Ramones Museum Berlin with Brendan O' Brien 9/3/13

dottles

Thanks to the peeps who have been lucky to attend these listening events for the reviews and insight thus far.
It is interesting to get your initial perceptions

Benz

GetALife wrote:

Benz wrote:

Hey! So after the listening party in Berlin i completely forgot most of the stuff i heard but this morning i had the main verse melody of getaway in my head again. So i quickly hummed it and uploaded an mp3 of it. Don`t expect anything its only 10sec me humming the melody :-)
You`re only allowed to listen when you swear that you don`t laugh :evil:
http://richapps.de/files/getaway.mp3

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2922816156470

Awesome, thanks for your mp3! Are you able to watch my video?

PS: I am Chris and I remember your username and your face but not your real name. Hallo! Ich war da mit Miss Wolkenlos!

Haha pretty cool! I remember it slightly different in the last part. I quickly grabbed my guitar and this is what i have:
http://richapps.de/files/getaway_guitar.mp3

GetALife

Benz wrote:

GetALife wrote:

Benz wrote:

Hey! So after the listening party in Berlin i completely forgot most of the stuff i heard but this morning i had the main verse melody of getaway in my head again. So i quickly hummed it and uploaded an mp3 of it. Don`t expect anything its only 10sec me humming the melody :-)
You`re only allowed to listen when you swear that you don`t laugh :evil:
http://richapps.de/files/getaway.mp3

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2922816156470

Awesome, thanks for your mp3! Are you able to watch my video?

PS: I am Chris and I remember your username and your face but not your real name. Hallo! Ich war da mit Miss Wolkenlos!

Haha pretty cool! I remember it slightly different in the last part. I quickly grabbed my guitar and this is what i have:
http://richapps.de/files/getaway_guitar.mp3

I like yours better ... may I post it in the "Official Pearl Jam Ten Club Members" (the good one) Facebook group?

Benz

Sure! Do you have more? I saw your Sirens which i think is spot on! I really can`t remember anything else

GetALife

Benz wrote:

Sure! Do you have more? I saw your Sirens which i think is spot on! I really can`t remember anything else

Don't have more. Posted your posts including links on that fb group (are you there)? Write me a pm if you want to. will be now off to the music school but later online. See ya, read ya!

dimitrispearljam

NYCFlyGal17 wrote:

Ok,,, my thoughts on Lightning Bolt.

It's a good album. But I also find it very hard to judge fully based off one listen.
I'm very much a lyrics person. I need to sit and listen to it few times with headphones on and no distractions.
I need to hear the music AND the lyrics. I want to take it all in, and grasp what they are actually singing about.
It was a busy place! Not to crowded, but enough press people there, I guess it was just an everyday thing for them.
A lot more talking going on than I wanted. (from Press People)
Made it noisy and hard to fully hear some parts of it.

I was not able to take notes. I was seriously let in at the very last minute. I wasn't on the list and didn't win the contest to be there. But it was The Ramones Museum,,, And I Believe in Miracles.
A Miracle Happened, and I got in!

So off Memory ( and from reading Franzi and Chris's reviews, which jogged my memory on some songs)
I was able to remember and write out some of my own thoughts.

Getaway... First song it seemed catchy. I remember it had a good beat and I enjoyed it. An upbeat faster tempo.
Not nearly as fast MYM, but it was good.

Mind Your Manners... We all know it. No explanation needed.

My Father's Son... I remember thinking this song was very different. Different how? Honestly,, I don't know how to describe it. I just remember it was very different.

Sirens... I loved this one! It's long and a slow song. I remember the lyrics "Hear the Sirens.. Hear the Sirens" I also remember a nice guitar solo. I see this a classic PJ ballad that fans are going to like.

Lightning Bolt... Again we have all heard this

Infallible... Honestly I can't remember a lot of this one. I think I remember liking this... But Honestly, I can't really give you any good thoughts or description on this one.

Pendulum.... I remember really liking this song also. Kind of a dark slow song.
Found it interesting that Brendan O'Brien said it was suppose to be on Backspacer but it was cut.

