IMObackspacer is the pinnacle of pearl jam studio recordings

noodles_jefferson

all I can say is wow! I just bought backspacer and I am floored! I expected it to be a good album. Avocado was a good album and i expected something along those lines, but this album far exceeded my expectations. I must have listened to it 7 or 8 times yesterday and it gets better each time. there's no lull in the album all of the songs are strong.

I am very impressed with the song writing of Eddie vedder. his song writing has really developed and two of the songs (#5 and #11) remind me of his work on the into the wild soundtrack and that sound is a welcome addition to a PJ album. 5 sout of 11 written by vedder and they're all good. I love that he's taking a larger role in the songcraft on this album. it's like opening a window and letting in some fresh air.

I bet the band is totally energized by this album and I can't wait to see them in concert again, I hope they come back to florida soon!

Better Dan

It is definitely is a very strong album. Glad you were finally able to give it a listen.

What are your favorite songs on it? Least favs?

My current favorites are (trying to limit to 3 which is very hard) Unthought Known, Just Breathe, Amongst the Waves, and almost every other song on the album
Only song I don't like is: Gonna See my Friend

mattoscarson

God, I love "Gonna See My Friend." The bass lines are INCREDIBLE!

benjs

The only song I can not get into is the studio Speed of Sound. I replaced that with the demo on my iPod, and now think it's the greatest album Pearl Jam has made.

MD97728

what an awesome cd! absolutely love it. i think it's their best probably since yield. my son and i both agreed that there are definitely a few songs that could have been part of the into the wild soundtrack. i'm addicted to the cd and can't get enough of just breathe. thank you pj!

DarthSpacegrass

So far I have been lucky enough to see:

EV Solo - The End
Chicago Night 1 - The Fixer / Got Some / Supersonic
Chicago Night 2 - The Fixer / Got Some
Philly #2 - Johnny Guitar / The Fixer /Just Breathe /Speed of Sound
Philly #4 - The Fixer / Amongst the waves / Unthought Known / Johnny Guitar /Just Breathe / The End / Speed of Sound / Got Some

And I have to say - they are all spectacular live.

I am a big fan of the band Clutch and I have the opposite reaction with some of their newer stuff live and I do find myself being much more critical of new stuff when I hear it live but I have to admit, everything I have heard so far from Backspacer has been two thumbs up.

noodles_jefferson

I love gonna see my friend. I lvoe the first 4 in a row, geat way to start the album. then it goes right into just breath. fantastic lyrics in Just breathe.

noodles_jefferson

I just think it's a very concise album. there is diversity on the album but it also has a cohesive feel to it. to me the songs are straight forward but not simple. there are still the interesting chord progessions and time sigs that we're used to but to me there are less lulls. for example on Avocado, marker in the sand is a song that starts out strong but then goes into a kind of sing-songy chorus that just seemd kind of boring. that's just My opinion. to me the best songs on that album were severed hand and inside job. Backspacer has no lulls. it would be comparable to taking the 5 best songs from each of the last two albums and making one album. that would be close, but still not as good as backspacer.

Ok

dang nabit, I have to agree. Its my fav.

cippociappo

Backspacer is GREAT!
I think is Pearl Jam's best album of the 2000s

soulsinging

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I just think it's a very concise album. there is diversity on the album but it also has a cohesive feel to it. to me the songs are straight forward but not simple.

that about sums it up. it's the most relaxed and confident they've seemed in a long time. the last album felt too forced, like a very conscious effort to return to an earlier sound. riot act and binaural were both very dark, intense, measured albums. this is the most natural thing they've done since yield and it shows. they still manage to keep things diverse, while creating an album that flows by smoothly with minimal effort.

the only song i don't care for is johnny guitar. the verses just sound awkward to me, kinda like breath on the last u2 album. i also thing the end is a little too melodramatic and over the top. but these are minor quibbles when everything else is so strong and ever those two have enough working for them to outweigh their lesser points.

