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PJ without the vocals...

mcameronrocksmcameronrocks Posts: 321
edited June 2010 in The Porch
One of the major reasons why I enjoy PJ's music is certainly Eddie's lyrics/emotions/voice/intensity/passion etc. However, another major reason is the musicians playing with Mr. Vedder.

Musically, they are all extremely talented. How awesome would it be if we could get our hands on studio versions of their music without the vocal tracks? I have the "stone gossard demos" boot that has the songs they sent to Ed to "try him out" back in '91 or whatever...but are there any others out there you know of?
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    Brisk.Brisk. Posts: 11,490
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?
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    Brisk. wrote:
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?

    I certainly can't answer that for everyone, but IMO they absolutely are. If anything, Stone's writing ability and Jeff has turned into one of the premier bass players in music.

    Would take too long to list all the songs Stone has writen....let alone influenced.

    Jeff-listen to Hail, Hail, The Real Me, Once, Faithful...
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    Brisk. wrote:
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?

    Surely, with that many posts, you would consider your self an advocate of PJ. Therefore, questioning Jeff and Stone's "talent" is a surprising coming from you...Why do you ask?
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    Brisk.Brisk. Posts: 11,490
    Brisk. wrote:
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?

    Surely, with that many posts, you would consider your self an advocate of PJ. Therefore, questioning Jeff and Stone's "talent" is a surprising coming from you...Why do you ask?

    Well I know Stone has written some incredible stuff like Black but when it comes down to playing ability I do not know anything about playing guitar or bass and having lot's of posts doesn't help me learn how to play musical instruments either.
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    Brisk. wrote:
    Brisk. wrote:
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?

    Surely, with that many posts, you would consider your self an advocate of PJ. Therefore, questioning Jeff and Stone's "talent" is a surprising coming from you...Why do you ask?

    Well I know Stone has written some incredible stuff like Black but when it comes down to playing ability I do not know anything about playing guitar or bass and having lot's of posts doesn't help me learn how to play musical instruments either.

    That is the great thing about music though...you don't have to know how to play a musical instrument to appreciate the talent of someone who can. Just because I am not that funny...doesn't mean I can't appreciate a great comedian...
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    Brisk. wrote:
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?


    I find myself constantly having to defend how much I love Stone's guitar playing... I know that Mike could technically run circles around Stone, but I prefer to home in on Stone's riffs during the Even Flow solos. A thousand notes a minute is awesome, but I love the back-rhythm of Stone's guitar during the solos and jams. He puts the groove into the guitars. Mike is amazing, don't get me wrong, but wifout Stone adding that dimension, I probably wouldn't have seen all 36 shows I have.

    As far as Jeff goes, he clearly has talent, but he rarely stands out like a Flea or John Entwistle. That's okay though for Pearl Jam's sound. He fits in perfectly.
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    rriversrrivers Posts: 3,693
    One of the major reasons why I enjoy PJ's music is certainly Eddie's lyrics/emotions/voice/intensity/passion etc. However, another major reason is the musicians playing with Mr. Vedder.

    So you enjoy Pearl Jam because of the singing and the music? Isn't that like saying you enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because of the peanut butter and the jelly, oh yeah, and the bread? What else is there?
    "We're fixed good, lamp-wise."
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    dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam NINUNINOPRO Posts: 139,490
    Mike is God
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
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    rrivers wrote:
    One of the major reasons why I enjoy PJ's music is certainly Eddie's lyrics/emotions/voice/intensity/passion etc. However, another major reason is the musicians playing with Mr. Vedder.

    So you enjoy Pearl Jam because of the singing and the music? Isn't that like saying you enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because of the peanut butter and the jelly, oh yeah, and the bread? What else is there?

    After reading my post again, that certainly sounds funny huh! I was merely asking if there were any boots/recordings out there that were just instrumentals. Eddie is such a powerful instrument in the band and collectively they do make a great sandwich. But my observation is Peanut butter alone is pretty good too...
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    Brisk. wrote:
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?


    I find myself constantly having to defend how much I love Stone's guitar playing... I know that Mike could technically run circles around Stone, but I prefer to home in on Stone's riffs during the Even Flow solos. A thousand notes a minute is awesome, but I love the back-rhythm of Stone's guitar during the solos and jams. He puts the groove into the guitars. Mike is amazing, don't get me wrong, but wifout Stone adding that dimension, I probably wouldn't have seen all 36 shows I have.

    As far as Jeff goes, he clearly has talent, but he rarely stands out like a Flea or John Entwistle. That's okay though for Pearl Jam's sound. He fits in perfectly.

    I totally agree with you about Stone. Stone add's such a groove to the group in their music. I love to solo on Why Go, mainly because the rhythem Stone plays behind Mike's shredding....

