Brian's vocal improvement between BW88 and In The Key of Disney

[Jim V.]

I agree with those who say the Gershwin album is the point where Brian really started to sound like his younger self again. A lot of the stuff on BWRG definitely sounds like the guy that sang "Please Let Me Wonder", just over 40 years older. Honestly, this is another reason why I want Brian to do a new Beach Boys album. Not to make Mike Love or Bruce Johnston happy, but to show to the world Brian Wilson is still a great singer. And lets be honest, the best way to get a lot of people to hear a new Brian Wilson vocal would be to release them via a new Beach Boys album, which I would bet probably would have much more commercial impact than BWRG or ITKOD.

As far as his '80s voice, well....its weird. Because he sounds really good on the verses "Heavenly Bodies", which I think is from '86 (?). Because he is singing in the calm tone he used on a lot of his better Beach Boys vocals. It's obvious that

And I've said this before, but I think it was the lack of the "classic Brian vocals" that hurt the group after Endless Summer. If he would have still had his "classic" voice on 15 Big Ones and Love You and so on, I think the band would have been much more commercially successful.  It's no coincidence that "Good Timin'" was a hit (with great Brian-type vocals by Carl or Bruce), along with "Getcha Back", which had Brian sounding like in the '60s and the early '70s.

[Wirestone]

It's arguably why "Your Imagination" was an adult contemporary hit. That falsetto sound still sells.

[phirnis]

Personally I don't hear him sounding much like his younger self on BWRG, in fact while listening to "The Like in I Love You" I can already picture the guy doing his trademark weird latter-day hand gestures. Of course the singing here is extraordinary for someone who did Orange Crate Art back in the 1990s but I have to admit I don't hear the same guy who did "Please Let Me Wonder" throughout the album. There was something predominantly sweet and (in a good way) naive about many of his 60s lead vocals (reaching an apex on Friends) and I think this was probably due to his overall personality then, which makes it downright impossible to reproduce it more than 40 years later. What I do hear on BWRG, however, is the man who did Imagination giving his best in order to sound convincing and sometimes even passionate. At certain points throughout his latter-day solo career that's been a highly enjoyable thing to witness (especially so in concert) but personally I prefer his gruff but soulful lead vocals from the Love You period.

[absinthe_boy]

Re: Autotune.  Can't autotune live vocals.  Surprisingly, Brian consistantly sings all this stuff pretty damn good in a live setting. 

Just a quick point on this. There are a number of ways you can auto tune a vocal live on the fly these days.

yes it can be done, and is. Just look at any of the X-Factor-Idol-Star type TV shows. They choose to autotune some acts live.

But Brian most certainly is not autotuned in a live setting. My ear can pick it out on a record, and I note it's use very occasionally. My best guess is that it is occasionally used on a duff part of an otherwise great take.

Using autotune for double tracked or 'wall of Brian' would result in a terrible "car horn" effect that would render the track unlistenable.

I get the idea that Brian is finally comfy with and using the voice that he has *now*. That's partially why he can pull off the Gershwin album live in its entirity. He arranged it around his current vocal abilities. He's not able to perform vocal gymnastics as he could 45 years ago...but he's still got a powerful voice - in terms of volume and emotion.

[adam78]

Not to say he uses it, but the thing about any auto tuning software, is the closer the original note was sung to the pitch intented, the less you'll hear auto tuning working. As well as a number of other factors you can decide on how much it affects. Its actually used a lot these days on great vocalists as a sweetner on already hit vocals. Obviously you could argue why bother then but in these cases, its actually near impossible to detect by ear, yet has still been run through the software.

As said, it's the duff notes that usually stand out as more is done to them to correct the pitch and thats where the dehumanised element comes in. Sorry, i'm bringing this off topic a little, but i'm really enjoying reading all your thoughts on his voice over the years.

[Roger Ryan]

Or Al, or Bruce, or Carl who all sound(ed) like an exact older version of themselves.

While Carl maintained a great voice throughout his career, I would not immediately recognize his vocals from the late 70s through the 90s as being from the same guy who sang "God Only Knows" in 1966.

[onkster]

Re his 70s "non-classic" vocal style: didn't he say something to the effect of, he wanted to sound more manly?

This seems to been something that bugged him for years--being "manly" sounding. He supposedly hates his vocal on "Let Him Run Wild" when it's pretty much perfection, and derided other high-range vocals as being "girly". When Murry died, he said it was "makin' a man outta me". And so on.

