In Defense of Backspacer: Village Voice

covin

Reno1979 wrote:

Actually that is FAR AND AWAY the best review of the music on Backspacer I have read yet.

The back half of the album really isn't special, save for The End. I don't know anything about guy, and most of that article was lame, but his actual critique of the 11 songs, were spot on. I can't help but give the guy some credit for noting how Johnny Guitar is the sleeper hit... Awesome song.

To each his own. I thought the second half of Backspacer was something special. But you're right, Johnny Guitar is great, too... very catchy.

Also agree about The End. One of the most melodic tunes Ed's written.

alesek

Feels to me like the guy didnt even listen to the whole album for more than once... Or he stopped the second listening at the middle.... Unthought Known, man! (...and yes I will buy the actual album when it hits Prague stores!)

phungi

while reading this review, I was taken back by how little the guy knows about the band, yet poses as a long-term fan... simply throwing in a few album titles does not convey wisdom and experience with the music... using non-existent ghosts from 1993 as pseudo motivation for an album in 2009 makes no sense, and says more about the writer than the record...

cowboypjfan

The album is great but I don't think that Amongst the waves and Force of Nature are anything special. I can't make one complaint about the rest though. A pretty solid record and I am loving Johnny Guitar...

StickmanJam wrote:

I think the album picks up in the second half. (not to say its lacking in the first half, because it's not)

dw220087

I do my homework and come equipped, or I steer clear entirely, as any responsible journalist should do. Growing up, I would've loved to have had a reliable journalistic resource to light the way a little bit, so I wasn't flying blind with only the fm dial and my friends to turn me on to new music. But that was all in the pre-internet days. (quote)
Where did you grow up, Pluto? You actually had friends? Aww, it's too bad some"reliable journalistic resource" like yourself wasn't around for back then, wah(EGO)!

I've lived and breathed music literally since birth, and my education was centered on sharpening my ability to portray my thoughts on my life's greatest passion. (quote)
I don't know what you think you lived and breathed but it definitely wasn't music. I think you should sharpen your education and portray your thoughts on a new passion, maybe a 3 star comedy site.

If it's not at least a 3 star album, I simply steer clear of it on Antiquiet - or let my partner handle it. I do that out of respect for the art itself. So you can take that pig fodder comment and shove it up your condescending, blanket-judgement ass.[/quote]
Aww, there's an old saying for that,"don't dish it out if you can't take it". being as intelligent as you "portray" yourself to be i'm very dissapointed.
As far as Backspacer goes, it's there best work they've done in years and I love all thier albums,so PJ fans get ready for a new generation of the greatest band in the world! As far as your review goes, I got to give it two thumbs way down......

Firecloud

May be time to figure out that quote feature, big guy. And you're fully right about the "don't dish it out if you can't take it" line - which is why I responded to the original post in the first place.

Empty insults aside, let's see some evidence that I'm anything but qualified to state my position. Give me some legitimate examples why my review (which has gotten overwhelmingly positive responses from everyone so far but you) earns "two thumbs way down," to change your current status as a shitty six-post troll, posting just for the sake of pissing on someone else.

Hmm?

P.S. Here's the review, since you'll probably need to actually read it to make up whatever bullshit arbitrary judgement against it you can: http://www.antiquiet.com/reviews/2009/09/pearl-jam-backspacer-review/

the wolf

okay, I'll say it. FUCK THIS GUY !


k

i feel better now.

Firecloud

the wolf wrote:

okay, I'll say it. FUCK THIS GUY !


k

i feel better now.

Yes, that was a pretty bad review.

StickmanJam

count me in as one of those who thinks the second half of the album is stellar

dharma69

blacknapkins wrote:

The record's second half unfortunately trades in retread topics and middling music that seemingly calls for everyone to play at once, on top of each other, without any regard for nuance. "Amongst the Waves" is yet another ode to surfing that tries—but fails—to live up to the epic, grunge-era classic "State of Love and Trust." With "Speed of Sound" and "Force of Nature," the titles pretty much speak for themselves. The only highlight, really, is the strings- and horns-inflected closing track, "The End," and that's because it ends like a ruptured aneurysm on the lines "I'm here/But not much longer." Too morbid for comfort? Sure, but Kurt Cobain can't say the same.

The ignorant music fan in me sees absolutely no alighment between "Amongst The Waves" and "State of Love and Trust".

Also, the ignorant music fan in me sees the back end of the album as hardly perfect but strikingly mature, cohesive, and focused considering all of the ball busting done in the front end.

Thirdly, I love it when Cameron's fingerprints on a song (or what I assume are his fingerprints) are the first thing I notice.

i shit and i stink

Any Pearl Jam article that mentions Kurt Cobain in the first sentence is lazy, sterile, outdated and utterly pointless. I'm not sure what the rest of the article said, as I stopped reading after that reference... I always do.

dharma69

i shit and i stink wrote:

Any Pearl Jam article that mentions Kurt Cobain in the first sentence is lazy, sterile, outdated and utterly pointless.

Nailed it. End of thread.