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Be honest—there's always a little disappointment

darthvedder81darthvedder81 Posts: 688
edited September 2009 in The Porch
When you love anything as much as Pearl Jam your expectations are always astronomical. I think Backspacer is a great record but for those of you on the fence just give it some time to sink in. Once you get away from all the hype and anticipation I think you'll dig it. I was a tad disappointed on the first listen too but that had more to do with me than the album. It took me at least two years to crown Yield as king. We'll see what happens with Backspacer.
So this life is sacrifice...
6/30/98 Minneapolis, 10/8/00 East Troy (Brrrr!), 6/16/03 St. Paul, 6/27/06 St. Paul
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Comments

  • SolarWorldSolarWorld Posts: 1,902
    Honestly I had dialed down my expectations for this album. I am greatly pleased with it. Can't remember liking an album this much on the first listen. Its so positive, the band sounds like they are having fun. I rate this album over yield, but I don't go crazy over yield like everyone else. Top three album of their career easy.
  • FlaggFlagg Posts: 5,856
    SolarWorld wrote:
    Honestly I had dialed down my expectations for this album. I am greatly pleased with it. Can't remember liking an album this much on the first listen. Its so positive, the band sounds like they are having fun. I rate this album over yield, but I don't go crazy over yield like everyone else. Top three album of their career easy.

    I don't know if I rate it over Yield but a agree with the rest of your post. I got goosebumps and smiles on first listen. Hasn't happened in awhile.
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  • Mrs.Vedder78Mrs.Vedder78 Posts: 4,585
    SolarWorld wrote:
    Honestly I had dialed down my expectations for this album. I am greatly pleased with it. Can't remember liking an album this much on the first listen. Its so positive, the band sounds like they are having fun. I rate this album over yield, but I don't go crazy over yield like everyone else. Top three album of their career easy.


    +1 except for rating it over Yield ;)
    "Without the album covers, where do you clean your pot?" - EV
  • I_Am_MikeI_Am_Mike Posts: 222
    my only disappointment so far.....36 minutes!? I WANT/NEED MORE!!
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    i was only suprised by how much i liked it.
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    this band has never disappointed me
  • YieldToNothingYieldToNothing Posts: 3,667
    i'm still not sure if i like it better than binaural, but i am digging the shit out of this record.

    nothing will ever top yield
    i have a paper here that entitles me to fast track status
  • SolarWorldSolarWorld Posts: 1,902
    I do not get the Yield worship.
  • mfc2006mfc2006 HTOWN Posts: 37,484
    Mrs.Vedder78 wrote:
    SolarWorld wrote:
    Honestly I had dialed down my expectations for this album. I am greatly pleased with it. Can't remember liking an album this much on the first listen. Its so positive, the band sounds like they are having fun. I rate this album over yield, but I don't go crazy over yield like everyone else. Top three album of their career easy.


    +1 except for rating it over Yield ;)

    agreed---i think it's their best work since Yield/Binaural.
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  • tuktuktuktuk Posts: 84
    this is neat. yes?
  • EvergreenEvergreen Posts: 492
    No disappointment for me at all. First listen and I loved every song and that never happens. I haven't skipped any songs in subsequent listens.

    I got goosebumps, a few tears, danced, and closed my eyes and felt like I was soaring in the sky...It was surreal listening for the first time. I felt a little proud too...to have "my" band do something so beautiful. A couple of my best girlfriends never liked PJ and never understood why I did and they really like this album! Now to get my husband to listen.

    Right now, I am putting it as my favorite. Each album always has been. :D It just seems that this band has a way of lyrically touching my life at THAT given moment. Pearl Jam has really been the soundtrack of my life and Backspacer fits in my life perfectly right now.
  • yosiyosi NYC Posts: 3,074
    It seems that I am still in the minority.
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane

  • SomethingCreativeSomethingCreative Kazoo, MI Posts: 3,398
    Johnny Guitar is the only song I skip on the album, but damn is this album good as a whole. Just barely not in my top three though.

    Yield
    Vs.
    No Code
    Backspacer
    "Well, I think this band is incapable of sucking."
    -my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
  • PJRock75PJRock75 Posts: 869
    My only complaint is that I like the Speed Of Sound demo better than the full band album version. Just Breathe is my fav from the begining and still is, but that could change on the next full listen :roll:
    "If you want a friend, feed any animal." - JA
    "Don't let it get you down, you know, still give your love, just give it away...I love singin' that part." - EV
  • knikknik Posts: 94
    Honestly, this record exceeded all my expectations! There is not one song that I feel like skipping over. The short length of the songs just leave me wanting more, and make me spin the record again!
  • alesekalesek Posts: 809
    Love:
    The opening trio
    Amongts the Waves
    Unthought Known
    The End

    Not sure about:
    Johnny Guitar
    Force of Nature

    Disappointed:
    Speed Of Sound
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  • SolarWorldSolarWorld Posts: 1,902
    PJRock75 wrote:
    My only complaint is that I like the Speed Of Sound demo better than the full band album version. Just Breathe is my fav from the begining and still is, but that could change on the next full listen :roll:

    I liked the Speed of Sound demo better too, at first... I love have they all come together at the end. Give that song some more time. :)
  • threefish10threefish10 Posts: 7,392
    i'll be honest, i'm more then a little disappointed.
    condescending and sarcastic since 1980
  • Evacuation RulesEvacuation Rules Posts: 2,162
    SomethingCreative wrote:
    Johnny Guitar is the only song I skip on the album

    You need to have your head examined.
  • einatshauleinatshaul Posts: 2,219
    Evacuation Rules wrote:
    SomethingCreative wrote:
    Johnny Guitar is the only song I skip on the album

    You need to have your head examined.
    +1


    Not skipping any song and playing it over and over, I'm in love! :)
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  • Sappy113Sappy113 Posts: 178
    Nope. Not an ounce of disappointment here. This album, for me, has everything. Catchy songs, uptempo rockers, tender ballads and an overall feeling of optimism, even through hardship. And lyrically, several of the songs speak to me at a really personal level with where I'm at in my life right now. This album is superb.

