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Why isn't Breath played a lot?

HatrietHatriet Posts: 80
edited June 2010 in The Porch
Why isn't Breath played a lot? Anyone know or have a clue why?
It's only been played 60 times and only once in England, in 1992! It's an awesome song, one of my favourites :) Please Pearl Jam, play it at London 8-) Then my life will be complete! :P :mrgreen:
Harriet. :)
Post edited by Unknown User on

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  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    Its_Evolution_Baby wrote:
    Why isn't Breath played a lot? Anyone know or have a clue why?
    It's only been played 60 times and only once in England, in 1992! It's an awesome song, one of my favourites :) Please Pearl Jam, play it at London 8-) Then my life will be complete! :P :mrgreen:

    Probably because they mess it up every time they play it. I don't know why, but they seem to.
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  • HatrietHatriet Posts: 80
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    Its_Evolution_Baby wrote:
    Why isn't Breath played a lot? Anyone know or have a clue why?
    It's only been played 60 times and only once in England, in 1992! It's an awesome song, one of my favourites :) Please Pearl Jam, play it at London 8-) Then my life will be complete! :P :mrgreen:

    Probably because they mess it up every time they play it. I don't know why, but they seem to.

    :( dam, I just love that song though :lol: I wouldn't mind if they messed it up :mrgreen:
    Harriet. :)
  • Rossum20Rossum20 Posts: 910
    My favorite song...22 shows and still no luck...pleassse in Berlin!!
  • smarcheesmarchee Posts: 14,539
    definilty should be played more, have never seen it live
    1998 ~ Barrie
    2003 ~ Toronto
    2005 ~ London, Toronto
    2006 ~ Toronto
    2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
    2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
    2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
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  • EastiesEasties Posts: 479
    Its_Evolution_Baby wrote:
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    Its_Evolution_Baby wrote:
    Why isn't Breath played a lot? Anyone know or have a clue why?
    It's only been played 60 times and only once in England, in 1992! It's an awesome song, one of my favourites :) Please Pearl Jam, play it at London 8-) Then my life will be complete! :P :mrgreen:

    Probably because they mess it up every time they play it. I don't know why, but they seem to.

    :( dam, I just love that song though :lol: I wouldn't mind if they messed it up :mrgreen:

    Imagine if they played Evenflow as often as they play Breath? : )

    It's a fine line!
  • FenwayFaithfulFenwayFaithful Posts: 8,626
    It was my first time hearing it at MSG2.
    "FF, I've heard the droning about the Sawx being the baby dolls. Yeah, I get it, you guys invented baseball and suffered forever. I get it." -JearlPam0925
  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    ^^^^^Then I'd never be able to go to the bathroom during the show. :lol:
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  • EastiesEasties Posts: 479
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    ^^^^^Then I'd never be able to go to the bathroom during the show. :lol:

    True :D

    I love a good Mike shred though.
  • HatrietHatriet Posts: 80
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    ^^^^^Then I'd never be able to go to the bathroom during the show. :lol:


    Haha, I can't anyway. I LOVE PEARL JAM :lol:
    Harriet. :)
  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    FenwayFaithful wrote:
    It was my first time hearing it at MSG2.

    I've seen it 4 times now after MSG 2. :)
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  • Grandmas JamGrandmas Jam Posts: 1,860
    because its too good to play all the time
    Ryan Crooks insists upon himself
  • ReachingForThinAirReachingForThinAir Posts: 184
    it's Stone's fault.
    WOOT!
  • DiRtyFranK38DiRtyFranK38 Posts: 3,131
    incredible song. definitely a setlist highlight whenever they do it.
    got it twice :mrgreen: MSG II and Philly III
    2006: Hartford
    2008: MSG 1, Hartford, Mansfield 2, Ed Solo NYC 1
    2009: London (O2), Philly 1, 2, 3, & 4
    2010: Hartford, Boston, MSG 1 & 2
    2011: Ed Solo Hartford
    2012: Philly (MIA Fest)
    2013: Worcester 2, Brooklyn 1 & 2, Hartford
  • davidtriosdavidtrios Posts: 9,732
    Probably because they mess it up every time they play it. I don't know why, but they seem to.[/quote]

    :( dam, I just love that song though :lol: I wouldn't mind if they messed it up :mrgreen:[/quote]

    Imagine if they played Evenflow as often as they play Breath? : )

    It's a fine line![/quote]

    Imagine if they played Breath as often as Just Breathe. ;)
  • Gonzo1977Gonzo1977 Posts: 1,696
    I've often wondered if the band even like the song...

    They don't play it all that often, and when they do...it's kind of lackadaisical and frankly kind of "phoned in"

    I love hearing the band play it regardless...but listen to recent performances of "Breath" and compare that to let say circ 91' and 92' ...It's night and day...

    Regretfully, it comes across like a boring cover song at this point...

    But what can you expect from an 18 year old B-side?

    I guess it's only natural for the band to kind of shrug it off.

    I wouldn't be suprised if they actually despise the song and all of us ungrateful yobos who hold up signs for it at every show.

