Kurt Cobain Vocal Analysis - Heart Shaped Box - Isolated Vocals - Singing & Production Tips
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- Опубліковано 21 лют 2021
- Free Voice Lessons: chrisliepe.com/free-your-voice/
My Website: chrisliepe.com
Using the original isolated vocal recordings, you get to hear Kurt's performances and recording techniques in a whole new and useful way.
You'll pick up on little gems from the recording process and, hearing Kurt's vocals by themselves always opens up new possibilities of things to try with your own voice and vocal arrangements.
Nirvana's recordings can be described as 'planned spontaneity' in that lots of it sounds accidental or incidental, but was very carefully crafted so that it would sound exactly as it turned out! Dig in and have fun!
People who say Kurt Cobain had a bad singing voice really just don't get it.
👍 Agreed!!!
He was just unique.
never heard anyone saying that
@@GiuseppeM Seriously?
Whoever says that has an absolute delusional state of mind situation, that man was extremely gifted.
All the major grunge singers had so much humanity in their voices.
I disagree. Grunge sucked except for Nirvana and a little bit of Stone Temple Pilots. Pearl Jam sucked the most. I couldn't stand that guy's voice. Luckily there was so much other good music going on at that time, plus all of the amazing stuff from the 80s to still listen to or catch up on if you missed it. Billy Corgan summed it up right in the midst of it all: "Who wants honey? As long as there's some money." Just a bunch of flannel-clad no-talent losers riding the Seattle/grunge bandwagon. Dull singing, dull music, for bored white suburbanites.
It was the heroin
@@alukuhito @alukuhito mate some of the 90s most outspoken and talented vocalists came out of Seattle, Mark Lanegan, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, honestly I can't stand PJ after TEN but you can't discount an entire foundation-shakingly important music scene as "shitty and untalented" because you don't get it or aren't a fan, like I don't enjoy Jazz but I can tip my hat to Louis Armstrong because the guy is a legend, might not be my favourite but he was famous for a reason. Also are you really calling the Seattle bands sellouts? Do you know a single thing about them? (Besides pearl jam those guys wanted to be famous from the getgo) Soundgarden always stood by the fact that they were in it for the music, Mudhoney and the Melvins were vehemently against corporatization of their music, hell nirvana wasn't even really given a choice in the matter after their album blew the fuck up. Most grunge bands had been active, putting out music and touring since long before the big grunge explosion. Soundgarden (1984) Melvins (1980) Green River (1984) Alice in Chains (1987) Nirvana (1987) Screaming Trees (1985) Skin Yard (1985) Honestly if anyone was riding the profit-wagon it was STP and Smashing Pumpkins, who made BANK off the grunge boom. Not to discredit their music, STP slaps and I can get behind some of Smashing Pumpkins work, Billy Corgan is an Egotistical prick though.
@@mattthatch8662 I probably chose the wrong video to make anti-grunge comments on. Have a nice day.
@@alukuhito your definitely did, and I can probably agree with Matt on Billy, he was one of the factors that made the band fall apart, he’s a good musician, songwriter, and guitarist but as a person?.....eh not really
Sedated aggression is the perfect descriptor
not sedated... it´s Kurt´s life that is in his voice, u can´t copy that
@@newrockorder I would argue it is literally sedation due to heroin use.
@Bach Nobel How is there autotune? He's clearly off key on several notes throughout the recording.
3:45
That yodely, voice crack thing is what I think of when I think of Kurt’s voice. Absolutely incredible and beautiful, to me. He really leaned into it and sharpened it as a tool during the later years of Nirvana. Listen to Unplugged and its all over that performance
Yep. You cant fake that. That is a talent.
He actually practiced yodeling, and you can hear how after he figured it out he weaved it into his performances. To me, it gave off this vibe of teenage angst like he was 10 years younger and his voice was cracking.
hey im sorry for replying two years later but he has a whole song named "The yodel song"
Kurt is magical, this goes beyond technique or anything else. It's spirit. Like Lennon. Or Buddy Holly. Jim Morrison. Magic. Soul.
You just named off a bunch of trash people
Wait like the Weezer song?
God, In Utero is such a fantastic album man, it was a HUGE record and so incredibly RAW. Imagine something this raw and with this lyrical content at the top of the charts these days. Different era. Albini is also a genius.
Agreed man, definitely my favourite of their albums
Well, even then it wouldn’t have done so well if it came out before Nevermind
My favourite album, even all the aesthetic surrounding it, the concert scenarios, album cover, lyrics, it matches the sound perfectly
It was the first cassette I ever owned. Still my favorite Nirvana album.
