Where does Pearl Jam go from here?

brianlux

Lately around here, I'm hearing (and kind off feeling the same myself) the end of an era is nigh.  But who knows?  Maybe some changes are in store.  I always hoped that Pearl Jam would take the road Neil Young has paved which is to keep making music that is relevant to the world around him.  But Neil is one guy and works in varying configurations.  Pearl Jam is a collective and perhaps expecting them to carry on at this point is too much.  Few bands are capable of doing that while at the same time remaining relevant.  The Rolling Stones have done fairly well that way.  The Who would have if Keith and John were still around.  Dinosaur Jr certainly has.  But maybe this band is ready to move on.  If so, it can be said they gave it a great run.

Thoughts or speculations? 

PJNB

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

brianlux

PJNB said:

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

I didn't mean for my question to be related strictly to the Christmas single.  That is done and gone. I'm talking more about the relevance of the band and the music.  If it's just rinse and repeat, does that mean the band is as relevant as doing the dishes or the laundry?  I hope not.  

I'm guessing some answers to my question will be clear when the album comes out.  Will it have songs that have meaning and relevance?  Will it be another forgettable Backspacer?  We'll see.

PJWGIII

PJNB said:

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

Agree. I think it’s just their dedication to new songwriting as a band is waning and they find more and more artistic expression out of the shows over time. They just don’t want to force themselves to write something once a year any more.

I hope this means they put a lot of awesome work into this upcoming album.

brianlux

PJWGIII said:

PJNB said:

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

Agree. I think it’s just their dedication to new songwriting as a band is waning and they find more and more artistic expression out of the shows over time. They just don’t want to force themselves to write something once a year any more.

I hope this means they put a lot of awesome work into this upcoming album.

The once a year single thing is done and over.  Let's move past that.  What about the future of the band?  I hope you are correct in that they will put "awesome work into this upcoming album".  Personally, I haven't been very excited about the last albums- not since the 2006 self-titled.  Most of the work since then has been fairly forgettable.

HesCalledDyer

You don't want this to be strictly about the annual single, but you are questioning the future of the band right in the wake of the discontinuation announcement of said single?  It strikes as one having causality of the other.

brianlux

HesCalledDyer said:

You don't want this to be strictly about the annual single, but you are questioning the future of the band right in the wake of the discontinuation announcement of said single?  It strikes as one having causality of the other.

I must have worded my post poorly.

I'm looking for an editor, Dyer.  Need a job? 

brianlux

I changed to original post.  I hope it is clearer now.

HesCalledDyer

brianlux said:

HesCalledDyer said:

You don't want this to be strictly about the annual single, but you are questioning the future of the band right in the wake of the discontinuation announcement of said single?  It strikes as one having causality of the other.

I must have worded my post poorly.

I'm looking for an editor, Dyer.  Need a job? 

Haha, how much you paying?

brianlux

HesCalledDyer said:

brianlux said:

HesCalledDyer said:

You don't want this to be strictly about the annual single, but you are questioning the future of the band right in the wake of the discontinuation announcement of said single?  It strikes as one having causality of the other.

I must have worded my post poorly.

I'm looking for an editor, Dyer.  Need a job? 

Haha, how much you paying?

One million dollars*.

*but in this form only

bootlegger10

They will never officially break up.  Just continue the slow down.  People rarely let go of low effort, big payoff opportunities.

BF25394

Rinse and repeat?  They released an album in 2009, then another in 2013.  There might be one in 2019, but maybe not.  If that's rinse and repeat, there must be an awful lot of lather that they need to rinse out between cycles.

jeffbr

BF25394 said:

Rinse and repeat?  They released an album in 2009, then another in 2013.  There might be one in 2019, but maybe not.  If that's rinse and repeat, there must be an awful lot of lather that they need to rinse out between cycles.

HesCalledDyer

brianlux said:

HesCalledDyer said:

brianlux said:

HesCalledDyer said:

You don't want this to be strictly about the annual single, but you are questioning the future of the band right in the wake of the discontinuation announcement of said single?  It strikes as one having causality of the other.

I must have worded my post poorly.

I'm looking for an editor, Dyer.  Need a job? 

Haha, how much you paying?

One million dollars*.

*but in this form only

I could buy a lot of "Jimi Things" from Dave Matthews with that!

Get_Right

To the next multi million dollar festival or ball park performance. Hopefully in the US!

PJammin'

I say they put out new material when they feel like it, when it happens naturally. Otherwise, they will play shows at selective times. They’ve earned it and that will keep them together. It’s about keeping the love of the music and band. 

PJWGIII

brianlux said:

PJWGIII said:

PJNB said:

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

Agree. I think it’s just their dedication to new songwriting as a band is waning and they find more and more artistic expression out of the shows over time. They just don’t want to force themselves to write something once a year any more.

I hope this means they put a lot of awesome work into this upcoming album.

The once a year single thing is done and over.  Let's move past that.  What about the future of the band?  I hope you are correct in that they will put "awesome work into this upcoming album".  Personally, I haven't been very excited about the last albums- not since the 2006 self-titled.  Most of the work since then has been fairly forgettable.

