Backspacer and reflecting back...taking a momment:

byrn3535

Now this is just MY opinion.

Both Binaural and Riot Act are a good collection of songs that I like, and S/T is an album that didn't age well for me after the initial enthusiasm for it burned off (I still like it though.)

That being said Backspacer has given me a new found respect for the last 3 albums. It almost seems like those albums are the way they are so that we can have this new brilliant piece of art. You can really see the evolution of the band over the last 3 albums. You really get a sense of their mindset over that period of time. If you look at the big picture you see the process of them aging and maturing, like they have been wrestling with something and trying to work it out. I guess you could say that about their whole career but now with this new album it seems like they HAVE worked it out. Listening to Backspacer actually encourages me to revisit some of the back catalog just to see the evolution. (not that I need encouragement)

This is the 1st album since Yield that I have liked every song the 1st listen through. I find myself diving into it more so than the previous 3. Wanting to seek out every little note and effect and lyric.

Maybe its the timing of the release. As we grow older the band grows older with us and it's an eerie parallel. Every time they release an album I am able to identify with it.

I guess what I'm saying is I'm proud to be a fan of this band. I'm proud of the band itself. I'm happy with the direction they took this time and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

byrn3535

nothing? I put a lot of effort into this post.



don't you just hate people that beg for replies

force-10

I believe it´s a producer issue. The way they wanted to release each of the last four albums. I really believe PJ is trying to reach a wider audience with this one. And the great thing is that musically and the production itself, does not seem or sound like they were trying desperately to do so. The songs I heard on my space sound beautiful.

Even though it is a "big" issue here on this forum, I must say this album seems to have a grammy award nomination on its back in the future, who knows, maybe it might win one.

But, the difference might come down to the fact that this album sounds with more optimistic or positive vibes.

GiventoFall

I feel the same way about wanting to look back at past albums now although this is also because im seeing 3 philie shows and I want to be pumped and sure that I remember all the lyrics. The interesting thing with the last couple albums is that people seem to not get into them until a new album has come. i guess it allows us to reflect on past albums better. i myself didn't like Riot Act until s/t came out. I don't know everyone seems to love Backspacer from the start so who knows maybe eeveryone will hate it when the next album drops.

yield2me

don't feel bad, I said pretty much what you did and nobody seemed to give a shit either lol but I'm with you!
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=111133

byrn3535

The songs are more accessible. You can take the vibe and ride with it without having to rack our brain. Its refreshing.

Adm. Glen Scotia

This is a great post.

I find that fewer people tend to reply to really long posts around here. Maybe they are so worked up over the new album that they don't have time to read so much?

I read the whole thing, and agree with you. I have mixed feelings about the last three albums before this one. I was nuts about Binaural when it first came out, but by late 2001 I had really lost interest. In hindsight, only the last half is really worth keeping around. Riot Act I also loved terribly when it first came out, but later realized that I loved it only because of my enthusiasm for particular songs rather than affection for the album as a whole.

Avocado was different for me. Looking back, I probably listened to it less than the previous two albums, posssibly because I toured heavily that year (10 shows) and so was hearing a lot of the songs live. I really liked that album, and thought (and still do) that it was their strongest since Yield. If there's one sin they comitted with Avocado, it's that it starts to feel a little samey after a while. A lot of angry songs, pretty uniform production, and very little innovation compared to their previous 4 albums. (Except for Inside Job, which was the one song on there that made me think: Damn! This is something different!)

I find myself appreciating aspects of those three albums because of the echoes I hear in the new record. Mainly Binaural and Riot Act (personally I don't hear very much of Avocado in Backspacer at all, except for maybe the tightened-up pop sensibility). Backspacer is a powerful work. I don't know how powerful yet. I worry that it may fall into anonymity in my mind along with some of their recent stuff. I hope that a few years from now I will still listen to it as much as I still listen to Yield, No Code and Vitalogy. For now, I simply appreciate that Backspacer is the exact album that I needed to hear from them at this point in my life. Upbeat, optimistic, and rock solid. I can't ask for much more than that.

byrn3535

Adm. Glen Scotia wrote:

This is a great post.

I find that fewer people tend to reply to really long posts around here. Maybe they are so worked up over the new album that they don't have time to read so much?

I read the whole thing, and agree with you. I have mixed feelings about the last three albums before this one. I was nuts about Binaural when it first came out, but by late 2001 I had really lost interest. In hindsight, only the last half is really worth keeping around. Riot Act I also loved terribly when it first came out, but later realized that I loved it only because of my enthusiasm for particular songs rather than affection for the album as a whole.

