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Backspacer: 3years later & 37 minutes of music

WisconsinPJWisconsinPJ Posts: 35
edited September 2009 in The Porch
I was blinded by the "new Pearl Jam album excitement" for about a week now. That has wore off and reality has set in. Dont get me wrong, Pearl Jam is the last GREAT rock band out there and and I LOVE them. But c'mon! 11 songs in 3 years? It seems that this album was written & recorded in a month. Two seem like left over Into the Wild songs, two REALLY half-ass rocker/punk filler songs(Gonna see my friend, Supersonic). Got Some & Johnny Guitar are decent. The Fixer is good. Amongst The Waves, Unthought Known, Speed Of Sound, Force Of Nature are absolute gems and are amazing, but with a band of Pearl Jam's calibur, and knowing their history, they can and HAVE done WAY better and I expected more. i guess they spoiled us with Avacado & Riot Act. Overall, a decent PJ record compared to the last 3 releases alone. I know they cant make the same album over and over and thats not the point. Just listen to the song writing its nowhere near the last 3- lyrically and musically. It feels like a top 40 pop record or a group of b-sides. It lacks the "PJ sound" (Speed of Sound comes close) This album leaves me thirsty for more, and unfortunately that means 3 years till i get a drink. Hopefully they can give us 45 minutes next time!
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Comments

  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,995
    To me it sounds like a Mirrorball kind of "experiment", ike it was made really quick.

    Nice record, but... yeah... they should pump theese out every month for us :P
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • Gern BlanstenGern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 21,412
    I'm sure they put together tons of stuff that they don't feel is good enough to release

    that's the beauty of PJ...no garbage
    Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
    The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)

    1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
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  • SpinTheBlackCircle74SpinTheBlackCircle74 Posts: 1,394
    Gern Blansten wrote:
    I'm sure they put together tons of stuff that they don't feel is good enough to release

    that's the beauty of PJ...no garbage

    And they will release an EP early 2010. Mike said they have recorded 6 more songs that doesn`t make the record.
    Rock Werchter 4 july - 2010, Arras 3 july - 2010, Berlin Wuhlheide - June 30, 2010, Odyssey arena Belfast - 23 june 2010, O2 arena Dublin - june 22 2010, O2 arena London - Aug 18, 2009, Manchester Evening News Arena - Aug 17, 2009, Berlin Wuhlheide - Aug 15, 2009, Copenhagen 2007-06-26 Forum, London 2007-06-18 Wembley Arena, Prague 2006-09-22 Sazka Arena, Denmark 2000-06-30 Roskilde Festival, Stockholm on August 12th Mirrorball tour with Neil Young, Oslo 1993-06-27 Isle of Calf Festival(Kalvoya), Oslo Secret Club Concert 1993-06-26 Sentrum Scene
  • WisconsinPJWisconsinPJ Posts: 35
    No Shit!!??? Mike said that?? Awesome. Thats the first ive heard of that. Cant wait!!
  • benjsbenjs Toronto, ON Posts: 9,231
    They gave us an album which I can say very few bad things about. Now that I've replaced Speed of Sound with the demo version, I can say that Backspacer, as someone else here said, is all killer, no filler. I'm lovin' it. The way I see it is that they gave us a no-frills album with only the stuff they consider worthwhile. None of this Aye Davanita crap, just quality music. To be honest, I thought self-titled was weak... if they focus their time and energy on fewer songs and release those, I'd be more than happy. Or how about just a quality EP every year? I'd love that.
    '05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2

    EV
    Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
  • SpinTheBlackCircle74SpinTheBlackCircle74 Posts: 1,394
    WisconsinPJ wrote:
    No Shit!!??? Mike said that?? Awesome. Thats the first ive heard of that. Cant wait!!

