My Backspacer review

musicismylife78

inmyrvm wrote:

speed of sound makes me cringe. it has no place on the album. rest is just ok. pearl jam isn't a pop band, and they tried that avenue on this album. come back.

actually thats what I think makes the album so interesting. whatever can be said about the lack of experimentation by the band in the past, they did something new and different with backspacer for sure. We all know every album by heart. and obviously they are all great albums. But to me, why Radiohead are so important is how they always change with every album. moving forward and trying new things.

Playing pop songs is odd for this band no doubt, but its different and thats good.

As I said months ago, nothing ever can top a good well written pop song. Thats just a fact.


I think if nothing else the band deserves praise for going beyond the "protest music" they have been associated with their entire careers and especially these since Binaural.

Gonzo1977

Gonna See My Friend: Quite possibly the strongest opening song off any Pearl Jam album since Vs. Both muscular and aggressive, the song just pounds and propels. I really didn’t expect to hear a song with this kind of fire to it; especially coming from a band in their 40’s. “Gonna See My Friend” is the song that “Breakerfall” wanted to be. Eddie’s vocal delivery is top notch here. His voice is unhinged, manic, and manages to capture that angry spitting vocal delivery of the “Vitalogy” era. I just love the part after the bridge where he screams…”NEVER TO WASH AWAY!!!” it’s one of his best moments not only on this record, but perhaps of the entire decade. Matt Cameron and Jeff Ament really shine here. At first glance this would appear to be just another WHO/Stooges rocker that the band has been cranking out for years, but the song is much more complex musically than most of their signature rockers. There are a lot of cool stop start changes of direction that would make even Live @ Leeds era Pete Townshend jealous. I can see this being a song that I’ll always come back to. One of my early favorites.

Got Some: Matt Cameron and Jeff Ament just own this song. The backing harmonies are a great surprise too. Pearl Jam didn’t quite nail this on the Conan O’Brien show when they premiered it live, and I truthfully don’t think they got the best take of the song on this record either. But that being said, I can definitely tell that this is going to be a great song to see live. There is so much going on with the music that it’s going to take multiple listens before I can fully realize all the subtle intricacies that are at play here. “Got Some” is a step in a different direction for the band stylistically; yet at the same time it feels so familiar. This is a style that in no way feels awkward for them to play. It was a very bold move for them to attempt this, and one that I think they ultimately succeeded in pulling off.

The Fixer: Within the context of the album, this works really well. I like it’s placement between “Got Some” and “Johnny Guitar”. I feel that it works as an effective bridge between those 2 songs and keeps the pace that was set before it. I don’t think this would have worked had it been placed anywhere else on the record. “The Fixer” is certainly Pearl Jam’s most calculated attempt at crafting a pop song. So much so that it almost feels as it were a U2 B-Side that was ditched in favor of “A Beautiful Day”. I certainly wasn’t in love with this song when I first heard it, but can appreciate it now for what it is. The song has obvious radio pop sensibilities to it, and I can see how it will appeal to the masses. Personally, I don’t like my Pearl Jam songs to be so deliberate. I think “Got Some” succeeds much more in the sense that it explores both the bands desire to attempt other styles yet still be radio friendly at the same time. It’s rumored that “Got Some” will be the next single, so we’ll see if it can match the commercial appeal of “The Fixer”.

Johnny Guitar: I just love everything about this song. It’s got an incredible groove to it. You can tell it’s a Matt Cameron composition because it’s all over the place. It’s the type of song that only a drummer could write. I’m amazed at what Eddie did with this one lyrically. It could have gone in so many different directions, and I’m glad that Eddie chose the direction he did. Matt Cameron once said once Eddie puts lyrics to a song, he has the potential to just take it to a whole other level. “Johnny Guitar” is evidence of that. The lyrics and the story are terrific. This is by far the most interesting song on the album. It brings a smile to my face every time I hear it. I’m just amazed at how Eddie managed to take a song about something that is really quite sad and make it feel so upbeat and fun. It’s like looking back on a past heartbreak and being able to laugh at it many years later. It's hard to believe that this is coming from the same guy who wrote “Black” all those years ago. Amazing stuff.

Just Breathe: The evolution and progression of Eddie Vedder as a songwriter is never more apparent than on this song. It’s a just a beautiful ballad about love and the importance of it in our lives. This seems to be a re-occurring theme throughout the record. Another song that has so many layers musically. I pick up on a new thing every time I listen to it. Those that loved Eddie’s work on the “Into The Wild” soundtrack will no doubt love this song. It’s really moving vocally, but is also a song that features some of the most subtle and intricate accompaniment by the rest of the band. Listen for Jeff Ament’s bass line in the 2nd verse. This song can’t help but stand out.

