2016 Official Bootlegs

[E.H. Ruddock]

The Third Man show was a new low for Ed, IMO. His singing on "Deep" is embarrassing. However, in person, he sounded fine. We'll see what the boot says.

It wasn't his finest moment but it could have been worse. I've heard worse over the past few years. I couldn't even get through most of the 2016 shows because his voice isn't holding up through the shows anymore.

The way you feel about that "Deep" is how I feel about the downtuned "Oceans" from Columbia. Ugh times a million.

I haven't really followed the shows carefully since 2010, so maybe that's why the TMR show came as such a shocker. I'm familiar with most of his vocal tics by now but his voice actually cracking was a new one for me. Seems like there's no clearer sign that you're attempting to sing beyond your capacity.

The cracking is just the old timeyness of the booth

[vedder316]

Eddie solo from Ohana Fest sounds fantastic right now on Sirius, of course he doesn't have to strain at all in this setting.

disclaimer: we're only 4-5 songs in at this point.

[Kevin Davis]

I don't think the live set was recorded in the booth, Ruddo.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I don't think the live set was recorded in the booth, Ruddo.

I know. I just thought maybe after the booth, EV was on one of his tangents and decided to do everything in that style. Maybe even tour with an old phone booth that he could sit in during live shows.

[wease]

The Third Man show was a new low for Ed, IMO. His singing on "Deep" is embarrassing. However, in person, he sounded fine. We'll see what the boot says.

It wasn't his finest moment but it could have been worse. I've heard worse over the past few years. I couldn't even get through most of the 2016 shows because his voice isn't holding up through the shows anymore.

The way you feel about that "Deep" is how I feel about the downtuned "Oceans" from Columbia. Ugh times a million.

Yeah, the downtuned songs are headscratchers for me. Listening to Greenville and WMA comes up. Downtuned. Then, right after that, Blood in its original key? You'd think if they downtuned one of those tunes, it wouldn't be WMA.

[wease]

The Third Man show was a new low for Ed, IMO. His singing on "Deep" is embarrassing. However, in person, he sounded fine. We'll see what the boot says.

What? I don't understand.

Sorry. I saw him in person at Wrigley and his voice sounded fine, but the Third Man show sounds awful. I will be curious to hear the Wrigley boot (if one is made) to see how good he really did sound that night, or if the weaknesses just didn't accurately come across in the live setting.

I feel like he has to be really, really bad for it to be something you pick up on at the live show. I thought he sounded great at Fenway, then I listened to the boot and while he wasn't bad, there were def times he totally ran out of gas during songs.

His voice was out of gas during the second song. It was cracking during Long Road.

[wease]

I don't think the live set was recorded in the booth, Ruddo.

I know. I just thought maybe after the booth, EV was on one of his tangents and decided to do everything in that style. Maybe even tour with an old phone booth that he could sit in during live shows.

He's just getting ready for 40 years from now they'll sit on stools the whole show.

[matt reeder]

The Third Man show was a new low for Ed, IMO. His singing on "Deep" is embarrassing. However, in person, he sounded fine. We'll see what the boot says.

It wasn't his finest moment but it could have been worse. I've heard worse over the past few years. I couldn't even get through most of the 2016 shows because his voice isn't holding up through the shows anymore.

The way you feel about that "Deep" is how I feel about the downtuned "Oceans" from Columbia. Ugh times a million.

I haven't really followed the shows carefully since 2010, so maybe that's why the TMR show came as such a shocker. I'm familiar with most of his vocal tics by now but his voice actually cracking was a new one for me. Seems like there's no clearer sign that you're attempting to sing beyond your capacity.

His voice is really hit or miss and has been since about 2008, but it's getting worse fast now. It's understandable given his age but it's very jarring if you aren't prepared for it. Out of all the tours over the past 10 years since 2006 (still one of the band's live peaks), the only one where Ed's voice held up for the entire tour is 2014. I'm not sure what it was he was doing but he sounded very good for much of 2014 (other than Big Day Out, where he sounded like crap).

I really think they need to think long and hard about what they are doing live, when and why. I'm willing to trade an hour out of each show so that Ed has the energy to get through some of the tougher stuff. Or they need to drop the tougher stuff for good ("Blood" in particular needs to go - Ed just can't do it anymore) and do more of the mid-tempo stuff that Ed can still sing well, like "Nothing As It Seems", "Hard to Imagine", "Off He Goes", "Footsteps", "Red Mosquito", "I Am Mine", etc.

[VinylGuy]

2015 was a good year for ed too. The BA show i saw was pretty amazing.

I dont know guys, im fine with him having rough nights...i still think he is one of the best vocalists out there..i agree that songs like Blood are weird live these days...specially if the do it in the second or third encore.

[matt reeder]

2015 was a good year for ed too. The BA show i saw was pretty amazing.

