EdVed's recent changed up singing style

CJMST3K · July 2010

I've noticed in the last couple of years Ed seems to have changed his vocal styling. Seems like his singing abilities are still there (especially being able to nail "Reign O'er Me") but it's just the way he chooses to sing the notes or words is different. He seems to be adding "ah" in the middle of words, in tons of songs that didn't used to have it before.

Just one example:

Red Mosquito - '96 (regular EV singing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv2PGM4qu0s

Red Mosquito - '10 (revised singing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Rb1jeW ... re=related

"a-ah-loud to leave the the room....."
"i-ah-i was bitten..."

"i-ah-i was bitten..."
"a little vis-ah-it..."

Seems like he's adding an extra "ah" to many places that it didn't used to be. Anyone else notice this on more recent boots, in the last couple of years?

Newch91 · July 2010

I've noticed his voice has changed and some songs have to be tuned a half step down for him.

Snoopy Died For Our Sins · July 2010

yup..sucks getting old

it's really that simple

you cannot compare his young voice to his mid-forties voice

thefin190 · July 2010

Newch91 wrote:

I've noticed his voice has changed and some songs have to be tuned a half step down for him.

His voice has definitely changed, but I don't know or think its intentional. He is just getting older. Chris Cornell sounds really different too. I think its just age. It seems like its almost higher pitched. If you compare the Philly 2009 version of Glorified G with the album version, Eddie's voice doesn't even sound deep at all. I bet Scott Stapp sounds more like younger Eddie than older Eddie does. It doesn't matter though, I still think Eddie is a great musician regardless of his voice, and I think what makes him and Scott Stapp different is that Eddie knows how to play several instruments and isn't a one trick pony.

Newch91 · July 2010

thefin190 wrote:

Newch91 wrote:

I've noticed his voice has changed and some songs have to be tuned a half step down for him.

His voice has definitely changed, but I don't know or think its intentional. He is just getting older. Chris Cornell sounds really different too. I think its just age. It seems like its almost higher pitched. If you compare the Philly 2009 version of Glorified G with the album version, Eddie's voice doesn't even sound deep at all. I bet Scott Stapp sounds more like younger Eddie than older Eddie does. It doesn't matter though, I still think Eddie is a great musician regardless of his voice, and I think what makes him and Scott Stapp different is that Eddie knows how to play several instruments and isn't a one trick pony.

He's also smoked like a mad man during his career. In the Hartford 98 boot, he mentions something about his smoking and how he should've quit before.

LikeAnOcean · July 2010

I must be in the minority here, but I like the way he's been singing in his 40s MUCH better than before.

LikeAnOcean · July 2010

thefin190 wrote:

Newch91 wrote:

I've noticed his voice has changed and some songs have to be tuned a half step down for him.

His voice has definitely changed, but I don't know or think its intentional. He is just getting older. Chris Cornell sounds really different too. I think its just age. It seems like its almost higher pitched. If you compare the Philly 2009 version of Glorified G with the album version, Eddie's voice doesn't even sound deep at all. I bet Scott Stapp sounds more like younger Eddie than older Eddie does. It doesn't matter though, I still think Eddie is a great musician regardless of his voice, and I think what makes him and Scott Stapp different is that Eddie knows how to play several instruments and isn't a one trick pony.

Quite the opposite. His voice is much deeper now, he just likes to sing higher than he used too. He has trouble hitting high notes these days. Listen to his non-singing voice in interviews. It's much deeper now. The voice deepens and thins out with age.. and Scott Stapp can't even sing, so he's got no tricks.

thefin190 · July 2010

LikeAnOcean wrote:

thefin190 wrote:

Newch91 wrote:

I've noticed his voice has changed and some songs have to be tuned a half step down for him.

His voice has definitely changed, but I don't know or think its intentional. He is just getting older. Chris Cornell sounds really different too. I think its just age. It seems like its almost higher pitched. If you compare the Philly 2009 version of Glorified G with the album version, Eddie's voice doesn't even sound deep at all. I bet Scott Stapp sounds more like younger Eddie than older Eddie does. It doesn't matter though, I still think Eddie is a great musician regardless of his voice, and I think what makes him and Scott Stapp different is that Eddie knows how to play several instruments and isn't a one trick pony.

Quite the opposite. His voice is much deeper now, he just likes to sing higher than he used too. He has trouble hitting high notes these days. Listen to his non-singing voice in interviews. It's much deeper now. The voice deepens and thins out with age.. and Scott Stapp can't even sing, so he's got no tricks.

The only reason why I bring up Scott Stapp is because I heard that crappy song "with my arms with open" or whatever, and I didn't realize how much of an Eddie Vedder rip off he actually was until then.

Ty · July 2010

Ed's got a great voice! Still love it. It doesn't pack the punch and the HUGENESS it had in the early 90's... watch Unplugged. But he still goes pretty damn good!