@Chess Piece in comparison to “never mind” I meant
Kurt has such a unique and distinct tone and delivery. Its just feels real and raw. He manages to get anger, sadness, and old-soul vibe in his voice seemingly without trying. Absolutely one of a kind and never been replicated. Still miss him to this day.
It's been replicated there are many singers who could do it. Jeff Buckley, Freddie Mercury, Michael Stipe...
@@KinseliplierJARED LETO?? THE ACTOR?? Or is this a different man with different spelling
I love when people get isolated tracks and dissect songs like this and really show how stuff is produced and performed. I could watch it all day on almost any song. I would love to hear your take on Territorial Pissings where he loses his voice entirely at the end and he’s just screeching
Kurt meant everything he did but made it seem like he didnt mean anything. My hero.
I see Kurt Cobain, I click immediately
GOOD :)
Nirvana inspired my lazy sound. Love it!
Simple
You're not alone.
You have snap?
Man his voice is so emotional
♓ pisces..
@@isabels2973 Pisces here. Can confirm.
@@Iamverybald I’m also a Pisces. I think the talent bus missed me 🫠
do more nirvana/kurt cobain analysis! love your videos btw
Drain you, live version from Live & Loud :)
2:32 Kurt played the guitar while tracking his vocal. This was his method. Guess it helped him to get into the song.
Fun fact: Steve Albini (the producer of this album) said that Kurt would strum a acoustic guitar while he was tracking vocals as a comfort/confidence thing. That’s what your hearing
NICE. thanks for this!
I thought I was the only one that did that
@chrisc7265 yeah kurt did it was a rhythm feel when he was doing his vocals. My friend squeezes ones of those stress balls to the beat when tracking vocals haha. So whatever helps I guess
@@chrisliepe ua-cam.com/video/MjI9IzPLvvw/v-deo.html
True for many Nirvana songs but Heart Shaped Box in particular, I really noticed Kris's Bass playing really compliment Kurts vocals during the verses. Its that jagged haunting bass line that I like in a lot of grunge songs. It really works amazing here!
This is my favorite of Krist's bass lines. It's so gnarly. The next best is in the chorus of I Hate Myself I Wanna Die especially the demo version. He always had this groove that was incredibly necessary for the band to work.
It's weird, I never really payed attention to the backing vocals until i recently played the In Utero again after years of not listening to it.
I think they're key in making this song sound so eerie, especially in the verses. Definitely one of Kurt's best compositions.
Great content as always.
Actually Kurt hated doubling the voices when Nevermind was in the making but I think the producer said John Lennon did it when he was in the Beatles so Kurt did doubling voices in the songs.
Kurt seemed keenly aware of exactly the effect he was after in everything he did. He just was never going to give anyone the satisfaction of trying to control how he did it. Like if you were working with him he was going to just flop around and look/behave disinterested and you were going to get an iconic picture or a legendary album out of it somehow. Some just have the golden touch born with the god-given talent to create.
I love these isolated vocal videos, it's almost encouraging to hear the raw vocal compared to the full mix.
I agree!
Nothing better than recording on tape. I love the music of the 90's simply because of it's genuine, warm sound.
It would be awesome to see more Nirvana's vocal analysis
I've always been fascinated with the dual vocal lines in the verses of this song. Very unique. I could never quite figure out that underlying harmony.
You make me look at music at ways that I couldn't imagine. Thank you Chris I can learn a lot from you!
Happy to hear that!
So much pain and character in his voice. He boiled nails in his throat. All that dissonance made it dark as fuck
he didn't do it flippingly... he did shit that sounded fucking dope.. and y'all just don't understand that he had gifts that didn't require premeditation
I never noticed the counter melody harmony vocal. Oh my god. I feel like i just saw a ghost for the first time in a photo thay's been on my wall for years
ha cool!
Chris, your advice on vocal technique is priceless. I feel like I am in debt with it. And I'll forever be. Thank you ❤️❤️
Wow I never appreciated Kurt Cobain so much until now. Genius. Powerful and masculine voice-and yet beautiful with so many subtle nuances. Perfectly breath-y
It’s always amazed me how great nirvana and those bands sound acoustic live. The music loses nothing, I prefer it. Unplugged in NY is a stellar example. I am glad I had the chance to see them live. Heart Shaped Box, great pic!
i've had many artists who make me want to take up singing but Kurt has definitely made me take that jump. super glad you made this video thank you!
