Backspacer most complete??

joewalshdc

I've listened to Backspacer now maybe 20 times...I've listened to it from start to finish as well as on random...Im not going to review it here, however, i must say i think it is a stunning album...absolutely stunning...musically, production, lyrics, packaging...I absolutely love all of it...Im wondering as I listen to it, could this be PJ's most complete "album"...what I mean by that is, as a package of 11 songs, i think every bit just sits perfectly, so could this be the best "album"...not taking the songs individually, but rather taking Backspacer as an 11 song package, I just think it stands alone...It certainly feels like they really thought about the sum of the parts here...stunning.

drsluggo

While its a great album, I could never call it the most complete because its just too much shorter than any other one. The fact that you can listen to it 20 times in 12 hours speaks for itself, even if its an amazing album.

Kind of reminds me of how much I love the merkinball EP - two of my favorite songs, but its just a single.

joewalshdc

drsluggo wrote:

While its a great album, I could never call it the most complete because its just too much shorter than any other one. The fact that you can listen to it 20 times in 12 hours speaks for itself, even if its an amazing album.

Kind of reminds me of how much I love the merkinball EP - two of my favorite songs, but its just a single.

I dont actually think the length of the album matters at all...it doesnt feel short...it feels like a journey from start to finish and not once did i think "wow this is short"...

Gmoney

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

joewalshdc

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

Yeah i cant get enough of it...its funny because just when i think one song from it is my favourite, i get smacked with another...i guess thats really what i was trying to say...it just feels like a perfect "collection" of songs...

yield2me

When I think about the albums that PJ has made over the years I always think of them in a kind of linear spectrum with Ten being at the beginning and now Backspacer at the far end. For me the most complete album of theirs is Yield that sits in the middle of that. Yield has the perfect mix of that dark, angry, early days mood from Ten and Vs but also incorporates the new sound or new direction that the band was going to be headed in. That new sound is more of an expansive, matured and almost "spacey" musical experience. These things are subjective of course, but for me every note on Yield is just ear candy.

joewalshdc

yield2me wrote:

When I think about the albums that PJ has made over the years I always think of them in a kind of linear spectrum with Ten being at the beginning and now Backspacer at the far end. For me the most complete album of theirs is Yield that sits in the middle of that. Yield has the perfect mix of that dark, angry, early days mood from Ten and Vs but also incorporates the new sound or new direction that the band was going to be headed in. That new sound is more of an expansive, matured and almost "spacey" musical experience. These things are subjective of course, but for me every note on Yield is just ear candy.

I cant argue with that at all!!!

Flagg

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

joewalshdc

Flagg wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

You hit the nail on the head with "consistant"...thats the word I should have used...!

marcos

I've always said less is more, mainly because I'm lazy though. But in this case it's awesome, very tight and to the point.

yield2me

Flagg wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

The only song off Backspacer that doesn't do it for me is Speed of Sound. There is a part towards the end of Speed of Sound where there is this synthesized, almost "laser" sound that comes in. It reminds me of something off of Sonic the Hedghog games lol and pretty much ruins the song for me.

cannotstaylong

Flagg wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

I especially like/agree with what you said about not having to talk yourself into liking certain songs. On other albums I have felt I've had to do this on my first few listens, although I usually do end up legitimately liking the songs at a later point.

This album is also one of the first ones where I don't feel like I have to do that. Other than Johnny Guitar maybe, although that's a bit different. I'm not really talking myself into liking it, I already do. I guess I just need a few more listens to figure the song out.

cannotstaylong

yield2me wrote:

Flagg wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

The only song off Backspacer that doesn't do it for me is Speed of Sound. There is a part towards the end of Speed of Sound where there is this synthesized, almost "laser" sound that comes in. It reminds me of something off of Sonic the Hedghog games lol and pretty much ruins the song for me.

Yeah Speed of Sound is the one song I'm not ecstatic about. I really like the demo version, and I think they over-complicated it on the album. Though Brendan was great for this album, there are a couple questionable calls on some of these sound effects.

Flagg

yield2me wrote:

Flagg wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

The only song off Backspacer that doesn't do it for me is Speed of Sound. There is a part towards the end of Speed of Sound where there is this synthesized, almost "laser" sound that comes in. It reminds me of something off of Sonic the Hedghog games lol and pretty much ruins the song for me.