    They'd probably much rather play "Hitchhiker" or "Ghost"

    You know...something more sophisticated :roll:
  • lockedlocked Posts: 4,038
    that last post was insane!

    "mailed in".. please..!

    read up on the history of "Breath" kiddies!

    http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/98/eas ... eath.shtml
    "This here's a REQUEST!"
    EV intro to Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns
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  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,772
    locked wrote:
    that last post was insane!

    "mailed in".. please..!

    read up on the history of "Breath" kiddies!

    http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/98/eas ... eath.shtml


    Thats a nice read. I so happen to listen to the bootleg of that show the other day. That was AWESOME!!
  • Backstop-440Backstop-440 Posts: 93
    That is a good read but it doesn't answer *why* the band doesn't play it much. None of the guys have ever said something publicly like "it's hard to play" or it's too much of a Mother Love Bone song or what?
    "Money is no object," I said, "but I am on a budget."
  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    edited June 2010
    Backstop-440 wrote:
    That is a good read but it doesn't answer *why* the band doesn't play it much. None of the guys have ever said something publicly like "it's hard to play" or it's too much of a Mother Love Bone song or what?

    It's not a very great live song to be perfectly honest. I don't know why it has lost luster for me. I still get getty hearing the opening riff and then I'm like uhhhh, whats this?
    Post edited by RedMosquito22 on
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  • CantKeepMeHereCantKeepMeHere Posts: 2,177
    my wife is good luck - it is her fav up tempo pearl jam song and each show she goes to they play it
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  • CantKeepMeHereCantKeepMeHere Posts: 2,177
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    Backstop-440 wrote:
    That is a good read but it doesn't answer *why* the band doesn't play it much. None of the guys have ever said something publicly like "it's hard to play" or it's too much of a Mother Love Bone song or what?

    It's not a very great live song to be perfectly honest.


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  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    CantKeepMeHere wrote:
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    Backstop-440 wrote:
    That is a good read but it doesn't answer *why* the band doesn't play it much. None of the guys have ever said something publicly like "it's hard to play" or it's too much of a Mother Love Bone song or what?

    It's not a very great live song to be perfectly honest.


    silly rabbit - tricks are for kids - it is amazing live

    Glad you like it. How many times have you seen it?
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  • Gonzo1977Gonzo1977 Posts: 1,696
    edited June 2010
    locked wrote:
    that last post was insane!

    "mailed in".. please..!

    read up on the history of "Breath" kiddies!

    http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/98/eas ... eath.shtml


    Don't get me wrong...I love the story behind this show. Great moment and all with the signs and the band playing "Breath" for the first time in years...but...MSG 98 was easily the most "mailed in" version of "Breath" ever played.

    Just look at Eddie's jestering to the crowd...Not to mention...purposely missing the best line in the entire fucking song...and saying: "Oh yeah...right...Step out on your Porch"...

    Great Song
    Great Moment

    Mailed in version
    Post edited by Gonzo1977 on
  • CantKeepMeHereCantKeepMeHere Posts: 2,177
    Glad you like it. How many times have you seen it?[/quote]


    umm twice the two shows I have taken my wife too, and I do agree they fuck it up each and everytime
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  • JaneNYJaneNY Posts: 4,438
    My best memory of Breath it is the very FIRST song I heard them sing live, when I heard them doing their soundcheck in Houston in 03.
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  • Citizen ZackCitizen Zack Posts: 1,763
    JaneNY wrote:
    My best memory of Breath it is the very FIRST song I heard them sing live, when I heard them doing their soundcheck in Houston in 03.

    That was my 2nd show and Breath was a great surprise. Played it mid-main set too, not even in the encore. That was amazing. I also heard it at MSG 1 03 and it was a lot of things, none of which included 'mailed in'. It leaned more toward awesome and well played.
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  • lockedlocked Posts: 4,038
    my personal opinion is the band considers it "special" like "crown of thorns" since it was one of the first songs they wrote / performed together when they became a band...

    its also why I think they played it immediately after "crown of thorns" on the MSG 2003 show that was captured on Live at the garden DVD in 2003 ...

    Kind of like a timeline..

    Mother love Bone ...then Pearl Jam...

    Its simply a theory I came up with so don't flame me..
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    EV intro to Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns
    10/25/13 Hartford
  • pghaspghas Posts: 128
    It's a good question. I personally happen to think this song is at least as good as and probably better than SOLAT. I think this song and Crown of Thorns are two of their best songs and they know it and so they don't play them as much. By the same token, there are tons of rarities that are rare because they should be, and loads of people who just want them played so they can say they were there to see it. Sorry but I personally am not at all unhappy to have missed Bee Girl, and how quickly do you think people would start flocking to the bathrooms if they put Black, Red, Yellow in the regular rotation.

    The other possibility with both Breath and Crown is that despite what great songs they are they just don't resonate with the band members anymore.
  • Brisk.Brisk. Posts: 11,557
    Yeah it's easily one of their best song.

    Bring back Alone/Breath/Deep every show like in the 90s!
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