I wouldn't get too excited. Each of the last 3 albums has had the "hardest rocking since vs" or "best since yield" moniker. And honestly, you could say s/t was their best since Yield... and you could be right... but that doesn't mean it's a particularly great album. I'm always pretty skeptical when I read claims like this. As you acknowledge, it doesn't give much info unless you know the guy's tastes, ie. why didn't he like the last few and why does he like Yield?
This is exactly my interest in qualifying the guy's tastes. Does anyone know his track record? Does he prefer mellow stuff or harder rocking stuff? Over produced or stripped down? Has he ever given Creed or Nickelback a favorable review? Etc... The ultimate reason is... Why should readers care what this guy thinks if he has terrible tastes or irrelevant opinions? Why should his opinion carry any weight with anyone who reads his review?
Just a thought... It would seem that if PJ are hand picking journalists to review the new album, then the smart thing to do from a marketing perspective would be to pick ones sympathetic towards their work (or at least ones with whom they've had good working relationships with in the past).
"A lot more people are capable of being big out there that just don't give themselves a chance." -Stone Gossard
This person has not heard the album. And their blog is utter crap.
2006 - Astoria, Dublin, Leeds
2007 - London
2009 - London, Manchester, London
2010 - Dublin, Belfast, London
2011 - Alpine Valley x2
2012 - Isle of Wight, Manchester x2
This person has not heard the album. And their blog is utter crap.
next time, take the time to read through the entire thread before making the above post, which is essentially a complete load of rubbish given the facts,...
To quote the 10C from Newsletter #8: "Please understand we have a lot of members and it is very hard to please everybody. If you are one of those unhappy people...please call 1-900-IDN-TCAR."
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
1996: Toronto - 1998: Chicago, Montreal, Barrie - 2000: Montreal, Toronto - 2002: Seattle X2 (Key Arena) - 2003: Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle (Benaroya Hall) - 2004: Reading, Toledo, Grand Rapids - 2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City - 2006: Toronto X2, Albany, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Cleveland - 2007: Chicago (Vic Theatre) - 2008: NYC X2, Hartford, Mansfield X2 - 2009: Toronto, Chicago X2, Seattle X2, Philadelphia X4 - 2010: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford - 2011: Montreal, Toronto X2, Ottawa, Hamilton - 2012: Missoula - 2013: London, Chicago, Buffalo, Hartford - 2014: Detroit, Moline - 2015: NYC (Global Citizen Festival) - 2016: Greenville, Toronto X2, Chicago 1 - 2017: Brooklyn (RRHOF Induction) - 2018: Chicago 1, Boston 1 - 2022: Fresno, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, NYC, Camden - 2023: St. Paul X2, Austin X2 - 2024: Vancouver X2, Portland, Sacramento, Noblesville, Philadelphia X2, Baltimore
All early sign point to the album being pretty uptempo for the most part. I think the rolling stone article gives a litttle more insight that this.
from RS-
" Pearl Jam are carrying through with the punchy, melodic energy of their last album. One song, a garage-y composition by Vedder, repeats the lyric "see my friends" over Stooges-meet-the-Who power chords and loose. Johnny Thunders-inspired lead guitar from Mike McCready. Another tune, penned by drummer Matt Cameron, is a bigger surprise: it's sleek power pop, with a Stones-y intro riff-leading into a tight, chiming verse and a catchy vocal melody that wouldn't be out of place on a Kings of Leon record. "That could have been a seven-minute, weird, sideways kind of artsy song with a cool groove," Vedder says. "I thinkered with it after everyone left, and we shrunk it down and turned into somethig else... I'm thinking about set lists: 'Will this be a song we'll play every night?'"
“I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version.”
This person has not heard the album. And their blog is utter crap.
next time, take the time to read through the entire thread before making the above post, which is essentially a complete load of rubbish given the facts,...
That is what I call getting told.
1996: Toronto
1998: Barrie
2000: Saratoga Springs
2003: Buffalo, Toronto
2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto
2006: Toronto x2, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Gorge #1
2007: London, Dusseldorf, Vic, Lolla
2008: WPB, Tampa, DC, MSG x2, Hartford, Boston x2, Beacon
2009: Toronto, Chicago x2, Seattle x2, LA #3&4, San Diego, Philly x4
2010: Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford
2011: Montreal, Toronto x2, Hamilton
2012: Missoula
2013: London, Wrigley, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Hartford, Dallas, OKC
I think it's safe to assume this album isn't complete yet....and if that's true, any leads Mike may have probably havent been mixed in yet.
