DCJ wrote:
BF's vocal styling definitely evolved during his career. I think his efforts on the first Roxy Album sound strained and thin, especially compared to what soon followed. Virginia Plain has vocals that sound comfortable and perfectly suited to the song. From FYP through Siren he was in fine form in the studio although live recordings could be a bit variable in that era.
Something was a bit askew in the mid-late 70s and he doesn't sound all that great in the Japanese TV video from the In Your Mind tour. OK but not strong. My sense is that his "both ends burning" lifestyle took a toll during this era. But he definitely bounced back in the 80s and through Mamouna in the 90s he was in great form. I know some people are big fans of ATGB but find this album to be a tough listen because of his raspy voice. It just doesn't sound good IMHO. Others disagree. Fair enough.
I'm a big fan of the Live 2001 Roxy album, although there are a few songs that remind me that the years had not passed without affect in regard to BF's voice. For example, OOTB sounds great instrumentally but the vocals have a slightly nasal quality that don't compare well with the original (but the live version of Oh Yeah recorded in Detroit is superb in my estimation)
The other day in my youtube ramblings I clicked on a live version of Baby Blue from the Frantic tour and was struck by how strong BF's voice was compared to recent gigs. Very fulsome and no sandpaper effect.
It's sobering to look back on 2002 and think, wow, those were the good old days...
Dear DCJ
Ditto.
On every observation, the views in your post coincide with my own NSHO on BF's voice. For better and worse. Except that I love the thin and strained first Roxy voice(s)....my favourite vocals of all time, actually
Dear Windswept
Of course you too are correct!!! We should have something - well mixed, ideally official/public of good quality to showcase the two interesting recent outings. I can't wait to hear a bootleg of the stringy stuff in Dublin to complement the excellent Tollwood material, to which someone graciously pointed/linked me recently.