Hoping that there is some sort of creative spark, but unless that happens I don’t see them writing too extensively. I think in the wake of all that is happening in the world around us though, PJ is just setting up to make that kind of explosion of an album we need.

mace1229

brianlux said:

PJNB said:

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

I didn't mean for my question to be related strictly to the Christmas single.  That is done and gone. I'm talking more about the relevance of the band and the music.  If it's just rinse and repeat, does that mean the band is as relevant as doing the dishes or the laundry?  I hope not.  

I'm guessing some answers to my question will be clear when the album comes out.  Will it have songs that have meaning and relevance?  Will it be another forgettable Backspacer?  We'll see.

It’s not really done and gone yet. It’s going to be 2 years before we See or feel the impact of this cancellation. 

mcgruff10

I m predicting Pearl Jam’s version of revolver and rubber soul. 

KV4053

This place is getting very melodramatic.

trees

I predict double album and riot act type songs we neeed another trumpleauger song

RP112579

brianlux said:

PJWGIII said:

PJNB said:

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

Agree. I think it’s just their dedication to new songwriting as a band is waning and they find more and more artistic expression out of the shows over time. They just don’t want to force themselves to write something once a year any more.

I hope this means they put a lot of awesome work into this upcoming album.

The once a year single thing is done and over.  Let's move past that.  What about the future of the band?  I hope you are correct in that they will put "awesome work into this upcoming album".  Personally, I haven't been very excited about the last albums- not since the 2006 self-titled.  Most of the work since then has been fairly forgettable.

If you haven't been excited for an album since 2006, and think their work since then is "forgettable" then I don't think you actually care where Pearl Jam goes from here.

willbarclay

No need to jump on OP for asking everyone's thoughts on the future state of PJ. I think it's a fair discussion to have.
Also, I've read lots of peoples comments on here about Backspacer and Lightning bolt and the reviews aren't always that positive.

Meltdown99

They are just doing what a lot of bands are doing these days, many years between albums and short tours...music is changing.  

stratmad

Maybe music is not as vital as it used to be as commentary on the state of the world or the human condition. We have social media to thank or blame for that.  Who needs someone else to speak about how the collective feels when we can do it ourselves about ourselves via a smartphone, while riding the subway...?

That said I would have thought being a band is more than just social commentary. Some of it has to be just the joy of making some racket or new noise together and seeing what comes of it. I feel that’s still vital to some older bands that are still together, when they drop new music. Even if they don’t stray too far from the formula there’s nearly always something different on show.

Fact based observation: PJ just don’t play enough together anymore as a band. When they do play it’s the same old stuff. For a band that used to surprise and engage me with so much passion and unexpected quirks, the way they have tapered off into comfortable semi retirement has been a bitter pill to swallow. I know they fly below radar but in this day and age of social media leaks etc I don’t buy the possibility they are holed up somewhere prepping new music let alone new music that will be massively different to what they have handed in for the last 10 or 12 years.

I will still tune in keenly to anything new they do. If I get to a show I will enjoy the old stuff for what they represent:  the soundtrack to my days past. That’s all I’m able to do with what they are giving me as of today.

I wish the guys well and challenge them to prove this post wrong.

JB56195

I almost think it's time for an REM type of disbanding.  Leave after things haven't fallen apart.  After as many tours as I've seen them and going to 3 shows this summer I finally realized I have probably hit my fill of Pearl Jam.  In a time where I have become more political than ever in my life, they band is largely writing music that doesn't have an edge.  Half the material on lightening bolt belongs on a Vedder solo album or an Into the Wild B side.  The songs sounds good, but don't need Pearl Jam to play them.  I just want an album with some passion.  That doesn't mean they didn't put work and energy into it, but I want some songs that to reach out, grab me by the throat, and punch me in the face.

pjhawks

Switzerland. I think they go to switzerland

Vedd Hedd

Remember a few weeks ago when pearl jam tweeted "calm before the storm" and "taking a break"...people were antsy that they were making a tour announcement and that an album was ready to drop. 

Now they discontinue the vinyl and think the band is breaking up.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

pjhawks said:

Switzerland. I think they go to switzerland

If they do... they can sell PJ Speedos!

brianlux

KV4053 said:

This place is getting very melodramatic.

Getting? LOL 

brianlux

RP112579 said:

brianlux said:

PJWGIII said:

PJNB said:

They are going back to the studio for a new album. They will tour after that new album. Rinse and repeat. It is just a Christmas single. Yes they have done it since the start but it is not what it used to be and think that if they are not going to give into it what the fans want then it is time to move on. I do not see how this has any affect on anything else that they are doing. 

Agree. I think it’s just their dedication to new songwriting as a band is waning and they find more and more artistic expression out of the shows over time. They just don’t want to force themselves to write something once a year any more.

I hope this means they put a lot of awesome work into this upcoming album.

The once a year single thing is done and over.  Let's move past that.  What about the future of the band?  I hope you are correct in that they will put "awesome work into this upcoming album".  Personally, I haven't been very excited about the last albums- not since the 2006 self-titled.  Most of the work since then has been fairly forgettable.

If you haven't been excited for an album since 2006, and think their work since then is "forgettable" then I don't think you actually care where Pearl Jam goes from here.

Quite the opposite actually, if you think about it.