Best JLB Post-Vocal Injury Era?

[Perpetual Change]

Everyone sounds thin on that recording, so I'm not gonna be hard on James when a better mix would probably solve most problems people have with it.  I mean, he IS hitting the notes.

As far as CiM DVD goes, that conversation has been held many times here.  First, Mike admitted he picked performances based on video quality, not audio.  Secondly, James voice is really compressed on the DVD.  You'd be surprised how much better his voice sounds on the same performances on the CD.  But mostly, it was just bad performances.  All the bad ones seem to have made it on to the DVD.

Like look how good he did in LA, for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLuyhfj9K2M&feature=related

He's hitting most of the notes and his voice doesn't sound thin at all.

[BlobVanDam]

I don't know what these weird grouping are, but 8VM/SCORE easily wins.

Obviously the first grouping is out. OIALT was clearly his worst era vocally, being the soonest after the injury.
SFAM/LSFNY era was ok, but he's improved a lot since.
SDOIT/ToT/LaB was a bit inconsistent, but improving a lot live, and in the studio SDOIT was one of his best.
Octavarium/Score was his best tour vocally since the injury. Just amazing.
SC/CiM was pretty good, although unfortunately CiM doesn't reflect that at all.
He's been great on the BCASL era, but he didn't have a chance to record a live DVD for scrutiny, so I can't vote for that, and I'm not sure I can choose anything over SCORE.

[ZKX-2099]

I voted Octavarium as it was his work in Panic Attack that won me over.

[orphaeusest]

8VM/Score Era (2005-2006), but would also consider train of thought world tour, so i mean the years from 2004 up to 2006... this is the best james labrie era after his injury, IMHO.

[Mladen]

But searching vids on youtube I found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzKnAwMR3wM
  Whatever happened to James in this gig? Was it the sound engineering or something like that???

I believe the problem is getting out on stage in the middle of the day, with much less time to do vocal warm up and prepare for the show in the right way.

[BlobVanDam]

But searching vids on youtube I found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzKnAwMR3wM
  Whatever happened to James in this gig? Was it the sound engineering or something like that???

I believe the problem is getting out on stage in the middle of the day, with much less time to do vocal warm up and prepare for the show in the right way.

Also the sound was awful for that entire show (I don't think they used their own sound guys), so I wouldn't be surprised if JLB had trouble hearing himself well.

[Dream Team]

Holy cow, 2 votes for the FII era    .

I saw DT in Montreal just a few days before the Score show, and he was flawless that night as well. That's the era I voted for.

[Dcrupi]

I just listened to the entirety of Score between yesterday and the day before.

James LaBrie was in god mode for that entire show.  I literally don't think that he will ever be able to top that performance.  Every. Single. Song was on the money.  Especially loved his work on Six Degrees and Vacant during that show.  

[Chino]

The PN following BC&SL was easily the best I have seen JLB perform.

[emindead]

Especially loved his work on Six Degrees during that show. 

*Insert FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU comic here regarding this song in Score*

[sonatafanica]

Especially loved his work on Six Degrees during that show. 

*Insert FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU comic here regarding this song in Score*

Just so you know, it was I who actually made this:

[Perpetual Change]

I thought he sounded awesome on that...

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

He sounds awesome, it's just that "WWI'm alive again!" "WWWWI'm invincible, despair will never find me" thing that sticks out 

[Dr. SeaWolf]

James was so incredible on Score, I had to vote for that one.

[Dream Team]

He sounds awesome, it's just that "WWI'm alive again!" "WWWWI'm invincible, despair will never find me" thing that sticks out 

He's been doing that for awhile unfortunately; I've noticed it on other live recordings also. I wonder if it's because shaping his mouth to form the W helps him get to the note he needs to hit for the "I" vowel??

[Slain]

He sounds awesome, it's just that "WWI'm alive again!" "WWWWI'm invincible, despair will never find me" thing that sticks out 

He's been doing that for awhile unfortunately; I've noticed it on other live recordings also. I wonder if it's because shaping his mouth to form the W helps him get to the note he needs to hit for the "I" vowel??

I didn't realize that people cared so much about that, I noticed it but it was hardly a big deal because that entire performance of Six Degrees is amazing. Every time I listen to the non-score version of solitary shell, it leaves a void because it's not the same. I'd listen to the score six degrees over the album one anyday.

[Algo Fonix]

Definitely the Octavarium/Score era.  His performance on Score was phenomenal, and one of the first things that jumped out to me about Octavarium was how amazing James sounded.