    Yes, and I think one of those is a 9 minute long "monstersong".
    Rock Werchter 4 july - 2010, Arras 3 july - 2010, Berlin Wuhlheide - June 30, 2010, Odyssey arena Belfast - 23 june 2010, O2 arena Dublin - june 22 2010, O2 arena London - Aug 18, 2009, Manchester Evening News Arena - Aug 17, 2009, Berlin Wuhlheide - Aug 15, 2009, Copenhagen 2007-06-26 Forum, London 2007-06-18 Wembley Arena, Prague 2006-09-22 Sazka Arena, Denmark 2000-06-30 Roskilde Festival, Stockholm on August 12th Mirrorball tour with Neil Young, Oslo 1993-06-27 Isle of Calf Festival(Kalvoya), Oslo Secret Club Concert 1993-06-26 Sentrum Scene
  • WisconsinPJWisconsinPJ Posts: 35
    Wow! 9 minutes?? that would be crazy for Pearl Jam! Did you read this somewhere or did Mike say it at a show or something??
  • PearlJamPatriotPearlJamPatriot Posts: 2,426
    I guess I am in the minority, but i liked self-titled a lot more than this album. But I am not saying I dont like Backspacer. I think its a pretty solid record. 10 times better than Riot Act IMO.
    Pearl Jam Shows: 1998 - 9/11 New York, NY (MSG night 2); 9/13 Hartford, CT || 2000 - 8/24 Wantagh, NY (Jones Beach 2); 8/27 Saratoga Springs; 8/29 Mansfield, MA (night 1); 8/30 Mansfield, MA (night 2) || 2003 - 4/29 Albany, NY; 5/3 State College, PA; 7/2 Mansfield (night 1); 7/6 Camden, NJ (night 2); 7/8 New York, NY (MSG night 1) || 2004 - 9/28 Boston, MA (night 1); 9/29 Boston, MA (night 2) || 2005 - 10/3 Philadelphia, PA || 2006 - 5/12 Albany, NY; 5/13 Hartford, CT; 5/24 Boston, MA (night 1); 5/25 Boston, MA (night 2); 5/27 Camden, NJ (night 1); 5/28 Camden, NJ (night 2)|| 2008 - 6/19 Camden, NJ (night 1); 6/24 New York, NY (MSG night 1); 6/25 New York, NY (MSG night 2); 6/27 Hartford, CT; 6/28 Mansfield, MA (night 1); 6/30 Mansfield, MA (night 2); 7/1 New York, NY (Beacon Theater)|| 2009 - 9/21 Seattle, WA (night 1); 9/22 Seattle, WA (night 2); 10/27 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 1); 10/28 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 2); 10/30 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 3); 10/31 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 4)|| 2010 - 5/15 Hartford, CT; 5/17 Boston, MA; 5/20 New York, NY (MSG night 1); 5/21 New York, NY (MSG night 2)|| 2011 - 9/3 East Troy, WI (PJ20); 9/4 East Troy, WI (PJ20) || 2012 - 9/2 Philadelphia, PA, 9/30 Missoula, MT || 2013 - 7/19 Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field), 10/12 Buffalo, NY, 10/15 Worcester, MA (night 1), 10/16 Worcester, MA (night 2), 10/18 Brooklyn, NY (night 1), 10/19 Brooklyn, NY (night 2), 10/25 Hartford, CT || 2014 - 10/22 Denver, CO || 2015 -  9/26 New York, NY (Global Citizen Festival) || 2016 - 5/1 New York, NY (night 1), 5/2 New York, NY (night 2), 8/5 Boston, MA (Fenway Park night 1), 8/7 Boston, MA (Fenway Park night 2) || 2018 - 9/2 Boston, MA (Fenway Park night 1) || 2020 - 3/30 New York, NY
    Eddie Vedder solo: 2008 - Boston night 1 & 2 || 2009 - Albany, NY night 1 & 2 || 2011 - Hartford, CT, Boston, MA

  • SpinTheBlackCircle74SpinTheBlackCircle74 Posts: 1,394
    MM: I think we didn't initially know that we were reining them in. We had about seventeen ideas going into this project, seventeen to twenty. And when we were at about eleven pretty much finished, Brendan (O'Brien, producer) and Ed sat down and said, "Hey, this looks like a really good record." Stone (Gossard, guitarist) had been talking about wanting to have a record that was shorter, more concise and I think we achieved that. That being said, we still have other songs that are out there that are from this session that we may do something with in about six months. But that seemed like the perfect amount of songs. And it hearkens back to our favorite records growing up. Aerosmith Rocks was like nine songs, and old Van Halen records for me were like eight or nine songs. I'm dating myself right now, but that's the stuff. Those are really good records to me, and you don't have to have a lot of stuff on them.

