Gigaton is MUCH better than Backspacer and LB (which I liked but didn’t love from top to bottom). Hard to say where it will fall for me in the overall catalogue. Gonna take some time to digest before I can even begin to determine
Both those albums were fine and I was excited when they came out. There are a handful of songs on each I think are really good/close to indispensable in the catalog, and could and should still be played for years to come. This album is different in that it feels like it was written precisely for these times. Obviously, nobody could have predicted it would drop in the middle of a global pandemic with all of us basically locked in our houses and scared shitless about the future ... but the album hits home through that lens. Like whatever the intent was of the album when it was conceived, it landed as that on steroids based on the conditions of the country of the world at right this minute. I guess that's a rambling way of saying, though previous albums have some songs I hold dear to me, this one feels like almost like a historical document of our time. It's become a chronicle of this thing we're all in together.
I also I sort of enjoy how since the last album we've gone from Sirens, which is basically a treatise on how love guides us through even the worst of life's existential crises, to now it's "love notwithstanding we are each of us fucked."
everybody wants the most they can possibly get
for the least they could possibly do
My wife and I just finished our first spin. I have to admit neither of us were very impressed with the last two albums. We had pretty much fallen off the train..........but this album has has us fully back on board. A few minutes into listening my wife said "Now this is Pearl Jam!!". The band sounds truly inspired on this album, and there are so many songs that demand an immediate re-listen. I loved Quick Escape and got an immediate Zeppelin vibe from it.
I must also say that the timing of this album couldn't have been more perfect. These last couple of weeks have been super heavy and listening to this album on vinyl, sitting in the floor with my wife, drinking a cold beer was just what we needed to release some anxiety. I met my wife back in '98 as teenagers and one of the first things we connected on was our love for Pearl Jam. Twenty-two years later we are married with 2 kids and listening to this album together brought us back to those early days of careless teenage love.
Stay well everyone and I look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming tour!
I must also say that the timing of this album couldn't have been more perfect. These last couple of weeks have been super heavy and listening to this album on vinyl, sitting in the floor with my wife, drinking a cold beer was just what we needed to release some anxiety. I met my wife back in '98 as teenagers and one of the first things we connected on was our love for Pearl Jam. Twenty-two years later we are married with 2 kids and listening to this album together brought us back to those early days of careless teenage love.
Overall I like the album. three listens in. Has echoes of Into the Wild. Not sure I
hear a truly singular standout/favorite song just yet. I'm still listening to the album all the way through and am not at the point of hitting repeat on anything just yet. It is a
fairly even, consistent record. If there is an emotional anchor to
this album I'd say it is the last 2-3 songs. But even those songs
don't hit as hard as Release or Parting Ways. I think River Cross
falls a bit short of what it feels like it could/should be. They
are, however, a notch above Future Days and The End.
I often agree with Eddie's politics/stage rants, but working them into the songs can sometimes feel a bit forced. Thankfully I don't notice the Trump references so easily. I
might've missed them entirely if I hadn't read the reviews
beforehand.
Song-By-Song notes: Who Ever Said - Strong rocker to open the album. Townshend-eqsue
song. Harkens back to No Code. I like it.
Wolfmoon & Dance - I guess I don't dislike them entirely as much
as I dislike parts of them. I'm glad the band got them out of the way
early in the album, so it doesn't feel like they're the heart of
the album. The God's Dice and Evacuation of this record.
Quick Escape - OK rocker, somewhat generic/formulaic.
Alright - It's alright. The album really kind of begins here - this sets
up what is coming the rest of the way.
Seven O Clock - The Unthought Known/Amongst the Waves of Gigaton, the mid-record heart-of-the-album emotional peak, but not
quite there. Very Bruce Springsteen-sounding song. Early candidate
to be my favorite of the record.
Never Destination - OK rocker, seems to be a mad favorite here.
Take The Long Way - The most/only
forgettable song on the album.
Buckle Up - I rather like it. Seems to not be a favorite here on the
forum. Reminds me of something (not necessarily PJ) but I don't
know what - it may be one of those things that is so original that
it feels like it has been around forever.
Comes Then Goes - The other candidate for my favorite song.