Am I overreading into things? Does it seem like somebody was bugging him about how he sounded? (Murry? Mike? Bueller?)

Lucky for us, I don't think he worries about that now...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I don't think you're overreacting, as Brian has gone on record as stating that he was trying to 'damage' his voice intentionally.

[tansen]

Personally I'd take BW's 1988 voice over his current any day, though that has to do with his increasingly slurred voice over the years. But I agree his tone has gotten better since his debut solo album.

[drbeachboy]

Personally I'd take BW's 1988 voice over his current any day, though that has to do with his increasingly slurred voice over the years. But I agree his tone has gotten better since his debut solo album.

Not me. His 88 voice is just grating to my ears. Even though I like much of the music, I rarely listen to it due to Brian's voice.

[Ron]

It works on some songs, I think he sounds great on "Melt Away".

[I. Spaceman]

I like his 1988 voice WAY more than his voice of the last 13 years.

[hypehat]

I don't know, the voice on OCA and the Paley sessions, which I know people dislike but I personally don't mind on the latter, isn't too far removed from that '88 voice. Still shouty, just with a nasally quality that isn't too appealing. His current voice is softer when used right, but the slurring - a side effect of singing out of the side of his mouth, maybe? - isn't good. I prefer the leads on the Gershwin record to much of the early solo career, though, especially when he nailed it all live.

[Jim V.]

I think the 1988 voice was good in parts, but I think it would have been better if he used his softer tone in more places. He shouted nearly everything back then. That would be like him using his "Heroes And Villains" voice on "Surf's Up" in 1966/1967. It just wouldn't work the right way. I think using the softer tone on stuff like "Love & Mercy" and "Melt Away" might have helped them do better commercial.

On his self titled album, I feel like that's the last time he sounded "younger" though. I think his vocals on OCA were just bad. He was the wrong singer for that album. And on IJWMFTT I liked his energetic approach on "This Whole World" and oddly enough he really kinda sounded like the 1971 BW on the lead for "'Til I Die", because his voice had that weird, Mickey Mouse-ish nasal quality that it had Sunflower and Surf's Up. On Imagination he just sounded, well, older (which he obviously was). He didn't have that youthful sound that I feel he retained even through the gruff 70's and the whiney/nasal '80s. But he did finally sound smooth again, which especially enjoyable on "Your Imagination", "She Said She Needs Me" and "Lay Down Burden".

His vocals on the "California Feelin'" remake from 2002 was horrendous. He just sounded so bad. I don't know why. I even like Rocky Pamplin on that song. But hopefully we'll hear a 1974 take on from him reasonably soon. 

I gotta say though, I don't believe that his vocals on BWPS are anything special. It especially bums me out on "Surf's Up", because that is where it's really apparent. But the album is still enjoyable to me.

I do think a turning point, vocally was, "What Love Can Do" and "God Only Knows", which I think were recorded in either '06 or '07. His best vocals since Imagination, nice and smooth. I felt like his vocals on TLOS weren't that great. I felt they were kinda rough. I thought his songwriting was at its strongest since his self titled album, and I thought the vocals on "Midnight's Another Day" was cool, but I thought the song was a weak attempt by his co-writer to try turn something that was originally an up tempo thing into "'Til I Die Part Deux".

BWRG he really stepped it up though, especially on the lighter, jazzy tunes. He sounded just as good, if not better than his Imagination days. But also around that time, he sounded like absolute horseshit on "Drivin'" from Al's solo album. You can tell when Brian doesn't give a sh*t about a vocal these days and I hear it on that song and "California Sun".

I feel like his vocals on the new Disney album are alright, but not half as good as the Gershwin album, and once again, I chalk this up to material. Because his cover of "Listen to Me" by Buddy Holly that was released recently is such a nice pure vocal that reminds me of the guy that sang "Please Let Me Wonder" (once again).

I think on this new Beach Boys album, it should be interesting. It likely will be mostly original material except for "Do It Again", and if really wants this album to be great, I think he will give some great performances. But if he is being pushed into it, and Mike and Bruce are annoying him, we might hear some half-ass stuff. However, with Joe Thomas at the boards, I gotta say I'm expecting vocals at least as good as Imagination's, if not better, along with some lovely Beach Boys harmonies. Maybe even have Al double some of Brian's lead and "thicken" them. Might sound cool. I just hope the music sounds more organic than Imagination.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I don't think he sounded that bad on 'Drivin'.  You know what was an absolute abortion? The remake of 'The Spirit of Rock & Roll'.