IMO
Word on the street is that the album is already passed it's final mixing stage.
Yeah, and why is it so hard to believe that there's hardly any Mike leads. Vitalogy-Binaural was pretty short on solos and we all love those albums. Plus BO'b has made some pretty layered albums with PJ and others.
As if any of us would not buy the album because of a review ,it could read Ed just snores thru the 1st 6 songs and everyone here would buy it on the 1st day me included :oops:
Yeah. I have a friend, whose uncle's best friend's sister's ex-boyfriend's stepbrother's dad, who knows a guy who was talking to another guy at a coffee house in Long Beach, CA. Well, as it turns out, the barista at this coffee house, her long-time lesbian lover's dog groomer knows a guy who knows a roadie who then knows a kid who got an advance copy of the new album. He mailed it over to me and I got a chance to hear it. It's kicks ass!!
the record is my favourite in years (since 'Yield' at least),
Makes sense as it's the first Album Pearl Jam have done with Brendan O'Brien since Yield, the best Pearl Jam albums were produced by Brendan (Vs. Vitalogy, No Code, Yield).
Randalls Island New York 9/29/96 - Oakland Coliseum Oakland California 11/15/97 - MSG New York New York 09/10/98 - Key Arena Seattle Washington 11/05/00, 11/06/00 - PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel New Jersey 7/14/03 - Tweeter Center Camden New Jersey 5/28/06, MSG New York New York 06/25/08, Spectrum Arena Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10/27/09
Saying that this album is his "Favorite since Yield" makes this excruciating wait for this goddamn album to drop even harder.
I mean, how in the Holy Skateboarding Jesus Christ are we expected to sit around and wait patiently until "Sometime In The Late Fall" with this kind of talk being tossed around?
This is borderline cruelty to all of us devoted fiends.
If this album is even half the size of "Yield" I'm surely going to have to commit to the fact that 2010 is going to be and expensive and grueling year of following this goddamn band all over hells half acre.
It's like 1998 all over again.
Shit.
great post, and exactly my thoughts
oh and Binaural is good but I have to agree its not a patch on the self titled. which despite the haters is a great record, and in my humble opinion the best thing since Yield, so to think this new thing can be the best since Yield makes me grin from ear to ear.
This news is all really exciting. Getting to hear new songs on June 1st, this reviewer's early thoughts...
"Best since Yield"...well, I always though that Self Titled (Avocado) was their best since Yield- in fact, I sort of see it as a compliment to Yield in some senses (ie- Marker in the Sand). Let's see what this new album does, because if it has the same energy as "Avocado," plus the production value/music tweaking prowess of BOB, we may be in for another classic album here...
This news is all really exciting. Getting to hear new songs on June 1st, this reviewer's early thoughts...
"Best since Yield"...well, I always though that Self Titled (Avocado) was their best since Yield- in fact, I sort of see it as a compliment to Yield in some senses (ie- Marker in the Sand). Let's see what this new album does, because if it has the same energy as "Avocado," plus the production value/music tweaking prowess of BOB, we may be in for another classic album here...
i hate NME. why have they got him in their warehouse? theyve never been particularly nice about PJ before as far as i know?
this is a very valid comment, NME sucks, its fucking shit, and champions the trendy drug using tosser of today rather than anything worth listening to.
I recall they gave Advocado a real wank write up (like Q did with their shitty 1 star review - and I dont think from reading that they'd even played the record as not one comment was made on its music) and the NME slammed PJ's headline slot at Leeds fest in 2006 as boring and a lowlight of the weekend- Rock for your grandad I recall with too much 'guitar wanking'.
and they invite them out to their warehouse. Does begger belief really. Now Kerrang is a bit lame these days but at l;east they still have an ear for good current rock music, and they awarded avocado 5 full stars and lauded the praise on.
