Worst Pearl Jam song ever....

PJ_Soul

HughFreakingDillon said:

walkunafraid said:

I'm almost surprised anyone has mentioned any song besides Sleeping By Myself. 

It's the only PJ song that makes me cringe.

There was a period of time that I avoided spinning LB because I didn't like having to either listen to SBM or jump the needle over it.

What's worse, the band continues to play it live fairly often, despite it being a momentum killer every single time.

Ed's solo version was fine, but I'll never understand the band's (or, umm, Ed's) opinion to re-record it for LB. That was the first time I ever questioned PJ's effort/interest level or the viability of their continued creativity. 

At least Foxymophandlemama had some sort of abstract artiness to it, served a purpose, and didn't take itself too seriously. SBM, on the other hand, is just plain lazy.

i wouldn't be at all surprised if the band was convinced to record it by BoB. 

Neither would I. They really need to move on from that guy badly.

PJNB

mcgruff10 said:

Question for everyone that thinks sleeping by myself should have stayed an Ed song: do you think can’t keep should have stayed a pj song or do you like it as an Ed song?

PJ Can't Keep > EV Can't Keep 
EV Sleeping By Myself > PJ Sleeping By Myself

PJ doing Sleeping By Myself takes the spot of another song I would rather hear especially where it is always played in the first encore. If I am going to a EV solo show I would prefer not to hear either of those songs to be honest but I am a lot more ok with hearing Can't Keep solo than SBM with PJ. 

ledvedderman

It was BOB who talked the band into it. I was hoping it would be Without You when it came out that a Uke Songs cut was going to make it on Lightning Bolt. Natalie Maines did a fantastic full band version of Without You and was hoping the band would improve on that. 

As for Can’t Keep...I honestly don’t like either version. Not even live. It sounds better on the remaster, but I’ve never ever connected to this song. I don’t know why either? Lyrically, it’s fine. There’s some good stuff there. Musically it’s fine with the band- Matt has a great groove going and there’s some great spacey guitar work taking place. It just doesn’t feel like it goes anywhere. When a song says “you can’t keep me here” the song should elevate some...but there’s no movement. It’s flat. Solo version is a tad better but probably just because we heard that first and was my introduction to the song. 

PJNB

Parting Ways has been played 7 times in the last 13 years. That is less than 3% of the shows. SBM is played at 20% of the shows in the last 5 years. That is why I hate SBM  

mcgruff10

PJNB said:

Parting Ways has been played 7 times in the last 13 years. That is less than 3% of the shows. SBM is played at 20% of the shows in the last 5 years. That is why I hate SBM  

Parting ways is amazing live and need to be played every other show. 

rummy

mcgruff10 said:

PJNB said:

Parting Ways has been played 7 times in the last 13 years. That is less than 3% of the shows. SBM is played at 20% of the shows in the last 5 years. That is why I hate SBM  

Parting ways is amazing live and need to be played every other show. 

Closing song for the next tour!

HesCalledDyer

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

Question for everyone that thinks sleeping by myself should have stayed an Ed song: do you think can’t keep should have stayed a pj song or do you like it as an Ed song?

I love it as both. 

Same, for both songs.

HughFreakingDillon

can't keep i probably resonate with more on the ev version, simply because i listen to uke songs way more than i listen to riot act. i really should change that. sorry mcgruff, RA is a fantastic record. 

KN219077

Parting ways really should close shows every once in a while

Gern Blansten

HughFreakingDillon said:

can't keep i probably resonate with more on the ev version, simply because i listen to uke songs way more than i listen to riot act. i really should change that. sorry mcgruff, RA is a fantastic record. 

It really is...I rediscovered it a few years ago.  Cropduster and Half Full blow me away

PJ_Soul

Gern Blansten said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

can't keep i probably resonate with more on the ev version, simply because i listen to uke songs way more than i listen to riot act. i really should change that. sorry mcgruff, RA is a fantastic record. 

