Will Backspacer really be a "return to form"?

musicismylife78

People on here have pointed out that every single album since No Code has been billed a "return to form" and return to the PJ of old.

I also think return to form has other connotations espcially for a band like PJ, because they were at one time the biggest band in the world.

What I seem to be picking up from the tidbits released about the album, from the press, is that the album is the most radio friendly album since Ten. The Fixer certainly is poppy. And I have no problem with pop music, as I have stated elsewhere.

How do you think this albums press compares with Avocado. Granted we are still a little less than 2 months from the album being released, but it seems like they have been doing less press for this album, compared with 2006, when they were doing the most interviews that I have seen them do since the early 90's.

I am psyched for the record. The descriptions of the songs are pretty interesting. The End sounds like a very Come Back esque type song. Powerful, and sad. Or Just Breathe.

LikeAnOcean

Avocado was a return to more aggressive music.

Backspacer will be more their most radio friendly I think.

gndcd402

backspacer is the beginning of pearl jams transformation into pop rock...is it just me or did the fixer remind anybody else of the all american rejects?

musicismylife78

it would be fascinating to hear why the are going for the radio friendly sounding record, if your analysis is correct.

Mike made it clear that back in 06 the band was hoping to really become big again, to be on the radio and all that. Which of course was quite different from the past 12 years or whatever, when the band had made it a point to purposely limit its fanbase.

I never heard any mention by the band post Avocado, about if they felt happy with the success or lack there of, of Avocado.

One also wonders, it made a certain amount of sense to heavily promote an album of timely political and socially aware songs, as they did in 2006. Exposing people to that message was important. But this album seems to be non political from what i can tell, except Got Some.

ledvedderman

gndcd402 wrote:

backspacer is the beginning of pearl jams transformation into pop rock...is it just me or did the fixer remind anybody else of the all american rejects?

I think people tend to forget that for its time, Yield was VERY pop rockish. There are 4-5 songs on there that I could hear doing amazingly well on radio...if not more. I don't think this will be a return to sound. I think it will be very straight forward and a easier listen. I hope it ages better than the Pearl Jam album did. That album hasn't done well on the test of time.

Ledbetterman10

gndcd402 wrote:

backspacer is the beginning of pearl jams transformation into pop rock...is it just me or did the fixer remind anybody else of the all american rejects?

yeah The Fixer definitely sounds like a reject

Zoso

The Fixer sounds like Sad, Light Years, Wishlist etc PJ have released pop rock songs since Daughter.. What's the difference with The Fixer?

It won't sell anymore copies than Avocado and probably won't make any more of a dent. PJ are never going to be as popular like in 1994 again we all have to accept that.

musicismylife78

ledvedderman wrote:

gndcd402 wrote:

backspacer is the beginning of pearl jams transformation into pop rock...is it just me or did the fixer remind anybody else of the all american rejects?

I think people tend to forget that for its time, Yield was VERY pop rockish. There are 4-5 songs on there that I could hear doing amazingly well on radio...if not more. I don't think this will be a return to sound. I think it will be very straight forward and a easier listen. I hope it ages better than the Pearl Jam album did. That album hasn't done well on the test of time.

I dont know. To call any album as a whole pop rockish is to negate the bands strong aversion to commercial success and commercial appeal. Sure their have been poppy songs, "Betterman" "Elderly Woman", "Alive", Last Kiss etc... but I dont think of any of the albums post Ten as being pop. Their opinions on fame and success have changed, and are different now, but in 1997/1998, I dont buy the idea that they put out a pop rock album. Pop rock is fine. I have nothing against it, but to me the term suggests a band who puts out songs that will be played on the radio, and will be huge hits. I dont think Pearl Jam has ever fit that profile. Especially not in the 90's.

And you said you felt there were 4 or 5 songs on Yield worthy of radio play. You are correct of course, but the point is also, those 4 or 5 songs werent played on the radio, and with the exception of Evolution, I dont think their videos were played much at all.

Thats why avocado was such a big deal, because of songs like Come Back or UnEmployable, songs which if they would have been chosen as singles, would have been HUGE hits. And with The Fixer, again, you get a very pop approach to the Pearl Jam rock song.

LikeAnOcean

ledvedderman wrote:

gndcd402 wrote:

backspacer is the beginning of pearl jams transformation into pop rock...is it just me or did the fixer remind anybody else of the all american rejects?

I think people tend to forget that for its time, Yield was VERY pop rockish. There are 4-5 songs on there that I could hear doing amazingly well on radio...if not more. I don't think this will be a return to sound. I think it will be very straight forward and a easier listen. I hope it ages better than the Pearl Jam album did. That album hasn't done well on the test of time.

I remember thinking No Way sounding like a lot of the pop rock songs out at the time when it was released.

musicismylife78

Zoso wrote:

The Fixer sounds like Sad, Light Years, Wishlist etc PJ have released pop rock songs since Daughter.. What's the difference with The Fixer?

It won't sell anymore copies than Avocado and probably won't make any more of a dent. PJ are never going to be as popular like in 1994 again we all have to accept that.

Your probably right, the band doesnt seem poised to create a American Idiot type album, however, stranger things have happened.

And additionally, as I said, the band these last 2 records seems more into commercial success than any time I can remember. For Avocado it was the J Records deal, SNL, the Verizon thing, contests, Rolling Stone, and interviews galore. And for this album we have the Target deal, and the Rock Band thing, the cell phone thing etc...

