Billie Joe's Vocals.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

Ever since Dookie (I don't notice it on their first two albums) he has held his "s". It's hard to explain, but it's even more drawn out during the Warning era. Listen to any song on Warning and whenever a word starts with a hard s or ends with an s. Here is an example, and really listen to his s'es.

link

It's also on the first two albums, just not as clearly and not every time. And it's definitely because of his teeth, haha. On Insomniac it's very clear as well in some songs, can't give an example right now.

I think it's funny how, while his teeth have been pretty jacked up multiple times and for longer periods of time, he still sounds like that.

[GDJonny]

I like his vocals from Dookie, just pure aggression. But American Idiot's vocals are my favourite.

But I don't think the vocals from AI and 21CB are the same. 21CB's vocals are too..."emotional?" for me. I prefer AI's bold and aggressive sound.

[Tubbie Head]

I don't know, I just love to hear those differences. I love all the "voice eras" in different ways. Firstly the Kerplunk voice, that I think it's so... young, fresh, and great. with those nasal tones xD

Then Dookie/Insomniac was kind of agressivish.. and even more deep. I love it, but definitely not my most favourite era.

Nimrod/Warning was a relaxed and also a tired voice (kind of reflecting the way he looked and acted during those eras) But that's one of my fave BJ voices, specially in Warning, I can't explain why.

American Idiot- I think his voice is just pure gold. It's perfect to me, and very different from the previous eras...

21stCBD- Even though it hasn't change that much, I think you can hear little details that are very different from the American Idiot era. You can really see how his voice has been improving and maturing since the beginning of GD's career. It's all amazing.

Btw I like this thread

[Smoothed Out]

I love his vocals from the AI era the best, but I do like the rawness of the early Dookie/Kerplunk era. Just to hear a youthful Billie

[Holly Ann]

I love the Dookie vocals as much as I love the AI vocals. I love the harsh kind of sound in some of the Dookie songs.

[Peace and Rainbows]

i like his voice in all of the albums

[TheSaltOfTheEarth]

I love his voice in every album, but my favourites would have to be AI first and Warning & 21st tied for second. His voice just sounds so powerful in American Idiot.

When you think about it, though, his voice has changed a lot. When you listen to something from 1039SOSH and then listen to 21stCB, it's a very drastic difference. But his older (by that I mean when he was younger) voice suits the older material a lot more and the same for the new material. I can't imagine songs like LNOE and Restless Heart Syndrome sung by 20-year-old Billie.

[Bastard of 1967]

I really don't know which I prefer. I love his younger, youthful voice though I think he does sound better these days with a more mature, clean voice. More perfected in a way. It just depends on what mood I'm in, but I love his voice no matter what, there's something about it...

When It's Time from the musical recordings is the only song where I don't like it as much. To me it's just way overproduced in that one.

For me it depends on what he's singing. Some of Green Day's back-catalog seems to work best with Billie's younger, more nasal, snarly voice -- particularly the angsty stuff on Insomniac. He struck a good balance on AI and really came into his own with the FBHT project. His best overall sound is 21CB *live* -- I fully agree that Butch Vig mostly overproduced his vocals on the album tracks to the point where some of Billie's best work sounds like it was mixed inside a tin can. I disagree with your point about the When It's Time studio recording the band put down for the AIOB cast album though -- to me, his vocals on that track sound absolutely fucking angelic...that's a vocal style we've never heard from him before and it left me speechless the first time I heard it.

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention that I think is the most important -- that snarl -- Billie controls it now, it no longer controls him. He can bring it up when he wants to use it, when the song he's singing calls for it, and turn it on a damn *dime* to a mellow croon or a scream, whatever he needs and whenever he needs it.

[Beathe.]

I like his voice on all the albums. =)

[alyrebe04]

I think that Billie's voice it's been according each album... As long he's been growing, he's voice is been growing and maturing too.. But yeah, he's voice in 21 CB is overproduced, but still love it xD Sorry for my English xD

[28smooth]

Just like wine, Billie gets better with age :D

But I really like his younger voice too, especially when he sings 'She' at the 1994 Chicago concert someone mentioned earlier.....just love that

[Ryan_]

i like his voice in all of the albums

Couldn't agree more

[Katarina.]

I think I like his vocals on Nimrod and American Idiot the best. But when I think more about it.. I love it all! It's great to listen to all of their records, from first to last, and to hear how Billie's voice has improved over the years. He sings great on every record, the way he sings, fits the album, if that made sense.. but at the same time, when he sings the oldies/rare songs live these days, they sound beautiful! Redundant, Christie Road.. even Before the Lobotomy, just to name a few. Live versions are the best ones.

