Old Pearl Jam / New Pearl Jam

Adamcado

Alot of people talk about the way Pearl Jam have changed over the years, and I guess each new album is a new era, but doesn't anyone see a definite then and now?

For me, and this is just personal taste, Riot Act was their last great record, the last one I felt I could connect with and feel that, yeah, this is Pearl Jam.

I just can't seem to pinpoint why I have haven't connected to Avocado, or more importantly Backspacer, like I did with Riot Act and all that came before it.

I realise I'm rambling now, but just wondered what people thought about if, how and when Pearl Jam changed... :?:

just dave

I haven't had a huge connection to their albums since Binaural which is in my top three along with vitalogy and no code.

They have changed alot over the last decade for sure.

I like avocado and think it was strong record.

I do not like Backspacer as an album, but some of the songs on it are great: amongst the waves, got some, unthought known, speed of sound.

i don't know what it is, but the new songs haven't hit me. Although I remember when Vitalogy and No Code came out, I thought man what are they doing they are ruining it. But that was what they wanted to do, and I thought those two albums are my most fav by the band.

Backspacer hasn't won me over.

I hope this new album wins me over, but the new songs haven't done it yet.

CTD10

I love Avocado, in my top 3 of PJ albums. From start to finish I think that album is awesome.

Liked Backspacer , but never really connected with it like I did Avocado.

I like the way this band has evolved over the years and cant wait for Lightning Bolt. Love what I have heard so far, not totally feeling Future days as much yet, but I'm sure it will grow on me.

Zod

I've always thought PJ era's sort of go in pairs (with the exclusion of ten).

Ten

Vs/Vitalogy

No Code/Yield

Binaural/Riot Act

Avacado/Backspacer


I really really like Avacodo and it still gets better with every play. I really liked Riot Act when it came out but I found myself listening to it less and less. My favorite eras are Vs/Vitalogy and No Code/Yield.

I'm not sure why I feel PJ era's come in pairs, but its how I seem to view it. Similar vibes/tones on the albums I guess. The last two eras aren't as strikingly different. I do feel that PJ has sort of nested themselves in a format and the amount they stray from it is much much less.

We don't get shockingly different eras anymore (like Ten to Vs, or Vitalogy to No Code).

AgRyan04

Zod that is how they are sorted in my head as well

Stephen Flow

Zod wrote:

I've always thought PJ era's sort of go in pairs (with the exclusion of ten).

Ten

Vs/Vitalogy

No Code/Yield

Binaural/Riot Act

Avacado/Backspacer


I really really like Avacodo and it still gets better with every play. I really liked Riot Act when it came out but I found myself listening to it less and less. My favorite eras are Vs/Vitalogy and No Code/Yield.

I'm not sure why I feel PJ era's come in pairs, but its how I seem to view it. Similar vibes/tones on the albums I guess. The last two eras aren't as strikingly different. I do feel that PJ has sort of nested themselves in a format and the amount they stray from it is much much less.

We don't get shockingly different eras anymore (like Ten to Vs, or Vitalogy to No Code).

I kind of do this too but pair them differently :P

Ten/Vs
Vitalogy/No Code/Yield
Binaural/Riot Act
Avocado/Backspacer

scottstappsucks

I wasn't big on Avocado, but I enjoyed Backspacer. I don't consider it one of my favorite Pearl Jam albums but there's some really strong stuff on there like Unthought Known, Amongst the Waves, The Fixer, Just Breathe, and The End. There's a really strong sense of melody on that album that I thought was missing from Avocado.

I think one could say that Pearl Jam kind of shifted from their original run to the veteran act they are now maybe after Riot Act, since up to that point every 2 years or less there was a new album. Since then Pearl Jam albums/tours are few and far between.

slingbladewyatt

I love them all but whenever I revisit the albums I feel Riot Act went in a different direction as did Backspacer. I enjoy the evolution.

tempo_n_groove

I feel that the first 3 albums can go as one. They were all written around the same time, just check the OG box set.

Code and Yield are deff pair-able.

After that there is very little that I can identify with. None of the albums can be played from front to back.

The fixer, Life wasted and just breathe are the only songs I have had an inkling to.

Unthought unknown, leatherman, present tense, amongst the waves, come back, hold on, all night, setting forth, speed of sound, man of the hour... Songs that everyone likes I just don't get... To each their own.

