Backspacer - 1/2 great, 1/2 okay
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Posts: 199
It has been several weeks now and we have all spun the record hundreds of times...so now I feel I can give an honest review.
Gonna see my friend...great first track..the louder the better! love the base line at the end
Got Some....falls short for me...Ed's voice is obviously strained throughout the song. The song itself is kinda gimmicky...but does build up to a strong finish
The Fixer...pearl jam having fun..good to see and great to hear
Johnny Guitar...took a while, hated it at first but find it stuck it my head all the time
Just breathe...thank you, great extension of into the wild, great lyrics, great delivery, nice use of strings
Amongst the waves...is what we have all been waiting for, pearl jam doing what they do best
Unthough Known...is one of the best pieces in the entire pj catalog...amazing lyrics, nice build up and break, nice use of a piano...just gets better everytime
Supersonic....another fun song but again falls short...odd placement, weak lyrics, just makes you notice that this album only has the one balls out rocker (gonna see my friend)
Speed of sound...good song, completely different than the demo...accomplishes what songs like sleight of hand and rival failed to do.
Force of Nature...a lot of folks say this is their best in years...I just don't hear it...maybe with more time
The End....scary good, delivery is incredible...makes you wonder if Ed is okay
All in all...the songs that are good prove that the boys still got it...but there are a few that make you wonder what another album would sound like
Gonna see my friend...great first track..the louder the better! love the base line at the end
Got Some....falls short for me...Ed's voice is obviously strained throughout the song. The song itself is kinda gimmicky...but does build up to a strong finish
The Fixer...pearl jam having fun..good to see and great to hear
Johnny Guitar...took a while, hated it at first but find it stuck it my head all the time
Just breathe...thank you, great extension of into the wild, great lyrics, great delivery, nice use of strings
Amongst the waves...is what we have all been waiting for, pearl jam doing what they do best
Unthough Known...is one of the best pieces in the entire pj catalog...amazing lyrics, nice build up and break, nice use of a piano...just gets better everytime
Supersonic....another fun song but again falls short...odd placement, weak lyrics, just makes you notice that this album only has the one balls out rocker (gonna see my friend)
Speed of sound...good song, completely different than the demo...accomplishes what songs like sleight of hand and rival failed to do.
Force of Nature...a lot of folks say this is their best in years...I just don't hear it...maybe with more time
The End....scary good, delivery is incredible...makes you wonder if Ed is okay
All in all...the songs that are good prove that the boys still got it...but there are a few that make you wonder what another album would sound like
you're god and you've got big hands
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Comments
WHAT?!!
Sleight of Hand FAILS?
Best. Night. Ever.
GSMF
Got Some
Just Breathe
Amongst The Waves
Unknown Thought
Force of Nature
The End, The Fixer, Supersonic and Speed of Sound get skipped a lot already which is not a good sign.
★ 2009 - Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Christchurch ★
★ 2011 - EV Newcastle, Melbourne 1, Melbourne 2 ★
I only skip Johnny Guitar, and not every time.
Hartford 10 Boston 10 Wrigley 13 Worcester I 13 Worcester II 13 Hartford 13
NYC I 16 NYC II 16 Fenway I 16 Fenway II 16 Fenway 1 18 Fenway II 18
E.V. Boston II 08 E.V. Albany II 09 E.V. Providence 11, E.V. Boston 11
Troubled Souls Unite
~ is your Pearl Jam cup half empty, or 1/2 Full?
I didn’t like Life Wasted, Can’t Keep or Breakerfall either, what is it with their recent album openers?!
half and half yet you seem to like a good 75% of the record?
I agree though that the record is let down from being exceptional by two tracks - different ones to yours though...I cant get into Johnny Guitar or speed of sound. Everything else is stellar for me
Johnny guitar more rock than GSMF?? Are we listening to the same album?? lol
Johnny guitar is a midtempo song to me. There are only three rockers on this album as far as im concerned and those are gsmf, got some & supersonic.
The quieter tunes are a bit over-produced at times but they work well for the most part, particularly Just Breathe. The mid-tempo stuff is good too - ATW and FON I like but I think Unthought Known is the standout tune on the album for me. Overall I think the songwriting is sterling and there are a few belters.
Gonna see my friend - 6/10
A decent opener, but a bit forgettable IMO. Not as good as Brain of J or Breakerfall. Great bassline tho.
Got Some - 7/10
I like it, particularly the outro. The verses are a bit stop-start but it's got some great guitar work in it and the more I listen to it the more I like it.
The Fixer - 7/10
I like the odd intro and timing on this song. See it getting a lot of stick but I'm not sure it would have come in for so much vitriol if it hadn't been first single. The lyrics are underworked but that's obviously deliberate and it helps the feel of the song. It does get me singing along in the morning which is no mean feat...
Johnny Guitar - 6/10
Not as mad into this as others are, don't think I'd be crying out for it at a gig. I don't skip it though, and maybe it'll turn out to be a slow burner. Although I'm not crazy about the tune I do think it helps the feel of the album as a 'happier' PJ and I like the way Eddie plays around with his voice on it.
Just Breathe - 8.5/10
Lovely song. I love the link from the chorus back into the verse.
Amongst the Waves - 7/10
Good song. The vocal on the verses is very REM-ish. I wouldn't rate it really highly in the PJ catalogue like a lot seem to but it fits fine on the album here between two new classics.
Unthough Known - 9/10
Gorgeous, their best tune since I Am Mine. At first I thought the piano was a bit too much, but the more I listened the more it all fits really nicely. Great vocal, lovely band sound.
Supersonic - 7/10
I like it, think it's really well placed after the previous 3 slow/mid-tempo songs. I think it's similar to The Fixer in being a pure 'fun' rocker, no agenda or deep meaning, but they're both done really well. For me they're more successful in what they're trying to do than Johnny Guitar or GSMF but I know I'm in the minority there.
Speed of sound - 7/10
Like a lot of others, I loved the demo and when I heard the album song didn't know what to make of it, particularly that booming drum. It has grown a lot on me, though I'm not sure if that's down to the production or whether I just got over the shock of how different it was from what I had originally heard. Either way, I think it's one of the better tunes on the album. Reckon it will work well when/if it's played live.
Force of Nature - 7/10
Like the OP, I don't see this as the classic that many do. Really don't like the intro guitar sound, though after that it does pick up. The chorus is very catchy and it could be a grower, or one that suprises me at a gig.
The End - 8/10
Really nice song. I had heard so much about this tune that on my first album listen I was a little bit underwhelmed. I think I was just expecting something more epic as a closer when really it's a very simple little tune. It's really grown on me since then tho, and I love the way Ed stretches his voice to reach the higher notes. The lyrics are incredible.
The Point - Oct 26, 1996
The Point - Jun 01, 2000
The Point - Aug 23, 2006
M.E.N. Arena - Aug 17, 2009
The 02 - Jun 22, 2010
Odyssey Arena - Jun 23, 2010
and still jonesing for another show....
"the waiting drove me mad..."
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Yeah this is news to me as well. Rival is great live.