I'm not really sure on the techincalities of the voice as an instrument...what's possible, what the terminology is for it etc, but i picked up on something in a couple of Ed recordings that i've never heard in a vocal before: Being able to sing two notes in one vocal. Bear with me on this...Okay, examples:

Exhibit A: Release, the studio reocrding from Ten. After the last chorus, on his 'howls' you can hear a low bellow of a note, and a note which sounds a few octaves higher...maybe 2...i haven't really listened closely enough. The part i'm talking about on the track is roughly 4:00 - 4:15, just after the repeated 'Release me' parts. Because Ten is drenched in reverb, this could very well be an example of an overdubbed high vocal double tracking the part...but it's tricky to tell - i'm inclined to think it's studio magic.

Exhibit B: This is a live example, so it cancels out the possibility of overdubbed vocals...this is Oceans from the MTV show in the early 90s:



The part i'm talking about falls on 2:44...and lasts only a couple of seconds...i'm not sure if i'm hearing things, but i can hear the voice doubling with a higher octave.

Hmm..is this possible, and is it evident here?

It's called overtones. I think he does it in The Wolf too.
Janis Joplin was known for doing it. Summertime and the intro to Cry Baby are an example.

i couldn't hear it in the oceans clip, but maybe my speakers aren't good enough

I thought this was going to be about the layered vocal tracking he does all the time since No Code

That is more interesting, i was just curious about this. Thanks for explanation Mine, i can hear it in Janis now you mention it.

i'm pretty sure that he is just full-voicing it

if it's around 2:46, and not 2:44, I hear it.

And I think that could be the reverb/delay he has on the mic

and by the way, iceage, mad props for this hear thread... very good stuff.. the inquisitiveness, investigation, and evidence... very impressive....

Overtones can be different and can occur for completely different reasons. I can hear a low one in the studio version of Jeremy (The last "day" before the bridge"). What i hear in The Wolf is the kind of overtone singing that actually sound like studio magic but it isn't. I've seen a documentary once about it and people ware doing it live and it sounded just like that. It's like a ghosts singing harmonies to the led vocal sort of thing. I think it's underlined by the reverb in The Wolf but I'm almost certain he does it with his voice. I'm no expert of quawwali but it could be a technique used in it commonly.

Yeha i typed 'overtone singing' into Wiki, and there's a huge write up on it. It's fascinating. So many different cultures and tribes around the world master the technique in completely different ways.



Ha, oh Isaac you. I learn from the best

Kinda sounds like he's singing the low tone from his throat and the high tone through his nose. Very talented singer Ed is.

great thread...I noticed it before but I thought maybe it was some microphone effect. Now it's fuckin really really cool. I'll have to check it out on Joplin, I've never been a huge fan but had much respect for her.

I love the Tampa '94 show (St. Petes, I think, precisely).... Anychance you were there for that/???

that overtones wikipedia entry was interesting

I think she's an acquired taste. You have to take here strictly as a singer. Most of her catalogue are covers to which she adapted the lyrics. She was great and used her voice in an incredible number of ways.
She found out she singed overtones when she read in a newspaper she was the queen of overtones and looked the word up.

Haha, that's great.

I can take her in small doses. I only actually have Pearl and a greatest hits though.

You should check Kozmic Blues and Cheap Thrills too. 3 very different albums.