[Tubbie Head]

I can't imagine songs like LNOE and Restless Heart Syndrome sung by 20-year-old Billie.

Omg, as I was reading this, I was thinking.. well imagining how it would be for the Kerplunk Billie to sing LNOE. And I don't think it is that hard to imagine, since he had a whole lot of love songs back then, but 'course they weren't as slow as LNOE. I would totally love to hear young Billie singing the new songs.

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

Now that topic is brought on; I love it when Billie sings old songs in the voice he has now. It sounds so great, I love it.

[Annie, get your gun]

First of all, he has a wonderful voice And I like how it sounded in 1039/SOSH, and it change a lot since then, but I noticed the big change in AI (which is were i think his voice sounds very powerful). And also I think his voice is way better live, like when he sings the acoustic version of the songs (pretty much EVERY acoustic version he make sounds always great). So, I like his 'new' (?) mature voice.

[Zero.]

I agree with most people here, I really do like his vocals during the American Idiot era, that's definitely my favourite. But I still really like the 1039 and Kerplunk, the rawness and I don't know there is something else I can't put my finger on...

[Karen.]

Now that topic is brought on; I love it when Billie sings old songs in the voice he has now. It sounds so great, I love it.

I completely agree - and it's really interesting to be able to make out the lyrics this time around.

I think that's part of the reason people get so excited when they hear rarities. They all just sound so good.

[AnnA™]

For me it depends on what he's singing. Some of Green Day's back-catalog seems to work best with Billie's younger, more nasal, snarly voice -- particularly the angsty stuff on Insomniac. He struck a good balance on AI and really came into his own with the FBHT project. His best overall sound is 21CB *live* -- I fully agree that Butch Vig mostly overproduced his vocals on the album tracks to the point where some of Billie's best work sounds like it was mixed inside a tin can. I disagree with your point about the When It's Time studio recording the band put down for the AIOB cast album though -- to me, his vocals on that track sound absolutely fucking angelic...that's a vocal style we've never heard from him before and it left me speechless the first time I heard it.

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention that I think is the most important -- that snarl -- Billie controls it now, it no longer controls him. He can bring it up when he wants to use it, when the song he's singing calls for it, and turn it on a damn *dime* to a mellow croon or a scream, whatever he needs and whenever he needs it.

I agree with basically everything you said. And yes, I actually agree on that his vocals sound angelic in that recording, which on one side I love. But at the same time, to me it sounds like that song especially was mixed in a tin can or something like you put it. It just sounds weird to me, as you said it is a new vocal style for him. Unfortunately it just sounds so very mixed to me... It may just be me though. I listened to the first recorded live version of it for months, just Billie's voice live alone with the acoustic guitar. And I fell in love with the song that way. So maybe I'll never get the right feel to it, 'cause I simply prefer live versions of it. I'm almost ashamed to say that I was a little disappointed when I heard the album version. But it's still obviously a gorgeous song.

[A_Dog_In_Heat]

Do you think Billie took voice lessons in between American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown? His voice seems less rugged and more sweet. It just seems smoother. For example, compare anything from BIAB to a live version of East Jesus Nowhere. The part where he puts his hand on a kids head and sings the chorus is so much smoother sounding. Sorry, I can't really explain it.

[Hanner]

american idiot (recording) > 21CB (recording)

21CB (live) > AI (live)

if you watch live videos from both eras you can tell his voice has improved just in those years.

sounds better live now then he did before imo. but not on the record.

[green day is]

My favorite is the totally unique vocals on Brain Stew.

[TheSaltOfTheEarth]

Now that topic is brought on; I love it when Billie sings old songs in the voice he has now. It sounds so great, I love it.

I agree completely. They played a lot of Kerplunk and 1039SOSH on this tour (well, more than usual) and I just loved how present-day Billie's voice made those songs sound.

[Whatsername1533]

My favorite is AI and 21stCB. I love the cleaner more mature sound and I think he sounds sexier.

I also really like his voice on warning.

[Hermione]

Ever since Dookie (I don't notice it on their first two albums) he has held his "s". It's hard to explain, but it's even more drawn out during the Warning era. Listen to any song on Warning and whenever a word starts with a hard s or ends with an s. Here is an example, and really listen to his s'es.

Yes exactly! A slight lispy type of thing. I knew it