but i still like the new music overall. its sounds like he is straining his cords too much. thoughts?

See if U can hitch a ride in a spiffy De Lorean to take ya back there.

i would like to experience the 80s and the 60s.

dazedawhile said:

Good luck with findin a time machine then!
Just listen to his music from those yrs,
cause dude's voice has changed abit, plus he's gettin older.

The reason his voice does not sound as good on the new albums is his use of autotune (I think I remembered the name of the effect right, feel free to correct if wrong). This effect should be used only for those who can't stay in tune without it (Prince obviously does not need it). I much prefer the vocal effects he achieved with the analog equipment he was using in the 80's... Take away all the effects, though, and his voice is still the best out there!

Nothing wrong in saying so.

It's just age you know.

Listen again. It's so much better now

WTF?

His voice is much better now

Gets Better With Time

Sounds the same to me. If anything, it's A LOT more nasal now

since 1996 he has been doing much more forced, mannered phrasing when he uses his falsetto. check it out. it almost sounds like he's doing baby talk.
[Edited 5/3/09 13:40pm]

stanleylieber said:

What would be a specific example of this?

Accujack said:

The way he sings the line "why should I care" in the song 'Wasted Kisses,' from New Power Soul.

This peculiar enunciation has increasingly dominated his singing. I don't really know how to describe it with words. It almost sounds like the voice exercises actors do, or a warm-up technique you would be taught by a voice coach. Only he's doing it as a singing style. I started noticing in on Emancipation, but it feels more and more noticeable with each new album.

Prince has always put on a lot of different voices. Back in the early '80s he did a fake English accent. Of course everyone knows his James Brow/Morris Day voice. This could just be down to personal taste, but I really don't care for the one I'm describing above. It just sounds overly saccharine and self-conscious. Unfortunately, Prince now seems to find it necessary to use it on almost all of his "love" songs. Check out '4Ever' and 'All The Midnights In The World' for two more examples. He uses it almost exclusively on the piano album One Nite Alone (much of which I do like). He's singing entire songs with the same enunciation he used to say "it's not fair" in the song 'The Dance' from 3121.

Sometimes I think it works. 'Somewhere Here On Earth' kind of straddles the line -- which can be a good thing! The song 'Planet Earth' is sung mostly in his lower register, but still seems to almost compulsively adopt the overwrought phrasing. Still, I think it comes across relatively well. 'Elixir' would be a prime example of what I don't like about this singing style, except I think it balances well with the rest of the song.

To me it sounds like he's kind of strangling on his own voice. It's not always a pleasant listening experience.

The above is not meant as a dis.

as long as he doesn't start sounding like Phillip Bailey or Ron Isley all is well with the world.


he will know when to stop using certain notes just like he knew when to stop extreme dancing.This is why it's good for him to perform when HE likes to reduce
vocal damage.

To me he sounds great.... The only time I ever said wth is ON THE COUCH

Prince did a lot of screaming in the 80's, but he always could sing, you know reach those impossible notes. I think he sounds just as good today especially on the slow stuff.

It sounds better without auto-tune, if that's what you mean.

utopia7 said:

...Or Issac Hayes.

utopia7 said:

As I recall that one has some of the weird enunciation too. It's clear he's doing it on purpose, I just can't figure out why.

I do understand some people like it.

Ummm... I say he's gotten better

Listen to his falsetto in "Somewhere here on Earth" compared to the early albums and tell me that's not proof its [his falsetto] gotten better

and over time, his natural voice has improved, especially since he was relucant to use it early in his career... once he started using it and working with it more, it also improved.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Somewhere Here On Earth the vocal layering is gorgeous and vulnerable.!

On the subject of strange enunciation, though I will admit the voice he uses on 'The Morning After' does irritate me a little.

I've seen this expressed before and I don't really see it at all. To my ears, Princes voice has always (intentionally) sounded strained in the higher register. And as far as I can tell, the range in which that kicks in also hasn't changed.

What has changed, is how that strained sound manifests. In the 80's it was a real gutteral scraping sound, which, if pushed, would turn into an almighty squeal (eg, Beautiful Ones). He really can't do that in the same way any more. He still screams, but it sounds closer to a gargle. For me, you can hear that progression right throughout the 90's albums.

His falsetto, however, has changed very little, in my opinion. It is just as likely to sound crystal clear, or appear to have cracks, now as it did 25 years ago. Listen to things like Scandalous or Rave, recorded 20 years ago, you'd swear that his falsetto was about to give out altogether! While 'Future Baby Mama', or 'Better With Time' sound as crisp and as clean as any other tracks.

I've mentioned this in another post before, but for me, Prince's greatest falsetto moment was on 'When the Lights Go Down. Having the control, variety, and expression to sing that low in his falsetto is breath taking. Always gets me.

He does still hit the notes. I don't think I've ever heard him miss.

stanleylieber said:

Even the YOU TRICKED ME part in I Luv U Bu Dont Trust U sounds good even though its bad.

xlr8r said:

See, that's one of the songs where he does the weird enunciation but I like it anyway.

I think that's one of his best songs after 1993.

dazedawhile said:

nope, sounds the same to me. His voice is hands down, my favorite male vocal out there, Stevie Wonder runs a very close second!

gravity said:

I will concur with your assessment of vocalist although I don't know why someone seems not to like Phillip Bailey or Ron Isley. Two of the greatest vocalist in the world but to each his own. But Prince is my favorite although I never put Stevie Wonder in any competition of any kind cause he is something other worldly with his abilities.

"Gotta broken heart again" @ the Aladdin...
Can somebody say O M G!!! Dem high notes went through the roof!

I think his voice is always dreamy mcdream muffin cakes with butter