Swallowed Whole... Don't remember a lot of this one either. But after the show and discussing it with Franzi and Chris, Chris pointed out "Swallowed Whole" was a lyric in the Song, Unthought Known.
"Swallowed Whole in Negatives" I found this very interesting and something I hadn't really thought about.
Really want to listen close on this one again. See if I find any similarities to Unthought known. Or if it's pure coincidence.

Let The Records Play... Fun Catchy Rock Song. I think I will like it more as I listen to it. For some reason in my head I was thinking it would be something along the lines of Spin the Black Circle. But it definitely was not.
All in all I do remember enjoying the song.

Sleeping By Myself... Disappointed. I really do like the song. Great lyrics and Great song. But I wanted them to change it up. Make it a super rock song, something totally different than the Uke Version. It seemed Very Folk like.
And you do notice just a small bit of the Uke at the end of the song. Maybe I'll like it more after listening to it a bit.
But it seemed out of place on the album.
Brendan O'Brien said HE was the one who pushed to have this song on the album. HE wanted it on.

Yellow Moon... It was a slower song. Don't remember a lot of details on it though.

Future Days... Again we have all heard it by now.

All in all, I enjoyed the album. A lot more slower songs than I expected. I thought there would be a lot more Real Faster Rock type songs after hearing Mind Your Manners. (MYM is certainly the fastest song on the album)
But I did enjoy it.
I can't wait to listen to it all again, and REALLY process all the songs and lyrics on a more personal level.

Just remember, everyone is different!
You may think the total opposite of me when you hear it for yourself!
Keep an open mind and listen for yourself!
Then Decide.

It was awesome to be able to be a part of this. And nice to get some insight directly from Brendan O'Brien himself.

I felt very fortunate to be included. Especially when I wasn't even on the list to actually go. The German fans welcomed me with open arms. I spoke no German at all, but everyone was incredibly kind to me! All curious why/how I came from NYC when I wasn't even sure I could get in.
'You have to much money to spend, so you come to see if you can get in and listen?"
We all had a good laugh over that, after I explained myself.

I met some really great people! And am certain I'll be in touch with them all again soon! Several of them I will get to see again next month for the fall tour!

Bring On Oct 15th... I need to hear it all again!

lovely!!!thank u Becki!!

jumbojet

NYCFlyGal17 wrote:

I felt very fortunate to be included. Especially when I wasn't even on the list to actually go. The German fans welcomed me with open arms. I spoke no German at all, but everyone was incredibly kind to me! All curious why/how I came from NYC when I wasn't even sure I could get in.
'You have to much money to spend, so you come to see if you can get in and listen?"
We all had a good laugh over that, after I explained myself.

Bring On Oct 15th... I need to hear it all again!

Hehehe. Why did they get surprised? Didnt you tell them you are the Flygal?

Leezestarr313

They should always let people in the pre-listenings who can play instruments Awesome, Benz and getalife :thumbup: You got me pumped for the album. Thanks again for the reviews and the recaps :thumbup:

High Fidelity 2000

So far from the reviews, it sounds like the last 3 songs might be a similar last-3-songs-ending kind of feel as Avocado. 3 mellow/slow ones to end the album. I am looking forward to Let the Records Play--reviewers, would you feel like it has a Supersonic feel to it? Or maybe something like Don't Gimme No Lip?

demetrios

NYCFlyGal17 wrote:

Sleeping By Myself... Disappointed. I really do like the song. Great lyrics and Great song. But I wanted them to change it up. Make it a super rock song, something totally different than the Uke Version. It seemed Very Folk like.
And you do notice just a small bit of the Uke at the end of the song. Maybe I'll like it more after listening to it a bit.
But it seemed out of place on the album.

Brendan O'Brien said HE was the one who pushed to have this song on the album. HE wanted it on.

What the deuce?!? :shock: :shock: :shock:

SomethingCreative

demetrios wrote:

NYCFlyGal17 wrote:

Sleeping By Myself... Disappointed. I really do like the song. Great lyrics and Great song. But I wanted them to change it up. Make it a super rock song, something totally different than the Uke Version. It seemed Very Folk like.
And you do notice just a small bit of the Uke at the end of the song. Maybe I'll like it more after listening to it a bit.
But it seemed out of place on the album.

