I don't post often but felt compelled after hearing running. Running feels more like a B side or at best just a filler album song. Seems an odd choice, by far the shortest song on the album
Merkinball is the only PJ release without a filler track.
Binaural has no filler. I'll assume you argue that 'Soon Forget' is filler, but I completely disagree. I think it fits the theme of the album perfectly.
A song entirely on ukulele featuring only one member of the band is pretty much the definition of filler.
Why do some people get off on telling others to go away. Very odd. Obviously they love Pearl Jam or they would not be here You don't have to love recent music to love the band You also don't have to love the last album to be super excited to see your favorite band live, and to want good access to tickets, and to want to see your friends on tour. Fuck.
This is why on a forum dedicated to my favourite band, the place I like the most is a thread about running 😂
Listening back to Avocado & even Lightening Bolt, the vocals so far on the 2 tracks released for Dark Matter are quite muffled in the mix. Running is ok, quite WWS-esque but not as good.
so far Dark Matter > Running
I honestly have not found the vocals muffled at all once I saw the lyrics to each song.
I suspect the mastering of the track is contributing to the varying reactions regarding the mix. In my experience listening to it, it sounds poorly mixed with vocals too low on some speakers and totally fine on others. Regardless of that, the drive of the song is good and I like the distorted bass and drumming. Hands down the bridge is the best part of the song, similar to how the bridge of Pilate is better than the rest of the song.
Funny the more I listen the more I don't like it. I like the bit where is slows but apart from that. Not sure
Same. And even the bridge sounds unoriginal to me. Like I’ve heard it already somewhere on earthlings. Hoping it’s one of the worst songs on the album. I’d be cool with that. Probably wouldn’t even skip it because it’s so short
Yeah earthlings is what I feel with that part too
I get the Earthling vibe also due to the “lift off” lyric and due to the similar sounding production.
Listening back to Avocado & even Lightening Bolt, the vocals so far on the 2 tracks released for Dark Matter are quite muffled in the mix. Running is ok, quite WWS-esque but not as good.
so far Dark Matter > Running
I honestly have not found the vocals muffled at all once I saw the lyrics to each song.
I suspect the mastering of the track is contributing to the varying reactions regarding the mix. In my experience listening to it, it sounds poorly mixed with vocals too low on some speakers and totally fine on others. Regardless of that, the drive of the song is good and I like the distorted bass and drumming. Hands down the bridge is the best part of the song, similar to how the bridge of Pilate is better than the rest of the song.
I was shocked at the difference in the quality between Spotify and Apple Music. On Apple Music the song is much more crisp and Ed’s vocals are much more clear.
I don't post often but felt compelled after hearing running. Running feels more like a B side or at best just a filler album song. Seems an odd choice, by far the shortest song on the album
Merkinball is the only PJ release without a filler track.
Binaural has no filler. I'll assume you argue that 'Soon Forget' is filler, but I completely disagree. I think it fits the theme of the album perfectly.
A song entirely on ukulele featuring only one member of the band is pretty much the definition of filler.
That’s an oddly specific definition of ‘filler’.
Well, I guess I would support the definition by asking for an example of a song entirely on ukulele performed by only one member of a rock band that *isn't* filler...
Listening back to Avocado & even Lightening Bolt, the vocals so far on the 2 tracks released for Dark Matter are quite muffled in the mix. Running is ok, quite WWS-esque but not as good.
so far Dark Matter > Running
I honestly have not found the vocals muffled at all once I saw the lyrics to each song.
I suspect the mastering of the track is contributing to the varying reactions regarding the mix. In my experience listening to it, it sounds poorly mixed with vocals too low on some speakers and totally fine on others. Regardless of that, the drive of the song is good and I like the distorted bass and drumming. Hands down the bridge is the best part of the song, similar to how the bridge of Pilate is better than the rest of the song.
I was shocked at the difference in the quality between Spotify and Apple Music. On Apple Music the song is much more crisp and Ed’s vocals are much more clear.