    Perhaps my only disappointment in PJ is that Jeff's base playing is often overlooked.
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    mdgsolomdgsolo Posts: 788
    The band without vocals is called karaoke. And every one of the members uses their unique brush to create this aural painting we call Pearl Jam. And for the record- Stone is either phenomenal or he is playing a magic guitar under the spell of the groove fairy. Plus, everyone knows he is the real leader of the band.
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    mdgsolo wrote:
    The band without vocals is called karaoke. And every one of the members uses their unique brush to create this aural painting we call Pearl Jam. And for the record- Stone is either phenomenal or he is playing a magic guitar under the spell of the groove fairy. Plus, everyone knows he is the real leader of the band.

    Totally agree about everyone adding their "unique brush". I just don't smoke Eddie's pole like most fans.
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    mca47mca47 Posts: 13,267
    They def play well together, but there are guitarists/musicians out there now (some famous and some not) who are far more talented.
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    fox_mulderXfox_mulderX Posts: 1,134
    Brisk. wrote:
    Are Stone and Jeff really that talented?


    yeah for sure. stone is so good technically. the way he writes songs, the chords he uses, the timing in the songs... such a good player.
    i don't play bass so i can't give my opinion on jeff... but if you ever read any article talking about the best bass players around, jeff is always mentioned. i'm assuming that he is similar to stone in that he is an all around solid player. he can play, but also write, because he understands music.
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    hopethatuchokehopethatuchoke Posts: 2,927
    I think Stone comes up with badass riffs but there is nothing about his playing that makes him stand out from other modern guitarists. He is basically up there just playing chords. Same goes for Jeff. He's good but he has never really stood out for me at all. If you weren't diehard fans of Pearl Jam, I doubt you would consider their playing highly exceptional. Someone like John Frusciante (Sp?), or Johnny Greenwood really stand out to me as exceptional guitarists/musicians. Same goes for Flea or Cliff Burton. Stone and Jeff are good at what they do and more talented than I will ever be but they aren't rock gods liek some make them out to be IMHO.

    And someone mentioned an article about the best bass players around and Jeff always being mentioned. Where can I find these articles?
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    I think Stone comes up with badass riffs but there is nothing about his playing that makes him stand out from other modern guitarists. He is basically up there just playing chords. Same goes for Jeff. He's good but he has never really stood out for me at all. If you weren't diehard fans of Pearl Jam, I doubt you would consider their playing highly exceptional. Someone like John Frusciante (Sp?), or Johnny Greenwood really stand out to me as exceptional guitarists/musicians. Same goes for Flea or Cliff Burton. Stone and Jeff are good at what they do and more talented than I will ever be but they aren't rock gods liek some make them out to be IMHO.

    Not sure about the other replies, but I never meant to imply the Stone is a rock god. More of a groove god. I mean, Eddie Van Halen may be able to play faster and technically better, but it's the style that concerns me.

    "Just playing chords up there?" Stone has some great palm-muting. His little intricacies are what really keep me interested in their jams, not McCready's fast playing. If you watch or listen to the Even Flow solos, after a minute or so of jamming, Stone creates a new riff, almost completely new everytime that Mike plays around. He almost tells Mike where the solo should go. I could be wrong, but that's the way it seems to me.

    Of course there are technically better musicians out there than Stone and Jeff, but they are the glue to the band.
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    hopethatuchokehopethatuchoke Posts: 2,927
    I think Stone comes up with badass riffs but there is nothing about his playing that makes him stand out from other modern guitarists. He is basically up there just playing chords. Same goes for Jeff. He's good but he has never really stood out for me at all. If you weren't diehard fans of Pearl Jam, I doubt you would consider their playing highly exceptional. Someone like John Frusciante (Sp?), or Johnny Greenwood really stand out to me as exceptional guitarists/musicians. Same goes for Flea or Cliff Burton. Stone and Jeff are good at what they do and more talented than I will ever be but they aren't rock gods liek some make them out to be IMHO.

    Not sure about the other replies, but I never meant to imply the Stone is a rock god. More of a groove god. I mean, Eddie Van Halen may be able to play faster and technically better, but it's the style that concerns me.

    "Just playing chords up there?" Stone has some great palm-muting. His little intricacies are what really keep me interested in their jams, not McCready's fast playing. If you watch or listen to the Even Flow solos, after a minute or so of jamming, Stone creates a new riff, almost completely new everytime that Mike plays around. He almost tells Mike where the solo should go. I could be wrong, but that's the way it seems to me.

    Of course there are technically better musicians out there than Stone and Jeff, but they are the glue to the band.

