Chester's vocals then and now

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by Broman, May 11, 2014.

  1. #21
    Lotus

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    Is this directed at me saying I prefer him singing well rather than screaming well? If it is I don't see how that's "wrong on so many levels". Most of the LP songs that I love have more of Chester's singing than screaming (Valentines Day, TLTGYA, COG), therefore I find him singing well more important. And if maybe he has to scream less to save his voice, then I'm fine with that. I also don't think him not being able to scream as he did before means that he lacks energy. Energy comes in different forms, not just screaming. You basically keep saying it's wrong to think this or it's wrong to think that, but who are you to say what's right or wrong? It's opinions, there is no right or wrong.
     
  2. #22
    ChuckCheese

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    Honestly, I just think that Linkin Park songs are fucking hard for Chester to sing. I have no idea why they keep writing difficult stuff for him. Go listen to any of the STP shows or DBS shows. Bucket of Weenies and the like too. Sounds great on all songs that aren't LP haha.
     
  3. #23
    MKH

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    :lol:

    I have to agree - all the LPTVs with him and Mike working in Mike's home studio have some iteration of Mike saying "that's great, but sing it like way higher".
     
  4. #24
    Clever Name

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    I don't know, I honestly believe that Chester just half asses most of his screams these days. He's recently done some really powerful growls. Go and watch Given Up at Telecom Street Gigs and see for yourself, the growl at the end is insane.

    [video=youtube;f0rDkeL_nHM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0rDkeL_nHM[/video]
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2014
  5. #25
    Broman

    Broman Well-Known Member

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    Its not one friend. It's multiple friends, and they referred to Chester sounding like a bitch during live performances because that is what I usually play, specifically DSP audio from the LIVING THINGS world tour, songs including Numb, LITE, OSC, etc.
    I don't believe Chester's range has gotten any better than what it used to be. The strain on his vocals has definitely produced that "squeaky" sound. Using studio performances isn't much to go by. Chester was able to scream in higher pitches when he was younger, in fact, I'd say even more so than he can now because he struggles very often in live performances.

    To my knowledge, no Chester was not sick on that performance, unless anyone is willing to provide proof? Tho, you might be thinking of the concert for the Philippines. And honestly, I've been hearing that more and more, not sure if it's simply used as an excuse by the fans to cover up how bad Chester has been sounding lately, but I don't necessarily believe it all the time.


    I don't think he's picking on you exactly. What you said is just a claim that many fans often say, but he brings up a good point. No, I personally don't believe Chester's singing voice is any better than what it used to be, but rather the opposite. He's been declining for many years now and 2014 is the obvious peak. deadbysunrise is just stating that people claiming Chester's clean singing is as good as ever aren't totally comprehending just how weak Chester's vocals are (at least how he and others see it) and saying he wouldn't even be able to sing simple clean vocals the way he did with Grey Daze. Also, IMO, screaming plays a huge factor in energy. Chester isn't one to hold back in a performance, typically. If he has the energy, he usually has the scream and will show it by screaming at the top of his lungs, as much and as high as he can go. Tho we are all entitled to our opinions and what some might find good, others can perceive is bad, which is what I was curious about, seeing how you guys saw this "predicament", if I may call it.

    I wouldn't call the Telecom Street Gigs show recent. I'd even say Chester's voice has changed a bit nowadays since that show. His performances of Faint this year, with Faint at the street gigs show prove that.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2014
  6. #26
    EastGhost

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    I can't say you're wrong haha. Remember the Battle Axe LPTV? He recorded the track with a migraine (he was sick). After a few awesome screaming sessions Mike goes "anything else you like to try?" like c'mon dude.
     
  7. #27
    LPGuy

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    For me it's as if all the power and bass has been taken out of his voice compared to the old days, he's starting to sound more and more like a female vocalist as the years roll on. His voice has been noticeably weaker since 2007 and it's wrong to keep fans in the dark about that, drugs and alcohol obviously fucked his voice up. Chester's voice was the band's safety net and now they're butt naked.
     
  8. #28
    Lotus

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    Just to be clear, I personally didn't mean that his singing is better than it's ever been. I just think his voice is better than the first few years of LP. I really don't know when his voice was at it's best, I just know that I still love it ;)

    Off course! And I don't mind others' opinions being different than mine, but when someone says my or others' opinion is "wrong on so many levels" it irks me. But hey, maybe I'm just being too defensive. I can get like that :p
     
  9. #29
    Wizardofozil

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    i miss mike old vocals hate cocky mike
     
  10. #30
    Filip

    Filip god break down the door LPA Contributor

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    Agreed.
     
