Backspacer vs Avocado

Grandmas Jam

I just read and posted in another thread about how people hate Unemployable. But thats not the question here. My question is which album does everyone think is better? Personally I think Avacado is one of the best albums they wrote. Matt and mike are absurdly amazing on this album. Gone - Inside Job is one of my favorite 5 track runs that PJ has and it sound even better on vinyl. This album just blows Backspacer out of the water. And I personally dont really think Backspacer is that good of an album.

My least favorite one so far is Backspacer (although I do think before you really rank an album another album has to be released after it to get a betterperspective on it). Personally the only songs that do it for me on Backspacer are Got some, Fixer, Johnny Guitar and Amongst the Waves. The rest is kind of annoying to me. Especially Just Breathe and The End. Just too much EV for me on this album and not enough Pearl Jam.

THOUGHTS?


Also this is my 900th post! Nice!

ledvedderman

Backspacer wins for me. I think maybe my opinion is because it was the right album at the right time for me. It's just a good listening album with lyrics that hit home (while by no means "great" lyrics)

The self titled album is great but it seems stretched out. They should have ended the album with the guitar solo from Come Back. Inside Job just does nothing for me. Parachutes is beatuful and Life Wasted, Marker in the Sand and Army Reserve are great. Gone is just eh...it's much better live that what was captured on the album.

boyo79

Avocado is amazing, for me not one bad song on it. When it came out it felt like PJ were on fire again and it was a heavy record. Backspacer is just too pop for my liking. I like it more than I use too but I still feel its their worst album. Songs like Gonna See My Friend, Johnny Guitar, Speed Of Sound, Unthought Known just don't make the grade for me and I can't stand Got Some anymore.

RiotZact

Avacado for me, it's my favorite album, backspacer is good but not avacado good

Grandmas Jam

boyo79 wrote:

Avocado is amazing, for me not one bad song on it. When it came out it felt like PJ were on fire again and it was a heavy record. Backspacer is just too pop for my liking. I like it more than I use too but I still feel its their worst album. Songs like Gonna See My Friend, Johnny Guitar, Speed Of Sound, Unthought Known just don't make the grade for me and I can't stand Got Some anymore.

Couldnt agree more with this. Songs like COme Back and Gone, the songs everyone doesnt really like on Avacado are the ones I love. I felt the same way when the album was first released, 'these guys are on fire right now' and they backed it up with a ridiculous 06 tour. Shows from their backspacer tour werent as good unless you count Philly 09

Empty Glass

"Too much Ed and not enough Pearl Jam". That's a great line referring to Backspacer!

That being said, I'd vote for BS, because when it is Pearl Jam it's pretty good (i.e. Tracks 1-5)

I loved Avacado when it came out, but other than Life Wasted (PJ classic), the album had no staying power for me.

shadowcast

I would have to say Avacado. I think both records start off great. The only songs that I don't listen much is BIG wave, Force of nature & the End from both disks. Avacado just rocks more and the songs Marker in the sand & Army Reserve are what puts avacado over backspacer for me. SO being that Backspacer has two skips for me over Avacado. Avacado just edges Backspacer.

Side Note: Speed of sound was really starting to grow on me weeks leading up to Eddie's solo shows. When I heard him play it night 2 in Chicago he put that song on another level for me.

But someone said that when Backspacer came out they could relate more to the songs. I would agree with this. So F it. I'm changing it too a tie. Call me Swiss I don't care.

butte1

Backspacer is the 3rd best album PJ has put out right behind Ten and Vs. for me (keep in mind I don't believe they've put out a bad studio album ever IMHO, so keep it within context here). The self titled album (that people here seem to like referring to as "Avacado") is good. There are some good tracks but it is a little "preachy" for me at times, but again I don't turn it off when it's playing either. PJ rarely puts out anything "bad" in my opinion so the selftitled album is a good one that I like alot, but Backspacer has some of the best songs they've ever wrote in Unthought Known, The End, and Force of Nature along with a host of other good songs (I also love Just Breathe but honestly that felt like a song meant for Into the Wild that Eddie just couldn't find space for and decided to put it on Backspacer instead). I like both albums but if you force me to choose I will choose Backspacer.

butte1

Empty Glass wrote:

"Too much Ed and not enough Pearl Jam". That's a great line referring to Backspacer!

That being said, I'd vote for BS, because when it is Pearl Jam it's pretty good (i.e. Tracks 1-5)

I loved Avacado when it came out, but other than Life Wasted (PJ classic), the album had no staying power for me.

