Saying "NO!" to Brendan O'Brien

PJ_Soul

october22 wrote:

People are going to shit on me for saying this but after both of the new songs debuted at Wrigley, my brother and I turned to each other and cringed. I leaned over to him and asked "what the hell happened to our band?"

I hate saying this but I'm afraid LB may be the nail in the coffin for Pearl Jam for me personally. If I'm right, I still hope other people love it.

Nothing can ever take away the music they've given us in years passed but in my opinion, Riot Act is the last "real" pearl jam album. I liked S/T but something changed during that record that I don't see them ever recovering from. They've lost that mysterious otherworldly quality they once had and the fault lies squarely with Ed. He's lost his point of view. He doesn't have the internal compass he once had. This happens to a lot of artists. Output changes as life moves on. Just so happens that the direction (or lack of it imo) that Ed is taking his song writing makes me want to blow my fucking brains out.

Honestly, I hope no one agrees with me. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I just don't know where else to go to express how I feel. Sorry to be a downer.

I don't think anyone can disagree with your statement that they've changed forever... After that, deciding whether or not it's a lateral move or a downward spiral depends completely on each person's personal taste. For me, I love ST a lot, and every album before it, and backspacer is only okay for the most part, and I love MYM, and don't feel able to form an opinion yet on the other two new songs at all aside from a positive but totally emotional positive reaction on Friday (tainted opinion maybe). I need to hear the album to judge it. Yes, they've changed, but depending on each person, change could be good or bad. I am personally very open to the band changing... For those who aren't, I can't say I totally understand the dismay, just because all of their past music still exists, and they still perform all.of it super well. All a couple of album s you don't like means is that you'll have a few more songs that you're not a fan of at each show, amongst a ton that you are. That doesn't seem so bad..... Not blowing your brains put bad, anyway. I mean, don't people who hate backspacer still love the shows? ... But I feel empathy for those suffering a sense of disappointment.

I will point out, thpugh, that these changes aren't just with EV. Their albums are very much a collaborative effort, and every member of the band has to agree that a song is worth putting bon an album... It's hard to see people blaming it all on Ed if they are upset with the band's direction.

bootleg

Funny you brought this up. My immediate reaction after hearing LB at Wrigley was that I really liked the song. Seemed to have some harder edges, some Who style riffs. I thought to myself I hope BoB doesn't overproduce this thing. BoB produced a lot of great PJ but to me a lot of Backspacer seemed a little to busy (think album Speed of Sound vs demo Speed of Sound.). The demo had heart and the album version just covered it all up with synths. Well then of course he comes out for FD and I like this song as well except for the twinkling keys at the end so now I'm a little nervous as well.

MYM is light years ahead of the fixer though as a first taste of the album. Seems to have a little harder sound than anything on BS so I'm still hopeful.

Adamcado

Miss the rawer sound of No Code/Yield/Binaural/Riot Act era...

Was hugely let down by Backspacer, I really hope Lightning Bolt's a good record.

Get_Right

I will wait to hear the record before I form an opinion.

pdalowsky

klusterfuk wrote:

I'll digest the new album and go from there.

BINGO!!!!

Kathi

i really liked lightning bolt. future days is potentially just breathe part 2, so far I like it better though...but I did think the keys on it were quite cheesy, and a bit "too much". a more stripped down version of the song would be better probably, but I won't make any judgements until I hear the record.

Spags

I fully expect him to go hard again on Lightning Bolt like he did on Backspacer - he wont be at every gig though so I'm sure a lot of the over produced songs (presuming that is what happens of course) will have a much healthier second life when played live.

Spiritual_Chaos

All I know is that my Bruce Springsteen crazy friend says that BoB destroyed two of his album with his producing.

By I think the problem isn't all BoB. At least when it comes to Backspacer. My problems with that album is the lack of mystery, atmosphere and thoughthrough (is that a word?) lyrics.

But I think the sound, aura, atmosphere of Riot Act and Binaural are great and that were not thanks to BoB... so the idea of Pearl Jam putting themselves in the hands of a producer with his/her own ideantity excites me.

The same with Neil Young who also puts out boring album after boring album since pretty much Broken Arrow. The rumour of him working with Rick Rubin (whatever you think of him or his compressing-fetisch) excited me. And than BAM Neil young did that Le Noise album which was had a "cool" sound.

BUT

I like MYM alot.
I think that Lightning Bolt sounds promising. But all these "building-and-building-and-then-chorus" songs such as Unthought Known and Amongst the waves... I don't know... If there are not as strong in the lyrics department and the chorus as Given To Fly, In Hiding or Garden... maybe they should be worked on more...