[Jim V.]

I don't think he sounded that bad on 'Drivin'.  You know what was an absolute abortion? The remake of 'The Spirit of Rock & Roll'.

You are right about "The Spirit of Rock & Roll" from Songs from Here & Back or whatever it's called. I remember when I bought that CD i was pleasantly surprised that he brought that one back, but yeah, it just didn't work out that well. Mike definitely had the best new song on that album. "Cool Head, Warm Heart" was surprisingly excellent, although I must say, the rest of his (never-released) recent album was almost uniform garbage.

And I think we will be able to tell how good Brian will sing on the new Beach Boys project after we hear the new "Do It Again" which I assume could possibly be released to go along with the Grammys maybe to stir up interest? Makes sense. Although since it makes sense, they probably won't do it. But anyways, I'm assuming he probably is singing the bridge that was by Carl on the original version, and I imagine he could really sound good on that if he wanted. So if he doesnt, uh oh.

[Keri]

I'm a fan of Brian as an artist, both his work with the Beach Boys and his solo career. I loved BW88 I agree his voice is unusual but I thought in later Beach Boys albums Brian's voice stood out and sounded strange, whereas when he sang nearly all the parts on 88 it created a Brian Wilson world that i still find great. A voice is an unusual instrument, in that it carries a lot of personality in it, a good actor doesn't necessarily have a pleasant voice but one that is expressive and distinctive, and there is a large element of  acting in singing. Brian still makes vocal tapestries he uses it musically but it is also unusual.

I do prefer Brian's studio singing especially when he sings multiple parts. I love Orange Crate Art, the song writing/arrangements are fantastic my favourite Van Dyke album along with Jump! But Brian's singing gives it an amazing colour.

I'm also in a minority as I love Brian's singing on GIOMH, i was really pleased that he did most of the vocals himself, it gave that album a really quirky and distinctive character.

But yeah on BWRG and ITKOD his voice seems to have gained a naturalness and ease, maybe it is slightly less quirky but he has plenty of quirk to spare.

[Ron]

I don't think he sounded that bad on 'Drivin'.  You know what was an absolute abortion? The remake of 'The Spirit of Rock & Roll'.

Yeah.  The original is better, and that's saying a lot because the vocals are pretty crappy on the original.  The best part of the remake is at the end when the music dies and they're doing the acapella harmonies. 

[Wirestone]

Personally I'd take BW's 1988 voice over his current any day, though that has to do with his increasingly slurred voice over the years. But I agree his tone has gotten better since his debut solo album.

That statement is just plain weird. I don't hear much slurring at all -- let alone increased slurring -- on the Gershwin or Disney records. Have you heard the albums?

I like his 1988 voice WAY more than his voice of the last 13 years.

The point of this thread is that his voice has improved over that time. His 2011 voice is quite a bit different than his 1998 voice. And WAY more? You realize he sings with approximately zero expressiveness for the entire '88 record?

I feel like his vocals on the new Disney album are alright, but not half as good as the Gershwin album, and once again, I chalk this up to material.

They're not as thought through or carefully crafted, perhaps, but I'd say they're definitely of a piece.

[b00ts]

Personally I'd take BW's 1988 voice over his current any day, though that has to do with his increasingly slurred voice over the years. But I agree his tone has gotten better since his debut solo album.

That statement is just plain weird. I don't hear much slurring at all -- let alone increased slurring -- on the Gershwin or Disney records. Have you heard the albums?

I like his 1988 voice WAY more than his voice of the last 13 years.

The point of this thread is that his voice has improved over that time. His 2011 voice is quite a bit different than his 1998 voice. And WAY more? You realize he sings with approximately zero expressiveness for the entire '88 record?

I feel like his vocals on the new Disney album are alright, but not half as good as the Gershwin album, and once again, I chalk this up to material.

They're not as thought through or carefully crafted, perhaps, but I'd say they're definitely of a piece.

Yes - Brian has been slurring much less than ever before in his solo career on BWRG and ITKOD. I made a playlist of songs from those two and TLOS, BWPS, and Imagination. Even on TLOS, Brian was slurring more than he has on these past two albums.