it's easily the best thing they've done since yield (though i like binaural a little better for sentimental reasons), and in some sense it might be their most consistent since vs (even though id rank vitalogy, yield, and no code above it).

noodles_jefferson

soulsinging wrote:

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I just think it's a very concise album. there is diversity on the album but it also has a cohesive feel to it. to me the songs are straight forward but not simple.

it's the most relaxed and confident they've seemed in a long time. the last album felt too forced, like a very conscious effort to return to an earlier sound. riot act and binaural were both very dark, intense, measured albums. this is the most natural thing they've done since yield and it shows. they still manage to keep things diverse, while creating an album that flows by smoothly with minimal effort.

well said. i think the only song on there that if you left it off it wouldn't take away from ther album is force of nature. Amonst the waves and unthought known are similar to me. they're not bad though. I really liked The End. it actually gave me goosebumps. It's beautiful. a perfect end-of-an-album song. I hate when they end an album with a song title like parting ways or the end. makes me think they're contemplating breaking up. i hope they play together till they look like Keith richards. old and wrinkly. but keep doing the side/solo projects.

MayDay10

i am still really high on backspacer.

Saw them all live in Philly and they are all awesome live!

budge

My opinion... The Fixer is awesome live. The crowd really gets into it (could be because it is the first single and everyone knows it). I just keep thinking about that song at Philly, amazing.

Fantastic album.

noodles_jefferson

dude, i'm so jealous! I'm from philly and have been stuck down in Fla for many years. I made it up last week for the cowboys/eagles game but missed the concert! :( seeing them in philly would have been a blast!

jerseygenx

Totally agree.... been riding high on it for weeks now. Even my 5 & 2 year old sons request to hear particular songs. They adore Supersonic!

I feel like the album was created during such a positive time in their lives, I mean with Ed becoming a Dad, there seems to be like a "Oh I get it, this is what life's all about" instead of hanging on to so much negativity. Changing of the guards at the White House probably perked em up a bit too.

Backspacer is right up there with VS & Yield, IMO. Just love, love, love, love it! It's the album I've been dreaming of, a hard hitting, positive, spiritual experience.

noodles_jefferson

I must be the only person in the world that thinks Yield was one of their weakest albums. it just doesn't do it for me. there are 4 songs I like on that album. given to fly, wishlist, push me pull me, and all those yesterdayas. the rest of that album, to me, it totally forgettable.

Better Dan

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I must be the only person in the world that thinks Yield was one of their weakest albums. it just doesn't do it for me. there are 4 songs I like on that album. given to fly, wishlist, push me pull me, and all those yesterdayas. the rest of that album, to me, it totally forgettable.

You're definitely not the only one but it does seem to be rare. I've seen several posts over the years from people saying they don't like it. Nothing wrong with it. For the record, I LOVE Yield

soulsinging

noodles_jefferson wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I just think it's a very concise album. there is diversity on the album but it also has a cohesive feel to it. to me the songs are straight forward but not simple.

it's the most relaxed and confident they've seemed in a long time. the last album felt too forced, like a very conscious effort to return to an earlier sound. riot act and binaural were both very dark, intense, measured albums. this is the most natural thing they've done since yield and it shows. they still manage to keep things diverse, while creating an album that flows by smoothly with minimal effort.

well said. i think the only song on there that if you left it off it wouldn't take away from ther album is force of nature. Amonst the waves and unthought known are similar to me. they're not bad though. I really liked The End. it actually gave me goosebumps. It's beautiful. a perfect end-of-an-album song. I hate when they end an album with a song title like parting ways or the end. makes me think they're contemplating breaking up. i hope they play together till they look like Keith richards. old and wrinkly. but keep doing the side/solo projects.

you gotta be crazy! that's easily the best song on the album!

noodles_jefferson

you gotta be crazy! that's easily the best song on the album!

which, force of nature? It's not a bad song. there are no bad songs on backspacer. but It's not a real memorable song for me. it's ok.