As someone else said, listen to CC or Roger Daltry, or Mick Jagger, or Anthony Keidis, or Scott Weiland... I think only one to maybe survive it was Mike Patton.

wolfamongwolves · July 2010

Aside from the depth of his voice, or whatever damage age/smoking is doing to it, I think the OP was referring to additional notes he's been adding to syllables. Personally, I think it's an improvement. It shows that he's improved his range, is better able to slide between notes and has generally become a more versatile singer.

Tenzing N. · July 2010

I disagree- I noticed in the 2003 boots (I think) that he was changing the ends of virtually every word with some sort of note change lower. Sometimes now he changes something in the middle of many words as the OP noticed. I think he has to do this to make his voice last through an entire night. I imagine it's physically draining on your lungs and throat to sing for three hours- adding these small changes allows him to make it all the way.

Come Back in Black · July 2010

I noticed a change too. But I am really digging his vocal style the last couple of years. I remember in 06 thinking how he would nail the new songs off of Avacodo but he would almost yodel a lot of the older songs to get through them. Yodel is a bad desricptive word for it but his voice would dramatically waver up and down all the way through songs. I found that very distracting and it wasn't my taste. I'm not saying he couldn't sing the older songs... it seemed more of a way of saving his voice. Break out all the stops on new songs and coast on some of the older ones. At any rate i think his voice sounds fantastic this tour. Listening to the hartford 2010 bootleg, he really shines on that one and makes you think he's still got it. Big time.

dimitrispearljam · July 2010

in black and jeremy he do the same,the extra eh

UpSideDown · July 2010

I think the trend really started in '08, got bad in '09, and smoothed itself out in '10.

Whenever I'm singing the songs in my head I tend to do the same thing.......I am more used to the live versions as compared to the studio......

HailRoad24 · July 2010

Come Back in Black wrote:

I noticed a change too. But I am really digging his vocal style the last couple of years. I remember in 06 thinking how he would nail the new songs off of Avacodo but he would almost yodel a lot of the older songs to get through them. Yodel is a bad desricptive word for it but his voice would dramatically waver up and down all the way through songs. I found that very distracting and it wasn't my taste. I'm not saying he couldn't sing the older songs... it seemed more of a way of saving his voice. Break out all the stops on new songs and coast on some of the older ones. At any rate i think his voice sounds fantastic this tour. Listening to the hartford 2010 bootleg, he really shines on that one and makes you think he's still got it. Big time.

Couldn't agree more. I think the "ah's" are more of a lack of breath on his part than anything else. He just doesn't have the lung capacity that he used to have. He still has some serious pipes (best example being Of the Earth), but he doesn't compare, even to 2003 standards, when he still had that even baritone that carried him through songs. He's getting older and the singing and smoking are taking its toll now.

jwagner · July 2010

It's true about the added "ah"s, I've noticed that and other elements he throws in that he didn't before. Keeps it interesting, I like it.

His voice is changing/evolving...it's an age thing. He sounded great in the early days (especially on the albums), but I think he's stronger live now than he was then, in terms of pitch, control, stamina, etc. Age has certainly changed his voice, nothing anyone can do but work with that.

I still wish he'd quit smoking. That can't be good for his voice. And wotta voice, you know?

EBowie · July 2010

I agree with what others have said about aging, smoking, etc. having an impact on one's voice. But perhaps Ed changes his vocal style at times simply out of boredom and the desire to change things up at times. I mean he's the guy who is singing the songs night after night, all these years. I'm just saying that I believe that is part of it as well.

twisted thoughts · July 2010

honestly, i dont quite understand how the hell ed can sound so good still. Listen to '95 boots. Rough-raw sounding..sure its grunge the way it should be...but if he kept singing like that, there is no way he woulda lasted till now, sounding as good as he does...especially considering he smokes....Thanks Ed for taking some lessons back in 96....because if it werent for that, he may sound like chris cornell these days....which is kinda sad

He's gotta make up for the age and conditions somewhere....asking him to sing his heart out for 3 hrs a night for months in a row wouldnt even be logical if he didnt figure out how to compensate.

Its evolution baby!! That, to me adds to keeping this band interesting...they're still good, but always evolving.

AmherstJammer · July 2010

LikeAnOcean wrote:

I must be in the minority here, but I like the way he's been singing in his 40s MUCH better than before.

I totally agree.. I don't listen to any old boots anymore. I love the way Ed sounds today and the entire band as well.

Newch91 · July 2010

I think my favorite time for Ed's voice was the 95-98 era. His voice is great during that time.

12345AGNST1 · July 2010

LikeAnOcean wrote:

I must be in the minority here, but I like the way he's been singing in his 40s MUCH better than before.

Yup. Same here.

And to be fair, the whole acl performance was pretty bad as far as eds singing. I've heard much better recent ones

FenwayFaithful · July 2010

I-ah have noticed, must-ah have been the smoking.

rival. · July 2010

PJ radio proves this.

in a row, you get a live song from '96, one from '00, and then another one from '10.

2010 eddie sounds very out of place.

foriginalsin · July 2010

I think most of you are missing the point of the OP. Yes, cigarettes may have changed his vocals but that's not what the OP was saying. Its Eddies enunciation with certain words in songs. Like Hoff said in red mosquito, " I was bitten," turns into " Ahhhhh--I was bitten" and "a little visit" turns into "a little vis-ehhh-it." i don't think any of that has to do with cigs.