Brendan O'Brien said HE was the one who pushed to have this song on the album. HE wanted it on.

What the deuce?!? :shock: :shock: :shock:

yarp... its about time to step outside the box a little bit

NYCFlyGal17

jumbojet wrote:

NYCFlyGal17 wrote:

I felt very fortunate to be included. Especially when I wasn't even on the list to actually go. The German fans welcomed me with open arms. I spoke no German at all, but everyone was incredibly kind to me! All curious why/how I came from NYC when I wasn't even sure I could get in.
'You have to much money to spend, so you come to see if you can get in and listen?"
We all had a good laugh over that, after I explained myself.

Bring On Oct 15th... I need to hear it all again!

Hehehe. Why did they get surprised? Didnt you tell them you are the Flygal?

BrokenGlass

From the little bit I've read about the song Yellow Moon and the snippets of lyrics people remember, it sounds like maybe Ed wrote a song about the dream he told us about during the Cleveland show in 06:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgJEUQvyaRg

dimitrispearljam

COPY PASTE MIRELLA'S POST


THANK YOU GIRL..YOU ROCK...HONOR TO CALL YOU MY FRIEND..

I finally wrote something as well. I hope it will still look a bit
structured after copy and paste:


What happened first, or where I come from, or how we got there (you
can skip this part; I only wrote it for those who asked)

Where to start? Well, I love Pearl Jam but I do not listen to their
albums much. I prefer to see them live, and the songs are in my head
anyway, with occasionally my own version of their lyrics . That is
why any 'production' issues do not really affect me. Of course, when
I hear Ten now, or any other album, I notice things. And when others
start talking about fade outs or overproduction, I start to hear
those. But other than that, I have loved every single album, played
it to death when it came out and then not many times in the years
after. Unlike some friends I also loved the most recent albums. Vs.
used to be my favourite album for years.

Somehow, Pearl Jam always manages to make the right album for me at
the right time. Musically, but also lyrically. When I was angry, they
made angry albums, and when I was confused or sad, they matched that.
Right now, I am pretty happy in life, and still concerned about many
things at the same time. Songs like Unthought Known are perfect for that.

Last year we (as in Europe) did not only get Pearl Jam with some of
their best concerts ever, but also Eddie Vedder on his very first
European tour. I still need to write about that one day. On top of
that, last February we finally got a Brad tour. Add Jeff Ament's RNDM
and the new Stone Gossard album, Mike McCready being active in
sharing what he does on the social media, and Matt Cameron touring
with Soundgarden, and it should be easy to understand I feel very
spoilt as a fan J.

With all this in mind, I had pretty high expectations for the new
album. Loving what the band members do apart from each other already,
the combination has a lot of potential. I wondered if any part of
their own other work would influence Pearl Jam. The build-up so far
has been great. First we got Mind Your Manners, and I had lots of fun
trying to decipher the lyrics. I am still not sure about those. Then
they played two more new songs live, and I was one of the many people
from all around the world who listened to that live through a street
cam (!) outside Wrigley Field. We got Lightning Bolt and Future Days.
And there were promo videos for the North American tour and the
album, and the artwork for each song, and people taped a sound check
of some unknown song in London, ON.

There were track lists in circulation that might or might not be
false. Curious as I am, I asked my record company contacts if they
knew anything more. They did not, but I was glad to be in touch with
them again like I used to when I still made a fanzine. The real track
list got published with the song artwork, so that became clear soon enough.

Then, later, there was going to be a listening session in Berlin, at
the Ramones museum. Ten lucky fans could be there, and my boyfriend
Dennis joined the contest and seriously planned to go there by train
if he would win. I wrote that it would be nice if we could get a
listening session in the Netherlands as well, and to my surprise I
did not only get a reply that there would be one, but also an
invitation for myself and two more. So, that is how I, Dennis, and
one of the two Joosts from the Dutch Ramblings Forum ended up on the
list for Amsterdam. The next days I found out that two more friends,
who happen to be writers and publishers, were on the list as well,
and the day before it would happen, another writing friend also got
on the list.

