So after I listened a lot of the official boots...

GetALife

...I came to the conclusion that my favorites are the 2003...concerning sound especially. How do you feel/think about it?

These '03-boots have got a really warm and comfortable sound...
...why are the boot series are so different concerning the mix?

In my opinion, the 2000 boots have got too much heights (or how do you say in english?) (plus a lower volume than a regular record), not that much 'power' in the sound than the later boots. Some of the 2005 boots, especially the early ones are badly mixed...can't describe it exactly, maybe you know what I mean... The 2006 ones are great too, but very 'screamy'...maybe it has to do with the larger audiences or their part in the mixes (louder)...the 2003 boots sound very cozy (?) to me...they are perfect for lying in bed, putting up your headphones and drift off into a light sleep after a hard day...

So, again, how do you feel/think about what you hear when you hear the different series and what do you think also technically about it? I'm curious...





[PS: The title should be "listend to a lot of..."]

Evacuation Rules

The North American 2000 boots are the best sounding IMO. Stone's guitar is beefy and Mike is clearly audible. The mastering is just right too. The European 2000 boots are totally different. They have no bass...and they haven't been "mastered", so volume levels are really low. The 2003 boots are over-mastered and sound too "cooked", and Mike isn't quite as audible as before. Then on the 2006 boots, you can barely hear Mike at all (especially on the first few shows) and Stone's guitar has lost it's balls...definitely the worst-sounding. The sound and mix improved as the tour went on though. I didn't buy any of the 2005 boots because I refuse to pay for MP3's.

GetALife

alright, the discussion starts, opinions are in...pretty interesting what your ears are "thinking" ... more, more...

tama_drummer91

Compared to almost every other bands bootlegs, no matter what tour, PJs sound the greatest. I think every tour sounded great(official boots). 2000 Euro. boots like noted didnt have much bass and the vol level was low, but Eds vocals were high in the mix as well as Matt. I like it. 2000 America boots, pretty warm sounding. The guitars sounded really good and quite a bit more bass, but most of the time the drums were too low(meaning the snare drum mostly). This may be because Matts drums were really warm sounding that tour, so they didnt project as much. Also, Ed was a little low in the mix sometimes, but in some cases I think it almost makes it sound better, I cant stand it when the vocals are 3x louder than the other members...Metallica. 2003 can come off a little muddy if not played on a good stereo, but these boots are certainly the most warm and cozy sounding. 2005 boots are too damn underrated in my eyes and ears. Yes the mix can come off a little weird, but its clear as can be on most. You can hear Ed at a perfect level, the guitars werent as high in the mix, but they were certainly audible despite what many think. Never really understood that. Not to mention you could hear Jeff the best out of any other tours boots. Sometimes Jeff was louder than Mike and Stone on the boots. Matts drums were NOT warm sounding, but they were very crisp and loud. 2006 and 2005 have my favorite mixes. 2006 had warm sounding drums and the mix was great for me. I know some like Stone and Mike a little higher in the mix, but it sounds great to me. I have no problem hearing them. Ed sounded great, sometimes maybe too high in the mix(that never seems to happen in other other boots). Not to mention the bass wasnt muddy and most of the time at a consistent level. I love the bands boots.

Spencer

I agree that the 2000 US boots are the "gold standard" as far as PJ boots go, they're as perfect as I can imagine them sounding. 2000 Euro isn't terrible but they'd benefit from being mastered (properly) and more bass.

2003 is almost too midrange-heavy...I wish I had a greater technical vocabulary for this stuff.

2005 and 2006 have suffered some of the worst sounding boots, always those early in each leg seem to suffer the most. The good ones are quite good indeed though but I wish they more consistent. Take Euro '06, the early shows in the leg sound pretty woeful but listening to Pistoia or Zagreb is a joy.

I wish Mike & Stone both sounded as ballsy as they did in 2000 but I fear that has more to do with their live tone than the mixing (though Mike could stand to be turned up nonetheless).