So they definitely seem to be pushing to have a American Idiot type reaction to the album.

Jeanwah

musicismylife78 wrote:

Your probably right, the band doesnt seem poised to create a American Idiot type album, however, stranger things have happened.

And additionally, as I said, the band these last 2 records seems more into commercial success than any time I can remember. For Avocado it was the J Records deal, SNL, the Verizon thing, contests, Rolling Stone, and interviews galore. And for this album we have the Target deal, and the Rock Band thing, the cell phone thing etc...

So they definitely seem to be pushing to have a American Idiot type reaction to the album.

It appears the band is more focused on appealing to, and winning the approval of, wider audiences and becoming more commercial. Something they used to be adamantly against years ago. They're conforming now that they're a bit older. Some people like it, some don't. We all evolve, and so does the band....sadly.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that the more they try to be commercial, the less they succeed at it, whereas they were bigger when they didn't want all the attention.

LikeAnOcean

Jeanwah wrote:

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that the more they try to be commercial, the less they succeed at it, whereas they were bigger when they didn't want all the attention.

Nope. Avocado sold a lot more albums than Riot Act.

hopethatuchoke

gndcd402 wrote:

backspacer is the beginning of pearl jams transformation into pop rock...is it just me or did the fixer remind anybody else of the all american rejects?

I was in the car with my girlfriend last night and it came on the radio. She is a casual fan. Likes them but doesn't listen to the cd's religiously or anything. She said she really dislikes it. Way too poppy and doesn't sound like Pearl Jam at all. She actually seemed pissed off they went that direction and she said "Come on Eddie, you can do better than Yeahhh, yeahhh, yeahhh lyrics". It really does have a Good Charoltte/All American Rejects feel which is quite sad. I don't hate the song, it has grown on me a bit but it's disappointing that when people hear the song, it reminds them of the generic power pop garbage out there today.

slightofjeff

Lyrically speaking, what's the difference in "yeah, yeah, yeah .. .fight to get it back again" and "whoa, oh, oh ... I'm still alive?"

And if The Fixer is so "pop rockish" how come I've yet to hear it on the radio where I live?

hopethatuchoke

Jeanwah wrote:

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that the more they try to be commercial, the less they succeed at it, whereas they were bigger when they didn't want all the attention.

Great point. When they were the biggest band in the world, they wanted nothing to do with that title. After they lost it, it feels as though some of them want it back. I think I remember reading that Ed was the one who pushed for them to more or less "sabotage" things (No Code) but the rest of the band wasn't of that mindset. I think they have pretty much established who they will be for the rest of their career...they don't sell albums and their post-1998 songs don't get very much radio play but they sell out shows.

hopethatuchoke

slightofjeff wrote:

Lyrically speaking, what's the difference in "yeah, yeah, yeah .. .fight to get it back again" and "whoa, oh, oh ... I'm still alive?"

And if The Fixer is so "pop rockish" how come I've yet to hear it on the radio where I live?

I'm just passing on her comments on the song.

slightofjeff

hopethatuchoke wrote:

slightofjeff wrote:

Lyrically speaking, what's the difference in "yeah, yeah, yeah .. .fight to get it back again" and "whoa, oh, oh ... I'm still alive?"

And if The Fixer is so "pop rockish" how come I've yet to hear it on the radio where I live?

I'm just passing on her comments on the song.

That's fine. It doesn't really matter to me who made the comments. Mine still stand.

LikeAnOcean

slightofjeff wrote:

Lyrically speaking, what's the difference in "yeah, yeah, yeah .. .fight to get it back again" and "whoa, oh, oh ... I'm still alive?"

And if The Fixer is so "pop rockish" how come I've yet to hear it on the radio where I live?

Good point.

benjs

I'm reserving judgment until I hear the album from beginning to end. Who knows? Maybe, somehow, The Fixer will make sense in the context of the full album.

slightofjeff

It's interesting to me that, for a whole bunch of people on this board, "straightforward and easy to listen to" = bad.

Every now and then, it's nice to hear a song with a hook, ya know?

norm

Jeanwah wrote:

musicismylife78 wrote:

Your probably right, the band doesnt seem poised to create a American Idiot type album, however, stranger things have happened.

And additionally, as I said, the band these last 2 records seems more into commercial success than any time I can remember. For Avocado it was the J Records deal, SNL, the Verizon thing, contests, Rolling Stone, and interviews galore. And for this album we have the Target deal, and the Rock Band thing, the cell phone thing etc...

So they definitely seem to be pushing to have a American Idiot type reaction to the album.

It appears the band is more focused on appealing to, and winning the approval of, wider audiences and becoming more commercial. Something they used to be adamantly against years ago. They're conforming now that they're a bit older. Some people like it, some don't. We all evolve, and so does the band....sadly.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that the more they try to be commercial, the less they succeed at it, whereas they were bigger when they didn't want all the attention.

why is an artist wanting as many people as possible to see/hear/experience their art sad?

yes early in their carreer they shunned the spotlight and generally tried to kill the mega-fame they had...well they've done that and now they can handle the fame and would like to expose their music to more, new people

many a time on here you'll see a kid post how they just got into the band and before there were listening to whatever was the trending music at the time then they heard (insert pearl jam song here) and became a huge fan

i don't think that's sad