It really is...I rediscovered it a few years ago.  Cropduster and Half Full blow me away

It's an amazing album. I love it so much.

pursuedbybear

mcgruff10 said:

Question for everyone that thinks sleeping by myself should have stayed an Ed song: do you think can’t keep should have stayed a pj song or do you like it as an Ed song?

I like PJ's Can't Keep better, but I also like it on the uke because I think the rhythm translated in a clever way. So, I like it as an Ed song too.
Ed's SBM is vulnerable and understated and pretty. PJ's SBM feels slick and loses all that vulnerability. Plus it goes on too long. Easily my vote for worst PJ song.

lolobugg

mcgruff10 said:

PJNB said:

Parting Ways has been played 7 times in the last 13 years. That is less than 3% of the shows. SBM is played at 20% of the shows in the last 5 years. That is why I hate SBM  

Parting ways is amazing live and need to be played every other show. 

Yes!!!

HughFreakingDillon

KN219077 said:

Parting ways really should close shows every once in a while

then everyone here would think the band is breaking up after every show. 

Gern Blansten

So anyway....worst songs have to be The End and Future Days....just jump off the roof bad

HesCalledDyer

HughFreakingDillon said:

KN219077 said:

Parting ways really should close shows every once in a while

then everyone here would think the band is breaking up after every show. 

Oh man, imagine the pandemonium if they ONLY played it as the closer to the last show of the tour.

PJ_Soul

Gern Blansten said:

So anyway....worst songs have to be The End and Future Days....just jump off the roof bad

Yeah, those are bad.

ledvedderman

I don’t get the hate for The End. I really don’t. I think it’s a beautiful tune. Heartbreaking lyrically, actually. Maybe it’s a better Ed solo song, but it’s still a good song. 

rummy

ledvedderman said:

I don’t get the hate for The End. I really don’t. I think it’s a beautiful tune. Heartbreaking lyrically, actually. Maybe it’s a better Ed solo song, but it’s still a good song. 

I agree with what you've posted above but it's just too darn sad to like too much.

Gern Blansten

ledvedderman said:

I don’t get the hate for The End. I really don’t. I think it’s a beautiful tune. Heartbreaking lyrically, actually. Maybe it’s a better Ed solo song, but it’s still a good song. 

Yes I would call it a perfect Ed solo song...that's really what it is.  Not sure why it appeared on the PJ album to be honest.  Seems to suggest domination by Ed because it just doesn't jive that the band didn't have another song that could have been added in its place.

HughFreakingDillon

I think The End is a great song. 

vaggar99

ledvedderman said:

I don’t get the hate for The End. I really don’t. I think it’s a beautiful tune. Heartbreaking lyrically, actually. Maybe it’s a better Ed solo song, but it’s still a good song. 

yeah, I think The End is beautiful as well.  sung with real emotion.  future days is good but not as good as  The End.

Gern Blansten

Reminds me of "Yesterday" by the Beatles....except it wasn't the Beatles....it was just Paul

lastexitlondon

Spiritual_Chaos said:8

mcgruff10 said:

Cant deny me is definitely up amongst the worst.  

PJ_Soul said:

mcgruff10 said:

Cant deny me is definitely up amongst the worst.  

I also can't stand it as a complete song. Now I did hear it on an MLB ad when I was in the USA last month, and thought it wasn't so bad as a song used in a commercial... but that is hardly a compliment, lol.

It's cool live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nh5CXxhwZQ

I love it live. 

Gern Blansten

lastexitlondon said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:8

mcgruff10 said:

Cant deny me is definitely up amongst the worst.  

PJ_Soul said:

mcgruff10 said:

Cant deny me is definitely up amongst the worst.  

I also can't stand it as a complete song. Now I did hear it on an MLB ad when I was in the USA last month, and thought it wasn't so bad as a song used in a commercial... but that is hardly a compliment, lol.

It's cool live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nh5CXxhwZQ

I love it live. 

