I find Prince on the whole pretty much sounds the same as he always has on his 2000s records, especially his falsetto which remains as silky smooth as ever (ie., FBM). However, there is a slightly more nasal and weak quality to his voice since the at least the 90s and I don't know whether to chalk it up to his voice itself or microphone/recording techniques.

Take Lion of Judah for instance. His voice sounds strained and weak in many spots and his range seems really limited (for example, he switches from his normal regsiter to falsetto to hit the same notes he just hit on the previous melody line). However, this could be an intentional vocal style for this particular song, who knows.

Anyone else notice a decline in Prince's vocal ability in the last 7 years?

I would have somewhat agreed with ya if not for the performances I witnessed on 7/7/7...most notably first ave. His voice was INSANELY perfect that night. It was freaking me the f**k out. He sounded as if he was a hungry twenty-something again. So don't worry, his voice is definitely still there. If I didn't know he was knee-deep in Jehova I woulda swore he made a deal with the Debbil
[Edited 7/16/07 11:30am]

Sorry,don't c a difference. That voice is as mesmorizing as ever!

The last time i heard him he sounded so good it was unbelivable I just stood there thinking "his voice sounds incredible!". he was dead on that night.

internationallover2004 said:

It's a style of singing that he does, and I never liked it. It first popped up on "Condition of the Heart." One day my mother heard that song and she said, "Who is that? It sounds awful! Sounds like an old lady trying to sing." More recently this same vocal style appeared all over The Truth album and now on a couple of the Planet Earth tracks. Take it or leave it? I could really do without it. Hopefully we get some good live versions tho.
[Edited 7/16/07 12:01pm]

Everybody's a critic. Can you sing?

If and i say if he did lose any of his fire, he more than made up for it by becoming a truly great singer, something which I don't believe could be said about him 20 years ago. I mean that he was truly in the class of the greats as a singer. Now, there can be no question.

My personal opinion is that Prince seems to have growth a lot as a LIVE singer.

I mean, look at live material from the eighties and eighties, and he often sounds forced, or reluctant to hit certain notes.

What i have heard and seen from in when it comes to live-appearances this century, is a lot better. It seems like he has a more full baritone voice nowadays (maybe a result him growing older), and who knows... maybe he has taken singing lessons.

OP, i agree with you that he is not giving it all anymore on record these days, but live i see a surprising growth.

Snap said:

I hate it to..
[Edited 7/16/07 16:30pm]

I think we're really friggin 'lucky' that not only has he maintained his range and the overall quality and tone of his voice, including for use throughout long shows and after-shows and not just in studio but that in some respects it is now even better and he is without doubt a better singer technically.

Part of the reason his voice is maintained is his lifestyle. The lack of boozing, cigarettes and bad food will help no end but there's more to it than that. Jon Bon Jovi is in his early 40's and his voice is shot to pieces, no range and depth left at all, despite being a relatively clean-living rocker, bar a few cigarettes. Then take e.g. Steven Tyler, a guy in his late 50's who has hoovered so much drugs, drank so much liquor, smoked so much fags and screamed the hell out of his chors for years and he can still sing a note for note perfect version of 'Dream On', including the insane banshee screeching at the end, 30 years on.

It's down to genes as well I guess.Dylan and McCartney are he same age. Dylan's voice is utterly shredded (though really cool sometimes) whilst McCartney's isn't much different than 20 years ago.