"Go back" theme in Backspacer

broloco

I know the title refers to the typewriter key, but when I look at the lp as a whole I start to see a cool "go back" theme that ties the album together quite nicely.
Some things:

Music/Lyrics
-The Fixer lyrics...going back and change things, "I wanna fight to get it back again"
-Johnny Guitar...want to get back woman, "First thirty years and more I've loved her so"
-Amongst the Waves lyrics..."remember back the early days"
-Speed of Sound lyrics...get back, moving too quickly "Yesterdays how quick they change", "You're lost and long gone now"
-The End lyrics..."Those years ago"
-Length of record at 37 minutes harks back to most records that were shorter (before cd came along)

Art/Packaging
-9 panels on cover ...the drawings all go back to different eras, 40s, 50s, 60s,70s
-Also the drawings are comic book style...go back to a time when comix were read religiously
-Child photos of band ...go back
-Glow-in-the-dark on cover...go back to childhood
-Typewriter key art...go back to the time before computers
-Diecut window on cover (Target release only)...goes back to Yield cover, also could be said goes back to time in '70s when bands did this (Rolling Stones-Some Girls & Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti)


Now I'm not saying all of this was consciously planned or anything. Just the way I see it, and dig it. All of it to pretty much to say I Love This Record!

Jeremys Spoken

A bit of a reach.
"Loose keys" the Backspacer theory's.

broloco

Jeremys Spoken wrote:

A bit of a reach.
"Loose keys" the Backspacer theory's.

fair enough. so what's your view on why they went with the childhood photos, and the glow-in-the-dark?
not being defensive, just curious to other people's take..

No_ones_rival

The glow in the dark is a tribute to kanye for being so nice and letting PJ cut into his glow in the dark show at 'roo!

G Force

I love that Kanye hates PJ for that. Makes me hate Kanye even more.

That guys is King Douche.

PJ Colombian

Yup... the OP has it right on..nice references.. I don't think it's "a bit of a reach" at all.. considering the band has already stated that the album is heavily influenced by old dreams and memories..hence the title "Backspacer," which also refers to the key on old typewriters to go back, like the one Ed uses to write songs.. not sure what "loose keys" means.. and Kanye is absolutely King Douche!!

Gmoney

First off I totally agree with op, good insight. Another huge clue, the name of the album. Two questions:
1. What glows in the dark?
2. What does Kanye hate?

slightofjeff

Gmoney wrote:

First off I totally agree with op, good insight. Another huge clue, the name of the album. Two questions:
1. What glows in the dark?
2. What does Kanye hate?

Kanye bitched about Pearl Jam playing too long at Bonnaroo last year. He was supposed to play in the afternoon, but finagled a move to the final slot to he could play last, so he could play in the dark (he has the glowstick schtick going). Pearl Jam went long and made him start late.

Also, Ed was supposed to tell the crowd to get their glowsticks ready for Kanye, and he sort of mockingly refused to do it.

That why when Ed called Kanye a "jackass" at the Seattle show a couple of days ago, it made me laugh. Ed knows from experience.

ledvedderman

It's also called "Backspacer"...which guess what that does when you hit the "backspace" button on your keyboard

No_ones_rival

Kanye hates Pearl Jam for their show running long at Bonnaroo & pushing his set back a coulpe hours.

slightofjeff

ledvedderman wrote:

It's also called "Backspacer"...which guess what that does when you hit the "backspace" button on your keyboard

It's actually named after a key on an old timey typewriter which was actually called the "backspacer" button. You know how Ed loves his old timey typewriters.

But it's the same idea.

ledvedderman

slightofjeff wrote:

ledvedderman wrote:

It's also called "Backspacer"...which guess what that does when you hit the "backspace" button on your keyboard

It's actually named after a key on an old timey typewriter which was actually called the "backspacer" button. You know how Ed loves his old timey typewriters.

But it's the same idea.

I'm well aware of it being named after the typewriter key. I'm just saying "go back"=backspacer/backspace

broloco

ledvedderman wrote:

slightofjeff wrote:

ledvedderman wrote:

It's also called "Backspacer"...which guess what that does when you hit the "backspace" button on your keyboard

It's actually named after a key on an old timey typewriter which was actually called the "backspacer" button. You know how Ed loves his old timey typewriters.

But it's the same idea.

I'm well aware of it being named after the typewriter key. I'm just saying "go back"=backspacer/backspace

backspacer is so much better than backpsace right? anyway it's such a great title! perfectly fits the music+art.. and vice versa. much like how Vs.title perfectly fits it's art+music of snarling and aggression. binaural's spacey/heady title fits it's art+music perfectly. etc. pretty much all of their works!

Come Back in Black

You guys are really close but I beleve I figured it out. Its very simple yet profound. Here is what I just wrote my budys when we were discusing it.


Obviously this is an uplifting album. That we know. But Backspacer the title isn't about going back to an earlier sound or time period. It is about healing. About erasing the pain and scars of the past and begining anew. It is a rebirth.

broloco

Come Back in Black wrote:

You guys are really close but I beleve I figured it out. Its very simple yet profound. Here is what I just wrote my budys when we were discusing it.


Obviously this is an uplifting album. That we know. But Backspacer the title isn't about going back to an earlier sound or time period. It is about healing. About erasing the pain and scars of the past and begining anew. It is a rebirth.

i like it

IamMine

broloco wrote:

Come Back in Black wrote:

You guys are really close but I beleve I figured it out. Its very simple yet profound. Here is what I just wrote my budys when we were discusing it.


Obviously this is an uplifting album. That we know. But Backspacer the title isn't about going back to an earlier sound or time period. It is about healing. About erasing the pain and scars of the past and begining anew. It is a rebirth.

i like it

+1

I like how it is open to different interpretations... that is what makes it so interesting, reading what people's thoughts are and their willingness to share their knowledge and their researches...not to mention throwing in their experiences!

Love it..

Come Back in Black

broloco wrote:

Come Back in Black wrote:

You guys are really close but I beleve I figured it out. Its very simple yet profound. Here is what I just wrote my budys when we were discusing it.


Obviously this is an uplifting album. That we know. But Backspacer the title isn't about going back to an earlier sound or time period. It is about healing. About erasing the pain and scars of the past and begining anew. It is a rebirth.

i like it

It's an eraser for the soul. Had a bad day.... I got some if you need it.

broloco

more fuel for this fire:

The inspiration to keep the album concise came mostly from their urge to capture the vibe of albums they loved growing up. "It hearkens back to our favorite records," McCready explained. "Aerosmith's Rocks had nine songs; all the old Van Halen albums had eight or nine songs. I'm dating myself, but those are really good records to me, and you don't have to have a lot of stuff on them."

darthvedder81

PJ wants go back to the good old days? It's Pearl Jam's most conservative album yet!