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Pearl Jam Bootlegs : Post 2006

CrookedTomCrookedTom Posts: 252
edited January 2012 in The Porch
It may be just me..

I have found every bootleg I've heard since the Euro Shows 2006 almost unlistenable. Even shows that I went to and loved (02 London, Hyde Park).

The issues are the 'trashy slashy' sound of the guitars and the ridicoulous levels they put Vedder's voice at.
I downloaded Hamilton the other week after the rave reviews on here, and it was the same ol' situation.

Am I alone in thinking this way? The 2000, 2003 and 2006 Boots at their best were almost a perfect live document in my eyes.
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    curlycurly Posts: 703
    your pretty alone on this one...

    All i think about is the horrible sound quality of boots i spent thousands of hours listening to of pj in the 90's...

    So,...some may feel ya...but, i'm more happy that the crowd isn't so over barringly loud to where you cant hear the music...
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    curly wrote:
    your pretty alone on this one...

    All i think about is the horrible sound quality of boots i spent thousands of hours listening to of pj in the 90's...

    So,...some may feel ya...but, i'm more happy that the crowd isn't so over barringly loud to where you cant hear the music...

    I totally agree. I not only spent a lot of hours listening to those old (actual) bootlegs, but $30 or more each. I love that I can buy reasonably priced official "bootleg" CDs of the shows I go to that sound as good as they do.
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    bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 15,540
    CrookedTom wrote:
    It may be just me..

    I have found every bootleg I've heard since the Euro Shows 2006 almost unlistenable. Even shows that I went to and loved (02 London, Hyde Park).

    The issues are the 'trashy slashy' sound of the guitars and the ridicoulous levels they put Vedder's voice at.
    I downloaded Hamilton the other week after the rave reviews on here, and it was the same ol' situation.

    Am I alone in thinking this way? The 2000, 2003 and 2006 Boots at their best were almost a perfect live document in my eyes.

    I don't think you are alone in this one. I'm not with you because I don't really judge sound that much. THere have been numerous threads from folks on hear who do not like the post 2003 bootleg sound.
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    Deep93Deep93 Posts: 86
    These aren't official live albums they're bootlegs. And there like 15 dollars. I'm just happy i can listen to every pear jam show i go to as many times as i want. But I'm the kinda guy that's disappointed if i don't hear a little bit of crackle when i listen to my vinyl.
    Toronto 9/11/2011
    Ottawa 9/14/2011
    Amsterdam 6/26/2012!
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    veddertownveddertown Scotland Posts: 5,260
    I can't abide the sound of the 2008 shows which is a shame because there were some great shows and I'm probably alone on this but I didn't like the sound of the 2003 shows that much either although I wasn't the greatest fan of that tour to be honest (too much politics for my liking). I thought Hamilton sounded great though from this year and that's the only one I've listened to so far. 2009 - 10 were acceptable enough although far from the 2000 tour quality.
    Like a book among the many on a shelf...

    Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
    Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
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    Deep93Deep93 Posts: 86
    veddertown wrote:
    I can't abide the sound of the 2008 shows which is a shame because there were some great shows and I'm probably alone on this but I didn't like the sound of the 2003 shows that much either although I wasn't the greatest fan of that tour to be honest (too much politics for my liking). I thought Hamilton sounded great though from this year and that's the only one I've listened to so far. 2009 - 10 were acceptable enough although far from the 2000 tour quality.

    Is it possibly the 2000 bootleg quality was so good because they recorded all of the shows for the touring band movie?
    Toronto 9/11/2011
    Ottawa 9/14/2011
    Amsterdam 6/26/2012!
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    SpencerSpencer Posts: 867
    2000 sounds the best because the band were incredibly tight, playing great new material, Ed's voice was in great shape and the guitar sounds were thick and chunky.

    The 2011 bootlegs are the best sounding since 2006, Brett Eliason's return has made a huge difference, but they're not playing with the same intensity they were back then - that's not something a good mix will change.
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    veddertownveddertown Scotland Posts: 5,260
    Deep93 wrote:
    veddertown wrote:
    I can't abide the sound of the 2008 shows which is a shame because there were some great shows and I'm probably alone on this but I didn't like the sound of the 2003 shows that much either although I wasn't the greatest fan of that tour to be honest (too much politics for my liking). I thought Hamilton sounded great though from this year and that's the only one I've listened to so far. 2009 - 10 were acceptable enough although far from the 2000 tour quality.

    Is it possibly the 2000 bootleg quality was so good because they recorded all of the shows for the touring band movie?

    I don't know for sure but I think Live On Two Legs was a tester for the 2000 shows which were planned as a standalone project and the DVD was just a natural companion to the recordings.
    Like a book among the many on a shelf...

    Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
    Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
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    demetriosdemetrios Canada Posts: 87,855
    CrookedTom wrote:
    I downloaded Hamilton the other week after the rave reviews on here, and it was the same ol' situation.

    Ah what speakers did you play this one on? Or headphones are you hearing these under? The CDN '11 bootlegs are a huge improvement from the '08, '09 & '10 bootlegs, IMO. '00 bootlegs were great but the drums were much louder the the other year bootleg releases, especially the Euro ones. '03's, imo, were amazing!!
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    sj.brodiesj.brodie Posts: 468
    CrookedTom wrote:
    It may be just me..

    I have found every bootleg I've heard since the Euro Shows 2006 almost unlistenable. Even shows that I went to and loved (02 London, Hyde Park).

