ITT: Release_Me talks about the vocals on Lightning Bolt

[Release_Me]

It's hard to compare albums vocally because the songs have varying degrees of difficulty. How good it sounds depends on what's being tried, aside from the actual execution. Vocally, Vs would have to be the strongest record because most of the songs are quite demanding and Ed executes it all so well.

Riot Act would be at the bottom of the pile because aside from LBC, it does not really demand much from the vocals. Ed's very much in his comfort zone and even there, his performances aren't the best he could have given. Live versions of Riot Act songs have much superior vocals.

LB would fall somewhere in the middle. The execution in nearly all the songs is great. However, it's not the most demanding album vocally so it's hard to place overall. There are quite a few ballads where Ed doesn't really have to do much other than sound good (FD, SBM, YM, Pendulum). He does that very well. On Pendulum, there are a couple of really low notes ('Pendulum throws' and one of the lines which end in 'go' or 'ago') which are executed extremely well.
There are moments in some of the other songs where he really exerts himself and pulls it off. The second half of Infallible, the chorus of SW, most of MYM, parts of Getaway, the falsetto transitions in Sirens, the last verse and outro of LB, etc.

Considering difficulty of the material and actual execution, I would place it somewhere in the middle. Below Vs, Ten, Vitalogy and most likely Yield. But above Riot Act, Binaural and probably No Code.

It's hard to compare LB with BS and S/T. Those have a higher degree of difficulty overall, but the execution might not be as good as LB. It gets pretty subjective but I'll put it in the same group as those two.

Note that this is different from ranking how good Ed sounds.

[Revelator]

he did say he smokes and drinks less these days. its showing in his voice, he sounds incredible. maybe his best since yield

Agreed, same happened with Lanegan. Back in 2008-2009ish when he gave up cigs altogether (and he was a heavy smoker) his voice started soaring. Clearer than ever and with power and precision reminiscent of his voice in the 90s....if not better. Eddie sounds hands down better on this album than he has in the last 10 years (at least). Another good example is Cornell, I believe he gave up the cigs in 2007. Imagine what Ed could sound like if he stopped completely...

[Release_Me]

It'd be easier for him to pull of harder stuff in studio anyway, breaks or even days between songs. He can go all out without thinking about singing blood in tho encore.

I really dislike how hes singing on yellow moon, lots of extra notes and drawn out shit, ive been calling then vocal runs but I have no clue if thats what they actually are
Ye ehh ehh elow moon o o on the rise.

raaa aaaa oooouuunndd we go

It's easier for any singer to pull off harder stuff in studio. No matter how good they are live. Multiple takes and having your voice rested really helps. Blood from Vs. was never, ever matched by a live version, even when Ed was at his peak.

I actually like Yellow Moon. Without those long drawn out notes, the song wouldn't be as melodic or have the same character. It's more phrasing than vocal runs I suppose. Runs would be something with more showboating and pitch variation, ala the outro of Jeremy. But I don't have the definition handy so you maybe right.

[Mine]

It's hard to compare albums vocally because the songs have varying degrees of difficulty. How good it sounds depends on what's being tried, aside from the actual execution. Vocally, Vs would have to be the strongest record because most of the songs are quite demanding and Ed executes it all so well.

Riot Act would be at the bottom of the pile because aside from LBC, it does not really demand much from the vocals. Ed's very much in his comfort zone and even there, his performances aren't the best he could have given. Live versions of Riot Act songs have much superior vocals.

LB would fall somewhere in the middle. The execution in nearly all the songs is great. However, it's not the most demanding album vocally so it's hard to place overall. There are quite a few ballads where Ed doesn't really have to do much other than sound good (FD, SBM, YM, Pendulum). He does that very well. On Pendulum, there are a couple of really low notes ('Pendulum throws' and one of the lines which end in 'go' or 'ago') which are executed extremely well.
There are moments in some of the other songs where he really exerts himself and pulls it off. The second half of Infallible, the chorus of SW, most of MYM, parts of Getaway, the falsetto transitions in Sirens, the last verse and outro of LB, etc.

Considering difficulty of the material and actual execution, I would place it somewhere in the middle. Below Vs, Ten, Vitalogy and most likely Yield. But above Riot Act, Binaural and probably No Code.

It's hard to compare LB with BS and S/T. Those have a higher degree of difficulty overall, but the execution might not be as good as LB. It gets pretty subjective but I'll put it in the same group as those two.

Note that this is different from ranking how good Ed sounds.

it may be worth to note that it's not all about the range used either.

[Release_Me]

I suspect there is a lot of fixin' put on the vocals on this album. I'm not sure Ed can sound like this in real life.