    http://www.rockband.com/zine/mccready_interview
    Rock Werchter 4 july - 2010, Arras 3 july - 2010, Berlin Wuhlheide - June 30, 2010, Odyssey arena Belfast - 23 june 2010, O2 arena Dublin - june 22 2010, O2 arena London - Aug 18, 2009, Manchester Evening News Arena - Aug 17, 2009, Berlin Wuhlheide - Aug 15, 2009, Copenhagen 2007-06-26 Forum, London 2007-06-18 Wembley Arena, Prague 2006-09-22 Sazka Arena, Denmark 2000-06-30 Roskilde Festival, Stockholm on August 12th Mirrorball tour with Neil Young, Oslo 1993-06-27 Isle of Calf Festival(Kalvoya), Oslo Secret Club Concert 1993-06-26 Sentrum Scene
  • WisconsinPJWisconsinPJ Posts: 35
    Very cool. Thanks for the info bro. So hopefully March or April :mrgreen:
  • RoughMixRoughMix back of a lorry Posts: 385
    SpinTheBlackCircle74 wrote:
    MM: I think we didn't initially know that we were reining them in. We had about seventeen ideas going into this project, seventeen to twenty. And when we were at about eleven pretty much finished, Brendan (O'Brien, producer) and Ed sat down and said, "Hey, this looks like a really good record." Stone (Gossard, guitarist) had been talking about wanting to have a record that was shorter, more concise and I think we achieved that. That being said, we still have other songs that are out there that are from this session that we may do something with in about six months. But that seemed like the perfect amount of songs. And it hearkens back to our favorite records growing up. Aerosmith Rocks was like nine songs, and old Van Halen records for me were like eight or nine songs. I'm dating myself right now, but that's the stuff. Those are really good records to me, and you don't have to have a lot of stuff on them.

    http://www.rockband.com/zine/mccready_interview

    Aerosmith Rocks-"rocks".That's great that Mike loves this album.One of my favourites.
    "They don't give a shit Keith Moon is dead,
    is that exactly what I thought I read."
  • 12345AGNST112345AGNST1 Posts: 4,906
    3 years from now (or more) I think Backspacer will go down as one of their best albums. It will easily stand the test of time.

    (and yes I posted that in another thread)
    5/28/06, 6/27/08, 10/28/09, 5/18/10, 5/21/10
    8/7/08, 6/9/09
  • CROJAM95CROJAM95 Posts: 10,070
    benjs wrote:
    They gave us an album which I can say very few bad things about. Now that I've replaced Speed of Sound with the demo version, I can say that Backspacer, as someone else here said, is all killer, no filler. I'm lovin' it. The way I see it is that they gave us a no-frills album with only the stuff they consider worthwhile. None of this Aye Davanita crap, just quality music. To be honest, I thought self-titled was weak... if they focus their time and energy on fewer songs and release those, I'd be more than happy. Or how about just a quality EP every year? I'd love that.


    I think aye davanita is a beautiful pc of music. But i get what you are saying
  • mach271mach271 Posts: 562
    benjs wrote:
    They gave us an album which I can say very few bad things about. Now that I've replaced Speed of Sound with the demo version, I can say that Backspacer, as someone else here said, is all killer, no filler. I'm lovin' it. The way I see it is that they gave us a no-frills album with only the stuff they consider worthwhile. None of this Aye Davanita crap, just quality music. To be honest, I thought self-titled was weak... if they focus their time and energy on fewer songs and release those, I'd be more than happy. Or how about just a quality EP every year? I'd love that.


    S/T weak?!

    Come Back TROUNCES anything on BS....and COMEBACK/INSIDE JOB is the best 1-2 punch to finish any PJ album!

    DEAL WITH IT
  • orig_long redorig_long red Posts: 2,029
    mach271 wrote:
    S/T weak?!

    Come Back TROUNCES anything on BS....and COMEBACK/INSIDE JOB is the best 1-2 punch to finish any PJ album!

    DEAL WITH IT

    that's your opinion. your WRONG opinion.
    Jam out with your clam out.
  • mach271mach271 Posts: 562
    long red wrote:
    mach271 wrote:
    S/T weak?!

    Come Back TROUNCES anything on BS....and COMEBACK/INSIDE JOB is the best 1-2 punch to finish any PJ album!

    DEAL WITH IT

    that's your opinion. your WRONG opinion.


