Pearl Jam today vs. the past

[digster]

I think what you guys are describing is really the crux of the issue with current Pearl Jam. I think the songwriting is still very good, and frequently right below peak levels.

I would definitely say the songwriting is the issue, but I also don't separate Ed's voice from other songwriting choices. How he approaches a song and the melody he chooses is as much a choice as deciding on a guitar tone or part, at least to me.

[Leatherhead]

Ed, nowadays, reminds me most of the Ed from '91-'92.

[stip]

That's one of the reasons I love lightning bolt so much

[Mine]

I'm not talking about histrionics. Those are a separate (if overlapping) topic from vocal catches, hiccups, vowel *additions* (and consonent deletions), and masks.

Doesn't this (in part) describe the early era Ed so many love and miss I think most people's issue with Ed's (changing) voice is tonal first and foremost and has been since No Code.

This is kind of my point. Ed always had some annoying habits as a singer - but here's the thing - most, definitely all in rock, singers do. Individual taste makes such a huge part of essentially everybody's opinion about singers that debates about them are a series of dead arguments most of the time. Ed's been a good example of this throughout his career - he was respected as much as criticised since day 1.

While i don't really care for all those vocal ticks Ed has i'm not particularly bothered by them either. I would never say he ruined any particular song with them because the songs aren't that interesting to begin with and even the instrumentals are so kitsch that whatever annoying thing Ed does, fits right in. And it's not like he does that all the time.

I do agree that it often sounds as if he was faking the "emotional side" of the performances but again it's not like he's dealing with any depth and complexity these days and the fact that they keep on insisting on unnecessary high keys in many instances doesn't help either.
Put simply most of the material isn't really inspiring enough to demand anything above faking.

My biggest issue with them now compared to the past is the music as a whole. Their songs used to sound like there was a clear vision of the picture the music was supposed to paint. So every part had to fit in it without ruining the balance. Vocals included. Today not so much. They completely changed that into something much more superficial and put much more weight on individual parts in isolation. It is what they always wanted to sound like if understand them correctly. I think this approach accentuates the weakness of the song writing beneath it.

[Norah]

Actually around here the clique tends to prefer middle era Vedder, not early.

[bodysnatcher]

Actually around here the clique tends to prefer middle era Vedder, not early.

yuh

[Mine]

Actually around here the clique tends to prefer middle era Vedder, not early.

guess i'm part of the clique then

[Strat]

96-2002 Vedder is best.

[Birds in Hell]

Ed, nowadays, reminds me most of the Ed from '91-'92.

Yeah, I can definitely see that.

96-2002 Vedder is best.

[Strat]

Vedder was a cool motherfucker. Fuck him for being happy and aging now.

[Mine]

seriously, '94 Vedder would be appalled

[McParadigm]

seriously, '94 Vedder would be appalled

...no matter what.

[Norah]

that was an ok post, 'adigm

[mikejasond]

Im 22 and I just got into them like 2 years ago. (Maybe a little more...since college time seems to fly)

For me at first I heard Even Flow in Guitar Hero 3 in high school and really liked it, then when I started listening to classic rock radio I heard Alive (which also ended up in Rock Band 2) which I really liked, and then Black and Jeremy. I liked all those songs and then that led to listening to more of Ten when it became Rock Band DLC, and then I started listening to Pearl Jam Radio on Sirius XM.

I hated Backspacer when I listened to it though, and that was when I only knew songs off of Ten and maybe Better Man and Yellow Ledbetter

[mikejasond]

And so on over the years...Stipe's best moments. The undercurrent of sincerity that elevates Fear of Music and Yoshimi. Corgan's only saving grace. Daltry and Plant, in my opinion, injured as many songs as they sold, but I love Sam Cooke's gospel work and appreciate later day U2 for the one quality they still share: they both sound like they really, really believe.

yes, PJ used to believe. or at least conveyed that, genuinely. the band used to more than make up for its lack of academic-grade instrumental ability with sincerity/passion/depth.

I dunno in Rocksmith I downloaded Black and Alive and I was so disheartened with how difficult they are to play. Harder than the majority of other bands in the game for sure. Why can't they just use power chords? Gah.

[mikejasond]

* I know people will say "he can still sing now" but even if you repeat that phrase 100 times it won't become true. And when people say he can't sing any more they don't mean he can't hit a specific note they are referring to a pretty much indescribable warmth/tone that captivated millions of people.

This is so true. Ever since 2006 Ed's voice just doesn't make me feel anything like it used to when I listen to older clips. The warmth and power is just gone, even if he still is singing, it just doens't make me feel the same way at all. There's a quality in his voice that's gone.

[warehouse]

they were best when they had a saxophonist

[bodysnatcher]

i liked the backup singers during WMA








no i didn't

[Alex]

i liked the backup singers during WMA








no i didn't

[Leatherhead]

So while listening to 2013-14 bootlegs, I've been noticing that sometimes Ed sounds fuckin' great. I think I've noticed that Ed sounds fuckin' great when he's singing in the style or tone as he does during the No Code and Yield eras. When he's singing in that high and kinda nasally voice he's able to hit high notes while sounding clear and strong. My research isn't very extensive, at all, but songs I've noticed this on are Do The Evolution and In Hiding, Ed sounds best here during the highest parts of the songs.