I've been listening to "Dark Matter" pretty much exclusively on a CD that I burned from the download that came with the 7-inch, and it sounds very crisp. Most of my consumption of "Running" has been on that foreign YouTube-like site that someone linked to here when the song was only live in New Zealand, and it was also really sharp.
Listening back to Avocado & even Lightening Bolt, the vocals so far on the 2 tracks released for Dark Matter are quite muffled in the mix. Running is ok, quite WWS-esque but not as good.
so far Dark Matter > Running
I honestly have not found the vocals muffled at all once I saw the lyrics to each song.
I suspect the mastering of the track is contributing to the varying reactions regarding the mix. In my experience listening to it, it sounds poorly mixed with vocals too low on some speakers and totally fine on others. Regardless of that, the drive of the song is good and I like the distorted bass and drumming. Hands down the bridge is the best part of the song, similar to how the bridge of Pilate is better than the rest of the song.
I was shocked at the difference in the quality between Spotify and Apple Music. On Apple Music the song is much more crisp and Ed’s vocals are much more clear.
Could you explain what accounts for the difference (in a way that will make sense for a very much non-audiophile)? I would have assumed that the digital file available on all of these different streaming services would be the same and that the differences would only come from the audio equipment used to play it.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
Listening back to Avocado & even Lightening Bolt, the vocals so far on the 2 tracks released for Dark Matter are quite muffled in the mix. Running is ok, quite WWS-esque but not as good.
so far Dark Matter > Running
I honestly have not found the vocals muffled at all once I saw the lyrics to each song.
I suspect the mastering of the track is contributing to the varying reactions regarding the mix. In my experience listening to it, it sounds poorly mixed with vocals too low on some speakers and totally fine on others. Regardless of that, the drive of the song is good and I like the distorted bass and drumming. Hands down the bridge is the best part of the song, similar to how the bridge of Pilate is better than the rest of the song.
I was shocked at the difference in the quality between Spotify and Apple Music. On Apple Music the song is much more crisp and Ed’s vocals are much more clear.
Could you explain what accounts for the difference (in a way that will make sense for a very much non-audiophile)? I would have assumed that the digital file available on all of these different streaming services would be the same and that the differences would only come from the audio equipment used to play it.
Apple converts the audio files to digital in a way that keeps it from losing data in the process of compressing.
Taken from the Apple Music website:
Most audio compression techniques lose some
amount of data contained in the original source file. Lossless
compression is a form of compression that preserves all of the original
data.
Listening back to Avocado & even Lightening Bolt, the vocals so far on the 2 tracks released for Dark Matter are quite muffled in the mix. Running is ok, quite WWS-esque but not as good.
so far Dark Matter > Running
I honestly have not found the vocals muffled at all once I saw the lyrics to each song.
I suspect the mastering of the track is contributing to the varying reactions regarding the mix. In my experience listening to it, it sounds poorly mixed with vocals too low on some speakers and totally fine on others. Regardless of that, the drive of the song is good and I like the distorted bass and drumming. Hands down the bridge is the best part of the song, similar to how the bridge of Pilate is better than the rest of the song.
I was shocked at the difference in the quality between Spotify and Apple Music. On Apple Music the song is much more crisp and Ed’s vocals are much more clear.
I've been listening to "Dark Matter" pretty much exclusively on a CD that I burned from the download that came with the 7-inch, and it sounds very crisp. Most of my consumption of "Running" has been on that foreign YouTube-like site that someone linked to here when the song was only live in New Zealand, and it was also really sharp.
When I listen to each back to back on Spotify and Apple Music the difference is obvious. It's still compressed as hell but you can hear everything a lot better on Apple Music.
I don't post often but felt compelled after hearing running. Running feels more like a B side or at best just a filler album song. Seems an odd choice, by far the shortest song on the album
Merkinball is the only PJ release without a filler track.