Thanks for your email - sorry for any delay getting back to you. Ionly got back from Seattle yesterday, so I'm very, very tired. RE: Pearl Jam on my blog - well, the post is actually back up therenow, but I did take it down for a day or so. The bands 'people' (whoare really lovely) asked me to. They thought it was too early forpeople to be finding out about the new record (it's not due to bereleased until September after all) so I was quite respectful of that.My blogs (really not very informative first listen report) had beenpicked up by people all over the globe and I think they were worriedthings were leaking out too quickly - press people, in my experience,don't like not being in control of the flow of information. Which isunderstandable I guess... ... If it was 1802! I put it back up yesterday. This is because Ithink that, if you're a fan of a band - whatever band - then fans wantto know... stuff... about that band. If I've heard the record, as ajournalist, I've got a duty to stick stuff out there. Also, theinternet has changed everything. Things shouldn't revolve aroundrelease dates anymore. Press people can't control the flow ofinformation anymore, and it's unrealistic of them to ask - howevernice they are! It's not as if I've saying anything other than it's areally good record, y'know! Hope that helps anyway. James ps - I heard the entire record, which is twelve songs - I think!pps - The interview will be in a future issue of NME (www.nme.com).I'll post on my blog when it's due to run. <scottkob@hotmail.com> wrote:>> Why did you remove your article about listening to Pearl Jam's new album?> I'm guessing at the request of band management??? Also, are you going to> post any details about the interview you did with the band? Oh and one more> thing. How many songs did you hear?> ________________________________> Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how. -- www.myspace.com/hearyoumemagazinehttp:/ ... ogspot.com
Summerfest 7/8/95 Missoula 6/20/98 Alpine Valley 6/26/98 & 6/27/98 Alpine Valley 10/8/00
Champaign 4/23/03 Alpine Valley 6/21/03 Missoula 8/29/05
Chicago 5/16 & 17/06 Grand Rapids 5/19/06 Summerfest 6/29/06 & 6/30/06
Tampa 6/12/08
Chicago 8/23/09
Indy 5/7/10 Alpine Valley x2 2011 Wrigley 2013 Milwaukee 14 Telluride 16
Hi fellow fans....to all those TenClubbers who read this article and are actually from the US...as an Irishman who regularly reads the British music press...Pearl Jam really have no standing in British Press...theyre looked upon as that band who had a hit years ago called Alive and had 2 great albums and disappeared from the planet.....thats where the "cock rock" statement comes from...its such a blind press over there (dont get me wrong there are some well informed fantastic writers) but in the main, its pretty shambolic...full of fads and bands that are gonna be the next best thing and then fall apart...then they champion these unknown indie acts like The Killers and Arcade Fire and then when these bands break through they call them "sell outs"....The NME used to be cutting edge...to me and many others...its now a bit of a sham...Pearl Jam's reviews of the last few albums and dvds have been atrocious...i particularly remember an awful piece that reviewed "madison sq dvd"....trust me they just don't get it...I for one am happy about it in some respects because when I go see Pearl Jam, I know im there with PJ fans....you go see Coldplay, 50% go home after "yellow"....I say "good riddance"...
Comments
I agree - I don't even know what the hell the point is, except that "its promising"...whatever.
This is exactly my interest in qualifying the guy's tastes. Does anyone know his track record? Does he prefer mellow stuff or harder rocking stuff? Over produced or stripped down? Has he ever given Creed or Nickelback a favorable review? Etc... The ultimate reason is... Why should readers care what this guy thinks if he has terrible tastes or irrelevant opinions? Why should his opinion carry any weight with anyone who reads his review?
Just a thought... It would seem that if PJ are hand picking journalists to review the new album, then the smart thing to do from a marketing perspective would be to pick ones sympathetic towards their work (or at least ones with whom they've had good working relationships with in the past).
"the record is my favourite in years (since Yield at least)"
This person has not heard the album. And their blog is utter crap.
2007 - London
2009 - London, Manchester, London
2010 - Dublin, Belfast, London
2011 - Alpine Valley x2
2012 - Isle of Wight, Manchester x2
next time, take the time to read through the entire thread before making the above post, which is essentially a complete load of rubbish given the facts,...
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
1996: Toronto - 1998: Chicago, Montreal, Barrie - 2000: Montreal, Toronto - 2002: Seattle X2 (Key Arena) - 2003: Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle (Benaroya Hall) - 2004: Reading, Toledo, Grand Rapids - 2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City - 2006: Toronto X2, Albany, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Cleveland - 2007: Chicago (Vic Theatre) - 2008: NYC X2, Hartford, Mansfield X2 - 2009: Toronto, Chicago X2, Seattle X2, Philadelphia X4 - 2010: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford - 2011: Montreal, Toronto X2, Ottawa, Hamilton - 2012: Missoula - 2013: London, Chicago, Buffalo, Hartford - 2014: Detroit, Moline - 2015: NYC (Global Citizen Festival) - 2016: Greenville, Toronto X2, Chicago 1 - 2017: Brooklyn (RRHOF Induction) - 2018: Chicago 1, Boston 1 - 2022: Fresno, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, NYC, Camden - 2023: St. Paul X2, Austin X2 - 2024: Vancouver X2, Portland, Sacramento, Noblesville, Philadelphia X2, Baltimore
IMO
from RS-
" Pearl Jam are carrying through with the punchy, melodic energy of their last album. One song, a garage-y composition by Vedder, repeats the lyric "see my friends" over Stooges-meet-the-Who power chords and loose. Johnny Thunders-inspired lead guitar from Mike McCready. Another tune, penned by drummer Matt Cameron, is a bigger surprise: it's sleek power pop, with a Stones-y intro riff-leading into a tight, chiming verse and a catchy vocal melody that wouldn't be out of place on a Kings of Leon record. "That could have been a seven-minute, weird, sideways kind of artsy song with a cool groove," Vedder says. "I thinkered with it after everyone left, and we shrunk it down and turned into somethig else... I'm thinking about set lists: 'Will this be a song we'll play every night?'"