Yes Ed cant scream like he used to, get over it....and I don't think that has to do with smoking either. Screaming takes a toll on your voice no matter what. He is a much better "singer," like hitting and sustaining notes, than he used to be.

His voice definitely quavers and shakes more than it used too like Come Back in Black said.

Please don't ever say the only difference between Scott Stapp and Eddie is that Eddie can play instruments. That's offensive. In fact just don't bring him up at all.

Newch91 · July 2010

I do like his "ah's" in songs. That's what makes Eddie awesome.

twisted thoughts · July 2010

foriginalsin wrote:

Please don't ever say the only difference between Scott Stapp and Eddie is that Eddie can play instruments. That's offensive. In fact just don't bring him up at all.

+1,000,000,000

Scott Stapp sux :problem:

goo · July 2010

in response to the OP, I know what you're talking about. I personally don't like it myself. 2003 is the last tour where Eddie really sounded like his old self. after that, starting in 2006, he started to get pretty pitchy with all the "aaahhs" in a lot of songs. that's one of the main reasons I haven't bothered buying any recent boots. I don't like the way they're mixed, and Eddie's style of singing comes off much better in an actual live setting, actually being there at the show, than it does on the boots. but for example, whenever they play Whipping nowadays, he sings it like "Whipp-aaaaahhhhhhhng" instead of the "Whippiiiiiiiiing" we used to get. to me it sounds weak, but hey, if it's what he's gotta do to keep his voice preserved for long sets, then so be it. it's just unfortunate, that's all.

thefin190 · July 2010

satans kitchen wrote:

foriginalsin wrote:

Please don't ever say the only difference between Scott Stapp and Eddie is that Eddie can play instruments. That's offensive. In fact just don't bring him up at all.

+1,000,000,000

Scott Stapp sux :problem:

My bad. I messed up there. I didn't mean that but I could've structured my statement better, or better yet, not bring up Scott Stapp at all.

electronblue · July 2010

a friend of mine says he is singing more gwen stefanish, although i can't tell

High Fidelity 2000 · July 2010

CJMST3K wrote:

I've noticed in the last couple of years Ed seems to have changed his vocal styling. Seems like his singing abilities are still there (especially being able to nail "Reign O'er Me") but it's just the way he chooses to sing the notes or words is different. He seems to be adding "ah" in the middle of words, in tons of songs that didn't used to have it before.

Just one example:

Red Mosquito - '96 (regular EV singing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv2PGM4qu0s

Red Mosquito - '10 (revised singing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Rb1jeW ... re=related

"a-ah-loud to leave the the room....."
"i-ah-i was bitten..."

"i-ah-i was bitten..."
"a little vis-ah-it..."

Seems like he's adding an extra "ah" to many places that it didn't used to be. Anyone else notice this on more recent boots, in the last couple of years?

PERFECT examples. I think the first time I noticed this was on the All The Way recording, which was from '08 or '09? But it is ALL OVER the 09 2010 shows. ACL was also very obvious. I cannot believe how pained Ed looks to be singing Red Mosquito, it is NOT that hard of a song to sing.

HailRoad24 wrote:

Couldn't agree more. I think the "ah's" are more of a lack of breath on his part than anything else. He just doesn't have the lung capacity that he used to have. He still has some serious pipes (best example being Of the Earth), but he doesn't compare, even to 2003 standards, when he still had that even baritone that carried him through songs. He's getting older and the singing and smoking are taking its toll now.

BINGO. The "ah" in the middle or words or lines is lack of air. He's trying to sing it, he IS singing it, but it just doesn't come out. Age definitely causes a singer's voice to deepen in range, but the smoking helps it kill it off faster. It's not just being able to hit the high notes/screams, it's those lack-of-note spaces in the middle of words that is really making me worry. What will he sound like in 5 more years? 10 years?

If you want the best example I can think of to compare Ed's voice, put on headphones and listen to Man of the Hour demo (or even studio) followed by The End from Backspacer. One is warm and bright, the other is gasping for air and tired sounding. 6 year span. Try it and get back to me. Yeah, everyone defends it saying his voice has changed over time, he sounds BETTER now than a few years ago, blah blah blah... you can say that but the smoking definitely affects his voice, and NOT for the better.

Have you ever heard Eddie Van Halen sing?? Yikes. There's a guy who lost part of his tongue due to mouth cancer, then kept on smoking anyway. Genius. I personally don't want Eddie Vedder to take the same route as Eddie Van Halen.

12345AGNST1 · July 2010

One thing he does (or doesn't do) is pronounce the "ing" in words. he always says everythin, anythin, somethin, etc.

He'll also fail to pronounce the end of the last word in any given chorus sometimes. Listen to the msg 03 version of gimme some truth. The entire time he's really saying " just gimme some true, all we want is the true, some fucking trueee!" it's pretty hilarious.

EdVed's recent changed up singing style

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