Berlin was the day before, and very soon after, we got the most
detailed reviews from the lucky fans who won and attended. Christian
and Franzi made a combined review, that I loved for it had a lot of
information from different points of view, and even some lyrics.
Other than that I just tried to memorize the track list so it might
be easier during the listening session. And we took little notebooks
and pens. And Dennis brought his watch so he could catch the song lengths.



Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 4th of September

In the afternoon we went to the venue and after getting special
laminates for the occasion we could wait in the tea room upstairs
until everybody was there. Around 50 people, some of them speaking
other languages. Then we went to the cinema room, leaving our cell
phones at the entrance, of course. In front of us there were two
empty stools, two boxes, and a screen. In a short introduction we
were welcomed to this special event, and told we would get some video
first, then the album, and then a Q&A with Brendan O'Brien, who
produced the new album and most of Pearl Jam's previous albums.

Video

The short film was part of a project, so we can expect more. It
showed 4 people interviewing Pearl Jam; Judd Apatow, Carrie
Brownstein, Mark Richards, and Steve Gleason. Gleason asked a
question about why it took them so long to come with a new album, and
he concluded his question with What The Fuck? That was funny. Jeff
Ament explained how it was mainly waiting until they had something to
say. He had been writing more in the last 4-5 years than ever before.
He told about when Sirens was written, in LA, and that they heard the
sirens. Eddie also explained some more, and I wrote down: 'takes your
hand, once you are on your way it is pretty easy'. He also talked
about being happy when an album was finished, looking forward to
starting something new. And about that every time you think you have
answers, new questions arise. There was a funny part with Eddie
Vedder and a man (I was told that was Danny Clinch) in an old car,
playing the record loud. And in the end credits I saw many names, but
only managed to write down the name Andy Smetanka, who also made the
animation for the MYM video. All in all I think this video took 10-15 minutes.

Lightning Bolt, the album
* Getaway

Good opener. Not with a boom but a pretty happy song. Maybe as fast
as MYM, hard to tell after just one listen. Lyric snippets I think I
heard: 'everybody naked in this town', 'all right', 'smiles' 'making
love like the lizard', 'I got my own way to relate (?)', 'I got my
own way to live', 'Hey hey it's okay', 'faith', 'mine is mine and
yours'. And I noted: singing guitars.
* Mind Your Manners

Sounds right in its place after the first song. I did not take notes
during this song since we already know it, and just enjoyed it for
the good song I think it is.
* My Father's Son

I had been looking forward to this one in advance because of the
title, but it was nothing like I could have imagined. The voice is
different from any other song, and all the instruments sound slightly
'off' to me. Hard to explain. I noticed one single guitar at some
point, and also a funky rolling bass. There was a soft part and some
nice tempo changes. Some of the lyrics sounded negative to me at
first listen, So I really need to hear it again to decide if I like
it or not, and that the 'finally free to believe' is all about.
* Sirens

Starts with 'hear the sirens' a couple of times, the second time
ending higher than the first. Later the word 'circles' is used, or
maybe 'circus'. Then there is an absolutely beautiful 'ah'.

'more and more in this here town', 'let me get my breath', 'just to
know we're safe' 'I'm a grateful man', 'take your hand', 'nothing
lasts forever' are some lyrics I heard

The singing gets higher, which I really like, and there is a nice and
quiet part in between.

'every choice/mistake I made is not my plan to see you in the arms of
another man'

And then right when I thought it was getting a bit cheesy, it turns
out to be a beautiful song. 'want you to know .. always loved
you' Higher singing and very fine guitars. There is a short part
that reminds me of TV commercials or something, but it all ends well.
Multiple voices.
* Lightning Bolt

Very clear. Sounds just like the live version but more cheerful and I
actually liked this better on the record than live, so far. Just when
I thought the song was a bit too long, there were these nice screamy
lines bellowed out. Very catchy. And the song fades out.
* Infallible

This one fades in. To me this sounded a bit eighties British, in a
good way. Not the music, but the way it is sung. There is a very
distinctive part of the music I tried to write down, but 'tudududu'
will not really help to get this across, unfortunately. I really want
to hear this again. There is a lot of drama in the lyrics, with
disasters and sinking ships, and one of the lines is 'pay no more
than a glance'. Another one: 'you think you've been here before, you
are mistaken'. Some stadium rock like music and some more bellowing,
and then the part we heard in that Toronto sound check, but much
clearer. 'for everything is possible in the thoughts and minds of
men'. The singing in the end is rather sensual, for lack of a better word.
* Pendulum