Flame on I guess...

mrpink90

90s pearl jam was incredible, but theres no way they could have sustained that level of quality. ten/vs/vitalogy/no code/yield are all monsters, unbelievable 5 album run to start their career. and even the bsides and fan club singles and outtakes from that era are incredible. ledbetter, breath, solat, angel, hard to imagine, footsteps, alone, etc. binaural could have continued that run but they made some awful decisions. breakerfall, gods dice, evacuation, ughhhh, awful. meanwhile they leave off great stuff like sad, education, fatal, in the moonlight.

having said that, i do love avocado.but 90s pj set the bar so high that its impossible for them to reach that again. but thats ok, not many bands in history are able to reach that high in the first place.

inmyohiotree

I think the difference is Eddie. Do you prefer angry Eddie or not so angry rock star Eddie. I'm not saying not so angry Eddie is bad but I miss the hatred in his voice. I remember in the 90's when he would sing Not for You it felt like he was basically saying "Go Fuck Yourself". Not so much anymore. But he is still the fucking man.

fox_mulderX

I think the last album that would be considered part of 'old Pearl Jam' would be Riot Act. They've been a different band since then; less experimental, more straight forward. I prefer the experimental Pearl Jam. Each album had a distinct sound and the band was trying new things with each release. Now, they seem to be doing things by the book. That's not a bad thing, but I prefer a band who wants to take chances. Radiohead is going in that same direction.

JB56195

I hate to say it because he appears to be such a great guy but the addition of Boom marks my transition (RA). Getting an organist for 1 album and may be a tour is fine. Keeping him and retrofitting some of the old material is on a whole different level. At that point everything seems a bit formulaic and hasn't stuck with me. There are gems off each album from then on but the body of work doesn't strike a chord in me personally.

Eddie has certainly changed as I expect him to as life goes on. I pick up on certain trends on the new albums.

1.Eddie the story teller- The first few albums he could take you places and into people. Why go, Once, Tremor Christ, Off He Goes, Sleight of Hand all created characters you felt some connection to. Take Johnny Guitar- I am actually intrigued by the women in the red dress but the song just dies.

2. Eddie- Mr. Passionate/Political- You get songs like Not for You. Corduroy, Do the Evolution, etc. Some would call him angry Eddie but I don't think he has to be mad, just passionate. I want him to push modern issues in their music and get behind it. We see that on newer material in the forms of Army Reserve, Unemployable, and Bushleaguer but they seem like we are getting hit over the head with it in terms of direct messages. I'll take my Jeremy, WMA, Habit, etc as a social commentary wrapped in a more artistic prose.

3. Eddied the solo artist- How do you like your PJ? Early this probably got us Betterman, Nothingman, and Daughter. Now a days you get The End, Come back, Just Breathe, and Future Days. Personally I think the old stuff is enhanced by the band. The new stuff could just be Ed sitting with an acoustic guitar. That doesn't mean I don't like the songs. They're great....on a solo album, and not with my side of Stone, Jeff, Mike, and Matt.

Adamcado

fox_mulderX wrote:

I think the last album that would be considered part of 'old Pearl Jam' would be Riot Act. They've been a different band since then; less experimental, more straight forward. I prefer the experimental Pearl Jam. Each album had a distinct sound and the band was trying new things with each release. Now, they seem to be doing things by the book.

I have to say I completely agree. In my head, Riot Act is the cut off point for the Pearl Jam I grew up with.

I do miss the experimentation, the overtly political songs and the aggression. I'm really hoping they've taken a few chances on the new album, I hope it isn't Backspacer part II

I just feel Avocado and Backspacer don't have distinct sounds, they're just a collection of songs. Even the artwork has gone downhill.

That all said, I'll always love PJ, they're my favourite band, I just secretly wish they could pull something like No Code or Binaural out of the bag, something that isn't a bunch of straight forward Eddie punk songs.

alexross42

For me there are two key things that have changed since Riot Act:

1. Production - I miss the warmth, the organic feel, the lack of polish that was on albums such as Yield, Binaural and Riot Act. Avocado was a victim of the volume wars approach to mastering and Backspacer was just slightly too slick.

2. Instrument arrangement - I miss the melodic interplay that having 3 guitars in the band used to bring and as Stone put it best "I like rhythmic things that butt up against each other in a cool kind of way".

But of course it's all a matter of personal taste...

Adamcado

alexross42 wrote:

For me there are two key things that have changed since Riot Act:

1. Production - I miss the warmth, the organic feel, the lack of polish that was on albums such as Yield, Binaural and Riot Act. Avocado was a victim of the volume wars approach to mastering and Backspacer was just slightly too slick.

2. Instrument arrangement - I miss the melodic interplay that having 3 guitars in the band used to bring and as Stone put it best "I like rhythmic things that butt up against each other in a cool kind of way".

But of course it's all a matter of personal taste...

Completely agree, especially about the guitar parts, as a musician I have to say Backspacer is very boring compared to Yield/Binaural/Riot Act... I miss interesting riffs like In Hiding, No Way and Given To Fly...

And production is a huge problem, especially on Backspacer