Lasers rule!

Actually, the more I hear the studio version, the more I like it.

Gmoney

Flagg wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

Exactly.
Do you guys think we'll get tired of this album quicker than we did the rest? Maybe tired is the wrong word since I still listen to all the other albums, but maybe to the point where we don't listen to it everyday? It took me months to figure out Yield and Binaural. It was a process. I remember traveling the summer after Binaural came out and listening to it several times a day for at least 2 months, and that was still a few months after it came out. It took me a while to appreciate a lot of the songs and that was sorta like rediscovering a new part of the album. With this album its like bam, I love it. First day I got every song. First listen I liked every song. Im just worried that in a week or so I'm going to be longing...

jck33

I just listened on the band's myspace page. Usually it takes me a while and a few listens to fully appreciate a new PJ album. Not this one. Goosebumps throughout, and I fell in love with the whole damn thing. This band fucking rocks. Eddie's voice is great. The band sounds happy. This is a stellar album.

joewalshdc

Exactly.
Do you guys think we'll get tired of this album quicker than we did the rest? Maybe tired is the wrong word since I still listen to all the other albums, but maybe to the point where we don't listen to it everyday? It took me months to figure out Yield and Binaural. It was a process. I remember traveling the summer after Binaural came out and listening to it several times a day for at least 2 months, and that was still a few months after it came out. It took me a while to appreciate a lot of the songs and that was sorta like rediscovering a new part of the album. With this album its like bam, I love it. First day I got every song. First listen I liked every song. Im just worried that in a week or so I'm going to be longing...

[/quote]

I dont think this will happen for me because theres such diversity on this album, different moods...johnny guitar-the end-supersonic-unthought known....it changes slightly with every listen...

yield2me

Gmoney wrote:

Flagg wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

ill tell you what, im very conflicted as to where this album will fit in with the others. I have to say, it's the only album that I truly love EVERY song. Yield and Binaural are my two favs, but I don't love Push me Pull me and I don't love Rival or Breakerfall. Backspacer, every song is perfect to me. So it just might be their most complete album. My concern is that because it is so short, in a few weeks I'm going to sick of it and Yield and Binaural will once again surpass it because they have more staying power... We shall see. In the mean time, I am enjoying the hell out of backspacer!!

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

Exactly.
Do you guys think we'll get tired of this album quicker than we did the rest? Maybe tired is the wrong word since I still listen to all the other albums, but maybe to the point where we don't listen to it everyday? It took me months to figure out Yield and Binaural. It was a process. I remember traveling the summer after Binaural came out and listening to it several times a day for at least 2 months, and that was still a few months after it came out. It took me a while to appreciate a lot of the songs and that was sorta like rediscovering a new part of the album. With this album its like bam, I love it. First day I got every song. First listen I liked every song. Im just worried that in a week or so I'm going to be longing...

Well I was totally in love with Yield on it's first spin so I'd have to say no, I don't think I'll tire of it quickly

Gardenparty

Speed of Sound is the grower on the record. I believe all will come around to it at some point. Too good of a song to not like once you get past the new arrangement

I have no idea where this album will stand amongst the past ones as it is still very new to me. I can say that this is the first one since Yield that I am excited to hear every song live.

Flagg

I don't think it will tire quickly. At least it won't be dated. That's Avocado's biggest problem to me - it is dated to a particular time. I know that was the point of that album, but still.

Stephen Flow

Flagg wrote:

yield2me wrote:

Flagg wrote:

This is where I sit right now. This is the only album so far where I loved every song on first listen. The first one that literally gave me goosebumps and smiles all over on the first several listens. And the first one where I don't feel like I have to talk myself into liking any of the songs.

So, yeah, I definitly think it is their most consistent album. There are at least a couple of songs on each prior album that either don't do it for me, or I really don't like.

The only song off Backspacer that doesn't do it for me is Speed of Sound. There is a part towards the end of Speed of Sound where there is this synthesized, almost "laser" sound that comes in. It reminds me of something off of Sonic the Hedghog games lol and pretty much ruins the song for me.

Lasers rule!

Actually, the more I hear the studio version, the more I like it.

Same here... it's the only song that had to grow on me a bit.