Starts with piano and bass, lyrics, and then drums. More lyrics,
including 'my shadow left me long ago', and silence. This one has a
beautiful haunting rhythm, and I think I also heard a tambourine.
'easy come and easy go, easy left me a long time ago'. With the last
'o' being stretched. Beautiful guitar part, reminded me a bit of
Snowy White. 'I'm in the fire but I'm still cold, nothing works for
me anymore' 'ah ah ah ah ah' sounding as recorded with a voice box. I
later heard this is the song you can hear parts of in the tour
announcement video.
* Swallowed Whole

Starts like it could have been on the Singles soundtrack. At first
glance this sounds a bit pretentious but it is still beautiful. Lots
of nature references. Finally a good guitar part again. 'where's the
songs inside the wind'.
* Let the Records Play

I loved this one! Pretty standard rock, pretty standard structure,
but exactly why pretty standard rock can rule. Good sing-along, bit
of rhyming, 'when the kingdom comes', and somehow a part even
reminded me of 'in the summertime', however weird that may sound.
'Down' is sung low, Mike has a great part in this one, and it also
ends with a fade out.
* Sleeping By Myself

We know the song from Eddie solo, but this is a real band version.
More flashy, TV show like, maybe even cabaret, guitar singing along,
very full. Background singing, lots of bass. Really strange if you
keep the version we know in your mind. I wonder what this sounds like
if it is the first version you hear. A part is acoustic, but then the
whole band joins again. Frank, one of the writers who sat next to me,
had a face that showed exactly what he wrote down: WTF. I am still
thinking I want to like this song. Really not something to decide
after just one listen.
* Yellow Moon

This song is very easy to immediately like. It starts out in a way I
recognized from another song, but I could not pin down which one.
'here far away one could feel the earth, moon changing shade and
shin'. Long sung words, 'roooouund we go where we .. stopping no one
knows'. Nice image painting lyrics, sudden end. The song was not
short, but it felt like it was much too short.
* Future Days

And the last one was also played live already. Starting with piano it
sounds very much like a Eddie solo song, church-like, strings and
more, mandolin (?). Lyrics about human relationships and the
elements, like most of this album and the one before. And not cheesy
at all, while I thought it was a bit too sentimental when played
live. Piano at the end as well. Good positive song to end with.



Q&A with producer Brendan O'Brien

Right after the listening session the stools were taken by Brendan
O'Brien (B) and a host, and she started out with some questions.
After that people in the audience could ask their questions.

B told us how he preferred to work with bands with a low drama
situation, because that works best if everybody can get straight to
the music. There were times when he got a pool ball thrown at him.
And now that everybody has grown up, it gets easier. After all these
years he also is trusted more. When he worked on Vs. that was one of
his first records, with only a Stone Temple Pilots record as his
experience. The singer is the most important to make it all work, in
his opinion. Eddie has gotten more extravert now and also listens
more. He tries to please everybody.

Sleeping By Myself was the toughest track for this album, because it
sounded too much like a commercial single at first.

Someone asked about Boom, and B answered that he is there for
touring. If any keys are needed in the studio, B can play those
himself. For the album there was one guest violinist for one track,
and they played all other instruments themselves.

Hey still likes the old fashioned cutting tape, and was one of the
last to still do that.

When asked about how many songs were not on the album, he said there
were not many. They started out with 10 to 15 demo's and only 2 or 3
did not make it to the album. Total studio time was 7 or less weeks,
but spread over 3 years, and they work very fast, with the band in
one studio and Eddie in another room with his own team. With
everybody having children wanting to stay closer to home, it can be
difficult. A longer time or a different studio might be good in the future.

He did not have to be asked about Off the Earth, since everybody had
already asked about that before, so he mentioned it during this
conversation. He really likes the song but it was not recorded properly yet.

When asked about his opinion of the albums so far, he said he does
not have an objective opinion. And the albums he did not produce,
simple do not exist for him. (I thought this was funny, another
friend thought it was pretty arrogant.)