Kurt's vocals vibrate into my soul!
I think it was Cobain's process to come in and lay vocals completely sober for the lead lines and inebriated for the back up vocals. A genius representation of a dichotomy. That way, the listeners learned to accept him for a broader spectrum, the good and the bad.
Thank you Chris for another amazing isolated vocal video! The way you break down the vocals and bring out those gems that so inspire and bring out new discoveries in your own voice. Simply amazing!
You're so welcome!
Saw him three times live.
One time he came out with Mudhoney in his pajamas.
They played The money will Roll right in. Right as he was starting to make bank. Saw them the week Nevermind came out. In LA. Saw them on their last shows in Seattle before he was done. Always epically amazing
This video popped up as a recommendation so I checked it out. Less than 60 seconds in I had to subscribe! You have such a positive energy and I really love how you break everything down. I enjoyed this video but also learned a lot of new things. Have the best day!
Thank you for watching and subbing!!
Thank you for the very accurate analysis. Cobain was a genius.
Kurt found what he was born to do…
Kurt has a perfect pitch for grunge.
This was absolutely terrific man. Many, many thanks and please keep going. Cobain, Stipe, Cornell, Staley...get us through lockdown mate with this stuff. Goed bezig!!
Listening to this vocal track and your comments makes me think deeply about the question "What is a good singer?" I guess there are many answers. To make this more personal I need to make some decisions about how I want to sing in a way that I think is good. Tricky and hard to define.
Kurt was a great vocal and guitar player at your own way. When you listen your voice even on the parts that sound more sad. The voice its clear and on good tune. On that time be a vocalist its was really need it be so tune. Now the people use many autotone and that break a litlle the beautyful of the inperfection.
Never clicked that fast!! I promise Never!!!
Thanks Chrisss♥️
i released my first album before i found your channel and im surprised how your videos changed my vocals and production better, also thanks making these videos of isolated vocals, i learn a lot here
You are right Kurt Cobain didn't like double tracking. It wasn't until Butch Vig told him while recording Nevermind, that John Lennon did double tracking, that is when he agreed of double track his vocals. However what you where reffering in the beginning of the video, was simply him harmonizing his own lead vocals ... I am sure you probably knew that already.
I love isolated vocal breakdowns! It's so interesting as everyone's voice is so vastly different.
That was really good. Thank you for making this video. This is my favourite album and it’s lovely to see this much detail
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@chrisliepe 🙂 It looks like you enjoyed it too 🙂
I find their sounds so unique! Why is this magical music nonsense so cativating? Is it the sense of effortless, melody, Kurt's voice, all of it?
hehe... I don't know but i completely agree!
It’s really structured chaos lol they mastered the art
I now appreciate this song a great deal more than when I first heard it oh so many years ago. Chris, I love this breakdown. I also think it gives a great insight into his psychology, these bio polar emotional features in this vocal track with these doubles and layers.
this is priceless❤️really man,thankyou sooo much for making this one for us
Wow never heard that someone was talking on this record crazy
On the live performance you can see that Kurt and Dave are singing this part (8:36) together, this is probably the reason why the back vocals are louder here.
The song that changed my way to see things and my entire life. Thank you very much Chris
Kurt’s vocal intensity adds to every recording! He pushed his voice for the best product. Does anyone else disagree with Chris Liepe on it being okay that Kurt’s voice was fried at the end of studio session vs being ready for live performance?
I think pushing your voice now and then maybe a little too far is fine in the studio.
Dynamics on top of Dynamics..WOWW
So dope Chris. Couldn't Agree more about isolated vocals and how helpful they are. I've been obsessed with drum isolated tracks too. Would love for you to do this with David Gilmour ... Hes such an underrated vocalist.
Also, Bjork and lennon!
This is a nice tribute for Kurts 🎂
A great song, Kurt has an inspiring songwriting,
I'm really glad Albini produced this.
Scott Litt remixed this song though..kurt said in an interview that steve wasn't great at mixing
This is a really awesome analysis. Great video!
Great episode! Fascinating
Well done man. Love it
War geil euch mal live zu sehen!
The dichotomous layers are almost treated like a fragrance with the sour notes
Thanks for this video
We learnt alot about our own backing vocals through this video.
Will be trying some of these ideas
Great lesson!!! About Cobain, of course, but exoecially for creating expressive vocal layers.
Thank you!!!!