Not necessarily. I'm sure there are parts which needed multiple takes and Ed might have struggled to get some of them just right, but I don't hear anything which I'd say he definitely can't pull off. Overall, LB isn't Pearl Jam's most vocally demanding album but it has some impressive moments. As a band, they generally don't make very vocally demanding albums. Vs is probably the one with the highest degree of difficulty for Ed.

The songs that tend to explore the absolute extremities of Ed's range are usually covers (I've Got A Feeling, LROM, other Who stuff) or found on solo albums/B-sides (Dream A Little Dream, Dead Man Walking).

Infallible is the song where he's reaching what sound like impossible notes, thinking he's infallible but tempting fate instead.

Nicely put. It's not higher, I don't think (yet to confirm notes), than the highest parts of MYM for example. But it is so impressive because he stays clean (rather than going gritty as usual) while singing those lines and there are transitions into and out of the high parts. This will be a bitch to sing live.

[Release_Me]

It's hard to compare albums vocally because the songs have varying degrees of difficulty. How good it sounds depends on what's being tried, aside from the actual execution. Vocally, Vs would have to be the strongest record because most of the songs are quite demanding and Ed executes it all so well.

Riot Act would be at the bottom of the pile because aside from LBC, it does not really demand much from the vocals. Ed's very much in his comfort zone and even there, his performances aren't the best he could have given. Live versions of Riot Act songs have much superior vocals.

LB would fall somewhere in the middle. The execution in nearly all the songs is great. However, it's not the most demanding album vocally so it's hard to place overall. There are quite a few ballads where Ed doesn't really have to do much other than sound good (FD, SBM, YM, Pendulum). He does that very well. On Pendulum, there are a couple of really low notes ('Pendulum throws' and one of the lines which end in 'go' or 'ago') which are executed extremely well.
There are moments in some of the other songs where he really exerts himself and pulls it off. The second half of Infallible, the chorus of SW, most of MYM, parts of Getaway, the falsetto transitions in Sirens, the last verse and outro of LB, etc.

Considering difficulty of the material and actual execution, I would place it somewhere in the middle. Below Vs, Ten, Vitalogy and most likely Yield. But above Riot Act, Binaural and probably No Code.

It's hard to compare LB with BS and S/T. Those have a higher degree of difficulty overall, but the execution might not be as good as LB. It gets pretty subjective but I'll put it in the same group as those two.

Note that this is different from ranking how good Ed sounds.

it may be worth to note that it's not all about the range used either.

For sure, which is why I give props for good execution. A lot of LB is just great execution and doing exactly what the song demands. More than flashy notes which aren't really Ed's style anyway. His control has been good for the most part on this record too.

[harmless]

I suspect there is a lot of fixin' put on the vocals on this album. I'm not sure Ed can sound like this in real life.

Not necessarily. I'm sure there are parts which needed multiple takes and Ed might have struggled to get some of them just right, but I don't hear anything which I'd say he definitely can't pull off. Overall, LB isn't Pearl Jam's most vocally demanding album but it has some impressive moments. As a band, they generally don't make very vocally demanding albums. Vs is probably the one with the highest degree of difficulty for Ed.

The songs that tend to explore the absolute extremities of Ed's range are usually covers (I've Got A Feeling, LROM, other Who stuff) or found on solo albums/B-sides (Dream A Little Dream, Dead Man Walking).

Infallible is the song where he's reaching what sound like impossible notes, thinking he's infallible but tempting fate instead.

Nicely put. It's not higher, I don't think (yet to confirm notes), than the highest parts of MYM for example. But it is so impressive because he stays clean (rather than going gritty as usual) while singing those lines and there are transitions into and out of the high parts. This will be a bitch to sing live.

Yup. The notes are sustained and cleaner for longer. On MYM he's improvising around a generally "shouted" tune.

[Release_Me]

It's just that Ed's style is naturally gritty when he goes high. There are some singers who just sound naturally clean when singing high and they actually have to work hard to add some grittiness to their voice to make it sound less polished and more bad-ass. With Ed, it's the other way round.

[harmless]

[nightmareblack0206]

Album kicks fkn ass!!!!

Pendulum is absolutely INCREDIBLE!

GIVES ME SHIVERS

[stupidmop]

It's easier for any singer to pull off harder stuff in studio. No matter how good they are live. Multiple takes and having your voice rested really helps. Blood from Vs. was never, ever matched by a live version, even when Ed was at his peak..

Yeah I just meant it might not be autotune a studio trickery that people are talking about, just that his throat is well rested.

And Yeah the yellow moon thing is just personal preference, sort of reminds me of the dead man walking soundtrack stuff, just overdoes it a tad imo

[Release_Me]

Fair enough. I'm glad you found some songs that you like on the new album

[Mine]

For sure, which is why I give props for good execution. A lot of LB is just great execution and doing exactly what the song demands. More than flashy notes which aren't really Ed's style anyway. His control has been good for the most part on this record too.

