"...Critics Enable Bad Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen Records"

Spiritual_Chaos

Interview with David Berman. From Spin:

He also spoke about the inevitable decline of songwriters’ abilities as they grow older, name-checking Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, and Bruce Springsteen:

If critics were harder on the musicians that they love, there would be better songs. But as they grow older and they lose their talent, critics refuse to let them know that and protect them, and they get to the point where they put out music that just isn’t up to the levels where they’ve already been. It must be very strange to live in the world of Willie Nelson or Bruce Springsteen or Pearl Jam. I don’t know what kind of handle they have on their own loss of talent. Obviously Willie Nelson understands that it’s been forty-five years since anyone’s really cared about any song of his, but I feel like I don’t see very much vocational unhappiness. I heard Springsteen was an unhappy person. I don’t know, I haven’t read his biography. But a lot of people in my field should be a lot more unhappy than they are. They go to press with bullshit.

https://www.spin.com/2019/07/david-berman-bruce-springsteen-pearl-jam-interview/?fbclid=IwAR2bVIc71sATHMZBpp6CS8e4jTHM1fj65OuRTwor6YVM6tGUN679W1mz3Bc

Tim Simmons

I think theres lots of mitigating factors as to why songwriting quality declines, I think it has very little to do with critics though. I will concede Rolling Stones glowing reviews and profiles helps no one though.

Tim Simmons

That being said, it is funny that he says this after Bruce put out one of his best reviewed albums in a couple of decades.

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/150519-bruce-springsteen-western-stars.php

on2legs

Music is very subjective.  One man’s masterpiece is another’s pile of garbage.  

Gern Blansten

David Berman....never heard of him

Tim Simmons

Silver Jews?

bootlegger10

Familiarity breeds contempt.  Unless pj changes it’s sound, anything new they put out I have heard before.  

tdawe

Reviewing albums by legacy acts like Springsteen or PJ by the same standards as you would review albums by younger, more current artists would be a category error.

MisterEtake2

This David Berman guy needs to do his homework.  As we all know, Pearl Jam no longer puts out any music.

JimmyV

Gern Blansten said:

David Berman....never heard of him

Same.

Tim Simmons

guys, go stream Silver Jews - American Water

Tim Simmons

or here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68qOuQ7kzu8

Spiritual_Chaos

Does it matter if you have heard of him or not?

cp3iverson

I mean the guy outright admits to being a Titans fan. You actually got through the rest of the article after that?

on2legs

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Does it matter if you have heard of him or not?

It matters to me.  I only read this thread because I’ve heard of you. 

pearljammr78

Agreed the fact that Rollingstone magazine would give five stars to any bullshit that the Stones or Dylan put out is nonsense but most critics can’t play a note and just all remind me of Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. Worst review ever. 

nicknyr15

MisterEtake2 said:

This David Berman guy needs to do his homework.  As we all know, Pearl Jam no longer puts out any music.

Haaaaaa 

igotid88

If he had said Radiohead instead of Pearl Jam it would make more sense.

JimmyV

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Does it matter if you have heard of him or not?

It matters to me only because I've seen this article posted a few times now and it seems like his is a name many people recognize. I just never heard of him before this afternoon.

Zod

I agree with the part that the quality of music wanes with veteran artists (some exceptions occur, but mostly there's a drop off in quality after the initial surge of creativity).  I'm not sure I correlate that with album reviews.    I think it's a multitude of factors.   No longer being broker, getting older/mellowing out, family, etc....

I always thought the best thing about rock music that it's two things.  Music and Performance.    If you struggle with one you've still got the other.  You can still do amazing live performances even if you struggle to make new content.   I suppose that's the most important thing when you're going.  Making lots of albums at your creative peak.   You need things to play.     I've noticed with younger artists, because there's no money in albums, the releases can be really spaced out.  I've wondering how that can impact longevity you don't release many albums at your peak.

pjhawks

I actually think this is bullshit. Because these groups have so many hits new songs tend to get lost in the pile. So sirens mind your manners and even  possibly infallible get lost somewhat in pjs catalog. If those same songs and album were released by a brand new group they would be praised for their quality music and lyrics. The seventy fifth best pj song Is still miles ahead of anything the original commenter has ever produced. It’s just not hip to like sirens because pj once put out ten vs and yield

Jammalambo

pjhawks said:

I actually think this is bullshit. Because these groups have so many hits new songs tend to get lost in the pile. So sirens mind your manners and even  possibly infallible get lost somewhat in pjs catalog. If those same songs and album were released by a brand new group they would be praised for their quality music and lyrics. The seventy fifth best pj song Is still miles ahead of anything the original commenter has ever produced. It’s just not hip to like sirens because pj once put out ten vs and yield

This is one of the silliest comment I've ever read on here. Seriously.

JPPJ84

Jammalambo said:

pjhawks said:

I actually think this is bullshit. Because these groups have so many hits new songs tend to get lost in the pile. So sirens mind your manners and even  possibly infallible get lost somewhat in pjs catalog. If those same songs and album were released by a brand new group they would be praised for their quality music and lyrics. The seventy fifth best pj song Is still miles ahead of anything the original commenter has ever produced. It’s just not hip to like sirens because pj once put out ten vs and yield

This is one of the silliest comment I've ever read on here. Seriously.

Really? I tend to agree. Of course if a band puts out more than one album you compare it to the first. Even more so when we’re talking about a band that’s been around for 30 years and produced ten albums. The style will change, people will have differing opinions. I know people who love the last albums and like the newer stuff better than the old stuff. It’s subjective. You (general you) might not like everything because the first albums set an insanely high standard in your opinion. But that doesn’t make the new stuff bad automatically. It may not sound fresh or new or whatever but would you really expect anyone to invent music new every time?

PB11041

So, David Berman is upset that some artists are older and successful and claim to be unhappy?  This is a poor take.

josevolution

I can just go by my own tastes in music , I haven’t listened to a PJ album in yrs !

pjhawks

Jammalambo said:

pjhawks said:

I actually think this is bullshit. Because these groups have so many hits new songs tend to get lost in the pile. So sirens mind your manners and even  possibly infallible get lost somewhat in pjs catalog. If those same songs and album were released by a brand new group they would be praised for their quality music and lyrics. The seventy fifth best pj song Is still miles ahead of anything the original commenter has ever produced. It’s just not hip to like sirens because pj once put out ten vs and yield

This is one of the silliest comment I've ever read on here. Seriously.

care to elaborate? 

JimmyV

Sirens would be a classic today if it had been released in 1992, and people would shit all over Black if it were released today. 

Gern Blansten

JimmyV said:

Sirens would be a classic today if it had been released in 1992, and people would shit all over Black if it were released today. 

False

PB11041

Gern Blansten said:

JimmyV said:

Sirens would be a classic today if it had been released in 1992, and people would shit all over Black if it were released today. 

False

He is actually very right. 

Spiritual_Chaos

"Yellow Ledbetter, what is this sloppy shit. Put on one of their classics like Can't Deny Me man. Young Eddies voice is fucking crazy on that song, man"

Gern Blansten

PB11041 said:

Gern Blansten said:

JimmyV said:

Sirens would be a classic today if it had been released in 1992, and people would shit all over Black if it were released today. 

False

He is actually very right. 

Horse shit...no way PJ could have/would have written that song back then