Love the info on consonants in the background vocals! I had never heard of that competition before.
Great vid Chris! Thanks for it.
I also like layering 2 vocals especially for chorus parts, and I realized that the final work sounds better if I don't tryhard to make my back vocals match up exactly with lead ones(like 3 notes higher all the time etc.). When I work on balancing and supporting the cons of lead vocals with back vocals it sounds perfect!
Yes, having counterpoint in the harmony can make a song really pop. Simon and Garfunkel were the masters at this.
NICE
Love your analyses. I'd have never heard half the things you pointed out!
I just found this channel and I would like to thank you for your contribution to making me a better singer
Amazing video as always.
I got a vocal tuner pipe from a studio when I was a kid. I used it a lot when I was younger. I just found it, and sang black Hole Sun for the first time since 1991.
Chris I absolutely love this video it came off the back of the even flow vocal analysis.. I think it would be awsome if you split the vocal track into backing and lead vocals so you could isolate the backing because I think that would be super interesting to hear in itself (on both songs)
Much love man keep them coming 👌
great vocals! He was an amazing singer!
Love hearing the isolated tracks
Omg…dissonance! He used vocal dissonance and contrasting motion to go from major to minor chords to create the true feeling of angst that makes this song so full of character and development.
All you had to do to convince Kurt of something he didn't want to do was say "John Lennon did it." Multi-tracking in particular, or they would outright trick him.
There are vocal harmonies going on in the chorus. They’re obviously aggressive, but they’re there.
Thats an intense voice right there
Gang vocals.
Great analysis. Thanks!
The best example, that I can think of, of Kurt’s “purposefully accidental” vocal quirks is his quick little giggle that erupts as he’s beginning to deliver the line “Test meat!” for the third and final time, towards the end of the song Milk It, on In Utero. I’ve listened to that song many hundreds of times over the last 30+ years, and the way he seamlessly transitions from that momentary laugh to all-out shouting always manages to surprise me. It _feels_ very spontaneous and in the moment, almost like he’s breaking character for a split second, but I also suspect that he could have done it intentionally, like the vocal equivalent of a guitarist creating a sense of unease with a well-placed pick scrape. Or, maybe he just saw something funny as he was recording his vocals and they decided to leave it in the final cut, what do I know.
We love watching how you are so happy sharing your talent and knowledge with us... 🎶'You are gonna teach the world to sing in perfect harmony'..🎵
Thank you for EVERYTHING :)
The snort he did at the end of the recording, lol
mucus control is everything
speedbump lol
Epic lesson, thank you!
amazing video, cool to get a closer look into the nirvana magic
Dude, that was awesome!
God dude YES it is all intentional. This brilliance doesn't happen by mistake.
The doubles were recorded by Scott Litt a few months after the original takes recorded by Steve Albini. So the tonal differences and style and approach, and bleed, also relate to them being a kind of post production, too.
Love it chris thank you so much.
such a cool video thank you for doing this good sir
I hadn't noticed some of those niuances. Great video, it's like being with a friend when i watch you get excited about the same things as me :D
Yes!!
thank you for this video! I can relate to him so much. We both are lefties and he can sing and I want to. The grit in his voice is so innocent.
Interesting. Well done.
Chris, thank you so much for these videos. I love learning about the stylistic techniques of other singers. If I may make a suggestion, I would love for you to analyze the voice of Matt Corby. He is an Australian singer, with a very powerful and dynamic voice. I have been trying to figure out exactly what he is doing at the belting portion of his hit song "resolution", for a long time. It's a gospel-like belt that goes high and a little gritty and then back into an almost shouting chest voice. The transitions are so fast and seamless. He has an insane amount of stamina, like he runs and riffs in and out of chest, head and mix. I think he is a baritone, but he definitely uses his full vocal potential. It'd be really cool to understand what he is technically doing.
The real 'trick' is in writing lyrics that are worth repeating..
Thank you so much
Also interesting to note how the harmony line doesn't have the same reverb as the lead vocal, because the harmony part was actually recorded with Scott Litt much later after the band's primary album sessions with Steve Albini.
The natural scratch and forced silent scream he had caused so much trouble, why he had stomach problems. When he got done with shows he could up blood
Fantastic analysis! Subbed!
First video I saw from this channel, subscribed 👍
Thanks for the sub!
Man this video is fucking great. Thanks for the tips!
Love this analysis Chris, very useful and valuable one here.
Have you ever thought about doing a video on Julian Casablancas?