Army & Navy

2000 Europe - If you've got a bass booster or a loudness button on your amp make sure that’s on, and these sound great. Drums are really high in the mix, & Ed sounds good. Agree that more bass was needed, and the guitars sound a little weak. However there is something about these shows, a feeling of actually being in the crowd which I don't think they recaptured.

2000 US - Pretty good but I find it all abit muddy at times, especially on the faster numbers. There's a kind of echo feel to the recording which makes the sound feel quite 'far away' (Sorry I have no technical slogans to throw around) - I have some which sound great (Pittsburgh, Detroit, Jones Beach 2) then others that sound pretty awful (West Palm*Beach, Seattle 2, Chicago)

2003 - Worst of the lot. Drums are just not there, and its so muddy, just a dirge half the time. Ed sounded great, the band didn't. On the slower songs (Black, Crazy Mary, Small Town) it worked quite well, but listen to RVM or Last Exit from these shows..Awful. The guitars seemed to have a cleaner sound, less distortion which made the more aggressive songs much less powerful.

2005 - Not listened to a lot of these apart from Rio - Not hugely impressed. Tinny sounding drums.

2006 - Best of the lot for me, especially 2nd leg US & Europe. I don't think you can find better sounding PJ boots than San Fran 3, Paris, Zagreb & Dublin. Also Sydney 3 sounds fantastic. Drums & vocals at the right level, and guitars have the crunch back..

Federico

2006 boots seemed to sound different depending the kind of venue....som of the 2nd US leg , like san diego, san francisco and cincinatti are the best since 2000, you hear jeff, you hear matt, you hear the solos, you jear stones riffs, and eds voice is as hig as needed...i agree that 2005 mix is underrated, but it must be said that the drumkit sounded really weird...

Kirkwood

For me it was the euro boots 2000 that really got me in to Pearl jam. I just love not to hear the audience so much. And the guitars get really powerfull. Songs like not for you, animal and go Sounds so much better than on 2003 - 2006 (+ eddies vocie was better on that songs back then).

It´s the only recordings I listen to daily. It really rocks and as said before it feels like you actually are in the audience

2003 i agree on the cozy feeling, but doesn´t rock for me

2006 Surelly rock but no cozy.

locked

I feel qualified to weigh in here..

best of the lot were:

2003 Japan Leg (what in hell is not perfect about these boots?)
2003 US tour (2nd leg)...IMO this was the gold standard year, I just do not hear the defects other have described???
2000 European leg (Matt's drums had the right punch)
2006 Austrailan leg (Newcastle, Adelaiade, Sydney all perfect)

I agree with the poster who suggested the second legs tend to have the better mix...

again why change anything from 2003 format...???

and again..

The Who seem to have no problem selling great CD soundboards and DVD's of every show they play..
why can't PJ adopt their technology?

GhostChile

I really miss official bootlegs!!

LukinFan

I like the 2000 and 2003 equally.

The Severed Hand

I just love having the access

ii44

JWBusher wrote:

The North American 2000 boots are the best sounding IMO. Stone's guitar is beefy and Mike is clearly audible. The mastering is just right too. The European 2000 boots are totally different. They have no bass...and they haven't been "mastered", so volume levels are really low. The 2003 boots are over-mastered and sound too "cooked", and Mike isn't quite as audible as before. Then on the 2006 boots, you can barely hear Mike at all (especially on the first few shows) and Stone's guitar has lost it's balls...definitely the worst-sounding. The sound and mix improved as the tour went on though. I didn't buy any of the 2005 boots because I refuse to pay for MP3's.

What he said.

DiRtYyELLoWoCeAn

Bring back the official boots!!!

sj.brodie

I have the official State College 2003 bootleg...and i have to say. THE PACKAGING SMELLS AMAZING!! Has anyone else noticed this about the 2003 series?

Mexico City and State College from 2003 are great.