comment on RS.com

dimitrispearljam

William Wallace wrote:

dimitrispearljam wrote:

the thing i want to ask u..is this
you said "They sang about stuff I was thinking but couldn't express nearly as good as they did."
ill give u an exable..Inside Job....is one of the songs..that completely put out the words and thoughts i have in mind,and i feel it so much better and express myself..away more than songs of their first records..

It is great that Inside Job does this for you!
Even better for you as a Mike fan that this is a Mike song.
We all are different, so we all love different aspects of the band.
I liked the lyrics and the way Eddie expressed himself better in the first 6-7 records.
The last two didn't speak to me the same way.

But as you said, people change, and so does the band.
I still love them, but they took a direction different from the one I prefer.
Others like the new stuff.
It would be boring if we would all think and feel the same.

sure,i see your point..
i know that there is no way ,with a new song..ill get the feeling i feel when i listen Nothing As It Seems ever again.
they way the guitar sound and how the lyrics talk in my soul and mind..
well..maybe Sirens..will give me some ...tripping...

CrookedTom

Love Mind Your Manners, it gives me a lot of hope for the Lightning Bolt. Then again I loved I Am Mine, and Riot Act was a big disappointment.

As for their writing - I find since post 2000, I normally love half the album, in the case of Riot Act, probably only 4 songs.
From Ten-Binaural (+ all the b-sides / Lost Dogs) I probably love it all! So I guess that tells a story....

You could make (very possibly) the best Pearl Jam album ever, from their Recordings post Binaural

1) Can't Keep
2) Severed Hand
3) Worldwide Suicide
4) You Are
5) Just Breathe
6) Got Some
7) Unemployable
8) Life Wasted
9) I Am Mine
10) The Fixer
11) Army Reserve
12) Unthought Known
13) The End

William Wallace

dimitrispearljam wrote:

i know that there is no way ,with a new song..ill get the feeling i feel when i listen Nothing As It Seems ever again.
they way the guitar sound and how the lyrics talk in my soul and mind..
well..maybe Sirens..will give me some ...tripping...

I think they still got it in them!

Last-12-Exit

Really??

CitizenRick

I respect that cat's opinion and all ... but there has been no bigger evolution of a late 80's/early 90's band than that of Pearl Jam.

What band has gone through the drastic evolution of Ten to No Code? From No Code to Riot Act? And then from RA to Backspacer? You kidding me?

Pearl Jam has evolved remarkably and consistently over the last 22 years. Radiohead? PJ got weird way earlier than Radiohead in their career. I guess it's flattering for Pearl Jam to still be getting scrutinized more than two decades after they started. #stillrelevant

slightofjeff

William Wallace wrote:

These are good rock records, but I wouldn't fall in love with the band because of albums like ST or Backspacer (Riot Act is somewhere in the middle between the great records and the average stuff).

I think part of the problem lies in your expectations. You seem to expect every time to feel like the first time, and life doesn't work that way.

I don't think it's fair to expect any band to change your life with every single release they put out over 20-plus years. In many ways, creating a "life-changing" album is like catching lightning in a bottle. If it happens once over the course of a lifetime, a band should count itself lucky.

What band is putting out it's most seminal work 20 years after it started? I can't really think of any. Part of the reason people gravitate to the classic albums is because they are classic. They are old. And they stir in them those feelings of "first love" that can't really be duplicated.

Those early albums remind me (and most of us) of our youth, a certain period in our lives. You hear Ten, and it conjures up memories of a specific time and place. It is nostalgia. And nostalgia is a powerful force. Do Baby Boomers still flock to Paul McCartney shows because of all the, ahem, great music he has written in the last 20 years? Or to hear him play "Hey Jude?"

The best it is really fair to hope for from any new Pearl Jam are a new handful of songs that mean something to you and will be nice additions to the live set.

In my case, I'd say every Pearl Jam album has accomplished that for me. I can honestly say there have been songs on every new album that have enchriched my life. Just the other day, while sorting through some thoughts, I put on the last third of Backspacer and closed my eyes. By the time it was done, I felt better about things.

I think those kind of moments are what is fair to hope for from this band at this time.

Hoping to listen to "Force of Nature" and get the same feeling you got the first time you heard "Alive" ... that's a fool's errand, IMO. And if that's what you're doing, no wonder you're disappointed by every new Pearl Jam release.

Your 1000th kiss can't be like your first kiss. It just can't. It's a fact of life.

dimitrispearljam

slightofjeff wrote:

William Wallace wrote:

These are good rock records, but I wouldn't fall in love with the band because of albums like ST or Backspacer (Riot Act is somewhere in the middle between the great records and the average stuff).

I think part of the problem lies in your expectations. You seem to expect every time to feel like the first time, and life doesn't work that way.

I don't think it's fair to expect any band to change your life with every single release they put out over 20-plus years. In many ways, creating a "life-changing" album is like catching lightning in a bottle. If it happens once over the course of a lifetime, a band should count itself lucky.

