Has PJ gotten lazy?

vaggar99

just wondering what everyone thinks about this? I know no one wants to believe (me as well), but I'm beginning to seriously wonder. My concerns:
-long breaks between albums
-festival shows as opposed to standard tours
-endless issues of bootlegs
-reissues of old albums
-seemingly unoriginal merchandise
-high Ten club fees for 'analog' members

please dont hate me for saying these things..just wonder what everyone else is thinking

RatsTJRats

I think its called getting older and wanting to spend more time/energy on and with your family and friends....be greatful they are still doing anything as a band 20+ years later

BinauralJam

It must get old after 20 + years and their rich and comfortable, why not kick back and enjoy life. Also a bunch of them have kids now i believe , which are all young and cute, when those kids hit the teenage years those guys will find an excuse to tour.

DiRtYyELLoWoCeAn

TRobinson wrote:

I think its called getting older and wanting to spend more time/energy on and with your family and friends....be greatful they are still doing anything as a band 20+ years later

You hit the nail right on the head! They've grown up and have families. Thoughts, ideals and values you have when you're 20 change as you get older and grow up. I'm happy we get what we get!

Faithful_1

Basically, i agree with everyone else. They're just at a stage in their lives where they wanna take it a little slower. I'm not so sure they've gotten lazy though; i mean they're all busy, just not with each other!

Once they do get a record out and hit the road again, i also sincerely hope they don't do festival shows. I saw them in 06 at the leeds festival, which was fine, but i only done it because i hadn't seen them in 6 years.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure shows like that pay the bills and keeps the organisation running, but it does short change the real fans......but, its better than nothing

dougfloyd

I don't think you can say they are lazy, they are just spending all their time on non-PJ stuff. Soundgarden, Brad, EV solo, RNDM, etc. They seem to be staying very busy to me but PJ just isn't their #1 priority right now. Hopefully that starts to change this year when they work on finishing the new album.

lyears

Have PJ fans become more impatient?

rival.

this is probably the busiest the members have been in a long time.


....just not collectively....

Nami

I like beer

JM16768

I am a rhinoceros and my skin is 2 feet thick.

mydogmookieblaylock

in order to answer this question properly i would need to know exactly what each member is doing everyday. For some reason i doubt any of them are sitting around watching Springer and eating leftover pizza all day.
So i will assume they are not lazy.

adusick

Agree with most others - we all get older, other priorities, family, etc. Be glad that they're still going!

The day you go to their show and it looks like they're half-assing it on stage, THEN I'll say it's fair game to call them lazy. It does not appear that PJ is anywhere close to that point. Still passionate, still playing 2 1/2 + hour gigs, still changing up setlists every night, still treating their fans to rare songs, still rockin' hard. And that's why we still love them!

PillowPants

vaggar99 wrote:

just wondering what everyone thinks about this? I know no one wants to believe (me as well), but I'm beginning to seriously wonder. My concerns:
-long breaks between albums
-festival shows as opposed to standard tours
-endless issues of bootlegs
-reissues of old albums
-seemingly unoriginal merchandise
-high Ten club fees for 'analog' members

please dont hate me for saying these things..just wonder what everyone else is thinking

they're doing what they want to do... they've earned the right

in response to your questions
-would you rather they spit out an album that they're not proud of?
-more money in festivals
-they've always issued bootlegs - huh?
-money maker and possibly helping the fan - no one is required to buy
-lets hear your ideas for merch
-i don't think the fees are high

rearviewross

vaggar99 wrote:

just wondering what everyone thinks about this? I know no one wants to believe (me as well), but I'm beginning to seriously wonder. My concerns:
-long breaks between albums
-festival shows as opposed to standard tours
-endless issues of bootlegs
-reissues of old albums
-seemingly unoriginal merchandise
-high Ten club fees for 'analog' members

please dont hate me for saying these things..just wonder what everyone else is thinking

I hate you for saying this. :evil:

pandora

It's ok to slow down and stop and smell the roses.
It is appreciating life for all the right reasons, they have earned it.

I think when the new masterpiece comes out it will "the proof of the pudding is in the eating!"
I'm hungry for it!... can't wait!

klusterfuk

Nami wrote:

I like beer

mmmm beer.

Kimmiebyrom

pandora wrote:

It's ok to slow down and stop and smell the roses.
It is appreciating life for all the right reasons, they have earned it.

I think when the new masterpiece comes out it will "the proof of the pudding is in the eating!"
I'm hungry for it!... can't wait!

Right on.

mca47

Like others have said, the guys are just at a point in their life where they are stinking rich, they have families, and there really is no need to put out another album, or spend 5 months on the road on tour...

That said, I do think their live shows have gotten a bit lazy. Yeah, they change the setlists....er...move the same songs around from show to show, but I feel the quality of the performance has diminished over the last 6-7 years.

titchinello

pandora wrote:

It's ok to slow down and stop and smell the roses.
It is appreciating life for all the right reasons, they have earned it.