Yeah, and why is it so hard to believe that there's hardly any Mike leads. Vitalogy-Binaural was pretty short on solos and we all love those albums. Plus BO'b has made some pretty layered albums with PJ and others.
Not just amazingly awesome, but . . . MOST TRIUMPHANT !!!!!!!!!!
I just want someone to be there for . . .
Makes sense as it's the first Album Pearl Jam have done with Brendan O'Brien since Yield, the best Pearl Jam albums were produced by Brendan (Vs. Vitalogy, No Code, Yield).
great post, and exactly my thoughts
oh and Binaural is good but I have to agree its not a patch on the self titled. which despite the haters is a great record, and in my humble opinion the best thing since Yield, so to think this new thing can be the best since Yield makes me grin from ear to ear.
"Best since Yield"...well, I always though that Self Titled (Avocado) was their best since Yield- in fact, I sort of see it as a compliment to Yield in some senses (ie- Marker in the Sand). Let's see what this new album does, because if it has the same energy as "Avocado," plus the production value/music tweaking prowess of BOB, we may be in for another classic album here...
2006: Camden 1&2, East Ruth 1&2
2008: BONNAROO, MSG1, MSG2, Hartford
2009: Philly 1, 2, 4
2010: Hartford, MSG1, MSG2
2012: Made in America
2013: BK1, BK2, Hartford
2015: Global Citizens
2016: MSG 2 (ISO MSG1)
EV Solo: NJPAC 2008; Tower Theatre, PA 2009; Hartford 2011
My feelings exactly.
BOS-9/28/04,9/29/04,6/28/08,6/30/08, 9/5/16, 9/7/16, 9/2/18
MTL-9/15/05, OTT-9/16/05
PHL-5/27/06,5/28/06,10/30/09,10/31/09
CHI-8/2/07,8/5/07,8/23/09,8/24/09
HTFD-6/27/08
ATX-10/4/09, 10/12/14
KC-5/3/2010,STL-5/4/2010
Bridge School-10/23/2010,10/24/2010
PJ20-9/3/2011,9/4/2011
OKC-11/16/13
SEA-12/6/13
TUL-10/8/14
Ummmmm - how did you guys play these songs? By some chance, I don't own a record player...
http://www.fuelfriendsblog.com/
go to the May 13th blog posting. i think it's also here:
http://www.gremmie.net/bsides/
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
The Internet is your friend.
for the least they could possibly do
Thank you kindly.
this is a very valid comment, NME sucks, its fucking shit, and champions the trendy drug using tosser of today rather than anything worth listening to.
I recall they gave Advocado a real wank write up (like Q did with their shitty 1 star review - and I dont think from reading that they'd even played the record as not one comment was made on its music) and the NME slammed PJ's headline slot at Leeds fest in 2006 as boring and a lowlight of the weekend- Rock for your grandad I recall with too much 'guitar wanking'.
and they invite them out to their warehouse. Does begger belief really. Now Kerrang is a bit lame these days but at l;east they still have an ear for good current rock music, and they awarded avocado 5 full stars and lauded the praise on.
Missoula 6/20/98
Alpine Valley 6/26/98 & 6/27/98
Alpine Valley 10/8/00
Champaign 4/23/03
Alpine Valley 6/21/03
Missoula 8/29/05
Chicago 5/16 & 17/06
Grand Rapids 5/19/06
Summerfest 6/29/06 & 6/30/06
Tampa 6/12/08
Chicago 8/23/09
Indy 5/7/10
Alpine Valley x2 2011
Wrigley 2013
Milwaukee 14
Telluride 16
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
I come in peace....