The Not So Official BOOTLEG POLL: your favorite PJ bootleg year?

MedozK

2000

It's not even close sound wise. The 2000 Euro leg is the best sounding bootlegs ever.

brookelily

2000

2000 for me.  6 albums in, band is as tight as ever, just think this was consistently the best they sounded.  Delivered night after night.  I can pick out about 25-30 of these shows that are top notch.  I think it helped that shows were 2 hours long too (and lets face it, the guys were mid 30's).  Boise, Milan, Verona, Columbia, Detroit, Pgh, Salzburg, Saratoga, Katowice 2...just all sound excellent to me.

Probably 2006 (not a choice here) and then 2003 after that.  Both very good tours, but not as consistent as 2000.  I would love to hear more from 1998, because the shows we have now are all top notch.

lolobugg

2016 North American Tour

brookelily said:

2000 for me.  6 albums in, band is as tight as ever, just think this was consistently the best they sounded.  Delivered night after night.  I can pick out about 25-30 of these shows that are top notch.  I think it helped that shows were 2 hours long too (and lets face it, the guys were mid 30's).  Boise, Milan, Verona, Columbia, Detroit, Pgh, Salzburg, Saratoga, Katowice 2...just all sound excellent to me.

Probably 2006 (not a choice here) and then 2003 after that.  Both very good tours, but not as consistent as 2000.  I would love to hear more from 1998, because the shows we have now are all top notch.

I agree, I wish PJ would've started recording every show in 1998. those would never be topped for energy and excitement.

Foo4Everlong

2003

2003 by far has always been my favorite sounding bootleg series! The mix is perfect! It’s like you have Ed’s in ear monitors in and you can hear everyone in the band perfectly! Hearing the crowd really doesn’t do anything for me. I want to hear the bands performance and that’s it! Maybe a slight bit of crowd for band/crowd interactions. Heres my list:

2003
2000 (Europe first, then US)
2006
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (These are on a similar plane sound and mix wise to me. The bootlegs got better again after the 2009/2010 debacle!)
2011/2012
2005
2008
2009/2010 (Horrible Mixes! Sorry Barrett Jones, I love you but...) 

RoleModelsinBlood31

2013 North America

lolobugg said:

brookelily said:

2000 for me.  6 albums in, band is as tight as ever, just think this was consistently the best they sounded.  Delivered night after night.  I can pick out about 25-30 of these shows that are top notch.  I think it helped that shows were 2 hours long too (and lets face it, the guys were mid 30's).  Boise, Milan, Verona, Columbia, Detroit, Pgh, Salzburg, Saratoga, Katowice 2...just all sound excellent to me.

Probably 2006 (not a choice here) and then 2003 after that.  Both very good tours, but not as consistent as 2000.  I would love to hear more from 1998, because the shows we have now are all top notch.

I agree, I wish PJ would've started recording every show in 1998. those would never be topped for energy and excitement.

I don’t know, 96 was pretty insane.  Really any mid to late 90’s shows actually i’d love them to release.

lolobugg

2016 North American Tour

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

lolobugg said:

brookelily said:

2000 for me.  6 albums in, band is as tight as ever, just think this was consistently the best they sounded.  Delivered night after night.  I can pick out about 25-30 of these shows that are top notch.  I think it helped that shows were 2 hours long too (and lets face it, the guys were mid 30's).  Boise, Milan, Verona, Columbia, Detroit, Pgh, Salzburg, Saratoga, Katowice 2...just all sound excellent to me.

Probably 2006 (not a choice here) and then 2003 after that.  Both very good tours, but not as consistent as 2000.  I would love to hear more from 1998, because the shows we have now are all top notch.

I agree, I wish PJ would've started recording every show in 1998. those would never be topped for energy and excitement.

I don’t know, 96 was pretty insane.  Really any mid to late 90’s shows actually i’d love them to release.

yeah. I started going to PJ shows in 95 so I would love to have soundboard quality from that time period too!

anything after the Dave (Abuse-us) years.