Spags

Spiritual_Chaos wrote:

all these "building-and-building-and-then-chorus" songs

My wife is such a sucker for these types of songs - she couldn't give a toss about the lyrics. It drives me crazy.

Daron Oshay

I think he was more of a special guest than anything

JimmyV

Rightly or wrongly I have always blamed BOB for Speed of Sound. The demo version of the song is beautiful. The finished album version not so much.

sward

My feeling is that the next person who listens to a modern Pearl Jam album wishing for a return to Ten or VS needs to punch in their ten club card and call it a career. That was 20 some years ago. Personally, I have zero expectations when new albums are created. Zero. It sounds like it sounds. I like it or I don't. When I create a playlist, I include the songs I like, I leave out the songs I don't. Pretty simple.

More to the point of the topic here. Brendan O'Brien is not writing the songs. He's working with the songs that are being given to him. Being a special guest on a song or two is NOT reflective of him having a world of say on the direction the band goes. Its the band people..the band!

Anyway..neither here nor there, I loved Backspacer, so my need to gripe is low. I also love MYM and Lighting Bolt. Future Days will have to grow on me, but I know MANY people who love Just Breath. So I'm hopeful this is going to be an other album that offers me a selection of songs for my PJ playlist ;-)

DH62179

I couldve sworn i saw Boom on one of the videos or was that the London show? I always just assumed that BOB didnt feel Boom was good enough to play on studio stuff but I have nothing to base that on other than just an assumption. Ever listened to just the one channel of Inside Job? One night my headphones stopped working on either the right or left and all I heard was Boom's piano parts at the beginning and they were pretty sloppy, sounded great with the rest of the music though.

jack cameron

Am I the only one that likes 'Speed Of Sound'??

BOB also played as a guest on Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns in Las Vegas 2000 (I could be wrong with the venue)??

I believe he has also played as a guest on 'Let My Love Open The Door' in 1995/6 (??)...

... so BOB has been around playing with them back then... didn't hear you complaining then!

Gern Blansten

I actually posted about this in Fanviews after the show.

I thought it was "odd" to kick Boom off and let BO'B take over. I know Boom isn't like a truly official member but to me it would be like letting someone else play drums for a song.

I kind of forgot about the Styx-esque keyboard strain in Speed of Sound but it reminds me a lot of Future Days. I described the intro to FD at Wrigley as being reminiscent of a Lionel Ritchie tune. We were all kind of looking at each other in our section like it was a joke almost. The song itself was fine....just the key intro and outro were really out of place.

BO'B definitely had that input into those two songs....I can see him saying "This is great but I think we need a little keyboard here"

Spiritual_Chaos

Gern Blansten wrote:

I thought it was "odd" to kick Boom off and let BO'B take over. I know Boom isn't like a truly official member but to me it would be like letting someone else play drums for a song.

He was a guest. Like Mike handing over his guitar to someone coming in for a song.

I don't think that is so wrong or weird...

primussucks

I remember Ed saying something during the production of back spacer that during those 90's albums they really didn't listen to BOB's ideas. But because Bruce was listening to his ideas on his records they were going to start listening. Not sure if that was an Ed joke or if he was serious.

justam

Spiritual_Chaos wrote:

Gern Blansten wrote:

I thought it was "odd" to kick Boom off and let BO'B take over. I know Boom isn't like a truly official member but to me it would be like letting someone else play drums for a song.

He was a guest. Like Mike handing over his guitar to someone coming in for a song.

I don't think that is so wrong or weird...

I think Boom's style of playing doesn't work as well on songs that require a more precise type if piano sound.

I think it was a beautiful song and all this complaining is rather strange. If you don't like the style of the song, that's fine because not everyone likes the same musical food but I think it's rude to make the gift of a new song a negative
experience for the musicians who gave it to you.

CranMalReign

Gern Blansten wrote:

BO'B definitely had that input into those two songs....I can see him saying "This is great but I think we need a little keyboard here"

Guess what. I got a fever... and the only prescription... is more keyboard!

RedMosquito02

majleap3 wrote:

You do realize that BOB has produced or mixed every album except Pearl Jam since Vitology right? You also realize that it was BOB who pushed Eddie to consider Better Man on an album right? My point is his influence has been on this band long before Backspacer and I would suggest you look to Ed's personal happiness with his kids and significant other as the source of PJ's softer side and not BOB's influence because his influence was there on Last Exit and Corduroy and DTE and Habit and many many others before Just Breathe came along.

Kind of true...Tchad Blake produced Binaural while BOB provided the mix...