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The Backspacer bashing thread...

Adm. Glen ScotiaAdm. Glen Scotia Posts: 181
edited September 2009 in The Porch
Pearl Jam's harshest critics are also its biggest fans. Honestly, none of the negative reviews of albums past come close to the vitriol that gets spewed in fan forums around album releases and tours. Sometimes I get the impression that some fans get a new record or see a show and just sit back looking for things wrong. How do you enjoy yourselves?

Why does everything that Pearl Jam does have to be compared to everything they have done in the past. Why not simple enjoy it for what it is? Does ripping the band to shreds made you feel smarter? Does it make you love your favorite album or tour any more fervently than you would have otherwise?

I save my cuttingly negative sentiments for things I don't like, for bands I don't care for. But I have to admit that I'm not sure I could come up with as many negative things to say about, say, the new Creed album, as some of the fans in here seem to be able to say about Backspacer, and Pearl Jam in general.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I have to admit that I just don't understand this one.
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Comments

  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    jesus, the only thing more irritating than complaints is complaints about complaints. there are fifty other threads on the same topic. can someone just combine all these?
  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    i wonder if anyone ever said, "Hey dude.... paint the Mona Lisa again, man...", to Leonardo daVinci.
    ...
    **thanx to joni.
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  • RD171825RD171825 Posts: 453
    The criticism gets annoying... its like people think they could make a better album themselves.
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    i gotta say i completely disagree. i get creepy Stepford Wives vibes from people who get so upset about others criticizing some elements. The shut up and smile thing isn't exactly Pearl Jam. I'd make my own thread about it but there are enough on this topic already!

    sure, some are trolls who hate everything, but a lot of people i see getting called trolls have perfectly valid ideas about songs. I like to argue about it. i have brought people around, and others have changed my mind on things, too. I flat out hate many songs, but i also heap sickening amounts of praise on the things about them i do like (which obviously is more than the negatives). I think a lot of the people who post negative things also say positive things, they just don;t stand out.

    I think Johnny Guitar is the best song on the album, but many think its the worst. People like Speed of Sound, but it just sounds like it was made for a bad musical to me. i find this fascinating. maybe i just want to play psychologist, but i'm interested to hear why.
  • Gary CarterGary Carter Posts: 14,067
    Opening Band For The Sun wrote:
    jesus, the only thing more irritating than complaints is complaints about complaints. there are fifty other threads on the same topic. can someone just combine all these?
    agreed
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  • Adm. Glen ScotiaAdm. Glen Scotia Posts: 181
    Opening Band For The Sun wrote:
    i gotta say i completely disagree. i get creepy Stepford Wives vibes from people who get so upset about others criticizing some elements. The shut up and smile thing isn't exactly Pearl Jam. I'd make my own thread about it but there are enough on this topic already!

    sure, some are trolls who hate everything, but a lot of people i see getting called trolls have perfectly valid ideas about songs. I like to argue about it. i have brought people around, and others have changed my mind on things, too. I flat out hate many songs, but i also heap sickening amounts of praise on the things about them i do like (which obviously is more than the negatives). I think a lot of the people who post negative things also say positive things, they just don;t stand out.

    I think Johnny Guitar is the best song on the album, but many think its the worst. People like Speed of Sound, but it just sounds like it was made for a bad musical to me. i find this fascinating. maybe i just want to play psychologist, but i'm interested to hear why.

    I *did* say that I felt everyone is entitled to their opinion. People are welcome to criticize anything. I just can't understand those that seem to want to tear the band down/apart. Obviously people can think and say what they want to. I just think it's odd, that's all.
  • RideRickRideRick Hoorn Posts: 703
    Cosmo wrote:
    i wonder if anyone ever said, "Hey dude.... paint the Mona Lisa again, man...", to Leonardo daVinci.
    ...
    **thanx to joni.

    Who said he didn't do it 4 times :lol: Still an ugly lady....
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  • EquallyWorthlessEquallyWorthless Posts: 3,993
    Cosmo wrote:
    i wonder if anyone ever said, "Hey dude.... paint the Mona Lisa again, man...", to Leonardo daVinci.
    ...
    **thanx to joni.


    yeah but the mona lisa is nothing special artistically
    {if (work != 0) {
    work = work + 1;
    sleep = sleep - work * 10;}
    else if (work >= 0) {
    reality.equals(false);
    work = work +1;
    }system("pause");
    return 0;}
  • Thoughts_ArriveThoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    To all those who hate it so much.
    The forum has been flooded with repetitive negative threads about the album and the band.
    So keep it all in here.
    Don't want to have to go through 10+ pages of threads to find positive threads.
    Cheers.
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • OceansJennyOceansJenny Manhattan, NY Posts: 3,398
    Because they're not perfect? Some fans do cross the line with their outrages, but I see no harm in criticism. It makes the band stronger if they can see their faults. Do you ever criticize your job? Relationship? The amount you spend/financial situation? Your kids? Your parents? Of course you do. Because you care about all those things. You want to make things better. Hence criticism.