    :roll:
  • WisconsinPJWisconsinPJ Posts: 35
    AGREED!! Avocado is amazing.......severed hand, marker in the sand, army reserve, comeback.....ENOUGH SAID :D
  • orig_long redorig_long red Posts: 2,029
    WisconsinPJ wrote:
    AGREED!! Avocado is amazing.......severed hand, marker in the sand, army reserve, comeback.....ENOUGH SAID :D

    eh ... after Parachutes, Avocado is hit or miss.
    Jam out with your clam out.
  • CROJAM95CROJAM95 Posts: 10,070
    I agree Avocado is a great record

    my only complaint would be that it sounds poor while listening in my car.Something is not right with it, cant really turn the volume up to high.....BS sounds phenominal while driving
  • inmyrvminmyrvm Posts: 933
    PearlJamPatriot wrote:
    I guess I am in the minority, but i liked self-titled a lot more than this album. But I am not saying I dont like Backspacer. I think its a pretty solid record. 10 times better than Riot Act IMO.


    ditto. blue album is their best since yield. although bs might be the worst of the 4 latest. it's at the bottom of the catalog. pearl jam isn't a pop band.
    "Fuck the talkin' let's start rockin" - Eddie Vedder 9-5-00 Pittsburgh
    4/26/03 Pittsburgh 5/3/03 State College 7/12/03 Hershey 10/1/04 Reading 9/28/05 Pittsburgh 5/20/06 Cleveland 6/23/06 Pittsburgh 6/22/08 DC

    friends don't let friends listen to good charlotte
  • mach271mach271 Posts: 562
    CROJAM95 wrote:
    I agree Avocado is a great record

    my only complaint would be that it sounds poor while listening in my car.Something is not right with it, cant really turn the volume up to high.....BS sounds phenominal while driving


    Same here in my car.....it wasnt mixed properly
  • slightofjeffslightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    inmyrvm wrote:
    PearlJamPatriot wrote:
    I guess I am in the minority, but i liked self-titled a lot more than this album. But I am not saying I dont like Backspacer. I think its a pretty solid record. 10 times better than Riot Act IMO.


    ditto. blue album is their best since yield. although bs might be the worst of the 4 latest. it's at the bottom of the catalog. pearl jam isn't a pop band.

    Good thing Backspacer isn't full of pop songs, then. I can't imagine hearing anything (other than *maybe* The Fixer) on top 40 radio.

    Truth is, Avocado WAS the best album since Yield. Until last Sunday, when it got dethroned.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
  • PearlJamPatriotPearlJamPatriot Posts: 2,426
    slightofjeff wrote:
    inmyrvm wrote:
    PearlJamPatriot wrote:
    I guess I am in the minority, but i liked self-titled a lot more than this album. But I am not saying I dont like Backspacer. I think its a pretty solid record. 10 times better than Riot Act IMO.


    ditto. blue album is their best since yield. although bs might be the worst of the 4 latest. it's at the bottom of the catalog. pearl jam isn't a pop band.

    Good thing Backspacer isn't full of pop songs, then. I can't imagine hearing anything (other than *maybe* The Fixer) on top 40 radio.

    Truth is, Avocado WAS the best album since Yield. Until last Sunday, when it got dethroned.
    I totally respect that. Although I like self-titled more, It doesn't bother me at all that people like Backspacer more. I'm actually happy that people love this album, so I don't have to read a billion threads about how Pearl Jam is finished.
    Pearl Jam Shows: 1998 - 9/11 New York, NY (MSG night 2); 9/13 Hartford, CT || 2000 - 8/24 Wantagh, NY (Jones Beach 2); 8/27 Saratoga Springs; 8/29 Mansfield, MA (night 1); 8/30 Mansfield, MA (night 2) || 2003 - 4/29 Albany, NY; 5/3 State College, PA; 7/2 Mansfield (night 1); 7/6 Camden, NJ (night 2); 7/8 New York, NY (MSG night 1) || 2004 - 9/28 Boston, MA (night 1); 9/29 Boston, MA (night 2) || 2005 - 10/3 Philadelphia, PA || 2006 - 5/12 Albany, NY; 5/13 Hartford, CT; 5/24 Boston, MA (night 1); 5/25 Boston, MA (night 2); 5/27 Camden, NJ (night 1); 5/28 Camden, NJ (night 2)|| 2008 - 6/19 Camden, NJ (night 1); 6/24 New York, NY (MSG night 1); 6/25 New York, NY (MSG night 2); 6/27 Hartford, CT; 6/28 Mansfield, MA (night 1); 6/30 Mansfield, MA (night 2); 7/1 New York, NY (Beacon Theater)|| 2009 - 9/21 Seattle, WA (night 1); 9/22 Seattle, WA (night 2); 10/27 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 1); 10/28 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 2); 10/30 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 3); 10/31 Philadelphia, PA (Spectrum night 4)|| 2010 - 5/15 Hartford, CT; 5/17 Boston, MA; 5/20 New York, NY (MSG night 1); 5/21 New York, NY (MSG night 2)|| 2011 - 9/3 East Troy, WI (PJ20); 9/4 East Troy, WI (PJ20) || 2012 - 9/2 Philadelphia, PA, 9/30 Missoula, MT || 2013 - 7/19 Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field), 10/12 Buffalo, NY, 10/15 Worcester, MA (night 1), 10/16 Worcester, MA (night 2), 10/18 Brooklyn, NY (night 1), 10/19 Brooklyn, NY (night 2), 10/25 Hartford, CT || 2014 - 10/22 Denver, CO || 2015 -  9/26 New York, NY (Global Citizen Festival) || 2016 - 5/1 New York, NY (night 1), 5/2 New York, NY (night 2), 8/5 Boston, MA (Fenway Park night 1), 8/7 Boston, MA (Fenway Park night 2) || 2018 - 9/2 Boston, MA (Fenway Park night 1) || 2020 - 3/30 New York, NY
    Eddie Vedder solo: 2008 - Boston night 1 & 2 || 2009 - Albany, NY night 1 & 2 || 2011 - Hartford, CT, Boston, MA