Retrograde - Actually, no, this may be the best song on the album.
I'm surprised this song is only five minutes long. It feels
like it could have another verse, and some more jamming. Maybe
gets extended live.
River Cross - I like the Into the Wild feel of this one. It feels like this song also
ends abruptly. It could be very intense live. Where do
they play it? End of Set? Beginning of Encore? Or does it get
relegated to being an Indifference/Parting Ways-style rarity?
At this point there is no
point in ranking PJ albums. There is everything up to and
including Yield, then Binaural and Riot Act which are really
good but not Top-Five great, and then everything after that.
Backspacer is my favorite of the post-RA albums. (2009
was a good year for me personally, so there is that association
too.). I was prepared to not like Gigaton, based on the first two singles, but I am happy to find out that it is a pleasure to listen to all the way through and on repeat.
Nothing will touch the BIG 5, which are the first five albums. But Gigaton lands on a solid 6th place. This album is REALLY good. The punkrock vibes on Superblood Wolfmoon gets me going in the morning 🤘😎
Guess the critics have spoken around the globe and it's Universal Acclaim, as have the fans! Sad, that the very tiny minority on here don't hear what the rest of us do? Maybe you never will again cause if you don't hear that this blows away pretty much everything since Binaural and maybe that also then I don't know what to tell you but, your entitled to your opinion. As for Pitchfork PJ could've released the next Revolver, Who's Next or OK Computer and because it says Pearl Jam on the cover their going to dismiss it, they simply don't fall into Pitchforks rolodex!
Post edited by vito on
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I expected a 5 from Pitchfork so a 6.2 is almost a surprise.
It had a chance. Its an indie album, lead singer has a beard....did they forget that Stone once ran a hip hop label? That’s 2 points right there.
Don't see anything crazy or unjust about their review?
I never said it was crazy. PJ is probably the only mainstream band i listen to these days. Between myself, my wife, and having college aged kids who are into the same hiphop/pop/indie world, I know 90% of what Pitchfork reviews. Current Pearl Jam music will never get a 7 or an 8 from their staff. It’s just not Pitchfork’s thing. 6.2 is a compliment from them but i rank it more of a 7.5.
I expected a 5 from Pitchfork so a 6.2 is almost a surprise.
It had a chance. Its an indie album, lead singer has a beard....did they forget that Stone once ran a hip hop label? That’s 2 points right there.
Don't see anything crazy or unjust about their review?
I never said it was crazy. PJ is probably the only mainstream band i listen to these days. Between myself, my wife, and having college aged kids who are into the same hiphop/pop/indie world, I know 90% of what Pitchfork reviews. Current Pearl Jam music will never get a 7 or an 8 from their staff. It’s just not Pitchfork’s thing. 6.2 is a compliment from them but i rank it more of a 7.5.
It was a fair review, this isn’t a masterpiece but it is a pretty good album that is especially good in light of the last two studio efforts. There’s no striving for that given to fly remake, no terribly cheesey faux love songs, and no throw away short punk songs. All a major plus.
I know it’s all opinions in the end but I can’t get the negativity towards ‘7 o’clock’.. I think it’s probably my favourite along with DOTC, just gutted that it’s going to be a long while before we hear them live by the looks of it
Every attempt I make to re-listen to the album from the top inevitably stalls out when I hit repeat on "Seven O'clock" about nine times in a row.
Yeah I don’t think I like how Ed sings the words. The flow and pitch of the words (if that makes sense)
It does make sense, but that is part of what I like most about the song. The “jump” of the one note every so often. Is it considered inflection?
Tier 1 Who ever said Superblood DOTC Quick Escape Never Destination
Tier 2 Seven O'clock Take the Long Way Retrograde River Cross
Tier3 Buckle Up Comes then Goes (2.5 min too long) Alright
That might be exactly how I’d rank it. Maybe throw seven o clock in tier one for me. Those would be my top 6. Didn’t really care for the tunes where Eddie didn’t write the lyrics actually
That could happen with me too. 7:00 is a lot of song to digest and one listen is definitely not enough.