He hopes Lightning Bolt, the album, will remind people how good Pearl
Jam is, and that they still like them. For B, Lightning Bolt and
Backspacer feel like one big record.

working on this one was all better than before, and more fun.

During his questions Dennis managed to mention that he should let
Eddie Vedder stop smoking, and B said he tried .

B was glad to answer more questions, but the Q&A stopped rather
suddenly, since people had some one on one interviews and time was short.

I could not think of any more questions, so that was okay. Now let us
see what will appear in the press from this, later.





What happened since, so far (also only for those who want some kind
of epilogue)

After the listening session we stayed until everybody had gone, and
then we went to grab some dinner with the group of six friends who
were there. That was a lot of fun, mostly catching up on life stories
and reliving shared Pearl Jam tour memories until our plates were
empty we all went our separate ways again, by car or train. It's an
hour by car for us from Amsterdam.

Back at home around eleven, other reviews were already there. Frank
had posted his notes, which looked great with drawings and all, and
Joost had written a review that was very detailed and well written,
if you ask me. I needed to go to bed but Dennis started writing his
review right away. He finished it around 2 am and published it. In
the meantime, people were 'jokingly' pushing me to hurry up and write
as well, but I could not. First of all I was too tired, and secondly,
I needed to pack for a weekend festival (Into the Great Wide Open, on
a Dutch island called Vlieland) and be fit to drive us there the next morning.

I brought my notes and the iPad, but did not get to sit down and
write for the next four days. Had a wonderful long festival weekend,
and I woke up with either Future Days or Lightning Bolt in my mind
every day. And I thought a lot about what to write down and how. I
mean, could anyone write a review after just one listen? Besides, my
scribbles were almost illegible. I am amazed about how far into
detail our German friends got, and how much they managed to catch and
share. Christian even succeeded at reproducing a part of Sirens on
YouTube! And I love the reports we got from my Dutch friends so far,
including my own boyfriend. Was there anything I could still add? I
did not think so, so I decided to just go ahead and write what I
would have done already. Trying to tell you what I heard and what I
thought about that. It may or may not add anything, but at least I have tried.

And for what it's worth: I like the album a lot after this one
listen. It is Pearl Jam as we know them, and still it is new. Same
quality, same diversity, and 12 songs is never enough. I hope they
will make a double album a next time J. It is hard to tell if the
band members 'other jobs' have influenced them as Pearl Jam. There is
a development but that is nothing new; they have always changed. Let
us wait and see what the songs will do live, and what the album after
this one will be like.

Last thing I read was a rumor that Sirens would be the new single and
that it would come out this week. I hope that is true.



Groetjes,

Mirella

justam

Mirella,

Thanks for your review!

Better Dan

Thanks for the great review Mirella!

Thanks for posting Dimitris!

pjsteelerfan

Better Dan wrote:

Thanks for the great review Mirella!

Thanks for posting Dimitris!

Same- These reviews have been great

fortyshades

Better Dan wrote:

Thanks for the great review Mirella!

Thanks for posting Dimitris!

These reviews are indeed great. Thanks! Were there any reviews from London?

dimitrispearljam

fortyshades wrote:

Better Dan wrote:

Thanks for the great review Mirella!

Thanks for posting Dimitris!

These reviews are indeed great. Thanks! Were there any reviews from London?

didnt see any

fortyshades

dimitrispearljam wrote:

fortyshades wrote:

Better Dan wrote:

Thanks for the great review Mirella!

Thanks for posting Dimitris!

These reviews are indeed great. Thanks! Were there any reviews from London?

didnt see any

Mmmmm, difference between continent Europe and those islanders, i bet.

And btw, darn it, Berlin is not Amsterdam

Mirella

Thank you Dimitris for sharing our pictures and reviews here . I don't visit often, but just read the whole thread.

groetjes,
Mirella

fortyshades

Mirella wrote:

Thank you Dimitris for sharing our pictures and reviews here . I don't visit often, but just read the whole thread.

groetjes,
Mirella

Mirella,

I think you did a great job. I especially liked the way you also scribbled some lyrics down. Got me excited.

Groetjes terug,
Anthonie