I haven't really followed the shows carefully since 2010, so maybe that's why the TMR show came as such a shocker. I'm familiar with most of his vocal tics by now but his voice actually cracking was a new one for me. Seems like there's no clearer sign that you're attempting to sing beyond your capacity.

I don't think the live set was recorded in the booth, Ruddo.

It wasn't his finest moment but it could have been worse. I've heard worse over the past few years. I couldn't even get through most of the 2016 shows because his voice isn't holding up through the shows anymore.

The way you feel about that "Deep" is how I feel about the downtuned "Oceans" from Columbia. Ugh times a million.

I feel like he has to be really, really bad for it to be something you pick up on at the live show. I thought he sounded great at Fenway, then I listened to the boot and while he wasn't bad, there were def times he totally ran out of gas during songs.

I know. I just thought maybe after the booth, EV was on one of his tangents and decided to do everything in that style. Maybe even tour with an old phone booth that he could sit in during live shows.

I haven't really followed the shows carefully since 2010, so maybe that's why the TMR show came as such a shocker. I'm familiar with most of his vocal tics by now but his voice actually cracking was a new one for me. Seems like there's no clearer sign that you're attempting to sing beyond your capacity.

2015 was a good year for ed too. The BA show i saw was pretty amazing.

I dont know guys, im fine with him having rough nights...i still think he is one of the best vocalists out there..i agree that songs like Blood are weird live these days...specially if the do it in the second or third encore.

Well, and I know I've said this before, I don't think it's that he sounds great in the room but the bootleg isn't an accurate reflection. He sounds the same in the room as he does on the recording, it's just a much more forgiving environment and the flaws aren't as apparent.

Anyway, I know you know this, I'm just sayin'.

Yes, this is very true; the boom in his voice is what carries, not the cracks and wavers. Still, I thought he sounded ok in 2014 and he sounded ok on the boots too, so who knows.

I wish he'd go quieter and less breathy. Almost Bill Callahan, but not as droll. Sort of like where he's at on NAIS and SoH.

To my ears, the recording of "Dream a Little Dream" that closes the ukulele album is the closest Eddie comes to finding a way to repurpose his limitations as a strength -- somewhat haggard and threadbare, yes, but comfortable working within that template, and as such able to put across a wisdom and experience that a younger voice could not. This adaptability is basically the reason Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have been able to release credible albums into their 60's (70's in Bob's case)
-- they've exploited their flaws as touchstones of authenticity, making them sound more, not less, in command of their art. The problem with Ed translating this sense of maturity to the live show is that PJ's arrangements are so static and inflexible (and they've proven this in a handful of unsuccessful attempts to deviate from them over the years) that anything beyond a small change to the vocal performance inevitably feels "off," as it fails to achieve the level of "different interpretation" but rather remains stuck in the realm of "subpar recitation." If the band could reimagine their songs to meet Ed halfway (and by this I don't just mean tuning them all down a half step) I think it would open up a lot of possibilities for them in terms of pure performance quality. That said, the more "general rock fan" portion of their audience probably isn't prepared for that, and as mentioned before, they don't really have a knack for this sort of thing anyway. But a guy can dream a little dream.