    Sorry, I wasn't addressing you directly. I think your last sentence expresses my thoughts pretty well.
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    I think Stone comes up with badass riffs but there is nothing about his playing that makes him stand out from other modern guitarists. He is basically up there just playing chords. Same goes for Jeff. He's good but he has never really stood out for me at all. If you weren't diehard fans of Pearl Jam, I doubt you would consider their playing highly exceptional. Someone like John Frusciante (Sp?), or Johnny Greenwood really stand out to me as exceptional guitarists/musicians. Same goes for Flea or Cliff Burton. Stone and Jeff are good at what they do and more talented than I will ever be but they aren't rock gods liek some make them out to be IMHO.

    Not sure about the other replies, but I never meant to imply the Stone is a rock god. More of a groove god. I mean, Eddie Van Halen may be able to play faster and technically better, but it's the style that concerns me.

    "Just playing chords up there?" Stone has some great palm-muting. His little intricacies are what really keep me interested in their jams, not McCready's fast playing. If you watch or listen to the Even Flow solos, after a minute or so of jamming, Stone creates a new riff, almost completely new everytime that Mike plays around. He almost tells Mike where the solo should go. I could be wrong, but that's the way it seems to me.

    Of course there are technically better musicians out there than Stone and Jeff, but they are the glue to the band.

    Sorry, I wasn't addressing you directly. I think your last sentence expresses my thoughts pretty well.

    No need to apologize, I didn't take offense... Well then we agree... Stone's duck walk for life...
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    fox_mulderXfox_mulderX Posts: 1,134
    I think Stone comes up with badass riffs but there is nothing about his playing that makes him stand out from other modern guitarists. He is basically up there just playing chords. Same goes for Jeff. He's good but he has never really stood out for me at all. If you weren't diehard fans of Pearl Jam, I doubt you would consider their playing highly exceptional. Someone like John Frusciante (Sp?), or Johnny Greenwood really stand out to me as exceptional guitarists/musicians. Same goes for Flea or Cliff Burton. Stone and Jeff are good at what they do and more talented than I will ever be but they aren't rock gods liek some make them out to be IMHO.

    And someone mentioned an article about the best bass players around and Jeff always being mentioned. Where can I find these articles?

    they weren't internet articles... a lot of my friends are musicians and they buy guitar magazines and whenever they see pearl jam mentioned, they show me. jeff was mentioned in a few of those as one of the greatest. i'm pretty sure if you searched the internet, you'd find some.
    john frusciante is a great rhythm player, but he can't solo for shit so he doesn't stand out as exceptional. johnny greenwood is great, but he's no better than stone or mike.
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    DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,413
    I think Stone is the better technical guitarist.

    Speed isn't technical.

    Stuff that Stone writes/play has alot more musical depth than what Mike and Eddie play. His chord choices are almost always a little funky. He plays more in the pocket. His solos always have twice the dynamic sexiness of a Mike solo. When there's something kinda off or strange about the guitar in a song, it's Stone.

    Jeff is solid, but he blends in soo much. I agree he doesn't stand out as much as Flea or Entwistle, and I would even go a step further and say John Paul Jones. Very little flash comin from Jeff, but always tasty.
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    Kanye EastKanye East Posts: 781
    DewieCox wrote:
    I think Stone is the better technical guitarist.

    Speed isn't technical.

    Stuff that Stone writes/play has alot more musical depth than what Mike and Eddie play. His chord choices are almost always a little funky. He plays more in the pocket. His solos always have twice the dynamic sexiness of a Mike solo. When there's something kinda off or strange about the guitar in a song, it's Stone.

    Jeff is solid, but he blends in soo much. I agree he doesn't stand out as much as Flea or Entwistle, and I would even go a step further and say John Paul Jones. Very little flash comin from Jeff, but always tasty.

    Couldnt have said it better myself.
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    fox_mulderXfox_mulderX Posts: 1,134
    Kanye East wrote:
    DewieCox wrote:
    I think Stone is the better technical guitarist.

    Speed isn't technical.

    Stuff that Stone writes/play has alot more musical depth than what Mike and Eddie play. His chord choices are almost always a little funky. He plays more in the pocket. His solos always have twice the dynamic sexiness of a Mike solo. When there's something kinda off or strange about the guitar in a song, it's Stone.

    Jeff is solid, but he blends in soo much. I agree he doesn't stand out as much as Flea or Entwistle, and I would even go a step further and say John Paul Jones. Very little flash comin from Jeff, but always tasty.

    Couldnt have said it better myself.

    yup
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    Kanye East wrote:
    DewieCox wrote:
    I think Stone is the better technical guitarist.

    Speed isn't technical.

    Stuff that Stone writes/play has alot more musical depth than what Mike and Eddie play. His chord choices are almost always a little funky. He plays more in the pocket. His solos always have twice the dynamic sexiness of a Mike solo. When there's something kinda off or strange about the guitar in a song, it's Stone.

    Jeff is solid, but he blends in soo much. I agree he doesn't stand out as much as Flea or Entwistle, and I would even go a step further and say John Paul Jones. Very little flash comin from Jeff, but always tasty.