BINGO, that last line hits the nail ont eh head. When it came out I also loved it but nothing on it has had any staying power for me either. Backspacer has several titles with alot of staying power much liek their early stuff

JTH

butte1 wrote:

Empty Glass wrote:

"Too much Ed and not enough Pearl Jam". That's a great line referring to Backspacer!

That being said, I'd vote for BS, because when it is Pearl Jam it's pretty good (i.e. Tracks 1-5)

I loved Avacado when it came out, but other than Life Wasted (PJ classic), the album had no staying power for me.

BINGO, that last line hits the nail ont eh head. When it came out I also loved it but nothing on it has had any staying power for me either. Backspacer has several titles with alot of staying power much liek their early stuff

I'll third this notion and I'll also add that it took me a long time to get into Backspacer. I thought it was OK when it first came out, but it was probably their weakest album.

Now I love it. It's my favorite since Yield (yes, I like Backspacer better than Binaural).

cajunkiwi

Avocado all the way. I think Backspacer is a bad album with dreadful lyrics - every time I hear a song from the album all I can think is that the band was trying to make a radio-friendly pop album to make money. Avocado isn't my favorite PJ album by any stretch, but there are still some great songs on there - I'd take Severed Hand, Marker in the Sand, Life Wasted, and even Come Back over pretty much anything on Backspacer.

Jamminonthe1

I dislike Avocado as a studio album (the only one I do not like), but love it live. Go figure. For me I think Backspacer is great, but at the same time it seems more like an EV solo effort holdover album, especially the second half of the record.

slightofjeff

I vote for Backspacer, and for me it's really not a contest. However, I will say Avocado has held up better than maybe I thought it would. Just listened to it on a car trip the other day.

Cool Face Ryan

Avocado, hands down. I cannot see how Pearl Jam fans think that Backspacer is better! I just cant, Im sorry. Backspacer is a very good album, and I like it. But Avocado, lyrically, vocally, the instrumentals, everything about it is brilliant. Cameron sounds great on the drums for these songs, Ed's lyrics are amazing, and god damn Mike and Stone rip on this album. Severed Hand, World Wide Suicide, Life Wasted, Unemployable, Marker in the Sand, Comatose, Big Wave (ehhh, better than Supersonic), and then Parachutes (amazing) Inside Job (one of my favorites ever), Gone (CMON NOW!!!) and Come Back! HOW CAN BACKSPACER BE BETTER?!

Not trying to start fights, especially with Rico cause he'll tear me apart. Backspacer is a very good album, but when I listen to Avocado, I think that its one of the best albums I've ever listened to. Everything about it is perfect. Kickass, chilling, whatever other words to describe all of the songs. I love this album and for me, it may be Pearl Jams best.

For the people that dont like Avocado, I cant really understand that.

slightofjeff

cajunkiwi wrote:

Avocado all the way. I think Backspacer is a bad album with dreadful lyrics

:shock: :shock: :shock:

I think the Backspacer lyrics are some of the best Ed has ever committed to paper. Whoa.

slightofjeff

manutd3581 wrote:

Avocado, hands down. I cannot see how Pearl Jam fans think that Backspacer is better! I just cant, Im sorry.

There's this thing called taste, and another thing called opinions. Some people like vanilla ice cream, some people prefer chocolate.

Cool Face Ryan

boyo79 wrote:

Avocado is amazing, for me not one bad song on it. When it came out it felt like PJ were on fire again and it was a heavy record. Backspacer is just too pop for my liking. I like it more than I use too but I still feel its their worst album. Songs like Gonna See My Friend, Johnny Guitar, Speed Of Sound, Unthought Known just don't make the grade for me and I can't stand Got Some anymore.

+1

Cool Face Ryan

slightofjeff wrote:

manutd3581 wrote:

Avocado, hands down. I cannot see how Pearl Jam fans think that Backspacer is better! I just cant, Im sorry.

There's this thing called taste, and another thing called opinions. Some people like vanilla ice cream, some people prefer chocolate.

yeah.....I know. Did you read the whole post?

i_lov_it

cajunkiwi wrote:

every time I hear a song from the album all I can think is that the band was trying to make a radio-friendly pop album to make money.

Yeah I kinda AGREE with you there!...Although there ARE a couple of Songs off *BS* that I like...as a Whole *AVO* wins for me...

boyo79

slightofjeff wrote:

cajunkiwi wrote:

Avocado all the way. I think Backspacer is a bad album with dreadful lyrics

:shock: :shock: :shock:

I think the Backspacer lyrics are some of the best Ed has ever committed to paper. Whoa.