DarthSpacegrass

Force of nature is - imo - so deceptively sad but hopeful. Still evolving for me, finally decided to read the lyrics on the album after almost two months.

This whole album really a solid pick me up after the minor letdown of the 10 reissue.

Gmoney

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I must be the only person in the world that thinks Yield was one of their weakest albums. it just doesn't do it for me. there are 4 songs I like on that album. given to fly, wishlist, push me pull me, and all those yesterdayas. the rest of that album, to me, it totally forgettable.

gasp!!

Niko80

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I must be the only person in the world that thinks Yield was one of their weakest albums. it just doesn't do it for me. there are 4 songs I like on that album. given to fly, wishlist, push me pull me, and all those yesterdayas. the rest of that album, to me, it totally forgettable.

You are not alone. Brain of J kicks ass though!!

markin ball

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I must be the only person in the world that thinks Yield was one of their weakest albums. it just doesn't do it for me. there are 4 songs I like on that album. given to fly, wishlist, push me pull me, and all those yesterdayas. the rest of that album, to me, it totally forgettable.

"push me, pull me" is one of your four favorite songs on Yield? No wonder you don't like it very much.

tremors

I agree with you noodles, and a lot of the other posts you wrote. I was loathe to read the other comments for fear of a lot of disagreement to wade through. The fact there was none has cheered me up no end!

And as someone else quoted I though this was a grand summary:

"I just think it's a very concise album. there is diversity on the album but it also has a cohesive feel to it. to me the songs are straight forward but not simple."

They should quote you on the sleeve of the 20th Anniversay reissue of the album!

I love Force of Nature, one of my top of the tops on the album. I love Yield but I hate to see people run down the earlier work like Ten and Vs which are breathtaking. With Yield I think in retrospect PJ completely excel in the musical output of the 1990s - 5 albums, - 5 blistering triumphs. Who else can match that?

(btw please don't answer this or I'll get annoyed!)

I just wish I was 16 and could say 'Backspacer pwns!'

Snoopy Died For Our Sins

I really love PJ and the new album, but YIELD still kicks Backspacer's ass and mops up the floor with any song on it...............YIELD WILL BE FOREVER HARD TO TOP

Wilds

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I must be the only person in the world that thinks Yield was one of their weakest albums. it just doesn't do it for me. there are 4 songs I like on that album. given to fly, wishlist, push me pull me, and all those yesterdayas. the rest of that album, to me, it totally forgettable.

Haven't met too many who dislike yield. But to each his own. No worries.


I also love Backspacer, and like many Force of Nature is my favorite song on the album.


P.S. Do the Evolution is pure brilliance. IMO. :thumbup:

No0nesRival

Seems like PJ's music is the soundtrack for my life. They never fail me. My father passed away at the end of September. He had prostate cancer. Just Breathe and The End and Unthought Unknown have comforted me through this hard time. I can't believe how much their music speaks to me.

TJ25487

I just like the fact that we are comparing Backspacer to Yield. That means that Backspacer is that good of an offering. I love Backspacer so much that I want to stack it up to the band's other modern day masterpiece to see just how good Backspacer really is and I am finding that it is right up there with yield. What I like about Backspacer, like someone else eluded to is that it is " all killer and no filler".

redeye

great album, gotta be my favourite of all time... well today anyhow

noodles_jefferson

markin ball wrote:

noodles_jefferson wrote:

I must be the only person in the world that thinks Yield was one of their weakest albums. it just doesn't do it for me. there are 4 songs I like on that album. given to fly, wishlist, push me pull me, and all those yesterdayas. the rest of that album, to me, it totally forgettable.

"push me, pull me" is one of your four favorite songs on Yield? No wonder you don't like it very much.

LOL what?? that's a gret song. I know it's a lot of studio "trickeration" but it's still awesome to listen to.