  11. #31
    Astat

    Astat LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    Chester got sick on the second day of rehearsals for the Concert for the Philippines and remained that way through all 3 performances they played that week, per LP crew members.
     
  12. #32
    lime treacle

    lime treacle You are not alone Über Member

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    Chester does do growls really well. Too bad they've never included them in studio releases.
     
  13. #33
    Top2Bottom

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    I personally haven't had a lot of opportunities to see first hand Chester singing live, but when I saw LP at soundwave last year, he was just phenomenal.

    My mate, who was a little skeptical of anything post MTM, was pleasantly surprised at just how accomplished they are live, and how they sound so similar to the recorded versions.
     
  14. #34
    Alexrednex

    Alexrednex Well-Known Member

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    I don't care if "multiple of your friends stated it." it still doesn't make it true. And I honestly can't take anyone serious that uses words like bitch to describe a singing voice.

    And to your information - Yes it has. If you actually read what I wrote I said his voice has gotten higher - Which is a fact if you know anything about music theory:
    See this video: [video=youtube;ZT9y0GkHtW4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT9y0GkHtW4[/video] one of his highest notes was in Faint live outro 2007. So if you still don't think his voice has evolved since he was 18... I don't know what to say.
     
  15. #35
    Astat

    Astat LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    Chester's voice definitely has gotten higher over the years. I think the highest note he had on Hybrid Theory was an A on the chorus of Crawling, but he's been consistently hitting high B's on numerous songs in recent years - Given Up, New Divide, etc...he also hits a high C on The Little Things Give You Away, The Messenger, Robot Boy, and a C# on the live outros of Faint and One Step Closer. That's his highest full-voice note, there's also a falsetto high D in the harmonies in the bridge of In My Remains.

    His range isn't the issue, it's just the overall quality of his voice. I also don't necessarily agree that he's getting better at singing on key. In the early days, he tended to either be REALLY on, or REALLY off (Crawling from Pittsburgh 2001 is one of the best examples of just how bad things could go for him). He tends to not hit either extreme these days, so he may be more consistent from show to show, but I still hear him go flat on a very consistent basis. I think it's a matter of giving 100% and either getting 100% or 50% out of the effort vs. giving 80% and consistently getting 80%.
     
  16. #36
    Alexrednex

    Alexrednex Well-Known Member

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    I can agree with that.
    I honestly never think it's that "bad"(Living Things tour wasn't the best though) but his voice used to have a more natural overdrive to it, so that might be why it can seem a little weak sometimes.

    ON A SIDE NOTE:
    Chester gets sick a lot(or at least has throat problems). I am a vocalist myself(not on the same level in anyway) and in the periods I sing a lot I often get the cold, so I can relate to that.


    And to people who don't think Chester can scream anymore... Just listen to the Given Up Live 2013
    [video=youtube;LHa235GjxJo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHa235GjxJo[/video]
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2014
  17. #37
    LPGuy

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    Anyone else of the opinion that Chester's voice also sounded better in older songs due to Don Gilmore's prowess with engineering rock vocals? I remember friends' reaction to What I've Done when that come out: "Wow he sounds so weak now" tbh I don't think they've been using enough width/bass on his voice since MTM, Chester sounds pretty high pitched on Live In Texas at times. I think the main difference now is that he just really struggles on his off days and they filter out the bass on his voice so everything else sounds thicker.
     
  18. #38
    outcastboy

    outcastboy Sure God's all powerful, but does he have lips?

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    exactly, they used a lot of layers on his vocals back then, since MTM his vocals are less modified in studio, and he changed his vocal style a bit, using less of that raspy thing and singing more clean, dont know if he did it just because he wanted to, or because he cant do that anymore. probably both, and to protect his voice.

    actually i dont think his voice got higher over the years, nor did his range changed too much, but his voice (singing and screaming) are getting worse since +-2008. id like to explain my opinion about it but it would take a loooong post, so here's a list of notes he hit over the years in studio to show that his range is pretty much the same since grey daze:

    A4 Sickness, Papercut, From the Inside, bleed it out, Burn It Down, Tomorrow, Guilty All The Same
    Bb4 Points of Authority, Easier To Run, No More Sorrow, New Divide, A Light That Never Comes, Out Of Time
    B4 Hole, With You, Lying from You, Given Up, Crawl Back in, Waiting for the End, In My Remains
    C5 In Time, Don't Stay(backvocals, not sung live), The little Things Give You Away, In The Darkness(backvocals), Robot Boy, Same On The Inside
    C#5 End Of The World
    D5 God's Afraid, Slow Ya Roll, In My Remains

    the notes above are full voice (In my remains D5 being mixed/head voice) , but some notes like bleed it out's C#5(on the bridge), My Suffering C5 Carousel's D5 could be considered full or not depending on you, since they are raspy, but not quite the same as by myself or victimized screams.