I pointed that out because is kind of a common practice to measure vocals on range, preferably the top of it and with male singers in the area that should be left to female vocalists because, and it's only my taste, it sounds bad more often than not.
All kidding aside singing is often generalised and made into a far less interesting topic of discussion than it is. I think Ed's main strength is that he is able to do a credible delivery on a wide variety of styles. Parts of Yellow Moon reminded me of the qawwalli inspired stuff he did on Arc or The Wolf for instance.
Even what's more demanding for him is arguable if you think about it because 1st of is not exclusively about range. I've been listening to Vitalogy and noticed that, at least to my ears, his resonation was kind of out of control. Like he would sound fine and clear for a while then slip into a nasal/throaty kind of suffocated tone for a second and than slip back to a clearer tone. It may not sound problematic and that's what matters at the end of the day but that's something he seems to have corrected with time. Also i can't picture Ten/Vs Eddie recording No Code vocals. It was a different maybe more subtle approach that i don't think he was always capable of pulling off in the early days.

[Mine]

It's easier for any singer to pull off harder stuff in studio. No matter how good they are live. Multiple takes and having your voice rested really helps. Blood from Vs. was never, ever matched by a live version, even when Ed was at his peak..

Yeah I just meant it might not be autotune a studio trickery that people are talking about, just that his throat is well rested.

And Yeah the yellow moon thing is just personal preference, sort of reminds me of the dead man walking soundtrack stuff, just overdoes it a tad imo

Also breathing is easier to control in the studio than in a PJ concert situation.

[bodysnatcher]

There are far less tee hees in this record.

this has me most excited going into my first listen

[Release_Me]

For sure, which is why I give props for good execution. A lot of LB is just great execution and doing exactly what the song demands. More than flashy notes which aren't really Ed's style anyway. His control has been good for the most part on this record too.

I pointed that out because is kind of a common practice to measure vocals on range, preferably the top of it and with male singers in the area that should be left to female vocalists because, and it's only my taste, it sounds bad more often than not.
All kidding aside singing is often generalised and made into a far less interesting topic of discussion than it is. I think Ed's main strength is that he is able to do a credible delivery on a wide variety of styles. Parts of Yellow Moon reminded me of the qawwalli inspired stuff he did on Arc or The Wolf for instance.
Even what's more demanding for him is arguable if you think about it because 1st of is not exclusively about range. I've been listening to Vitalogy and noticed that, at least to my ears, his resonation was kind of out of control. Like he would sound fine and clear for a while then slip into a nasal/throaty kind of suffocated tone for a second and than slip back to a clearer tone. It may not sound problematic and that's what matters at the end of the day but that's something he seems to have corrected with time. Also i can't picture Ten/Vs Eddie recording No Code vocals. It was a different maybe more subtle approach that i don't think he was always capable of pulling off in the early days.

There are definitely other factors besides range, which really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things aside from being quantifiable. Use of range is a better criterion and that's basically what I'm talking about. Infallible doesn't have the highest notes Ed has ever sung but the execution, clarity and transitions in those parts make them special. The lower parts in Pendulum are impressive too, for the execution and tastefulness. Another important point you hit on is stylistic versalitilty. That really is one of Ed's greatest strengths. You won't find many singers able to pull off Infallible, MYM, Yellow Moon, MFS, Pendulum, etc. He does it in one album. He's probably done more genres successfully than many of his peers combined. It's a tribute to his versatility.

I try to leave personal taste out of vocal discussions only because that makes it all very subjective. Generally speaking, fans on a PJ forum would agree that they like Ed's voice. But they won't necessarily agree as to what he should do with that voice or rather, what style really suits his voice the best. Some love his Vs. era singing where he was pushing himself. Some like his restrained/subtle approach on No Code. It's very hard to come to an agreement. I'm not sure I understand your point about the Vitalogy era singing. I do get what you mean by him being more subtle on No Code as compared to Ten. Ten was all about bombast and passion. No Code was meant to be more subtle. There are some great vocal moments regardless, e.g. Present Tense where there are a couple of chill inducing notes and transitions. However, it would be difficult to objectively argue that No Code was the superior vocal album, all things considered. The difficulty of some of the Ten songs was much higher and that does factor into an objective discussion on vocals. Personal preferences are separate and that is why people can prefer No Code or Riot Act or Binaural to everything else.

[Mine]

Like I said before, the people paid to apply autotune (or to use Melodyne, or whatever they might use for pitch correction) on singers' performances (not to robotize hiphop, mind you) can make tens of thousands of dollars per project, depending on the artist, and they are good. No artifacts you'll ever pick up on. It's impossible to know.

