I've noticed this on a lot of bootlegs... the bass is nowhere to be found. I hate to hate on Matt, but I think some of it is adjusting to his style. If you listen to the rhythm section in 94, it was much more loose and funky. The band felt lively and heavier. Lots of fills and Jeff improvising to make that deeper section of the songs more lively. Now, the bass always seems ot be lacking and the music loses some weight. The band is tighter, but things feel far more controlled. The rhythm section used to feel like part of the "anything can happen" vibe of a PJ show. Now it feels like they're just back there keeping time.
Lolla did seem different though, the way they came out with 'Why Go' was pretty awesome and set the tone that night it seemed.
Some of it might be the songs too... these days the rockers are very riff heavy, with nothing for the drums and bass but hum along like a shitty punk band. There used to be dynamics, songs would build and breathe and take their time. Compare a song like Deep to Comatose... the former is much slower, but also far far heavier. The latter speeds by, but it's more like a thrashing buzz than an epic rocker.
It's called maturity, and without it we wouldn't have songs like Thumbing My Way, Parting ways, Love boat Captain, Wishlist, Parachutes, Unemployable, Army Reserve, Down, Other Side, Sleight of Hand, I Am Mine, Can't Keep, or the Into The Wild soundtrack.
Good evening San Diego, I'm Ron Burgundy
And I'm Veronica Corningstone, Tits McGee is off tonight...
It's called maturity, and without it we wouldn't have songs like Thumbing My Way, Parting ways, Love boat Captain, Wishlist, Parachutes, Unemployable, Army Reserve, Down, Other Side, Sleight of Hand, I Am Mine, Can't Keep, or the Into The Wild soundtrack.
True. All great songs. They even throw some old school sounds into the new albums like Comatose, Severed Hand, Green Disease etc.
It's called maturity, and without it we wouldn't have songs like Thumbing My Way, Parting ways, Love boat Captain, Wishlist, Parachutes, Unemployable, Army Reserve, Down, Other Side, Sleight of Hand, I Am Mine, Can't Keep, or the Into The Wild soundtrack.
I think some of you are missing my point - I'm not equating heaviness with quality. I'm just interested in why they've chosen to change their sound, especially considering that they perform some all out rockers, like Comatose and World Wide Sucidie, for instance.
i think they're fuckin heavy like an elephant. how could you think they aren't? just because they're not jumpin off the stage into the crowd or screamin their vocal cords to shreads?
After several hundred concerts spanning nearly twenty years of my life, I've finally been to the best shows of my life. PJ at the Garden 6/24-25/08
"It's Evolution Baby"...I just think they have evolved in every aspect of their lives. Ideas, beliefs, style, technique, priorities, everything...so with it changes their approach to playing music.
I know that if I created a piece of music 15-17 years ago, I am postive that I would play it much differently now.
I play music I wrote 2 months ago differently! Things evolve!
Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
They're still loud. But I'm listneing to the Atlanta 94 boot and the band sounds incredibly heavy, particuarly on songs like Deep and Once. I don't hear this 'heaviness' anymore - nowdays, although still amazing, the guitars sound a bit weak and the drums sound flat. I'm talking more about the band than Vedder. Obviously that guy can't keep screaming the same way he did back in 94 (although he's still got a great set of pipes on him)
Is it just a case of the band maturing? They still make angry songs such as World Wide Suicide...
i think a lot of it has to do with the style of matt camerons drumming. its a thin sound compared to jack and dave. their sound was heavier. stone and mike probably use a different distortion, too.
i think they're fuckin heavy like an elephant. how could you think they aren't? just because they're not jumpin off the stage into the crowd or screamin their vocal cords to shreads?
No offense but have you bothered to read the thread?
i would love to know where all this "heavy = bad" shit is coming from. nobody is saying the new albums are bad, but some of us just prefer the old guitar tones.
while i agree with the post about matt's style, i also think it's partly because they use telecaster guitars much more these days. tele's never seem to give the edgy-funky tones strats or les paul's give. that is one thing they're doing different than the early days.
"hey na na na na hey that's something"
30.09.2006 Athens | 18.06.2007 London | 18.08.2009 London | 05.07.2014 Werchter | 17.07.2018 London | 08.07.2022 London
agreed with the drummer comments. i think probably eddie encourages matt to play like this, there was a thread a couple years ago on this topic (matts drumming not being utilized to its best and not being loud enough). Because Matt can be so much more i rekon (look at songs like soundgardens 'like suicide')
i think they don't sound as heavy live these days beacuse they don't use as much heavy distortion, and use a more 'cleaner' distortion if you get what i mean
Even Flow Psycho Member #039
******Message Pit Australian Tour Members********
rumour starter President & Member #1
Comments
The thread isn't about heavy songs, which they only have a few of, it's about the tone of Stone and Mike's guitars I think...
I am a man, I am advanced.....I am the first man to borrow Stone's leather pants!
Great post! You nailed it.
Yeah, I miss the PJ with a bit of a funky vibe. It's what made me love the band. They haven't done that in a long time.
Saying that though, I love who they are now. Yield, No Code and RA are mya favourite records of theirs.....
I wouldn't change them for the world.....
Plus, since when is 'heavy' a good thing? I haven't been in that mindset since I was 18......
People grow up, myabe Pearl Jam have realised there's more to music than heaviness.....
And I'm Veronica Corningstone, Tits McGee is off tonight...
True. All great songs. They even throw some old school sounds into the new albums like Comatose, Severed Hand, Green Disease etc.
9/29/04 Boston, 6/28/08 Mansfield, 8/23/09 Chicago, 5/15/10 Hartford
5/17/10 Boston, 10/15/13 Worcester, 10/16/13 Worcester, 10/25/13 Hartford
8/5/16 Fenway, 8/7/16 Fenway
EV Solo: 6/16/11 Boston, 6/18/11 Hartford,
I think some of you are missing my point - I'm not equating heaviness with quality. I'm just interested in why they've chosen to change their sound, especially considering that they perform some all out rockers, like Comatose and World Wide Sucidie, for instance.
As well as good mellow tracks thrown in the mix!
A bit of both
i think a lot of it has to do with the style of matt camerons drumming. its a thin sound compared to jack and dave. their sound was heavier. stone and mike probably use a different distortion, too.
No offense but have you bothered to read the thread?
while i agree with the post about matt's style, i also think it's partly because they use telecaster guitars much more these days. tele's never seem to give the edgy-funky tones strats or les paul's give. that is one thing they're doing different than the early days.
30.09.2006 Athens | 18.06.2007 London | 18.08.2009 London | 05.07.2014 Werchter | 17.07.2018 London | 08.07.2022 London
i think they don't sound as heavy live these days beacuse they don't use as much heavy distortion, and use a more 'cleaner' distortion if you get what i mean
Even Flow Psycho Member #039
******Message Pit Australian Tour Members********
rumour starter President & Member #1
www.myspace.com/pappas99