Binaural has no filler. I'll assume you argue that 'Soon Forget' is filler, but I completely disagree. I think it fits the theme of the album perfectly.
A song entirely on ukulele featuring only one member of the band is pretty much the definition of filler.
That’s an oddly specific definition of ‘filler’.
Well, I guess I would support the definition by asking for an example of a song entirely on ukulele performed by only one member of a rock band that *isn't* filler...
And in my opinion that song would be 'Soon Forget' because I think the song works, especially in the context of the album.
I don't post often but felt compelled after hearing running. Running feels more like a B side or at best just a filler album song. Seems an odd choice, by far the shortest song on the album
Merkinball is the only PJ release without a filler track.
Binaural has no filler. I'll assume you argue that 'Soon Forget' is filler, but I completely disagree. I think it fits the theme of the album perfectly.
Sleight of hand is not in my top 200 PJ songs. SF is dog food.
Probably their most underrated album though - Thin Air and Rival are absolute diamonds.
My 'dog food' songs are 'Sirens' 'Just Breathe' and 'The End' - basically any breathy Ed songs that plague every album from Avocado onward.
Add the last quarter of Gigaton to that list.
Funny, “Sirens” and “Just Breathe” are two of my favorite tracks from those albums. I think they benefit from exceptional songwriting. And I have a hard time frowning about anything on Gigaton. Those songs were a saving grace during the pandemic for me. I wish I could have seen them performed live.
My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
I don't post often but felt compelled after hearing running. Running feels more like a B side or at best just a filler album song. Seems an odd choice, by far the shortest song on the album
Merkinball is the only PJ release without a filler track.
Binaural has no filler. I'll assume you argue that 'Soon Forget' is filler, but I completely disagree. I think it fits the theme of the album perfectly.
Sleight of hand is not in my top 200 PJ songs. SF is dog food.
Probably their most underrated album though - Thin Air and Rival are absolute diamonds.
My 'dog food' songs are 'Sirens' 'Just Breathe' and 'The End' - basically any breathy Ed songs that plague every album from Avocado onward.
Add the last quarter of Gigaton to that list.
Funny, “Sirens” and “Just Breathe” are two of my favorite tracks from those albums. I think they benefit from exceptional songwriting. And I have a hard time frowning about anything on Gigaton. Those songs were a saving grace during the pandemic for me. I wish I could have seen them performed live.
And thus is the beauty of opinions and music. I can't stand those songs in any way or the back half of Gigaton, but I think it's amazing they provide you with the solace that they do. I hope you get to hear them performed live someday.
At first I didn’t realize I was just ‘streaming’ Running on Apple Music and then noticed a difference between DM and Running when I played them back to back. Then downloaded Running and there was a quality jump.
Listening back to Avocado & even Lightening Bolt, the vocals so far on the 2 tracks released for Dark Matter are quite muffled in the mix. Running is ok, quite WWS-esque but not as good.
so far Dark Matter > Running
I honestly have not found the vocals muffled at all once I saw the lyrics to each song.
I suspect the mastering of the track is contributing to the varying reactions regarding the mix. In my experience listening to it, it sounds poorly mixed with vocals too low on some speakers and totally fine on others. Regardless of that, the drive of the song is good and I like the distorted bass and drumming. Hands down the bridge is the best part of the song, similar to how the bridge of Pilate is better than the rest of the song.
I was shocked at the difference in the quality between Spotify and Apple Music. On Apple Music the song is much more crisp and Ed’s vocals are much more clear.
Could you explain what accounts for the difference (in a way that will make sense for a very much non-audiophile)? I would have assumed that the digital file available on all of these different streaming services would be the same and that the differences would only come from the audio equipment used to play it.
Apple converts the audio files to digital in a way that keeps it from losing data in the process of compressing.
Taken from the Apple Music website:
Most audio compression techniques lose some
amount of data contained in the original source file. Lossless
compression is a form of compression that preserves all of the original
data.