    Unhelpful criticism: BACKSPACER/10C IS HORRIBLE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT SUCKS!!!!!!!!
    Helpful criticism: I don't really like the repetitiveness in Just Breath, I wish Eddie would have broken up the chorus in some way. 10c should rotate seats so fans with higher 10c numbers get to be up front (has happened!).

    Anyway, criticism has to exist. You can't just ask for it to go away. If we all blindly followed the band and loved every note they stroked, then I would feel a little brainwashed.
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  • OceansJennyOceansJenny Manhattan, NY Posts: 3,398
    EquallyWorthless wrote:
    Cosmo wrote:
    i wonder if anyone ever said, "Hey dude.... paint the Mona Lisa again, man...", to Leonardo daVinci.
    ...
    **thanx to joni.


    yeah but the mona lisa is nothing special artistically

    I beg to differ; the real painting is painted in such a way that her eyes appear to be looking at you where ever you stand. It was innovative for its time.
    DC '03 - Reading '04 - Philly '05 - Camden 1 '06 - DC '06 - E. Rutherford '06 - The Vic '07 - Lollapalooza '07 - DC '08 - EV DC 1 & 2 '08 (Met Ed!!) - EV Baltimore 1 & 2 '09 - EV NYC 1 '11 (Met Ed!) - Hartford '13 - GCF '15 - MSG 2 '16 - TOTD MSG '16 - Boston 1 & 2 '18 - SHN '21 - EV NYC 1 & 2 '22 - MSG '22
  • davidtriosdavidtrios Posts: 9,732
    It has to be Force of Nature. I don't see the appeal...the lyrics are OK but beyond that it's just meh to me.
  • 1STmammal2wearPants1STmammal2wearPants Worcester, MA Posts: 2,948
    RD171825 wrote:
    The criticism gets annoying... its like people think they could make a better album themselves.

    im sure they don't think that.

    it's probably much simpler: THEY JUST DON'T LIKE THE ALBUM.
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  • EquallyWorthlessEquallyWorthless Posts: 3,993
    OceansJenny wrote:
    EquallyWorthless wrote:
    Cosmo wrote:
    i wonder if anyone ever said, "Hey dude.... paint the Mona Lisa again, man...", to Leonardo daVinci.
    ...
    **thanx to joni.


    yeah but the mona lisa is nothing special artistically

    I beg to differ; the real painting is painted in such a way that her eyes appear to be looking at you where ever you stand. It was innovative for its time.


    Yeah but its far from Da Vincis masterpiece. Also, the reason it is so famous now has more to do with the questions surrounding it, who was she? why is she smiling? why does she look so much like da vinci? Rather then the actual artistic value of the painting.
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    work = work + 1;
    sleep = sleep - work * 10;}
    else if (work >= 0) {
    reality.equals(false);
    work = work +1;
    }system("pause");
    return 0;}
  • slightofjeffslightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    Adm. Glen Scotia wrote:
    I *did* say that I felt everyone is entitled to their opinion. People are welcome to criticize anything. I just can't understand those that seem to want to tear the band down/apart. Obviously people can think and say what they want to. I just think it's odd, that's all.

    I gotta say, I kind of agree with this. I mean, I'm pretty sure I hate the new Black Eyed Peas album. I don't know what the point would be of be trolling over to the BEP message board and telling everyone it sucks.

    I just choose not to listen to it. That's how I make my statement.

    It's kind of douchey to come over here and rain on everybody's parade.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
  • JohnnyguitarwatsonJohnnyguitarwatson Posts: 296
    1 day can really make a difference. I was one of those negative pricks on here lastnight venting out my frustration. I love the band and their music and just had to vent out my frustration with backspacer...tonight i sit here and still play back unthought known in my head...the lyrics are beautiful. This album is unlike anything Peal jam has done before...It is taking me awhile to really get into it. does that make it a bad album ? guess not. In a way i guess its similar to No code. No code is great but i also remember being 15 years old and thinking WTF is this ? why is eddie singing like this and who the hell is this guy singing about listerine and ovaltine ?? is this pearl jam ?! haha now its one of my favorite pearl jam albums.

    Time will tell
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