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Thread: The Guys' Voices

  1. #1
    Stuck on the Border MaryCalifornia's Avatar
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    Default The Guys' Voices

    I don't think there's a thread specifically for this topic yet...

    I've seen many posts in the various threads about Don, Tim and Joe being 70 and the state of their singing voices. Some of these are really mean-spirited sentiments, suggesting that they guys have brought on performers to support their dying voices. I try to never judge how something sounds by iPhone videos on youtube. From published professional reviews to the posts of Borderers who attended a show, it seems like they're sounding great. (Don had some trouble with OOTN in the first show but some reports have it as technical audio problems and he was right back in form the next night.)

    The guys don't use backing vocal tracks, at all, either for the solo-sung versus or for the choruses, unlike so many of the major touring artists today, the vast majority of whom are a few decades younger. (Also, go see WF's new review of Don Felder's recent show) I think their singing voices are just as strong live in an arena show as any artist out there, or, are as good at performing their own songs up to a certain level of competence as anyone else. I'm not saying they have the best technical voices in the world. I'm curious if someone who saw a show on the HFO tour will see one of these shows and can compare, I actually don't think the guys have lost much, and I wouldn't think they've lost anything since HOTE.

    Whether they are on a solo tour or an Eagles 3.0 tour, I think the guys' voices are in fine fettle, and have no reason to think they won't be for years to come if they take care of themselves and their God-given instruments. I just really want to have a thread dedicated to the quality of their singing performances as experienced by those in attendance, hopefully we will get new posts here as people attend shows. (if they don't sound good, it's OK to say!)

  2. #2
    Stuck on the Border MaryCalifornia's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    Because we're talking about this tour, we're talking about live shows, in person. Though the guys do not use autotune or backing vocals in live shows, they heavily produce and edit their "live" albums, DVDs, documentaries, etc...so that they sound perfect. I was hoping for Borderers (or visitors) who have attended HFO, and/or HOTE and these new shows to chime on their experience to make a comparison about the guys' voices live, in the arena/stadium.

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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    I saw two HotE shows six months apart. For the first, I though Timothy sounded particularly good whereas Glenn sounded ragged on at least one song. On the second, Glenn sounded really good on TITTL. I prefer the way Henley sounded in the 70s (based on recordings and bootlegs), but possibly I just liked his "smoker" voice.

    On another thread, I posted about them possibly needing help and I hope that wasn't something you considered to be "mean-spirited" as that was not my intent. This is what I wrote.
    They've been using extra musicians since the late seventies. It allows them to play music that they couldn't if it was just the "Eagles". In the 70s, they could pull most of it off with just four of them, but with age comes wear and tear on voices, fingers and backs. If they want to maintain quality, they need help. There's nothing more sad than seeing a once-famous performer who no longer has a voice. We hope they are honest by showing us who is there to help, otherwise it's just a bunch of old guys pretending.

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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    Hi MaryC. I can't speak comparing the HFO concert years as I didn't attend those, but I saw them in concert in 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1980. 37 years later, I saw them in Louisville. They sounded good, but of course not like they did in their early years. While they can still hit some of the high notes it is much more strained to do so. Those voices were much more powerful then. If you just compare their speaking voices in the HOTE part 1 and part 2, you can tell how much their voices have changed, so to reach some of the notes much be difficult.

    Their songs on the live track from the Anniversary HC album is how they used to sound live. I didn't appreciate how much better the Eagles were live in concert until I attended other groups' concerts during those years.

    Having said all of this, I still enjoyed seeing them last year. The songs are still good and the harmonies are still magical.

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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    I saw them probably about 20 times, mostly in the 70s. Back then, their voices were all spot on no matter who was in the band. I saw one HFO show in 1995 and I felt that they were amazing then as well. However, my last show was in 2003 and while the set list was enormous and long, vocally, they sounded way weaker than they did 8 years earlier. Glenn, in particular, was having issues with pitch, but the actual quality of his voice was not that different. The problem I had with that show was the incredible amount of vocal support by the supporting players. With all those other voices added, even if they are lower in the mix, there is a definite difference in the quality of that vocal blend and I don't mean that in a positive way.

    2003 was my last show because I could no longer handle the crowd singing louder than the band which is what happened throughout most of the show. Now I'd prefer to just see them on dvd where I can enjoy the music without being annoyed.

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    Stuck on the Border buffyfan145's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    Even though I never saw the band and I wasn't born when they were originally together, I saw both Don and Joe during their solo tours in 2016 and they both sounded great to me. You expect that with old age they will start to lose some of how their voices work but they still sound great and able to keep touring. I've only seen the most recent vids but they and Timothy still sound good and I thought Glenn did as well from the HOTE vids.
    ~*Amanda*~
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  7. #7
    Stuck on the Border MaryCalifornia's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    Everyone who has seen the guys solo on the last tours says they sound great! I'm assuming they sound the same when performing with the Eagles. Their voices definitely aren't as strong, pure, clear as they were in the 70s, they admit that. But I think they're still holding their own in the shows, based on newspaper reviews and posts here and on other boards.

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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    Hi Mary - how are you doing ?
    I saw the Eagles in either 74 or 75 - I can't remember which it was as it was so long ago. I also saw them in 1980 and 1995. I have to say their voices were at their best in their 20's between 1971-1980. I think they all sounded really good in the HFO concert I saw. I have not seen them in concert since then. From what people have posted from this tour, they have all struggled with their voices. People have mentioned Tim and Don the most. But, considering they are all 70 years old, they still sound good. Not great like they used to, but good. I also think the backing musicians help too. JMHO.

  9. #9
    Administrator sodascouts's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    I wonder if their deteriorating vocals will make them stop touring, of if they'll continue as long as people pay to see them, and simply make more use of backup singers and perhaps even recorded vocal tracks to cover their weaknesses?

    Always in our hearts, Never forgotten

  10. #10

    Default Re: The Guys' Voices

    Quote Originally Posted by sodascouts View Post
    I wonder if their deteriorating vocals will make them stop touring, of if they'll continue as long as people pay to see them, and simply make more use of backup singers and perhaps even recorded vocal tracks to cover their weaknesses?
    I've wondered that as well. If we can tell they are struggling then rest assured they are even more aware. A guitarist I really respect said once that he can recall every bad note he hits a show, every one. With vocals as strong and near perfect as they've had over the years there is no doubt they know 1977 is long gone.

    The recent recordings I've heard I've noticed a significant drop in the quality of Don and Tim. Haven't heard much Joe. For the first time I recall Tim sings much of ICTYW falsetto. You only do that when you can't sing it any longer. Not sure how long they'll keep that up. I would think they would never go onstage knowing that they simply can't sing any longer with any quality. And a prerecorded track? I cannot possibly see that least I sure hope not.

    Getting old is a real you know what.

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