Thank you
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
Running sounds so much better played on better speakers than my cell phone. In the car it was great, contributed to my speeding.
Looking forward to hearing more detail on CD and Vinyl.
i was someone who complained about the mix (just on my phone). heard it in the car and it sounds way better, Im a fan of it now
Noblesville 5.7.2010. Lexington 4.26.2016. Nashville 9.16.2022. St Louis 9.18.2022. Chicago 1 9.5.2023. Chicago 2 9.7.2023. *Noblesville 9.10.2023* (Gutted) Seattle 5.30.2024 Noblesville 8.26.2024 Chicago 8.29.2024 Chicago 8.31.2024
Running sounds so much better played on better speakers than my cell phone. In the car it was great, contributed to my speeding.
Looking forward to hearing more detail on CD and Vinyl.
i was someone who complained about the mix (just on my phone). heard it in the car and it sounds way better, Im a fan of it now
yeah, listening on my phone, from you tube....it definitely sounded muddled or fuzzy. I really cant wait to hear this in Atmos. The layering should be good.
I was a fan before, just because I like these fast ones. But it sounds so much better on better speakers.
I can only think of one PJ song Ever, that didn't sound better live, than on the record. So I just have to go to as many shows as I can. Fortunately its been many.
I haven't been too excited about what I've heard so far (this album), but I'm Very excited about the upcoming shows. I'm always open to and hopeful for new music, but its hard to match my love for the favorites I already have.
Can think of few that sound better on the record off the top of my head, but there aren't many.
1) I Got Id 2) Brain of J 3) Getaway 4) Pilate
I Got Id is probably the biggest gap between album and live sound. It's one of my top 10 favorite studio songs, but just doesn't translate live. I've always wondered if it's because Neil was on the album and how it would have been different if Mike recorded it. Maybe not at all, I don't know.
I can only think of one PJ song Ever, that didn't sound better live, than on the record. So I just have to go to as many shows as I can. Fortunately its been many.
I haven't been too excited about what I've heard so far (this album), but I'm Very excited about the upcoming shows. I'm always open to and hopeful for new music, but its hard to match my love for the favorites I already have.
Can think of few that sound better on the record off the top of my head, but there aren't many.
1) I Got Id 2) Brain of J 3) Getaway 4) Pilate
I Got Id is probably the biggest gap between album and live sound. It's one of my top 10 favorite studio songs, but just doesn't translate live. I've always wondered if it's because Neil was on the album and how it would have been different if Mike recorded it. Maybe not at all, I don't know.
That's funny because I'm the complete opposite. I don't like the Merkinball version of I Got Shit at all. But I think live versions like Melbourne '98 and Pittsburgh '00 rule.
I'll throw Tremor Christ out as a song that's better on the record that live.
I can only think of one PJ song Ever, that didn't sound better live, than on the record. So I just have to go to as many shows as I can. Fortunately its been many.
I haven't been too excited about what I've heard so far (this album), but I'm Very excited about the upcoming shows. I'm always open to and hopeful for new music, but its hard to match my love for the favorites I already have.
Is it "Getaway"? Because that song never landed live, and it seemed pretty obvious that the band felt that way about it, and that it was why they rarely played it.
Its Sleight of Hand. It can sound a little "thin" live to me. And the timing doesn't always mesh comfortably to my ear live. (Need a little more rehearsal after a long absence from playing it?) But when its "on", its a wonderful thing. Definitely a top tier song for me, regardless.
I can only think of one PJ song Ever, that didn't sound better live, than on the record. So I just have to go to as many shows as I can. Fortunately its been many.
I haven't been too excited about what I've heard so far (this album), but I'm Very excited about the upcoming shows. I'm always open to and hopeful for new music, but its hard to match my love for the favorites I already have.
Can think of few that sound better on the record off the top of my head, but there aren't many.
