Best and worst eras for Eddie vocally?

[michpall]

I agree with most of these posts but 2016 was actually a very solid year for Eddie's vocals. I can't even think of one singer over 50 who could touch Eddie without some major mic / computer echo assistance. The early shows like Ft Lauderdale and Miami were especially good, before the tour starts to take its toll. This cover alone makes me want to see them again soon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkO-lsrKzlE

[spike]

2006: last great vocals, and last cool hair. coincidence?

[Leatherhead]

2006: last great vocals, and last cool hair. coincidence?

Not at all.

[Rusted]

2006: last great vocals, and last cool hair. coincidence?

This is literally the exactly same cut off criteria that I use and commonly cite when boring people with comments about Pearl Jam.

[michpall]

When did this forum turn into a bunch of bitchy troll hipsters trying to think all day of a clever comment to post. Lame

[Norah]

When did this forum turn into a bunch of bitchy troll hipsters trying to think all day of a clever comment to post. Lame

October 2004

[Iholdthepain]

2006: last great vocals, and last cool hair. coincidence?

This is literally the exactly same cut off criteria that I use and commonly cite when boring people with comments about Pearl Jam.

Lets diagram this sentence...

[Jorge]

Cool hair?

[Sgt. Crackpot]

When did this forum turn into a bunch of bitchy troll hipsters trying to think all day of a clever comment to post. Lame

October 2004

I think it was a Tuesday.

[twoheadedboy]

I agree with most of these posts but 2016 was actually a very solid year for Eddie's vocals. I can't even think of one singer over 50 who could touch Eddie without some major mic / computer echo assistance. The early shows like Ft Lauderdale and Miami were especially good, before the tour starts to take its toll. This cover alone makes me want to see them again soon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkO-lsrKzlE

I know it's not "fair" to expect Eddie to sound the same in perpetuity. However - I'm fairly certain Chris Cornell had the throat surgery, and worked with a coach between Audioslave and the Soundgarden reunion and the first couple years of the reunion, his voice sounded incredible...better than it had since the late '90's, better than any of the post-Superunknown release tours IMO. I keep hoping Eddie will truly quit smoking, get the surgery, see a coach for a couple of years, and come back on fire like a number of singers have done. I will say that, outside the "roar" of Pearl Jam, Eddie's voice sounds 5+ years better. I saw him solo before and after Ukelele Songs and his voice sounded more like 2k/2k3 to me. Same in these latter days, his voice sounds superb solo compared to the Pearl Jam shows I've heard.

For me personally, it's not quite that simple either, regarding his voice. I hate how many covers they play...they did this one well, but I have no interest in them frequently playing a hit song from the '70's. One-off, sure, deep cuts, sure, but there's just too many PEARL JAM songs I'd rather hear. However - I find Backspacer and Lightning Bolt dreadful. Compare to Metallica, not really a big Load/Reload fan (some of it's ok), St. Anger is atrocious obviously, but their last two albums have been great, and their sets are primarily pre-Load with some new stuff...this last tour was a bit more new-stuff focused than previous, but as I said I think the new albums are great. I saw both '09 Chicago shows, Noblesville '10, both PJ20 shows, and Wrigley '13 after seeing them 8x between '03 - '06 and I'm just kind of done with Pearl Jam based on where they are. 14 shows since the release of Riot Act (+2 solo EV shows), in many different venues and settings. The only thing they can really do that would interest me is for Eddie to fix his voice as described above, put out a great record, rehearse thoroughly like they did in 2006, quit "bro-ing down" at shows with excessive covers and call-and-response BS, and then I would be fucking PSYCHED about Pearl Jam again. I saw U2 and Metallica at Soldier Field this year, both bands significantly older, and they were so much better than any Pearl Jam show I've seen since 2006 it's sad. Pearl Jam is capable of being every bit as good as those bands but they don't put forth the effort and that's largely to blame on Eddie I feel.

[evenslow]

twoheadedboy ftw - especially about the eras of vox.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[twoheadedboy]

What is this throat surgery you speak of?

I couldn't find an article unfortunately, so I will do my best from memory.

Many singers get surgery because they HAVE to, Adele being one recent example. Polyps and nodules develop and they risk harming their ability to talk, let alone sing, operating in a painful and severely diminished state. However, some singers get (I believe to be) a similar surgery on an elective basis similar to how athletes get arthroscopic clean-outs of their knee, and are able to get back to something like 85 - 90% of their peak in many cases. Brian Johnson of AC/DC is a prominent example, compare his voice in the 2000's to the 1990's, he sounds nearly as good for Black Ice as he did in the mid-80's. I think Bob Seger is another one.

Here is Chris Cornell at the first SG reunion show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw-Sjkm6rqs
Here he is at the beginning of the Audioslave run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzAUfGRUafg
Here he is in 1996 before the break-up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzAUfGRUafg

Chris in 2010 does not match Chris in 1990 - 1992. But he's a helluva lot better than he was in even 1996, and I don't believe you can account for all of that change just by sobering up, which he did.

[Habitman]

90-92: A-

93-95: A

96-97: B

98-99: A-

00-03: B+

04-06: B+

07-10: B

11-Present: C+

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[VinylGuy]

Ed was flawless from 1990 to 2007.
2008 was the first year i kinda hated his mannerisms. 2009 picked up a lot and from 2011 to present day he could be hit or miss but even in his worst day he will have something amazing to give.

[IlluminEddie]

When did this forum turn into a bunch of bitchy troll hipsters trying to think all day of a clever comment to post. Lame

Eggggsactly.

[VinylGuy]

When did this forum turn into a bunch of bitchy troll hipsters trying to think all day of a clever comment to post. Lame

Eggggsactly.

ey man!! good to see you around here.

[Jorge]

Bitchy troll hipsters

[evenslow]

Here's another article I read last week about the vocal surgery thing (and why it might not be the best idea).

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/a ... eir-voices