Gigaton is MUCH better than Backspacer and LB (which I liked but didn’t love from top to bottom). Hard to say where it will fall for me in the overall catalogue. Gonna take some time to digest before I can even begin to determine
Both those albums were fine and I was excited when they came out. There are a handful of songs on each I think are really good/close to indispensable in the catalog, and could and should still be played for years to come. This album is different in that it feels like it was written precisely for these times. Obviously, nobody could have predicted it would drop in the middle of a global pandemic with all of us basically locked in our houses and scared shitless about the future ... but the album hits home through that lens. Like whatever the intent was of the album when it was conceived, it landed as that on steroids based on the conditions of the country of the world at right this minute. I guess that's a rambling way of saying, though previous albums have some songs I hold dear to me, this one feels like almost like a historical document of our time. It's become a chronicle of this thing we're all in together.
Yes @slightofjeff I love this post. Well said. Pretty much exactly how I feel
I listened to it once yesterday morning, and really loved it. I am going to go easy on the binge listening however. When the physical copies turn up, which could be anytime in the next 7 - 9 days, I've been told, I'll place on in the car, and another one into the turntable. I'm happy though.
Dublin 2006 Dublin 2010 Madrid 2018 Werchter 2022 London 1 2022 London 2 2022 Krakow 2022
I can't beleive how much I love this album already. First listen was rocky but holy hell there's so much going on (musically). I'm probably just over thinking some things cause of my giddiness with it, but I swear the music on gigaton is meant to functoin on a variety of levels. Like take the pacing for some of them. Super Blood is a great catchy tune with vocal breaks for ed between each part. DOTC is also super groovy but also not an energy sapper to play (trying to say it's desinged to be played live). The guys in the band must be aware that LB and BackSpacer aren't typcially considered the favorites with the fans, and being someone who hears many "recycled" parts in Gigaton from LB and BackSpacer, I can't help but wonder if songs like Never Destination (which I don't know how one could deny that it sounds like an amped up version of SuperSonic) and Retrograde (suped up Yellow Moon) is a way for the band to say "Yea we know those last two records had some missed opportunity, but check this shit out!" So if there is any recycling I think it's on purpose. Lastly I can't effing wait to hear Comes then Goes live.
Ok, 5 listens in and it’s officially, it’s a good one. Not feeling buckle up at all but the rest is solid. I’m loving comes than goes, 7 o’clock and never destination from the non singles that were released. Take the long way sounds like a Soundgarden song, great riff , not huge fan of lyrics. One song has a dead on Tom petty rip off, I take it as a respect lyric. Overall I give 8/10. Really enjoying it this morning
I expected a 5 from Pitchfork so a 6.2 is almost a surprise.
It had a chance. Its an indie album, lead singer has a beard....did they forget that Stone once ran a hip hop label? That’s 2 points right there.
Don't see anything crazy or unjust about their review?
I never said it was crazy. PJ is probably the only mainstream band i listen to these days. Between myself, my wife, and having college aged kids who are into the same hiphop/pop/indie world, I know 90% of what Pitchfork reviews. Current Pearl Jam music will never get a 7 or an 8 from their staff. It’s just not Pitchfork’s thing. 6.2 is a compliment from them but i rank it more of a 7.5.
It was a fair review, this isn’t a masterpiece but it is a pretty good album that is especially good in light of the last two studio efforts. There’s no striving for that given to fly remake, no terribly cheesey faux love songs, and no throw away short punk songs. All a major plus.
Tier 1 - Who Ever Said - DOTC - Quick Escape - 7OClock - Take the Long Way Tier 2 - SBWM - Never Destination - Comes Then Goes - River Cross TIer 3 - Alright - Buckle Up - Retrograde
Oh, if I knew where it was I would take you there...
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4 listens in now and enjoying each song in different ways on each listen. This album has definitely answered a question in my mind that I've had for the past decade - whether or not Pearl Jam is still a viable studio band. They absolutely are. This album is brimming with ideas and new sounds to my ears. Love it.
Edit: Far too early to rank it overall but I can see it popping in nicely in the top 5. Will take another few months before that's concrete though.
Post edited by Edved82 on
"...though my problems are meaningless....that don't make them go away...."