I dont know guys, im fine with him having rough nights...i still think he is one of the best vocalists out there..i agree that songs like Blood are weird live these days...specially if the do it in the second or third encore.

I couldn't listen to the 2015 shows because of the static. But he tends to sound better live than on the boots, so I guess that's what really matters.

[Birds in Hell]

Well, and I know I've said this before, I don't think it's that he sounds great in the room but the bootleg isn't an accurate reflection. He sounds the same in the room as he does on the recording, it's just a much more forgiving environment and the flaws aren't as apparent.

Anyway, I know you know this, I'm just sayin'.

[Kevin Davis]

Well, and I know I've said this before, I don't think it's that he sounds great in the room but the bootleg isn't an accurate reflection. He sounds the same in the room as he does on the recording, it's just a much more forgiving environment and the flaws aren't as apparent.

Anyway, I know you know this, I'm just sayin'.

Yes, this is very true; the boom in his voice is what carries, not the cracks and wavers. Still, I thought he sounded ok in 2014 and he sounded ok on the boots too, so who knows.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[WtOB?]

i really think he sounded better on the boots this year than any other lightnin baw tour.

[Leatherhead]

I feel like Ed still sounds good on anything post-Yield.

[Kevin Davis]

Well, and I know I've said this before, I don't think it's that he sounds great in the room but the bootleg isn't an accurate reflection. He sounds the same in the room as he does on the recording, it's just a much more forgiving environment and the flaws aren't as apparent.

Anyway, I know you know this, I'm just sayin'.

Yes, this is very true; the boom in his voice is what carries, not the cracks and wavers. Still, I thought he sounded ok in 2014 and he sounded ok on the boots too, so who knows.

I wish he'd go quieter and less breathy. Almost Bill Callahan, but not as droll. Sort of like where he's at on NAIS and SoH.

To my ears, the recording of "Dream a Little Dream" that closes the ukulele album is the closest Eddie comes to finding a way to repurpose his limitations as a strength -- somewhat haggard and threadbare, yes, but comfortable working within that template, and as such able to put across a wisdom and experience that a younger voice could not. This adaptability is basically the reason Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have been able to release credible albums into their 60's (70's in Bob's case)
-- they've exploited their flaws as touchstones of authenticity, making them sound more, not less, in command of their art. The problem with Ed translating this sense of maturity to the live show is that PJ's arrangements are so static and inflexible (and they've proven this in a handful of unsuccessful attempts to deviate from them over the years) that anything beyond a small change to the vocal performance inevitably feels "off," as it fails to achieve the level of "different interpretation" but rather remains stuck in the realm of "subpar recitation." If the band could reimagine their songs to meet Ed halfway (and by this I don't just mean tuning them all down a half step) I think it would open up a lot of possibilities for them in terms of pure performance quality. That said, the more "general rock fan" portion of their audience probably isn't prepared for that, and as mentioned before, they don't really have a knack for this sort of thing anyway. But a guy can dream.

[VinylGuy]

man, i really want a new pj album.

[Strat]

Well, and I know I've said this before, I don't think it's that he sounds great in the room but the bootleg isn't an accurate reflection. He sounds the same in the room as he does on the recording, it's just a much more forgiving environment and the flaws aren't as apparent.

Anyway, I know you know this, I'm just sayin'.

Yes, this is very true; the boom in his voice is what carries, not the cracks and wavers. Still, I thought he sounded ok in 2014 and he sounded ok on the boots too, so who knows.

I wish he'd go quieter and less breathy. Almost Bill Callahan, but not as droll. Sort of like where he's at on NAIS and SoH.

To my ears, the recording of "Dream a Little Dream" that closes the ukulele album is the closest Eddie comes to finding a way to repurpose his limitations as a strength -- somewhat haggard and threadbare, yes, but comfortable working within that template, and as such able to put across a wisdom and experience that a younger voice could not. This adaptability is basically the reason Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have been able to release credible albums into their 60's (70's in Bob's case)
-- they've exploited their flaws as touchstones of authenticity, making them sound more, not less, in command of their art. The problem with Ed translating this sense of maturity to the live show is that PJ's arrangements are so static and inflexible (and they've proven this in a handful of unsuccessful attempts to deviate from them over the years) that anything beyond a small change to the vocal performance inevitably feels "off," as it fails to achieve the level of "different interpretation" but rather remains stuck in the realm of "subpar recitation." If the band could reimagine their songs to meet Ed halfway (and by this I don't just mean tuning them all down a half step) I think it would open up a lot of possibilities for them in terms of pure performance quality. That said, the more "general rock fan" portion of their audience probably isn't prepared for that, and as mentioned before, they don't really have a knack for this sort of thing anyway. But a guy can dream a little dream.

FTFY
You really could have nailed this post with the final kicker

[CopperTom]

And now the waiting game for Wrigley boots...

[wease]

I hope the include the 2013 show with the set like they did the Gorge set.