    now non modal notes(screams) :

    C♯5 Part Of Me, A Place For My Head, with you(reanimation)
    D5 By Myself, Given Up
    E5 Condemned

    these notes show that his range didnt change at all, but his live vocals are getting weaker, compare these Crawling performances:

    [video=youtube;AERKDUmTFgM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AERKDUmTFgM[/video] [video=youtube;MCmrEHYTGTE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmrEHYTGTE[/video]
    in 2007 he had more power, the notes where more clean. now he is weaker, and struggle a lot to stay in key. this is probably why they dont play it live anymore, same thing with no more sorrow, although crawling and With you top at B4 the reason why crawling is harder to sing is: "So insecure, crawling in my skin, these wounds they will not heal, fear is how I fall, confusing what is real" B4 on inSEcure, then G4/A4 during the whole chorus. while on With You the hard parts are only on "true, promised, sound" and the diference between no more sorrow and given up is pretty much the same "No, no more sorrow. i paid for your mistakes, your time is borrowed. your time has come to be replaced" everything on A4/B4. while given up B4s are only on "up, feeling, can say, all, suffocating, with me"

    i kinda lost my point during the post, but anyway, its a bit of my opinion on his voice. and i didnt comment about the notes he hits live, dead by sunrise and his vocal decline. maybe later a i'll make a better post.

    by the way i'm new here, hi everyone
     
  19. #39
    Broman

    Broman Well-Known Member

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    Clearly I don't recall ever comparing Chester of today with Chester when he was 18, and whether that is the case or not, Chester's range has NOT gotten higher. He is just not as consistent as he used to be and his voice has gotten significantly weaker which makes him sound "squeaky". Also, when I say younger, I mean over a general period in time and the fact that you are referring back to something from 2007 is simply ludicrous because Chester was still singing just fine and was in fact still pretty young. Not sure about you, but 7 years was quite a while ago.
    Why not use performances that can actually validate your point?

    I can simply do you the favor of showing you the difference between Chester of today and "younger Chester".
    [video=youtube;_DLwXBcxJqU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DLwXBcxJqU[/video]
    [video=youtube;p_pgY_oIXZI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_pgY_oIXZI[/video]

    Go ahead, listen to the bridges and tell me about how they are both being done in the same key or that the older version is being done with a much higher voice.

    Why not tell me about how Chester from 2001 can't sing some of Chester of today's higher vocal tracks like In My Remains or Chester of 2007's Given Up , despite the fact that he has been singing the bridge to Papercut in a higher octave since 2001 which seems to be in a higher key than both those songs.

    After 2007, Chester's voice slowly started declining, he may have still had the same range, but that doesn't mean he was always on key or that his voice was getting any higher. These two performances will further elaborate on my point. The first video is from 2006 and the second is from 2008. Don't get me wrong, both sound great, but you can clearly hear Chester hitting higher notes in the 2006 version which, according to your logic, simply shouldn't be true, and the other way around.

    [video=youtube;_2QrfowM5gw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2QrfowM5gw[/video]
    [video=youtube;FHFmEdvIyAw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHFmEdvIyAw[/video]

    Heya! Pleasure, and welcome.
     
  20. #40
    Alexrednex

    Alexrednex Well-Known Member

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    If you want to complain about OLDER Chester you should probably explain what periods you are talking about.
    Like for me the Young Chester is from 1993-2004 (11 years is a long time)

    I actually feel like this discussion is going no where :-b You show me video of him singing worse post-2006, and I can show a version where he sing better post-2006(Like One Step Closer from the LT dvd 2013).
    His pitch is still pretty clear in the comparisons you choose but he has definitely lost his overdrive and strain on his voice - Like I have already agreed with - but we were talking about pitch.
    Like I said I personally think that Chester prime was in 2006-2008, so It's not that I don't agree with your points about the fact that his voice has lost its overdrive and some power, and that's why songs like crawling sounds horrible these days.

    And btw... Papercut bridge: A4
    In My Remains: D5

    So IMR is higher.

    but Outcastboy took his time and listened to his earliest demos(which I have never heard), so I guess his range hasn't changed that much after all(even though he sings in a higher register more often these days).
    But I really don't think it is too bad. I reference to the Living Things Live DVD from 2013, Telecom 2012 or a little older 2010 Madrid which all IMO have some of his best vocal performances.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2014

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