Options
Eddie's Voice and the direction of pj
billyshears
Posts: 71
how much (i was going to write "damage" here , but instead i am going to write "altering" as i suspect some people prefer the change in eddies voice),, how much ALTERING have American Spirit cigarettes done to eddie's voice.
IMHO faster songs with eddie on the guitar while singing demonstrate this "change" the most. THE VH1 storytellers is, for me, the worst sounding Eddie i have ever heard (although, with that said, still an awe-inspiring set of pipes).
i am just curious on other people's opinion on the "change" and wheter or not they suspect an ensuing "change" in the direction of PJ (key-changes, different tempos etc.)
NB i do understand how people's voices change with years, whether or not one is a smoker, but i think his American Spirits have exacerbated this evolution?/devolution? of my favorite singer's voice
IMHO faster songs with eddie on the guitar while singing demonstrate this "change" the most. THE VH1 storytellers is, for me, the worst sounding Eddie i have ever heard (although, with that said, still an awe-inspiring set of pipes).
i am just curious on other people's opinion on the "change" and wheter or not they suspect an ensuing "change" in the direction of PJ (key-changes, different tempos etc.)
NB i do understand how people's voices change with years, whether or not one is a smoker, but i think his American Spirits have exacerbated this evolution?/devolution? of my favorite singer's voice
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
Didn't like his vocals on the latest album though.
I'd definitely call it damage. Why sugar-coat it? We all know cigarettes hurt your pipes. Anyone who says smoking isn't damaging Ed's voice is blinkered - look at what happened to Cornell when he smoked too much for too long.
More importantly, look what happened when he quit.
I'm gonna send him a tin (whats his mailing address???)
"Dear Eddie, this is called skoal, put it behind your lip and throw those fucking cigarettes away!!!"
I don't think he's has bad as Cornell (yet). Cornell in Audioslave was almost unbearable, although he seems to have improved.
Sometimes I think people make waaaaay to big a deal out of Ed's smoking. Yes we know its bad for you...but if he didnt' smoke would anyone be talking about "the change"? I don't think so
Or maybe we would all be chalking it up to the fact that he sings his heart out at every show...after 15 years one could assume it could wear on the vocal chords.
Arc in San Diego...thats all I gotta say
I agree - Ed is still one of my favourite singers, whereas Cornell dropped off after I heard him mangle Hunger Strike a few times.:o (He's well and truly back now though.)
But I'd still say the cigs are having a noticeable effect on Ed's voice - listen to Release from 03, and then from 06. He can't go as deep, or as high anymore. The exact same thing that happened to Cornell.
you don't think people would be noting a change if he didnt smoke?? i dunno about that one. there is a noticable change in his voice (no value judgement here) and i suspect people would be discussing it. AT THE VERY LEAST BECAUSE PEOPLE HERE DISCUSS EVERTHING FROM THEIR FAVORITE ALBUM TO WHAT EDDIE"S BUGGERS MIGHT TASTE LIKE
Ed's voice still belongs to him even though he is your favorite singer.
hmmmm.......Ed's voice changed back in the no code/yield era. From then on, i think he has refined his singing.
It will never go back to the way it sounded in the early 90s, and I don't really want it to. I like where it is right now, the band is putting out very solid performances.
i like his voice very much...
OK, save the people who would discuss Ed's buggers, I think far fewer people would be discussing his voice sans the smoking.
well at least you have the balls to admit it
How about the nickelback boards ??
I wave to all my Friends... Yeah!
Now withthat said, when Ed rests and has the energy he can still totally bring it, compare MSG1 03 where he was blown away by Ben Harper (again Ed was out o gas) with Mansfield 3 where he, for whatever reason, was able to bring it hardcore.
Anyway, that is only noticeable on the boots, in concert- in the venue- I haven't noticed any let down or any change from 98 when I attended my first PJ gig, to my last one in 06.
The fact that it is sometimes noticdeable on the boots is precisley why we will not get anymore of them offered to us.
8/7/08, 6/9/09
Perfect.
this is spot on. anyone who was at Werchter will say the same, (eddie openly admitted that he'd been hanging around drinkin and smokin all day with QOTSA & KOL) at werchter and that was the reason he sounded like crap....and he did sound exhausted at that show.
Then again i had friends there who hadnt seen PJ before who thought he sounded amazing!
but three days before in Copenhagen and the week before in Dusseldorf (when he had prepared better) he put out the two best vocal performances ive ever heard.
Its a combo of age & lifestyle:
Cornell August 03 - with audioslave, sounded incredible. pulled off all the crazy screaming from the album perfectly....then July 05 saw them again and he could barely talk let alone sing
Bono - 2001 and 2005 shows sound like two singers, he's just plain auld losing his voice, and doesnt have the energy to sing at full strength throughout a show..
compared to him Eds lasting very well
the shows are more consistent night in and night out now. just listened to Birmingham 98 and it was kinda hard to listen too, starting w/ the opener Release. It hurt my ears.
He rarely has off nights like he did anything pre 2000, but he also doesn't try and scream his head off every night now too. It's a give and take.
BUT, we can't expect the same consistency during live performances. I saw them in camden '98 and I couldn't believe how scratchy his voice was, and then I saw them again almost 10 years later and his voice was much better. it's physiologically impossible for vocal cords to maintain their patency day in and day out.
So, what is the conclusion? on the albums it's blatantly obvious he has lost, to whatever degree, some of that characteristic depth that gives his voice so much power...I put my hope in a change of direction for the next album.
98-Camden
03-Camden
06-Prague, Berlin, Vienna, Zagreb
07-Katowice
08-NYC I/II, Hartford, Mansfield I/II
If he quit, he would hopefully regain that strong, rounded baritone from 1998-2003 era. 2006 just sounded whiney and squawky and Lollapalooza was a clunker for Ed.
However, If you listen to the Soldier Field show.. you see how much better his voice is now. 95-96 was rough in terms of Ed's voice.
2005 - 9/15, 9/16, 9/30, 10/1, 10/3
2006 - 5/5, 5/12, 5/13, 5/27, 5/28, 5/30, 6/1, 6/3, 6/23, 7/22, 7/23, 12/2
2007 - 6/27, 8/3
2008 - 6/14, 6/19, 6/20, 6/22, 6/24, 6/25, 6/27, 6/28, 6/30, 7/1