    Shame about the length, though. Even though I suspect it's part of what makes this album for me. It's just so lean, feels so effortless with not a boring moment. If they could've kept that feeling with 3 or 4 more songs on the album, then great, if not, I prefer it like it is.
  • tbhooptietbhooptie Posts: 137
    Not the slightest disappointed. Top 3 easy.. maybe top 2... only time will tell.

    Every listen through has me thinking another song is my favorite. First time through I loved Just Breathe.. then Unthought Known.. but now definitely I think my fave song is Force of Nature. The lyrics are fantastic... you can almost picture the "man" on dry land waiting for his love... its EXCELLENT..
  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 30,588
    No disappointment here at all and as allways for me at least it's my fav now since it's brand new music to my ears this album is everything i expected and so happy where the bands is at right now :)
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • pdalowskypdalowsky Doncaster,UK Posts: 15,100
    SolarWorld wrote:
    I do not get the Yield worship.

    still cant comment on backspacer, still dutifully waiting on it, but what I can say is although I love Yield, the worship is over the top. Its a solid record, is it the best they have done? I'm not so sure.

    Is it better than V's? thats a solid album, no filler, or ten? or even No code?

    why is it binaural and riot act never get mentioned in these comparisons ;)
  • cannotstaylongcannotstaylong Posts: 668
    Not disappointed at all. Over the past week I had kind of prepared myself to be disappointed, not sure why. But on my first listen I was blown away. I still need to let it sink in and take some time before I rank it in comparison to their other records. The cool thing is that it is so different from anything they've done before. I don't think I'll ever rate it as highly as Yield, but I don't even need to. They are so different I can just have both.

    I think my expectations were different for this record also. For Self Titled, I got caught up in the hype saying that it sounded like Ten/Vs. Pearl Jam, etc. Although I really like that album, it did not live up to that hype. For Backspacer I wasn't expecting anything like that and knew that it would be completely different from anything they'd done before. So no, no disappointment here.
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  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,544
    threefish10 wrote:
    i'll be honest, i'm more then a little disappointed.
    same here
    except for Johnny Guitar and just breathe, I find the rest to be a bit boring and lacking punch
    loose the keyboards
    flame away
  • cannotstaylongcannotstaylong Posts: 668
    Get_Right wrote:
    threefish10 wrote:
    i'll be honest, i'm more then a little disappointed.
    same here
    except for Johnny Guitar and just breathe, I find the rest to be a bit boring and lacking punch
    loose the keyboards
    flame away

    I just find it hard to be bored with an album that showcases the band in completely uncharted territory. I mean this album sounds like nothing they've done before. If you had asked me a year ago if I wanted a record that sounded more like Binaural or Self Titled, I would have told you Binaural, trying to get back to their almost tried and true approach and sound. But I just find it so interesting that their sound has evolved so much on this one album, and for that reason alone I can't find it boring. At the end of the day it's Pearl Jam trying something new, and I think they do it quite well. There are a lot of other bands out there who have changed their sound/approach from one record to the next and it has been a massive failure. I think people just need to stop comparing this to Yield, No Code, Vitalogy, etc. The band is at a different place now. Would I love another Yield?? Of course, but I also appreciate having something new and different.
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  • ChrisileinChrisilein Vienna/Austria Posts: 3,905
    Evergreen888 wrote:
    No disappointment for me at all. First listen and I loved every song and that never happens. I haven't skipped any songs in subsequent listens.

    I got goosebumps, a few tears, danced, and closed my eyes and felt like I was soaring in the sky...It was surreal listening for the first time. I felt a little proud too...to have "my" band do something so beautiful. A couple of my best girlfriends never liked PJ and never understood why I did and they really like this album! Now to get my husband to listen.

    Right now, I am putting it as my favorite. Each album always has been. :D It just seems that this band has a way of lyrically touching my life at THAT given moment. Pearl Jam has really been the soundtrack of my life and Backspacer fits in my life perfectly right now.

    1+
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  • drsluggodrsluggo Posts: 4,742
    I'll say it - I'm disappointed that I thought Target was selling the vinyl and they are not! :twisted:

    I'm actually serious on that one - now I have to plan B it... but that's disappointment as myself so I don't know if it counts.

    And for the record - I like the Speed of Sound demo better too but I think its because I'm so much more used to it since its all we had for a while there.
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,544
    cannotstaylong wrote:

    I just find it hard to be bored with an album that showcases the band in completely uncharted territory. I mean this album sounds like nothing they've done before. If you had asked me a year ago if I wanted a record that sounded more like Binaural or Self Titled, I would have told you Binaural, trying to get back to their almost tried and true approach and sound. But I just find it so interesting that their sound has evolved so much on this one album, and for that reason alone I can't find it boring. At the end of the day it's Pearl Jam trying something new, and I think they do it quite well. There are a lot of other bands out there who have changed their sound/approach from one record to the next and it has been a massive failure. I think people just need to stop comparing this to Yield, No Code, Vitalogy, etc. The band is at a different place now. Would I love another Yield?? Of course, but I also appreciate having something new and different.
    Im all for exploring new sounds, and make no mistake, I am glad they continue to write new music.
    Heck, they could do a rap, puck or metal record and I would appreciate that exploration.
    But Im just not digging most of the songs on this one, its like pearl jam lite beer.Its all good, and ts what Ive come to expect from PJ since riot act, a couple of really good songs and a bunch of others that just do nothing for me.
    C'est la vie.
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