    Couldnt have said it better myself.

    This is a interesting response to my post. My original post was making the observation that it would be awesome if there were any outtakes or boots of just the instrumentals of their studio tracks. It somehow turned into "whos a better guitar player" and/or "is Stone and Jeff talented". Good music is good music.

    Soooooo....does anyone know if there are any outtakes or boots of just their instrumentals?
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    hopethatuchokehopethatuchoke Posts: 2,927
    john frusciante is a great rhythm player, but he can't solo for shit so he doesn't stand out as exceptional. johnny greenwood is great, but he's no better than stone or mike.


    And Stone CAN solo for shit? Do the Evolution is the only one I can think of and it's basically MJ's Beat It.

    And a story about Johnny vs. Jeff and Stone. I was at the Tibetian Freedom Concert in 1998. First time seeing Pearl Jam after being into them since the 5th grade. Also first time seeing Radiohead....up until that point I had only known them for Creep. Pearl Jam was fantastic but Radiohead blew me the fuck away....highlight being Johnny playing the keyboard with the top of his guitar WHILE playing the guitar at the same time. The sounds he is able to produce are phenomenal. Their other guitarist Ed is pretty much useless...one might say the Boom of the band :lol: Colin their bassist is nothing special either. I literally came home from DC the next day and bought all of their albums. So to me, a moment like that from 12 years ago standing out still to this day says to me he is a better guitarist. But that's just me.
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    StoneAmentStoneAment Posts: 393
    I can't believe I'm having to defend Jeff on a PJ board. JEFF IS AMAZING! The only bassist I'd put before him is Geddy Lee. Ok, the PJ sound doesn't have pumping bass, but that doesn't mean he doesn't contribute or doesn't have talent. Just look at his repertoire of instruments, look at the songs he's written. Flea stands out because of the funky heavy bass style of the Chilli's, Jeff tends to be more at the back, but he's solid. PJ songs tend to have real great rhythm, they hit and don't waffle around it's because they have a great rhythm section - IT'S BECAUSE OF JEFF.

    As Jack Bruce once said "the prime object of the bass is to make everyone else sound better than they actually are" and Jeff makes PJ sound fucking amazing.
    Mike McCready makes the energizer bunny look tired.
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    StoneAment wrote:
    I can't believe I'm having to defend Jeff on a PJ board. JEFF IS AMAZING! The only bassist I'd put before him is Geddy Lee. Ok, the PJ sound doesn't have pumping bass, but that doesn't mean he doesn't contribute or doesn't have talent. Just look at his repertoire of instruments, look at the songs he's written. Flea stands out because of the funky heavy bass style of the Chilli's, Jeff tends to be more at the back, but he's solid. PJ songs tend to have real great rhythm, they hit and don't waffle around it's because they have a great rhythm section - IT'S BECAUSE OF JEFF.

    As Jack Bruce once said "the prime object of the bass is to make everyone else sound better than they actually are" and Jeff makes PJ sound fucking amazing.

    Interesting quote from Jack Bruce. Good pull.

    Ive been into PJ since 92. I always thought Jeff was good, but not incredible. Then I saw the Who tribute on VH1. Once I saw him rip up that version with that bass solo...he moved up there with some of the best IMO after that performance.
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    Pearl JamesPearl James Pittsburgh/Chicago Posts: 420
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    Very cool. Thx. How about with everything mixed(except vocals)?
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    fox_mulderXfox_mulderX Posts: 1,134
    john frusciante is a great rhythm player, but he can't solo for shit so he doesn't stand out as exceptional. johnny greenwood is great, but he's no better than stone or mike.


    And Stone CAN solo for shit? Do the Evolution is the only one I can think of and it's basically MJ's Beat It.

    And a story about Johnny vs. Jeff and Stone. I was at the Tibetian Freedom Concert in 1998. First time seeing Pearl Jam after being into them since the 5th grade. Also first time seeing Radiohead....up until that point I had only known them for Creep. Pearl Jam was fantastic but Radiohead blew me the fuck away....highlight being Johnny playing the keyboard with the top of his guitar WHILE playing the guitar at the same time. The sounds he is able to produce are phenomenal. Their other guitarist Ed is pretty much useless...one might say the Boom of the band :lol: Colin their bassist is nothing special either. I literally came home from DC the next day and bought all of their albums. So to me, a moment like that from 12 years ago standing out still to this day says to me he is a better guitarist. But that's just me.

    i'm pretty sure stone did every solo on yield.. mike might have done one or two. stone also did not for you. so, yes, stone can solo. and there is a solo in do the evolution but it's not what you're thinking of... it starts at 2:48.
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    Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 29,629
    I dig Stones playinng more than Mike. i mean... aren't like 50% of Mikes solos sort of... cheesy?
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
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