I think when the new masterpiece comes out it will "the proof of the pudding is in the eating!"
I'm hungry for it!... can't wait!

mmmm - Pudding,
can't wait for my piece of cake, hopefully with a cherry on top

JimmyV

I don't think lazy is the right word but I do think they may have peaked as a band. The many side projects feel less and less like side projects and more like the main focus. Hope I am wrong.

Also, I think this thread is doomed to soon be locked.

boyo79

vaggar99 wrote:

just wondering what everyone thinks about this? I know no one wants to believe (me as well), but I'm beginning to seriously wonder. My concerns:
-long breaks between albums
-festival shows as opposed to standard tours
-endless issues of bootlegs
-reissues of old albums
-seemingly unoriginal merchandise
-high Ten club fees for 'analog' members

please dont hate me for saying these things..just wonder what everyone else is thinking

No.

ponner1us

As others have said, I don't think they're lazy. I think their side projects are taking priority right now. I don't know where but I've read it here before many times, they like to do their side projects to "take a break," and get the creative juices flowing again. They'll "regroup" when they're ready, go on tour in the fall, release a new record, and rock balls at live shows. As for their "peak," who knows? In my opinion, self-titled and backspacer, meh...with a few gems thrown in though. I'd like to hear another Yield, No Code, or Vs., but then again, that's probably asking too much.

Ask yourself this, you're in your 40s with a family, millions to spend on whatever you'd like, and you're in a band that most certainly will be inducted into the Rock and Roll HOF, what would you do to enjoy your time?

They'll play some shows and do their thing on their own schedule...

CanNotStay

I feel like lazy implies that they're procrastinating on an obligation. So I wouldn't call them lazy because I don't feel like they're obligated to anything. Pearl Jam's their band and they can release content at whatever pace they'd like.

Jeanwah

I think the band realizes that the empire is too profitable to end, so they just keep it going for the business' sake. Otherwise, they're pretty much done as a group together.

Gern Blansten

I've heard some side project stuff that would have been massive PJ material. I don't mean to suggest that it is "lost" or less meaningful if it wasn't performed by PJ but it does seem like the guys are less concerned with saving their best material for PJ.

I don't call it lazy...they're just living their lives

DURP

mydogmookieblaylock wrote:

For some reason i doubt any of them are sitting around watching Springer and eating leftover pizza all day.

You just described my life

Indifference71

I totally get the whole getting older thing and not wanting to live on the road and spend time with their families and all that. The thing I don't get is that the guys in the band always talk about how incredible the feeling is to play live shows...you'd think that they would want to play more.

ckravitz

rival. wrote:

this is probably the busiest the members have been in a long time.


....just not collectively....

This.

You hear that they are "taking it easy" or "spending time with family" quite a bit these days, but the fact is, they are spending seemingly the same amount of time on music they always have ... just not on Pearl Jam.

RatsTJRats

ckravitz wrote:

rival. wrote:

this is probably the busiest the members have been in a long time.


....just not collectively....

This.

You hear that they are "taking it easy" or "spending time with family" quite a bit these days, but the fact is, they are spending seemingly the same amount of time on music they always have ... just not on Pearl Jam.

Your right! we are onto them now!!! we need to take this injustice to CNN....go public with it and force their hand into touring half of every year and release new albums every 6 months!!!

JimmyV

TRobinson wrote:

Your right! we are onto them now!!! we need to take this injustice to CNN....go public with it and force their hand into touring half of every year and release new albums every 6 months!!!

I think you are misinterpreting what is being said. Eddie wrapped up a solo tour in December that included more US dates than PJ has played together in close to three years. Matt is touring with Soundgarden, Jeff with Random and Tres Mts, Stone with Brad. We keep hearing that they don't want to tour but it seems like everyone already is touring, just not together.

It isn't an injustice, but it is something to be concerned about.

RatsTJRats

JimmyV wrote:

TRobinson wrote:

Your right! we are onto them now!!! we need to take this injustice to CNN....go public with it and force their hand into touring half of every year and release new albums every 6 months!!!

I think you are misinterpreting what is being said. Eddie wrapped up a solo tour in December that included more US dates than PJ has played together in close to three years. Matt is touring with Soundgarden, Jeff with Random and Tres Mts, Stone with Brad. We keep hearing that they don't want to tour but it seems like everyone already is touring, just not together.

It isn't an injustice, but it is something to be concerned about.

Trust me I understand....but people need to relax, they are doing more 20 years later than all their counter parts. soundgarden just got back together, how would you like to be their fans with that major hiatus. when you do something for that long you need a break and other things to keep it fresh, there is nothing wrong with that. I think, again, we need to be greatful that they are still together and doing anything as a band rather then broken up and doing nothing at all...enjoy the shows/new music they are releasing