I've never understood why Matt just doesn't handle the cowbell

lolobugg

Gern Blansten said:

lastexitlondon said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:8

mcgruff10 said:

Cant deny me is definitely up amongst the worst.  

PJ_Soul said:

mcgruff10 said:

Cant deny me is definitely up amongst the worst.  

I also can't stand it as a complete song. Now I did hear it on an MLB ad when I was in the USA last month, and thought it wasn't so bad as a song used in a commercial... but that is hardly a compliment, lol.

It's cool live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nh5CXxhwZQ

I love it live. 

I've never understood why Matt just doesn't handle the cowbell

I sounded the best in Boston when they had the roadie on cowbell. Ed got to concentrate on singing.

lastexitlondon

I just love angry ed on the cowbell. Get s him all fired up. And us

Jammalambo

mcgruff10 said:

Question for everyone that thinks sleeping by myself should have stayed an Ed song: do you think can’t keep should have stayed a pj song or do you like it as an Ed song?

Sleeping by Myself is not bad (full band version) but should have been put in a holiday single or in a Lost Dogs part 2 compilation.

Both songs, Can't Keep and SBM, were originally born on the ukulele, and we heard those versions first in both cases (can't keep was played live solo by Ed before the release of Riot Act).

The difference is that when the full band version of Can't Keep was released, it was the first time that song got a release while the full band version of SBM on LB (after it was already released on Ukulele Songs) feels really redundant.

Also, Can't Keep full band is amazing and kind of different (slower and much more atmospheric compared to the original uke version). SBM full band, on the other hand, is really just the same song with added instruments (that are cool but don't really add anything to the song), that's why it's not necessarily bad but feels very redundant on a PJ record.

PB11041

Ok, so I am hijacking this thread because of the Can't Keep and uke references.

One of my all time favorite shows is Ottawa 9.16.2005 - I was able to go to both Ottawa and Montreal on that tour, I had to kids below age 5 at home, so able is the operative word.

My brother who has been fortunate enough to tag along to some epic PJ shows (Randalls, both nights, MSG 2 98, Jones Beach 3 2000) came with me on this trip.  I told him no trying to bring pot across the border.   He complied.   

And yet somehow in Montreal, he met a new age rastafarian in the ballroom and between Sleater Kinney and PJs sets.  Montreal show was pretty great and I was revved up for Ottawa.

Knowing that the Arena was outside of the city, I figured we would head down to pick up 10C tickets and then head back to the city for some lunch and beer etc.

We get to the parking lot and it absolutely down pours, deluge, for at minimum an hour and continues to just rain all day.  So we are stuck in the car can't even tailgate with anyone.   He starts lighting up and says, you should really try this, it is really good.  And it was, body and mind numbing.

After about an hour the rain just becomes regular so I say lets go pick up the tickets. We stumble inside the arena, hang a little and just try to get our barrings.  And I am very very relaxed as you can imagine.  And I hear this somewhat faint but audible music.  And it is like twangy guitar and I am thinking this is familiar.  And we are just sitting there talking and I am like oh wow cool, someone is playing the bootleg of Ed's Wiltern Theater performance from 2002.  And we got our tickets and I am saying to myself this is really neat as You're True finishes up and I start to hear sort of a weird transition and the progression of Can't keep begins and I am like, that is wrong he played Can't Keep before You're True...

And slowly it becomes apparent to me that Ed is soundchecking with his Uke.  He finished up Can't Keep and then did an instrumental run through Broken Hearted.  Fortunately for surprise sake their was a gap before the band joined to soundcheck and we excited before they did Wash and Lip.   I was much less out there by the time the show began later that night.

But thank you Rasta Montreal bathroom guy from 2005, you had some stellar stuff.

ledvedderman

How a song like Sleeping By Myself gets put on Lightning Bolt in place of a perfect opportunity to finally do a studio cut of Last Soldier and have the same type of song in that spot will forever blow my mind. Last Soldier is so freaking good!