What band is putting out it's most seminal work 20 years after it started? I can't really think of any. Part of the reason people gravitate to the classic albums is because they are classic. They are old. And they stir in them those feelings of "first love" that can't really be duplicated.

Those early albums remind me (and most of us) of our youth, a certain period in our lives. You hear Ten, and it conjures up memories of a specific time and place. It is nostalgia. And nostalgia is a powerful force. Do Baby Boomers still flock to Paul McCartney shows because of all the, ahem, great music he has written in the last 20 years? Or to hear him play "Hey Jude?"

The best it is really fair to hope for from any new Pearl Jam are a new handful of songs that mean something to you and will be nice additions to the live set.

In my case, I'd say every Pearl Jam album has accomplished that for me. I can honestly say there have been songs on every new album that have enchriched my life. Just the other day, while sorting through some thoughts, I put on the last third of Backspacer and closed my eyes. By the time it was done, I felt better about things.

I think those kind of moments are what is fair to hope for from this band at this time.

Hoping to listen to "Force of Nature" and get the same feeling you got the first time you heard "Alive" ... that's a fool's errand, IMO. And if that's what you're doing, no wonder you're disappointed by every new Pearl Jam release.

Your 1000th kiss can't be like your first kiss. It just can't. It's a fact of life.

very well said...
i dont think ill ever say again in my life 'O.M.G. " like the way i said it after listen Ten album for the first time!!

DriftingByTheStorm

slightofjeff wrote:

Your 1000th kiss can't be like your first kiss. It just can't. It's a fact of life.

True,
But I think the more appropriate metaphor would be that this RS reviewer has been married to and getting the straight screw from Pearl Jam for twenty years, and he keeps hoping for the anal, even though PJ has told him from day one repeatedly, "I don't do that."
And yet he is frustrated and doesn't understand why the band he married still refuses to do anal.

dimitrispearljam

now this thread got some Greek way in it....

bootlegger10

Now aren't these great threads? People voicing their opinions back and forth? No one getting in heated exchanges (to some extent).

I learned I need to lighten up a bit, and others hopefully learned that people want different thinks out of music.

slightofjeff

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

slightofjeff wrote:

Your 1000th kiss can't be like your first kiss. It just can't. It's a fact of life.

True,
But I think the more appropriate metaphor would be that this RS reviewer has been married to and getting the straight screw from Pearl Jam for twenty years, and he keeps hoping for the anal, even though PJ has told him from day one repeatedly, "I don't do that."
And yet he is frustrated and doesn't understand why the band he married still refuses to do anal.

Maybe he needs to try to feed Ed a third bottle of wine and see what happens.

fife

I can't say that this guy is wrong (as it is his opinion) the only thing i can say is that every time I hear an old or new song from the band i get very excited and love most of what they do. for me thats all that matters.

I look at pearl jam now as a live band and not really a studio band. i think they experiment more live than on their records.

JonnyPistachio

I didnt read the whole thread so Im sorry if its been said already, but I think Pearl Jam's experimental days are over because I doubt they jam and spend much time together anymore... And probably do fewer drugs too.

I still love them, but It is completely evident in the last two albums..

Your Camaro's hood

Lots of heated debate on this one. Here are my two cents:

At 38 years old, I have trouble mustering half the creative energy I did when I was in my early/mid 20s. Kids, mortgages, etc...lots of shit has gotten in the way so I think it's pretty impressive that any band with members at or approaching 50 years old can deliver the way this one has.

Let's consider the evolution of most rock bands. Not solo artists, but rock bands. 10 year life span at best? Shit, the last three Pearl Jam albums are better than anything the Stones have put out since 1973. The Who hit their peak with Who's Next in 1971 - their fifth album.

Let's also address our emotional feelings about this band, and how they've influenced our expectations. I'm reading a lot about PJ's anti-corporate, anti-sponsorship, fuck-the-man values that many feel they've turned their backs on or that they've sold out. We never want to admit, however, that this was a band than benefited from from being on a major label from day one - in an era where that really meant something. Now, I always believed that their social, political and economical stances were very sincere and we've always loved them for it. When critiqued honestly though, they were always kind of like the 20-year-old kid constantly rallying against "the man" and showing up at political rallies while his CEO dad paid his tuition. Don't believe me? Go ask your 50-year-old punk rock cousin what he thinks of Pearl Jam.

Point is, let's not always over-think this. Middle aged men who had an incredible influence on a generation are still putting out great records and great live shows, and that alone is pretty fucking rare. They're still holding to their rebellious values on record, while probably a bit more comfortable with who they always were from a business perspective (everyone get the new t-shirt and poster?). See you at the show!

Your Camaro's hood

slightofjeff wrote:

William Wallace wrote:

These are good rock records, but I wouldn't fall in love with the band because of albums like ST or Backspacer (Riot Act is somewhere in the middle between the great records and the average stuff).

I think part of the problem lies in your expectations. You seem to expect every time to feel like the first time, and life doesn't work that way.

I don't think it's fair to expect any band to change your life with every single release they put out over 20-plus years. In many ways, creating a "life-changing" album is like catching lightning in a bottle. If it happens once over the course of a lifetime, a band should count itself lucky.