Comments
for the least they could possibly do
Well, on the bright side they did give it the highest rating of any album from the band that they reviewed this century.
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""
I often agree with Eddie's politics/stage rants, but working them into the songs can sometimes feel a bit forced. Thankfully I don't notice the Trump references so easily. I might've missed them entirely if I hadn't read the reviews beforehand.
Song-By-Song notes:
Who Ever Said - Strong rocker to open the album. Townshend-eqsue song. Harkens back to No Code. I like it.
Quick Escape - OK rocker, somewhat generic/formulaic.
Alright - It's alright. The album really kind of begins here - this sets up what is coming the rest of the way.
Seven O Clock - The Unthought Known/Amongst the Waves of Gigaton, the mid-record heart-of-the-album emotional peak, but not quite there. Very Bruce Springsteen-sounding song. Early candidate to be my favorite of the record.
Never Destination - OK rocker, seems to be a mad favorite here.
Take The Long Way - The most/only forgettable song on the album.
Buckle Up - I rather like it. Seems to not be a favorite here on the forum. Reminds me of something (not necessarily PJ) but I don't know what - it may be one of those things that is so original that it feels like it has been around forever.
Comes Then Goes - The other candidate for my favorite song.
Retrograde - Actually, no, this may be the best song on the album. I'm surprised this song is only five minutes long. It feels like it could have another verse, and some more jamming. Maybe gets extended live.
River Cross - I like the Into the Wild feel of this one. It feels like this song also ends abruptly. It could be very intense live. Where do they play it? End of Set? Beginning of Encore? Or does it get relegated to being an Indifference/Parting Ways-style rarity?
At this point there is no point in ranking PJ albums. There is everything up to and including Yield, then Binaural and Riot Act which are really good but not Top-Five great, and then everything after that. Backspacer is my favorite of the post-RA albums. (2009 was a good year for me personally, so there is that association too.). I was prepared to not like Gigaton, based on the first two singles, but I am happy to find out that it is a pleasure to listen to all the way through and on repeat.
I think it's a pretty accurate review of the album..
Guess the critics have spoken around the globe and it's Universal Acclaim, as have the fans! Sad, that the very tiny minority on here don't hear what the rest of us do? Maybe you never will again cause if you don't hear that this blows away pretty much everything since Binaural and maybe that also then I don't know what to tell you but, your entitled to your opinion. As for Pitchfork PJ could've released the next Revolver, Who's Next or OK Computer and because it says Pearl Jam on the cover their going to dismiss it, they simply don't fall into Pitchforks rolodex!
SUMMERFEST MILWAUKEE 1995
ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE 1998
UNITED CENTER CHICAGO1998
THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA KNOXVILLE 1998
ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE 2000
ALLSTATE ARENA ROSEMONT 2000
ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE 2003
HERSHEYPARK STADIUM 2003
TOLEDO SPORTS ARENA 2004
AIR CANADA CENTRE TORONTO 2005
UNITED CENTER CHICAGO 2006
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VERIZON CENTER DC 2008
UNITED CENTER CHICAGO 2009
NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS 2010
PJ20 NIGHT 1 Alpine Valley Music Theatre 2011
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1ST MARINER ARENA BALTIMORE 2013
IWIRELESS CENTER MOLINE 2014
XCEL ENERGY CENTER ST. PAUL 2014
CHICAGO 1 Wrigley Field 2016
CHICAGO 2 Wrigley Field 2016
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BOSTON 2 Fenway Park 2018
ENTERPRISE CENTER SAINT LOUIS 2022
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It does make sense, but that is part of what I like most about the song. The “jump” of the one note every so often. Is it considered inflection?
Dublin 2010
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Werchter 2022
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London 2 2022
Krakow 2022
Tier 2 - SBWM - Never Destination - Comes Then Goes - River Cross
TIer 3 - Alright - Buckle Up - Retrograde
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This album has definitely answered a question in my mind that I've had for the past decade - whether or not Pearl Jam is still a viable studio band. They absolutely are. This album is brimming with ideas and new sounds to my ears. Love it.
Edit: Far too early to rank it overall but I can see it popping in nicely in the top 5. Will take another few months before that's concrete though.
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