    The issues are the 'trashy slashy' sound of the guitars and the ridicoulous levels they put Vedder's voice at.
    I downloaded Hamilton the other week after the rave reviews on here, and it was the same ol' situation.

    Am I alone in thinking this way? The 2000, 2003 and 2006 Boots at their best were almost a perfect live document in my eyes.

    In complete agreement. Compare release from 11/6/2000 to any version post 2006. It's like no sound *around* the instruments was recorded, minimal crowd noise, virtually none of that natural reverb in Eddie's vocals you get in arena's (anyone who's been to a pj show knows) I think they captured the whole *event* more faithfully in 2000 and 2003 as you said.
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    boyo79boyo79 Warrington, UK Posts: 6,525
    Some of the early Euro 2000 shows I can't listen too, the mix is too quiet. Katowice I suffers from this I think, I have to turn the volume right up and its still quiet. The US 2000 shows were much better quality.

    Love the 2003 tour boots, think they are great and the same goes for 2006.

    2008, maybe I'm alone on this but I have no issues with the quality. I prefer these to the 2010 ones I've heard.

    All in all though, these are all great compared to 99% of audience recordings.
    2000: Manchester
    2006: Dublin; Leeds; Arnhem
    2007: London
    2009: Manchester
    2012: Manchester I & II : EV Manchester : Soundgarden Shepherds Bush
    2013: Brad Manchester : Soundgarden Manchester
    2014: Amsterdam I & II; Berlin; Leeds; Milton Keynes
    2018: Berlin; London II; Boston II

    Bootleg Reviews: http://pjbootlegreviews.blogspot.com/
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    Spencer wrote:
    2000 sounds the best because the band were incredibly tight, playing great new material, Ed's voice was in great shape and the guitar sounds were thick and chunky.

    The 2011 bootlegs are the best sounding since 2006, Brett Eliason's return has made a huge difference, but they're not playing with the same intensity they were back then - that's not something a good mix will change.

    I agree with all of this. Everything after 2006 is pretty much turds IMO. The 2011 shows have sounded better, which I attribute to Eliason coming back. The 2010 shows were awful. As far as the pre-2000 audience recordings, there is something to be said about those. Yeah, they were expensive and the sound quality was spotty sometimes, but they captured the true vibe of the show. The US 2000 shows were great and intense. Eddie didn't sport that damned warbly voice thing he does now and the band had a true maturity in how they played and performed.
    -PUSH ME AND I WILL RESIST!
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    Dirty MosquitoDirty Mosquito Chicago Posts: 621
    I think all of their bootlegs sound great. I do agree though that the 2000-2003 era sounded best; but that was 10-12 years ago. Ed was only in his mid 30s, and I don't think it's possible for anyone to remain sounding that way forever. With age; your voice changes. I think they all sound amazing now; and I am so lucky they are still rocking pretty much in their 50s and still sound that good!
    Alpine Valley 06-13-99 [EV-Solo]
    Alpine Valley 10-8-00 (The Icebowl)
    Chicago 05-16-06, 05-17-06
    Lollapalooza 08-05-07
    Chicago 08-22-08 [EV Solo]
    Chicago 08-23-09, 08-24-09
    Chicago 06-28-11, 06-29-11 [EV Solo]
    PJ20 Alpine Valley 09-03-11, 09-04-11
    Wrigley Field 07-19-13
    Wrigley Field 08-20-16, 08-22-16
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    I think all of their bootlegs sound great. I do agree though that the 2000-2003 era sounded best; but that was 10-12 years ago. Ed was only in his mid 30s, and I don't think it's possible for anyone to remain sounding that way forever. With age; your voice changes. I think they all sound amazing now; and I am so lucky they are still rocking pretty much in their 50s and still sound that good!


    I'd say their mid forties to be fair - Ed is 47 and is older than Stone & Mike by a couple of years.

    I think in 2000/2003/2006 they played huge extensive tours - So as a band they were razor-tight after a dozen shows or so..Nowadays they do a cluster of shows over a course of 6 weeks or something. Add the fact that they are throwning out loads of obscurities, it can sometimes sound like a mess when you're listening back to it on a CD at home, I know being there is entirely different.
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    erocshiftyerocshifty Posts: 1,170
    i listen to all my shows on a sony cd walkman with sony studio headphones. the 08,09 & 10 shows lack the warmth of the 00-06,11 shows. they have a crispier, tinnier sound. while there's plenty of punch on the bass drum, there is less jeff in the mix. the europe 2000 lacked bass & volume. the only show that i plan on keeping from the 08-10 shows is bonnaroo. the other shows literally hurt my ears. i found myself turning them off halfway through the first set. i thought the band was losing it until i heard live on ten legs , then the canadian boots & that familiar sound was back. there are enough soundboard 90's shows around to keep me pacified until & if they ever open the vault.
    "It's best to live in grace before you're forced to." EV- 10/09/2014 
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    erocshiftyerocshifty Posts: 1,170
    luckily, i found a button on my walkman that allows me to do some eq'ing. that has added the warmth
    & bass depth i so deeply love. i was pretty bummed out by this because the last couple of tours they've been on fire. now i don't have to worry & can enjoy the philly box, 5 other backspacer shows & all 4 of my 08 shows. i'm glad brett is back, though. who did the mixing in his absence, john burton? still not a bad job, but i'm used to brett's sound.
    "It's best to live in grace before you're forced to." EV- 10/09/2014 
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