David Bowie producer Tony Visconti questions Adele's vocals: 'How much has been manipulated?'

'There’s a sound to pop now that is so perfect it’s boring'

Adele headlines this summer's Glastonbury Festival but the festival circuit remains heavily male-dominated (Getty Images)

Tony Visconti knows a thing or two about producing records by great artists; he is best known for working with David Bowie but has also produced albums by T-Rex, Iggy Pop, Morrissey, Thin Lizzy, and Manic Street Preachers.

In a recent interview with The Daily Star, he heavily criticised modern pop stars, questioning how great Adele’s vocals really are.

“You turn the radio on and it’s fluff, you are listening to 90% computerised voices,” he told the paper. “We know Adele has a great voice but it’s even questionable if that is actually her voice or how much has been manipulated. We don’t know.”

Visconti is currently involved in the Sky Arts TV talent show Guitar Star, which aims to find an authentic rock-star

“There’s a sound to pop now that is so perfect it’s boring, because everything is fixed,” he continued. “I’m looking for virtuosos like Hendrix, Cobain, and Bowie.

“There’s no fluffy backstory, there’s no: ‘I lost my pet dog in 97 and that made me want to play’ nonsense. No-one can mistake me for Simon Cowell. Today is the worst time ever in the music industry, but Guitar Star is a step in the right direction.”

Recently, Visconti - who worked with Bowie from 1969 until his last record, Blackstar - said there would be “some great Bowie stuff coming out” over the next few years, following the icon’s tragic death.