PJ_Soul

2013 North America

2006 for me too

TamaDrummer91

2003

Foriginal Sin said:

TamaDrummer91 said:

The only years for boots I rarely go to are 08 and 09. Their sound quality/mixes are lacking compared to other years. 2005 and 2010 do not bother me, they are a bit brash and raw but still enjoyable.

2003, 2000, and 2006 are the ones I hit the most. 2003 easily has the best diversity in sets as far as setlist arrangements. Plus, the way Ed’s voice is mixed, it’s like you can feel it. If I had to rank boots based solely on sound from best to worst:

First Tier
2013
2012
2014
2000 US leg 1
2003
2006
2000 Euro
2000 US Leg 2
2016 (Had the little bit of clipping been gone, this would be higher, and it’s not on all of the 2016 boots. In general they sound great).
2011

Second Tier
2005
2010
2009
2008
2015 (clipping everywhere)

Can you explain “clipping?” for us/me. Thank you

Over volume. The strong static you hear in those boots, especially over Ed’s vocals on particular songs in some 2016 boots and most of 2015. 

RideTheWave93

2000

Toss up between 2014 and 2000. Like others said quality is better on recent boots, but as for setlists the 2000 days were awesome. So that edges it!

RoleModelsinBlood31

2013 North America

Booty bump.  Want to hear people’s opinions as they start hitting the bootlegs prior to this upcoming tour!

SVRDhand13

2016 North American Tour

2000 and 2003 sound the best but I know the 2016 shows pretty much by heart after listening to them so constantly. Love the setlists from this tour. Went to 7 shows- wish I could have hit up all of them!

mkay0

2000, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2014 are my favorites

Big Bank Hank

2003

2003 is my favorite, but 2005 is the most underrated with the the Gorge & Canadian Tour, the few US Shows in between & South American shows, the band sounded fucking incredible every show, I really think they were at their peak, no album to promote

Big Bank Hank

2003

since we are talking about bootlegs, a little bit off the subject but the Greenville 2016 show was amazing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufFaA093n_g&t=3s

RoleModelsinBlood31

2013 North America

Big Bank Hank said:

since we are talking about bootlegs, a little bit off the subject but the Greenville 2016 show was amazing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufFaA093n_g&t=3s

Haven’t heard it yet but I have several 2016’s already.  Adding it to the list.

PB11041

2003

Big Bank Hank said:

2003 is my favorite, but 2005 is the most underrated with the the Gorge & Canadian Tour, the few US Shows in between & South American shows, the band sounded fucking incredible every show, I really think they were at their peak, no album to promote

With the 2005 sets finally out via Nugs and not just mp3, there is an argument to be successfully made.

PB11041

2003

The 2003 tour is GOAT.  There I said it.  Throw your hatred down.

RoleModelsinBlood31

2013 North America

Been going through the whole 2003 tour these last few weeks.  Sydney 3 is amazing.  I think I’m in Melbourne now... show #8? Man, Ed’s voice sounds shot!! He’s got 64 shows left in the tour still!

OnWis97

2003

2003 for me.  This is partly just my personal experience...I went to four shows that year, including the Boston Experiment.  Between that and the State College show (which I was considering and now wish I'd gone to), that's when I kinda think of the band going from "great live band" to "doing shit that nobody else does."  State College is great...the outrageously bad version of Satan's Bed...that's unacceptable for your typical 1.5-2 hour show from most bands, but when PJ is playing its longest concert to date, it's fun to hear them fumble through a song they were rarely playing.  And the three Boston bootlegs are tough to beat.  I legitimately feel blessed having been at those shows; had I not, I'd have purchased them...seven-to-eight hours with only one repeat, but the 12-song nearly-acoustic set?  Incredible.

mpedone

2003

2003 for me, mostly for the Experiment. I love the boot I have from 2006, though. I think it has the best all-around sound of any show I was at - you can really hear the crowd, which is nice.

And, I will add my voice to those wishing for soundboard recordings from 96 on. I have audience recordings of 96 and 98, and while they're "good enough", the quality doesn't compare with the "official bootlegs" off 2000 on. I also have some sound degradation in my 98 boot.