I had read about Don lip-syncing on this forum before, and he is lip syncing in the video below. But the extent of using prerecorded tracks seems to go deeper than just Don's vocal (at least in this video). The background vocals seem to be largely prerecorded (lots of compression--Don's bass players seem to sing live though), there is a prerecorded acoustic rhythm guitar track playing throughout, and (most conspicuously) a banjo track starts playing at 2:55. If Don's game plan is to lead audiences to believe that what they are hearing is live, why would he sabotage that already-flimsy illusion with an unseen banjo? Do large portions of his audiences really not notice?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgHUJA_1rEM
I have a great deal of admiration for Don's guitar playing, and he seems to have a much more peaceful personality than DH and GF. Don's playing is very smooth and toneful when he plays electric, and I suspect that he is a fair bit better than we know from his recordings with the Eagles and others (based on some shows he did with CSN and Styx). But I don't know why he feels the need to include so many prerecorded elements in his live shows. Hiring the right guitarist/lead singer would render all of his prerecorded tracks unnecessary. Either way, I'm sure the musicians in his band are fairly happy playing the exact same backup to the exact same vocal tracks and exact same solos from Don every night (which I don't understand either since Don always speaks of how much fun it is to improvise and make licks up off the cuff--apparently, a grievance that Don had in the Eagles is that GF and DH made Don play the exact same solos every night, but this situation hasn't changed much even after Don has set out on his own).
I wouldn't be surprised if there are backings vocals coming from "tapes". That's more common than the lead singer lip syncing. It's me who has been suggesting here that he's lip syncing, but I don't think he does it always. But Paul Stanley from one of my favorite bands (because they were the first I listened to) is lip syncing too now, so...
Exactly, soda.
And I think even more than money, Don Felder would have to admit defeat in the vocals department, lose the ego about his singing, and be ok with being just a guitar player. That's all he is. And that is perfectly ok and cool, but Glenn Frey or Don Henley he is not. In Glenn's case - he had it all. Great vocals, great writing and arranging, and more-than-competent guitar playing. He is still IMO jealous of that and never got over being snubbed on singing Victim Of Love (which was to our benefit, I might add!). He needs to do it though. He is grasping for straws on being the singer in his own band, and is willing to use tracks/autotune.
walshfan88, I think you are right regarding "victim of love". I also get this feeling like he has this chip on his shoulder, and constant need to prove his worth. He is a great guitarist, I don't get the hang up, that he has with this. It's a shame.
I agree with what has been said, but I doubt it would really cut into Don's budget to hire a vocalist/rhythm guitarist. He probably makes money on his shows based on the ticket prices, and he's apparently worth $60 million anyway. Also in 2008/2009, he had an additional percussionist and his daughter doing backing vocals. This does appear to be largely about his ego, but unfortunately imo he's not serving the music when he uses prerecorded vocal tracks, banjo tracks, etc. I am quite surprised that his audience seems to be fooled based on the standing ovations he gets at every show.
Walshfan88, couldn’t have said it better. Insecurity. It’s like man, just go out and shred! We know you can! I get so annoyed with how he has to bring up Hotel California all the time too....we know already! I wish he was still in the band, would love to see Walsh/Felder tearing it up again, but then again If this is how he wants to work......
thebagels....to me it seems like a lot of work too to get the backing vocals tracks, loops possible auto tune and everything! Didn’t he complain about the inability to play freer in the Eagles, and now he has everything cookie cutter with tracks and all. It just doesn’t make sense except the ol chip on his shoulder thing. And I agree it isn’t helping anything. It’s a musical disservice and doesn’t boost his cred. It weakens it, in my opinion. He shines without all that stuff.
As a person who has suggested several times that he's lip syncing (based on words heard but not sung, identical phrasings in several performances and clearly a "tape" being out-of-sync once), I'm not saying he has always done that. I don't think he has. I don't remember the dates of the performances I have referred to, but I think they have been from the last few years. So it's possible that it's an age thing. The autotune, however, seems to have been there for years