A post in another thread made me think about this: When was Bowie strongest vocally? Or is he now? Personally, I think STS was a high point, the vocals are so perfect. He obviously is voice is a lot better now then, let's say in the mid-90s, but could he pull of Scary Monsters songs like back then?

I'd love to read some comments on this from old Bowie-geeks!

I'm not a Bowie expert, but when I saw him play last year I was impressed with the control over his voice, and in particular his ability to change to past styles. I think there's a fair element of control in how he sings, rather than singing to a style because that's the best he can manage.

i think bowie's voice just keeps getting better and better and better with time. with all the ciggies he's huffed over the decades, he shouldn't sound so amazing, but he just does. his pipes on the reality DVD just freak me out - he can turn that croon on and off like he's getting a glass of water.

On record, he's always been great. There are tons of vocal highlights throughout his career. Hell, even the song "Space Oddity" is brilliant. But live, he's obviously hitting new peaks on these last two tours.

Bowie is one of my favourite vocalists.

Saw him last year and he was simply amazing. So powerful live.

I'd say he's gotten better now he's quit smoking, as someone else said. Smoking can give you are more down-trodden character to your voice, which has its own appeal in a way, but he can really SING now.

I think he sounded better when he was younger. Probably during the Ziggy era. Now, he just sounds OK. But the age is catching up with him.

I love his version of "Nature Boy".

NWF said:

i think he learned how to sing somewhere between ziggy and "let's dance" - there's an enormous difference in his voice. back in the day, he had a great voice for glam rock - a bit of dylan, a bit of jagger - but i think he sounds majectic and better than ever in recent years. age may have caught up with him in a lot of ways, but apparently nobody notified his voice about this.

Anxiety said:

Agreed. From about The Man Who Sold The World through Pin Ups, he had a great high pitched, cockneyed, bitchy voice that perfectly suited the androgynous image and sexually ambiguous subject matter. But somewhere on Diamond Dogs and Young Americans, his voice really transformed into a thing of beauty. He's only refined and perfected it since. In my opinion, he has the coolest, most amazing voice I've ever heard.
[Edited 10/26/04 16:25pm]

calldapplwondery83 said:

Bowie's singing improved from "Young Americans" onwards. I think he realised that he couldn't sing 70s soul pastiches like a Vauxhall rent boy on a bad night. Thereafter his voice was transformed into what GangstaFam rightly calls "a thing of beauty" (although I reckon he stole most of the stylings from Scott Walker, who has the most remarkable baritone this side of popular music).

GangstaFam said:

That's right. His voice in the early days perfectly fitted his (stage) persona. It's amazing how he changed. I mean, what a difference between Hunky Dory and Low or Heroes.
BTW, one early song that I don't really like vocally would be The Supermen. That's the "high pitched, cockneyed, bitchy voice" gone a little too far for me. Though I haven't listened to it for quite some time.

Shapeshifter said:

i have an anthology of scott walker songs, and it's amazing how much bowie has borrowed from this man's style. it's almost like listening to the recipe for what we know as bowie today. any bowie geek should have some scott walker in their collection, just to hear the influence.

Anxiety said:

I recommend a five CD Scott Walker set called "5 Easy Pieces" - almost everything you need, give or take.

Bowie's favourite album of 1995 was Scott Walker's "Tilt", which is a cross between opera and Nine Inch Nails at their most inaccessible. It's great.

Back during the '80s, especially during the Let's Dance era, he often sounded like a warlock. What does a warlock sound like? Listen to the title track to Let's Dance and China Girl. There are more that aren't coming to mind right now. I don't know if it was the cigerettes or what, but in recent years he sounds better.

Supernova said:

i think he sounds downright sinister on the "outside" album (or for you purists out there, "1. outside" ).

calldapplwondery83 said:

Low and "Heroes" are another bag entirely. On an album like Low, especially after his soul period, he sounds world weary and almost bored. The whole bit in "Sound and Vision" about not wanting to leave his room comes through in his vocal delivery. He said himself that he was so shellshocked and wrecked from drugs that he had to create a new language for himself musically, and that's why there are so many instrumentals and so few words. And on albums like "Heroes" and "Scary Monsters", there are a few lovely moments, but for the most part, he sounds like he's coming out of his skin. He seems absolutely fucking nuts or like he's in terrible pain on some songs.

You really hit the nail on the head. He sounds as if he's screaming like a baby, no pun intended. The most out-there vocals performance must be It's No Game pt.1.

calldapplwondery83 said:

It's no game pt.1
That's my all time favorite Bowie song.

I think he was at his best from 75-83. Certainly on record, anyway.

He always sounds good to me.
even on Tonight and Never Let Me Down.

I was shocked at how well he was able to control his voice even in an unedited live situation when I saw him last year. I mean, it sounded almost like on a record. Incredibly strong - best live singing I have ever witnessed. "China Girl" shook the stands on that night.

The Bowie live DVD is out soon i believe, recorded at the Point in Dublin in late 2003. At the beginning of the show he apologised because his voice had taken a 'bashing' ... then went on to play for 2 hours 45 mins
Can't wait to see how it comes across on DVD, I did think there were a couple of numbers where he sounded tired ("Heroes" for instance), but overall a fantastic show.

niallmcg said:

the DVD came out a few weeks ago...and there was no reason at all for him to apologize - he sounds fantastic, and the show is insanely wonderful.

noepie said:

i can't vouch for NLMD, but i will confess to liking that album when i was a teenager. i think there's some really good stuff on 'tonight', though - i think that album gets a bum rap.

Anxiety said:

Tonight is okay. half and half. NLMD isn't very good at all, but i can't knock it as much as most people do. the title track is a wonderful pop number.

Bowie has an excellent voice.I am of the opinion that it is truly underrated.

GrayKing said:

Yeah, Tonight is alright. I didn't listen to that album for a long, long time after I got into Bowie because I was afraid. Afraid to hate something by him. Silly, I know. But once I did listen, I was like, "What's so awful about it?" It certainly isn't up to his standards, but it's still a pretty decent mid-80's pop record.

calldapplwondery83 said:

"Teenage Wildlife" and "Joe The Lion" can't be far behind.

GangstaFam said:

i absolutely love his exaggerated warble in "kingdom come". i have no idea where that vocal idea came from, but it makes me smile.

Anxiety said:

Probably his fascination with Judy Garland. He seriously reminds me of some fabulous grandmother sometimes.