As Axl Rose put it, “It’s really challenging” when asked about the record that is the most difficult to sing in the rock canon
There has never been a time when rock & roll was known for being friendly to the human voice. There comes a moment when the voice simply gives out on someone because they push it way too hard to achieve the exact correct take. Many artists prefer to put their whole body into their performances, but there comes a point when the voice just gives out on them. In spite of the fact that Axl Rose might have asserted that he was one of the most magnificent vocalists of the 1980s, he was well aware that he would not be able to compete with anything as flawless as Back in Black without first putting himself through his paces.
However, when one listens to Guns N’ Roses, it becomes clear that Rose was always his own distinct animal while he was behind the microphone. There are a lot of fantastic vocal runs that he got up to during the Appetite for Destruction era, but by the time they heard Use Your Illusion, people realized that they weren’t dealing with just another screecher. When it came to Rose canceling gigs due to his voice, he was a raw vocalist who knew what they were doing, which gave Rose a much greater problem than she had anticipated.
In addition to the fact that she did not show up at all for certain shows, Rose was not the most pleasant bandmate to collaborate with. When his voice was giving him trouble, the public address system wasn’t up to his standards, or maybe if the stars weren’t aligned in just the right manner, he would not show up to some of the gigs on the tour. He was the one who requested that the group be given the required treatment before shows. He would also not show up to some of the gigs on the tour.
However, when they were to collaborate with a band such as AC/DC, they were not going to put up with any of that nonsense. There is no other film that better exemplifies the Young brothers’ “on with the show” mindset than Back in Black. The Young brothers have always been noted for having this sort of mentality. With Brian Johnson at the helm, they had a phoenix from the ashes moment with practically every track on the record. This was despite the fact that they had just buried their former vocalist, Bon Scott.
On the other hand, Johnson’s shriek was nearly difficult to perform well, in contrast to Scott’s voice, which was well-suited for rough-and-tumble rock and roll. Consequently, Rose stepped up to the plate and sang some of their most popular songs when they were on tour. This was due to the fact that the frontman had to withdraw from the performance due to health issues and hearing issues.
On the other hand, Rose was aware that he needed to come prepared in order to have any chance of successfully executing the plan. He stated to Billboard, “I can’t take anything away from [Brian Johnson’s] singing.” Even though he is a fantastic singer, singing is a really difficult task for him. In the interest of the fans, I’m just trying to give it justice… A significant portion of the material in Back in Black is quite difficult.
Rose could not have been more committed if he had tried, always giving his best effort and, most of the time, attaining levels that were comparable to those that Johnson could achieve. This is despite the fact that he had a reputation for going unhinged if he even damaged someone’s fingernail. In point of fact, it is a mystery as to why certain rock fans had such strong opposition to Rose as a choice, seeing that his screech on “Paradise City” only sounds like a more young version of what Johnson was known for.
Rose was definitely far more suited to his main act, but in the event that AC/DC at any point in the future want another vocalist, he is a strong candidate to assume the reins if something like that ever occurs. When it comes to vocal tone, he and Johnson are at least speaking the same language half of the time, despite the fact that the music may be completely different from one another.