Avocado was different for me. Looking back, I probably listened to it less than the previous two albums, posssibly because I toured heavily that year (10 shows) and so was hearing a lot of the songs live. I really liked that album, and thought (and still do) that it was their strongest since Yield. If there's one sin they comitted with Avocado, it's that it starts to feel a little samey after a while. A lot of angry songs, pretty uniform production, and very little innovation compared to their previous 4 albums. (Except for Inside Job, which was the one song on there that made me think: Damn! This is something different!)

I find myself appreciating aspects of those three albums because of the echoes I hear in the new record. Mainly Binaural and Riot Act (personally I don't hear very much of Avocado in Backspacer at all, except for maybe the tightened-up pop sensibility). Backspacer is a powerful work. I don't know how powerful yet. I worry that it may fall into anonymity in my mind along with some of their recent stuff. I hope that a few years from now I will still listen to it as much as I still listen to Yield, No Code and Vitalogy. For now, I simply appreciate that Backspacer is the exact album that I needed to hear from them at this point in my life. Upbeat, optimistic, and rock solid. I can't ask for much more than that.

I totally agree about inside job. Its really amazing. I love the build in the beginning. I was going to say that Backspacer has a more unified theme throughout but I guess the same can be said for all of the albums. Maybe I just like this "theme" better than the previous 3. Maybe I should just shut up now and continue soaking it in!

luvbtcpt

Couldn't agree more with OP's comment about having the same feeling about Backspacer that they did about Yield the first few times spinning it. If I was forced to pick my 2 favorite albums, while loving them all for different reasons, I would say Yield and No Code. No Code took me quite a while to get into but now couldn't live without it. Yield had me hooked immediately. While its too early to say for sure that Backspacer will be at those heights for me down the road, after about 12 laps through I have a strong feeling it will be.

Adm. Glen Scotia

byrn3535 wrote:

Adm. Glen Scotia wrote:

This is a great post.

I find that fewer people tend to reply to really long posts around here. Maybe they are so worked up over the new album that they don't have time to read so much?

I read the whole thing, and agree with you. I have mixed feelings about the last three albums before this one. I was nuts about Binaural when it first came out, but by late 2001 I had really lost interest. In hindsight, only the last half is really worth keeping around. Riot Act I also loved terribly when it first came out, but later realized that I loved it only because of my enthusiasm for particular songs rather than affection for the album as a whole.

Avocado was different for me. Looking back, I probably listened to it less than the previous two albums, posssibly because I toured heavily that year (10 shows) and so was hearing a lot of the songs live. I really liked that album, and thought (and still do) that it was their strongest since Yield. If there's one sin they comitted with Avocado, it's that it starts to feel a little samey after a while. A lot of angry songs, pretty uniform production, and very little innovation compared to their previous 4 albums. (Except for Inside Job, which was the one song on there that made me think: Damn! This is something different!)

I find myself appreciating aspects of those three albums because of the echoes I hear in the new record. Mainly Binaural and Riot Act (personally I don't hear very much of Avocado in Backspacer at all, except for maybe the tightened-up pop sensibility). Backspacer is a powerful work. I don't know how powerful yet. I worry that it may fall into anonymity in my mind along with some of their recent stuff. I hope that a few years from now I will still listen to it as much as I still listen to Yield, No Code and Vitalogy. For now, I simply appreciate that Backspacer is the exact album that I needed to hear from them at this point in my life. Upbeat, optimistic, and rock solid. I can't ask for much more than that.

I totally agree about inside job. Its really amazing. I love the build in the beginning. I was going to say that Backspacer has a more unified theme throughout but I guess the same can be said for all of the albums. Maybe I just like this "theme" better than the previous 3. Maybe I should just shut up now and continue soaking it in!

No, no... I agree. Backspacer DOES have a more unified theme throughout than the last two. Avocado came close to unification (politics, anger at the modern world, the war, etc.). As did Riot Act (Social and political damage to the earth and the People on it). Binaural followed up three thematic angles quite nicely (Political alienation and uprising, personal depression and strife, love and loss). But Backspacer is almost single-minded in a way I haven't really heard since Yield. I like it.

RVM1978

I kind of thought this record would just be incredibly easy on the ears. I got that from the "Santa Cruz" track on the fanclub single too.