  • exCuserexCuser Posts: 5
    my only complaint would be that it sounds poor while listening in my car.Something is not right with it, cant really turn the volume up to high.....BS sounds phenominal while driving[/quote]

    Great Point! Production quality is a huge factor. No doubt, Brendan O'Brien is a master. Avocado sounded a little "cheap" to me.
  • analogueaddict72analogueaddict72 Posts: 307
    Come Back, seriously?

    I love Inside Job but Come Back must rank as one of the worst PJ songs I've ever heard, my opinion anyway. Glad you like it but better than anything on Backspacer really?

    A handful of the tracks on S/T measure up to Backspacer, this album has really put the cat among the pigeons hasn't it?
  • TMudrickTMudrick Posts: 267
    S/T is flat out bad...Not a good record at all. That was Pearl Jam saying look we lost our edge lets try our asses of to be mainstream cock rock...They achieved that, but without the mainstream figuring them out. With Backspacer, they showcase what they are all about. Fun, energetic, and solid as a unit. The songs don't seem forced they flow naturally and in results they made something pretty special here. First PJ album that I can listen to front to back without wanting to hit the skip button because of a fillerish track or a bad one. Great album here.
  • pearljgirl2010pearljgirl2010 Shillington, PA/Tuckerton, NJ Posts: 3,428
    analogueaddict72 wrote:
    Come Back, seriously?

    I love Inside Job but Come Back must rank as one of the worst PJ songs I've ever heard, my opinion anyway. Glad you like it but better than anything on Backspacer really?

    A handful of the tracks on S/T measure up to Backspacer, this album has really put the cat among the pigeons hasn't it?


    I agree with you on Come Back...it makes me shudder!

    I'd gladly wait another 3 years if I got something as good as the 37 awesome minutes that is Backspacer :-)
    Need a tour Travel Agent??? Pick me :-)

    Whatever you are, be a good one --Lincoln
  • WisconsinPJWisconsinPJ Posts: 35
    edited September 2009
    you guys have obviously never lost anybody close to you...or else how can you NOT relate to the lyrics of Come Back???? they are perfect- it describes that feeling of loss and wanting someone back so badly, seeing them in dreams...beautiful song, how can you not hear & feel that?? you will someday.....
    oh and Avocado being flat out bad....thats plain foolish....to say that they forced it....even more foolish..great song writing with great lyrics..
    Post edited by WisconsinPJ on
  • CROJAM95CROJAM95 Posts: 10,070
    WisconsinPJ wrote:
    you guys have obviously never lost anybody close to you...or else how can you NOT relate to the lyrics of Come Back???? they are perfect- it describes that feeling of loss and wanting someone back so badly, seeing them in dreams...beautiful song, how can you not hear & feel that??

    Bingo

    Helped me deal with loss in 2007
  • slightofjeffslightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    analogueaddict72 wrote:
    Come Back, seriously?

    I love Inside Job but Come Back must rank as one of the worst PJ songs I've ever heard, my opinion anyway. Glad you like it but better than anything on Backspacer really?

    A handful of the tracks on S/T measure up to Backspacer, this album has really put the cat among the pigeons hasn't it?

    Come Back is an awesome song. Love Mike's solo at the end, and how that song builds into a crescendo. If you don't get goosebumps during the "I'll be heeeeeere" bit, I seriously question whether or not you have a soul.

    That said, there are songs on Backspacer I like more.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
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