See I'd go with cajunkiwi on this. GSMF, Got Some, Unthought Known - dreadful lyrics and everytime I hear the 'gems and rhinestones' bit I cringe.

DS1119

I like the cover art better on Avacado so for me that's the better album.

DewieCox

slightofjeff wrote:

cajunkiwi wrote:

Avocado all the way. I think Backspacer is a bad album with dreadful lyrics

:shock: :shock: :shock:

I think the Backspacer lyrics are some of the best Ed has ever committed to paper. Whoa.

They're not nearly on par with any other PJ album. I think the high point is Force of Nature and it's really great lyrically, but there's at least one song that has the worst lyrics he's ever done. I would expect the lyrics from UK to be written by Brandon Boyd of Incubus.....just generic as it gets.

pdalowsky

yep backspacer is awesome

i like Advocado - it contains one of my fave Pj moments - top 3 song even.

But BS is just so consistant whereas advocado wasnt quite as cohesive.

Cool Face Ryan

boyo79 wrote:

slightofjeff wrote:

cajunkiwi wrote:

Avocado all the way. I think Backspacer is a bad album with dreadful lyrics

:shock: :shock: :shock:

I think the Backspacer lyrics are some of the best Ed has ever committed to paper. Whoa.

See I'd go with cajunkiwi on this. GSMF, Got Some, Unthought Known - dreadful lyrics and everytime I hear the 'gems and rhinestones' bit I cringe.

lmao. Wouldnt say dreadful, but i totally understand what you mean. The lyrics lack in comparison to Avocado.

DewieCox

pdalowsky wrote:

yep backspacer is awesome

i like Advocado - it contains one of my fave Pj moments - top 3 song even.

But BS is just so consistant whereas advocado wasnt quite as cohesive.

I will agree that BS is probably their most consistent album. It's consistently average.

Every other album seemingly has so much more thought out into the music and arrangements.

slightofjeff

boyo79 wrote:

slightofjeff wrote:

cajunkiwi wrote:

Avocado all the way. I think Backspacer is a bad album with dreadful lyrics

:shock: :shock: :shock:

I think the Backspacer lyrics are some of the best Ed has ever committed to paper. Whoa.

See I'd go with cajunkiwi on this. GSMF, Got Some, Unthought Known - dreadful lyrics and everytime I hear the 'gems and rhinestones' bit I cringe.

I like the lyrics on all those songs ... especially Unthought Known. Gems and rhinestones doesn't bother me. And, my God, the rest of that song gives me goosebumps. Certainly, I'll take "gems and rhinestones" as a lyric ahead of "got me a big wave ride me a big wave got me a big wave."

I don't mean this as a put-down to Avocado. I like the album. But if you're forcing me to choose, I choose Backspacer. It fits where I am in my life right now.

boyo79

DewieCox wrote:

I would expect the lyrics from UK to be written by Brandon Boyd of Incubus.....just generic as it gets.

You're spot on there. Everytime I hear the 'gems and rhinestones' bit I always think of Incubus' "Diamonds And Coals"

boyo79

slightofjeff wrote:

I choose Backspacer. It fits where I am in my life right now.

And that I fully respect :thumbup:

shadowcast

DS1119 wrote:

I like the cover art better on Avacado so for me that's the better album.

I think your Avatar should be the cover of their next album. I think I just pissed myself.

slightofjeff

boyo79 wrote:

DewieCox wrote:

I would expect the lyrics from UK to be written by Brandon Boyd of Incubus.....just generic as it gets.

You're spot on there. Everytime I hear the 'gems and rhinestones' bit I always think of Incubus' "Diamonds And Coals"

I think you guys are getting too fixated on three words. It's just a poetic way of saying "stars."

Suziemay

slightofjeff wrote:

manutd3581 wrote:

Avocado, hands down. I cannot see how Pearl Jam fans think that Backspacer is better! I just cant, Im sorry.

There's this thing called taste, and another thing called opinions. Some people like vanilla ice cream, some people prefer chocolate.

I love vanilla ice cream. I'm sorry but folks who prefer chocolate need to get their tastebuds checked. Sorry, I could not resist

Back to the original post.. I prefer Avocado. Lyrics more thoughtful and more nuances to the songs. I agree with another poster about Just Breathe and The End. Can't stand either one, they are up there with Last Kiss in terms of songs I'd prefer not to hear at a concert and yet I've heard them so many times that I can probably sing them in my sleep :shock:

I will say the one thing I do appreciate about Backspacer is when the boys sing The Fixer and it comes to the part where it goes "yea yea yea", I love seeing Mike, Jeff, Ed and Stone all lined up at the microphones.