What band is putting out it's most seminal work 20 years after it started? I can't really think of any. Part of the reason people gravitate to the classic albums is because they are classic. They are old. And they stir in them those feelings of "first love" that can't really be duplicated.

Those early albums remind me (and most of us) of our youth, a certain period in our lives. You hear Ten, and it conjures up memories of a specific time and place. It is nostalgia. And nostalgia is a powerful force. Do Baby Boomers still flock to Paul McCartney shows because of all the, ahem, great music he has written in the last 20 years? Or to hear him play "Hey Jude?"

The best it is really fair to hope for from any new Pearl Jam are a new handful of songs that mean something to you and will be nice additions to the live set.

In my case, I'd say every Pearl Jam album has accomplished that for me. I can honestly say there have been songs on every new album that have enchriched my life. Just the other day, while sorting through some thoughts, I put on the last third of Backspacer and closed my eyes. By the time it was done, I felt better about things.

I think those kind of moments are what is fair to hope for from this band at this time.

Hoping to listen to "Force of Nature" and get the same feeling you got the first time you heard "Alive" ... that's a fool's errand, IMO. And if that's what you're doing, no wonder you're disappointed by every new Pearl Jam release.

Your 1000th kiss can't be like your first kiss. It just can't. It's a fact of life.

nice...

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Did dimitri say they are "just a band"
Did dimitri say that?
The guy with 115,000 posts in this forum says they are just a band?




Just a band?
My ass!!!!!

dimitrispearljam

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

Did dimitri say they are "just a band"
Did dimitri say that?
The guy with 115,000 posts in this forum says they are just a band?




Just a band?
My ass!!!!!

they are Just the best band on the planet!!!!!!

but i would never vote for them..i vote only women!! :P

vc23

As another poster mentioned earlier it is all about expectations. I look at things as a person who is now 39 years old compared to when I started following this band when I was 17. Alot of crap has happened in my life over the past 23 years, but the one thing that has been consistent is PJ. They have been with me through all these years.
At Wrigley, I could not believe I was still following this band. How awesome is it to have something in your life that can bring such joy over such a long period of time? For those of us that have seen the past couple of years, they still bring the passion and energy to each show. I am as stoked for this record as any previous record and can not wait to see them this fall. I have a feeling we all will!

backseatLover12

CTD10 wrote:

•

The thing that's so disappointing to me about Pearl Jam today - as compared to how they were in the 90s - is that they truly seem to not experiment at ALL anymore. I used to laugh at people who said Pearl Jam didn't go through evolution, because in my mind I thought of how different albums like No Code, Binaural, and VS sound.... I wasn't just a Ten fan - I loved Binaural, Vitalogy, and No Code all more than I loved Ten.

But now I have to agree with those people I used to defend PJ against - Pearl Jam have gone through zero evolution ever since 2002... This song just sounds like they combined Worldwide Suicide with Ole with Spin the Black Circle with Comatose... etc... It sounds like Mind Your Manners is just a combination of PJ songs already written before. They've become a horribly predictable band.

As a longtime - and old - hardcore PJ fan, it's sad to me to admit they just aren't interesting anymore. They have intensity, but their creativity is zero. Stone Gossard said Lightning Bolt is an experimental album - well I sure hope it is... But based on this single - as well as the title of the album itself - it sounds to me like Pearl Jam should just stop if this is how creative they are these days.

It's not just that Pearl Jam are repeating themselves and have become predictable - it's also that their musicianship hasn't even really improved.
I've seen bands like Radiohead and Sonic Youth become better and better musicians seemingly every year.... And Pearl Jam don't become better musicians - I don't hear it in their music at all. Has their musicianship improved since they wrote "Black", or "Rearviewmirror"? But my biggest complaint is that they're stuck... They're doing something wrong, they're not interesting anymore, and it's sad to me.

It's as if Pearl Jam either don't know how to experiment anymore, or they don't want to experiment anymore.

just read this......any one else feel this way?

I agree. The passion is gone and the empire is just too lucrative to call it quits. So they keep trudging on, without the passion they once had. They didn't want to finish this new album when they started writing it, took a year or so off, then finished it. Who does that? Like Stone sings on his solo album "I need something Different". It's blatantly obvious.

I personally don't care about new music; it's the the shows that draws me and always will.

mca47

I tend to agree with the OP.
I used to get excited when PJ was about to release a new album. Some may say "you're getting older and have other priorities now" which may be true...but I'm a music lover and always will be. I was excited for Avocado coming off of my least favorite album Riot Act. I was hoping for something fresh, new, exciting. Couple good songs but for the most part...meh. Backspacer was not a good album. Again, a couple good songs...but for the time they apparently put into that album to release THAT! :fp:
Now we have "Lightning Bolt" to look forward to. :yawn: I got to hear three songs off of it at Wrigley and there is absolutely nothing new there.
PJ has gotten stale. Still put on a good show live....but even that has become a bit predictable of late.