Where ever they're going on this all encompassing trip, I'm still on board.

Although their next album won't be as easy I'm guessing. I'm just dying to hear a "White Album" style effort from the band. Double album, with all its perfect flaws.

I_Am_Mike

great post, and it echoes some of my thoughts. one of the greatest things about this band is that throughout their career they have been so effective in translating not only their feelings and soul in their songs, but also reflect on where they are in life. as young men, their songs were anthems that carried power, fury, and the angst and anger of youth. through the years they have grown to think multi-dimensionally and i feel like that has been effectively translated in their song craft. we've seen them shun the spotlight and seek their own terms. we've seen them mature to the point where they were able to handle the scrutiny and parlay it into an effective message of political awareness and activism. i feel like backspacer finds the band at a point where many of the internal questions they've posited over the years perhaps have been answered. it feels confident and inspiring. it feels like they are comfortable in their own skin, with the grinding axes set aside. with peace in his heart, ed is even able to contemplate his own mortality in 'the end' (or at least that's how interpret it). backspacer just feels like they've been able to exercise some of the demons that although inspired some great music, haunted them, leaving more questions than answers. this just feels like more answers than questions. its great art however you see it.

byrn3535

I_Am_Mike wrote:

great post, and it echoes some of my thoughts. one of the greatest things about this band is that throughout their career they have been so effective in translating not only their feelings and soul in their songs, but also reflect on where they are in life. as young men, their songs were anthems that carried power, fury, and the angst and anger of youth. through the years they have grown to think multi-dimensionally and i feel like that has been effectively translated in their song craft. we've seen them shun the spotlight and seek their own terms. we've seen them mature to the point where they were able to handle the scrutiny and parlay it into an effective message of political awareness and activism. i feel like backspacer finds the band at a point where many of the internal questions they've posited over the years perhaps have been answered. it feels confident and inspiring. it feels like they are comfortable in their own skin, with the grinding axes set aside. with peace in his heat, ed is even able to contemplate his own mortality in 'the end' (or at least that's how interpret it). backspacer just feels like they've been able to exercise some of the demons that although inspired some great music, haunted them, leaving more questions than answers. this just feels like more answers than questions. its great art however you see it.

Exactly. I couldn't have said it better!

yield2me

I_Am_Mike wrote:

great post, and it echoes some of my thoughts. one of the greatest things about this band is that throughout their career they have been so effective in translating not only their feelings and soul in their songs, but also reflect on where they are in life. as young men, their songs were anthems that carried power, fury, and the angst and anger of youth. through the years they have grown to think multi-dimensionally and i feel like that has been effectively translated in their song craft. we've seen them shun the spotlight and seek their own terms. we've seen them mature to the point where they were able to handle the scrutiny and parlay it into an effective message of political awareness and activism. i feel like backspacer finds the band at a point where many of the internal questions they've posited over the years perhaps have been answered. it feels confident and inspiring. it feels like they are comfortable in their own skin, with the grinding axes set aside. with peace in his heat, ed is even able to contemplate his own mortality in 'the end' (or at least that's how interpret it). backspacer just feels like they've been able to exercise some of the demons that although inspired some great music, haunted them, leaving more questions than answers. this just feels like more answers than questions. its great art however you see it.

said perfectly

force-10

I_Am_Mike wrote:

great post, and it echoes some of my thoughts. one of the greatest things about this band is that throughout their career they have been so effective in translating not only their feelings and soul in their songs, but also reflect on where they are in life. as young men, their songs were anthems that carried power, fury, and the angst and anger of youth. through the years they have grown to think multi-dimensionally and i feel like that has been effectively translated in their song craft. we've seen them shun the spotlight and seek their own terms. we've seen them mature to the point where they were able to handle the scrutiny and parlay it into an effective message of political awareness and activism. i feel like backspacer finds the band at a point where many of the internal questions they've posited over the years perhaps have been answered. it feels confident and inspiring. it feels like they are comfortable in their own skin, with the grinding axes set aside. with peace in his heat, ed is even able to contemplate his own mortality in 'the end' (or at least that's how interpret it). backspacer just feels like they've been able to exercise some of the demons that although inspired some great music, haunted them, leaving more questions than answers. this just feels like more answers than questions. its great art however you see it.

You nailed it! Answers, rather than questions. Just breathe is just that. Even though we all know we must die, eddie sings he knows and accepts it. And that we will see each other later on with our family and friends.