Ditto about the expressiveness. Love & Mercy on BW88 is practically shouted the entire time with little or no dynamic. The re-recording from the "Walking Down the Path of Life" charity single has a better vocal and arrangement (although it is trucated). Even "Live at the Roxy" has a better vocal than the original on BW88. The rest of the album is similar. Sweet Insanity found Brian singing more dynamically, if not with more nuance.

[I. Spaceman]

I like his 1988 voice WAY more than his voice of the last 13 years.

The point of this thread is that his voice has improved over that time. 

Yeah, and I disagree totally with that "point". Kthxbye.

[Jim V.]

I like his 1988 voice WAY more than his voice of the last 13 years.

The point of this thread is that his voice has improved over that time. 

Yeah, and I disagree totally with that "point". Kthxbye.

I can see why this fellow would say that. Even though his voice on the self-titled album is really shouty and not so much varied, it did have a certain kind of personality, which I find to be lacking in GIOMH, TLOS, and the Disney album. I felt BWPS and BWRG both largely sounded like Brian had a grip on the material and vocally was trying to give off a certain feeling, whereas on GIOMH he seemed like he was sleepwalking through a lot of the material. And especially on TLOS (where he was singing self-referential bullshit)* it kinda seemed at a lot of points like he was just reading lyrics off of a sheet a paper that Scott Bennett showed him for the first time before he stepped in the recording booth. Although I felt "Going Home" had personality, and a different kinda vocal from Brian.

*About the self referential b.s., I gotta say it's finally hit me that the sh*t about "turning off the light at 25" or whatever, and "hardly ever washing my face", blah blah blah, it seemed to be alluding to "the Brian Wilson story" which I think is lame, and I don't think Brian would have done otherwise. I think it's almost as lame as Mike still putting the words "fun fun fun" and "good vibrations" in Beach Boys songs from the '90s. It's cheesy and not clever. It's lame. And whoops, sorry for derailing, I just realized this is about vocals, not lyrics, hahah.

[Eric Aniversario]

Am I the only one who never got into BWRG?  I listened repeatedly and tried to make myself like it, but other than "The Like In I Love You" and "S'Wonderful", I don't really find much of it very intriguing, and some tracks are cringeworthy at times ("It Ain't Necessarily So").  I'll take ITKOD any day over BWRG.  As for OCA, I recognize that the lead vocals were not the best, but that's part of the charm...and the backup vocals seem pretty flawless throughout most of the album.  OCA still stands as my favorite BW album to date, even if he's just a vocalist on the album, and nothing else.

[tansen]

Personally I'd take BW's 1988 voice over his current any day, though that has to do with his increasingly slurred voice over the years. But I agree his tone has gotten better since his debut solo album.

That statement is just plain weird. I don't hear much slurring at all -- let alone increased slurring -- on the Gershwin or Disney records. Have you heard the albums?

I like his 1988 voice WAY more than his voice of the last 13 years.

The point of this thread is that his voice has improved over that time. His 2011 voice is quite a bit different than his 1998 voice. And WAY more? You realize he sings with approximately zero expressiveness for the entire '88 record?

I feel like his vocals on the new Disney album are alright, but not half as good as the Gershwin album, and once again, I chalk this up to material.

They're not as thought through or carefully crafted, perhaps, but I'd say they're definitely of a piece.

Right, so because you can't hear it, it isn't so right? *shrugs*
To my ears his slur has gotten worse by every subsequent albums. Like I sad in my first reply, his tone has gotten better, but that doesn't remove the slurring. Singing more and more out of the side of his mouth, his age are probably some of the reasons.

And your point is? I can't express that I prefer his 1988 voice over his current, just because the OP says otherwise? pft.
He definitely sings with more expressiveness on BWRG, and his tone is better than on his debut, but that doesn't make the record better, or his voice better for that matter.  It's a question of what the listener prefers. Oh, did I mention that I would also take his Love You/Adult Child -era voice over his current voice too?

And come on guy, get off your high horse, will ya.

[lance]

Whoa, I love It ain't necessarily so.
 
As for me, yeah, his vocals are less shouty and I like them that way myself. Actually, I like them both ways. I never hated BWRG but it took awhile to get into it. At one point I heard it and realized there was a LOT going on in the arrangments (at first the obvious shout outs to BW's past obscured all the other interesting touches for me.)

Sweet Insanity has grown on me in big, big ways. At one point I hated it.

 Um. I don't really have a point.