1) I Got Id 2) Brain of J 3) Getaway 4) Pilate
I Got Id is probably the biggest gap between album and live sound. It's one of my top 10 favorite studio songs, but just doesn't translate live. I've always wondered if it's because Neil was on the album and how it would have been different if Mike recorded it. Maybe not at all, I don't know.
That's funny because I'm the complete opposite. I don't like the Merkinball version of I Got Shit at all. But I think live versions like Melbourne '98 and Pittsburgh '00 rule.
I'll throw Tremor Christ out as a song that's better on the record that live.
Same, don’t like listening to studio version but love the live version of I Got Shit.
I can only think of one PJ song Ever, that didn't sound better live, than on the record. So I just have to go to as many shows as I can. Fortunately its been many.
I haven't been too excited about what I've heard so far (this album), but I'm Very excited about the upcoming shows. I'm always open to and hopeful for new music, but its hard to match my love for the favorites I already have.
Can think of few that sound better on the record off the top of my head, but there aren't many.
1) I Got Id 2) Brain of J 3) Getaway 4) Pilate
I Got Id is probably the biggest gap between album and live sound. It's one of my top 10 favorite studio songs, but just doesn't translate live. I've always wondered if it's because Neil was on the album and how it would have been different if Mike recorded it. Maybe not at all, I don't know.
Mike and Neil have much different styles. If Mike would have recorded the “lead” part it would have sounded like they play it live. Neil just crushes the studio version. He has a great sense of melody and can do more with less notes than some other guitarists.
I can only think of one PJ song Ever, that didn't sound better live, than on the record. So I just have to go to as many shows as I can. Fortunately its been many.
I haven't been too excited about what I've heard so far (this album), but I'm Very excited about the upcoming shows. I'm always open to and hopeful for new music, but its hard to match my love for the favorites I already have.
Is it "Getaway"? Because that song never landed live, and it seemed pretty obvious that the band felt that way about it, and that it was why they rarely played it.
Its Sleight of Hand. It can sound a little "thin" live to me. And the timing doesn't always mesh comfortably to my ear live. (Need a little more rehearsal after a long absence from playing it?) But when its "on", its a wonderful thing. Definitely a top tier song for me, regardless.
I think a song like that or "Tremor Christ" can be hard to pull off live because they have weird tempos. In the studio, they get a bunch of takes and only need one good one where the tempo is maintained from start to finish.
This is not the same thing, but I wonder if the Toadies were able to consistently play "Possum Kingdom" live because it seems like it would take massive powers of concentration not to slip up on the riff that alternates every couple of bars.
Comments
We all love this band!
Most audio compression techniques lose some amount of data contained in the original source file. Lossless compression is a form of compression that preserves all of the original data.
When I listen to each back to back on Spotify and Apple Music the difference is obvious. It's still compressed as hell but you can hear everything a lot better on Apple Music.
And in my opinion that song would be 'Soon Forget' because I think the song works, especially in the context of the album.
And thus is the beauty of opinions and music. I can't stand those songs in any way or the back half of Gigaton, but I think it's amazing they provide you with the solace that they do. I hope you get to hear them performed live someday.
Looking forward to hearing more detail on CD and Vinyl.
Nuclear fission
Chicago 1 9.5.2023. Chicago 2 9.7.2023.
*Noblesville 9.10.2023* (Gutted)
Seattle 5.30.2024 Noblesville 8.26.2024 Chicago 8.29.2024 Chicago 8.31.2024
I was a fan before, just because I like these fast ones. But it sounds so much better on better speakers.
Nuclear fission
I'll throw Tremor Christ out as a song that's better on the record that live.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Same here. I assumed it's more political than personal.
This is not the same thing, but I wonder if the Toadies were able to consistently play "Possum Kingdom" live because it seems like it would take massive powers of concentration not to slip up on the riff that alternates every couple of bars.
Although the aborted take off sure fits how PJ hid from the spotlight back in the day.