been much better. Hold Back is in my opinion his worst vocal ever! She's the Boss and Primitive Cool are just crappy albums but hey give him props for trying not to sound like the Stones.
Later career - He has gotten nasally live but I think to some degree up until the last tour his singing was better than in the 70's at least more consistent. One word about Wandering Spirit that album is brilliant and has great vocals it was almost like Mick was not trying to produce a hit and it came out much better.

Also is falsetto is really good.

One of the best singer/entertainers/songwriters ever. His reputation would be better if the Stones had kept producing great albums but Tattoo You was the last one and that was damn near thirty years ago!

Long live Mick!

Overacting is the right word, I would say Mick..... let it loose

Alway's wonder how his real voice would sound

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NICOS
Overacting is the right word, I would say Mick..... let it loose

Alway's wonder how his real voice would sound

I think "Love in Vain" from YA-YA'S is pretty close to that. Over-all I think 1969 tour is as close as one can get Mick singing with the natural tone of his voice.

Also the original studio version of "Wild Horses" - made during that particular tour, by the way - is also a voice without "tricks". It is interesting to compare it to the 1995 STRIPPED version that has all possible Jagger manouvres in it.

- Doxa

Thanks - Doxa I know when Mick use his own natural voice in the past but I was speaking about the last 10 years or so.

About his natural voice of the past I think some tunes from Between the Buttons are one of them

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Yeah, AFTERMATH too - especially "Lady Jane". In fact, the vocals through GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT! (the US album) are rushed through without a second thought and Jagger's natural voice comes nicely through.

- Doxa

for me overacting is the right word too. i think in the last years he sounds better when the stones are rehearsing. the first shows of a tour are better too because he tries to find the right tone. street fighting man from boston 2002 is such a fine example. or the bonus documentary on shine a light when mick and keith share the vocals on connection. that sounds so great.

Nobody has ever sounded like Mick. No one can. Mick jagger has been and still is the greatest of all time.