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