However, for whatever reason even singers who are incredibly talented and have solid pitch often feel the need to have autotuners perfect the end product. From what I've heard from engineers in Nashville, it's standard practice in country music now no matter what...as in, it's just a scheduled part of the process. A check mark on the clipboard. It doesn't matter who you think you are, we're using it, and everybody gets their record checked and fixed before getting the stamp. Norah Jones has acknowledged it being used, too. U2. Bon Iver. John Parish copped to using it "very, very lightly" on a PJ Harvey record. I actually read an interview once where another engineer quipped that "everybody I've ever worked with used it except for Neko Case and Nelly Furtado."

Since then, Nelly has clearly started using it.

It's not always used in ways you think it might be, either. Sometimes a stray sharp discrepancy might be fixed to make it slightly more sharp, because sharp errors can add to the feeling of urgency in a vocal. Sometimes a note is "fixed" but left slightly pitchy to disguise the fix. Dodgy notes don't prove a lack of autotune (Wayne Coyne), and neither does seemingly perfect pitch. Craig Street (producer, kd lang) has said that pretty much every producer he knows uses it "as a time saver. It takes a tenth as long to fix an emotional but error-filled vocal as it does to do the necessary number of takes to get a really great lead."

Side note: wasn't this album finished in two week long sessions or something? Hint hint.

I vote that it'd be naive to think they weren't using it, here. It fits in too well with the mechanical, digital exactness of the album's musical aesthetic. But I'd place both my balls on the side of the line that says it is being used delicately, selectively, and imperceptibly.

Meanwhile, in a far more awesome world...

Spoiler: show

I think Aretha Franklin was quoted saying she doesn't know what autotune is

[Mine]

For sure, which is why I give props for good execution. A lot of LB is just great execution and doing exactly what the song demands. More than flashy notes which aren't really Ed's style anyway. His control has been good for the most part on this record too.

I pointed that out because is kind of a common practice to measure vocals on range, preferably the top of it and with male singers in the area that should be left to female vocalists because, and it's only my taste, it sounds bad more often than not.
All kidding aside singing is often generalised and made into a far less interesting topic of discussion than it is. I think Ed's main strength is that he is able to do a credible delivery on a wide variety of styles. Parts of Yellow Moon reminded me of the qawwalli inspired stuff he did on Arc or The Wolf for instance.
Even what's more demanding for him is arguable if you think about it because 1st of is not exclusively about range. I've been listening to Vitalogy and noticed that, at least to my ears, his resonation was kind of out of control. Like he would sound fine and clear for a while then slip into a nasal/throaty kind of suffocated tone for a second and than slip back to a clearer tone. It may not sound problematic and that's what matters at the end of the day but that's something he seems to have corrected with time. Also i can't picture Ten/Vs Eddie recording No Code vocals. It was a different maybe more subtle approach that i don't think he was always capable of pulling off in the early days.

There are definitely other factors besides range, which really isn't that important in the grand scheme of things aside from being quantifiable. Use of range is a better criterion and that's basically what I'm talking about. Infallible doesn't have the highest notes Ed has ever sung but the execution, clarity and transitions in those parts make them special. The lower parts in Pendulum are impressive too, for the execution and tastefulness. Another important point you hit on is stylistic versalitilty. That really is one of Ed's greatest strengths. You won't find many singers able to pull off Infallible, MYM, Yellow Moon, MFS, Pendulum, etc. He does it in one album. He's probably done more genres successfully than many of his peers combined. It's a tribute to his versatility.

I try to leave personal taste out of vocal discussions only because that makes it all very subjective. Generally speaking, fans on a PJ forum would agree that they like Ed's voice. But they won't necessarily agree as to what he should do with that voice or rather, what style really suits his voice the best. Some love his Vs. era singing where he was pushing himself. Some like his restrained/subtle approach on No Code. It's very hard to come to an agreement. I'm not sure I understand your point about the Vitalogy era singing. I do get what you mean by him being more subtle on No Code as compared to Ten. Ten was all about bombast and passion. No Code was meant to be more subtle. There are some great vocal moments regardless, e.g. Present Tense where there are a couple of chill inducing notes and transitions. However, it would be difficult to objectively argue that No Code was the superior vocal album, all things considered. The difficulty of some of the Ten songs was much higher and that does factor into an objective discussion on vocals. Personal preferences are separate and that is why people can prefer No Code or Riot Act or Binaural to everything else.

It probably wasn't clear but my point about taste is exactly what you wrote. Can you give me examples of the difficulty of Ten songs? People usually mention the falsetto in Oceans.

[Juvenal]

Off topic I know but what's the lowest and highest Ed's ever sang on an album? Coming to mind perhaps "which way to go" in Release and "escape is never the safest" in Dissident, perhaps?

[Jorge]

Off topic I know but what's the lowest and highest Ed's ever sang on an album? Coming to mind perhaps "which way to go" in Release and "escape is never the safest" in Dissident, perhaps?

I think there may be lower notes than that in "Dead Man". I'd have to listen back to confirm.