Amongst The Waves: This is what happens when “In Hiding” and “Given To Fly” have drunken unprotected sex. “Amongst The Waves” is regretfully something that band has largely ignored writing since “Yield”. Great lyrics. It feels important and it grabs your attention right off the bat. When it kicks in, it just soars. I love the bridge of this song. It features some amazing lead guitar by Mike McCready, but also highlights some great rhythm guitar by Stone Gossard. He’s playing some very understated and subtle guitar underneath Mikes lead and the song just builds up to a grand finish. I love Eddie’s vocal delivery throughout this song. He just inhabits the song perfectly and his spirited performance is what ultimately makes this one a keeper.

Unthought Known: Another Yield-like tune that just builds and builds. Eddie is once again the star here. He displays amazing control and holds back long enough to build the tension until the song just climaxes. The vocal inflection as he sings “Gems and RINESTONES!!!” is stellar stuff and is what makes him one of the greatest rock vocalists out there. Great lyrics once again, especially the “Dream the dreams of other men and you’ll be no one’s rival” line. This song was debuted during Vedder’s solo tour last year and was a great song then, but with the rest of the band backing him up, this song just catapults to a whole other level. Listen for the driving piano played by producer Brendon O’ Brien layering the 2nd verse. This is sure to be a highlight live.

Supersonic: A fun little punk song. It’s just a bunch of guys rocking out with no intention or purpose other than that. Very much in the vein of the Ramones. The opening riff bares a close resemblance to “Mankind” off of “No Code” but Mike McCready’s added slide guitar over top the main riff is interesting enough to make this song much more than just some half hearted re-tread. Matt Cameron pounds the shit out the drums on this one as well. It feels like a really fun song to play and you can’t help but rock out to it. The song pays off big time when it hits the bridge where it takes this totally unexpected and completely cool change of direction. Mike and Stone play off each other so well busting out riff after riff before blasting right back into the main chord pattern. Pearl Jam has always done these types of songs really well and I’m sure this will be a welcomed addition to the live show as well.

Speed of Sound: A very different sounding song; especially from the demo. Nice piano and instrumentation throughout. It’s the most 80’s like song on the album and manages to dabble in new wave without ever coming across as cheesy. The pre-chorus is straight out of the Bruce Springsteen “Tunnel of Love” playbook. Definitely another song that will take a few listens to fully absorb. It’s new territory arrangement-wise. Another song that could have gone several different ways but what they did with it ended up being really quite exotic. There’s so much going musically that it’s nearly impossible to get a hold on his song upon first listen. It will be very interesting to see if the band changes the arrangement in the live setting. Like a lot of songs on this album, it may not be innovative or break new ground musically, but there’s no doubt that it’s still something that is completely new for Pearl Jam. Overall a brave and successful experiment.

Force of Nature: A really solid mid tempo song with very visual lyrics that use the metaphor of rising storms in relation to love. I picture it being about a loved one alone on the shore awaiting the return of a loved one who is out at sea. Whether the metaphor of storm is about addiction or whether it’s literally about someone who is out battling a storm is anyone’s guess. This song wouldn’t be out of place on “Riot Act” in the sense that it’s the kind of song musically that Pearl Jam can probably write in their sleep. Eddie’s vocal delivery is front and center here, and the success of his vocal delivery as well as the captivating lyrics are the sole reason why “Force of Nature” avoids some of the pit falls that most of the songs on “Riot Act” fell prey to. If nothing else, Eddie sells this song on his conviction alone. I think this will ultimately age well as it seems to get better and better with every listen. Once again, there is a great piano line in the 2nd verse played by Brendon O’ Brien. It’s a nice touch to an otherwise simple and straight forward rocker.


The End: The undisputed highlight of the album. It’s just Eddie, his acoustic guitar and an orchestral background. It’s the kind of song that you always wanted him to sing. It’s haunting in every sense of the word. Poignant and heart wrenching. A song about a man dieing in the arms of his loved one and realizing what he is leaving behind. It’s impossible not to feel the emotion behind this song. The vocal delivery is top notch. It’s one of the greatest vocal performances by Eddie on record and quite possibly the one of the most defining songs of Pearl Jam’s career. What an ending. One last GASP….and then darkness.
Compelling stuff.

cutz

Glen wrote:

I have just downloaded it from Itunes in Aus, second listen happening now. The End made me cry first time round, all up a strong album couldn't help think I was listening to a couple of songs that could have been on the Riot Act Album (not a bad thing).

The digital booklet and Backspacer web site that has the concert downloads and other links is nice icing on the cake. Got NY and San Fran as my freebies.

Are the concert downloads FLAC(Lossless?)