SMC Special: Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
psycosmic
Posts: 504
the synergy music club is a place were pearl jam fans discuss different albums by different artists each week...
you guys hooked me up with some artists i wouldn't have discovered otherwise and it's truely my favourite place on this message board... i think some of you proud SMC members might agree...
we have a lot of diversity here and we discussed everything from rock, metal, indie, folk, country, funk to hip hop, jazz, singer-songwriters... basically every genre of music...
but i still have no idea what you guys think about pearl jam... and it's strange because this is obviously the band that lead us here in the first place...
this is a special edition thread...
no upload this time (for obvious reasons)...
it's not intended to interfere with the regular SMC schedule, just a little something on the side...
the "rules" are simple (as if there were any rules
):
post your reviews and thoughts on the new pearl jam album... but keep it as "other music" as possible... the porch is already full of threads like "severed hand rocks" or "parachutes sucks"...
review it as you'd review an album by any other band (if you can be as objective as possible, i know i can't
)
the album was released here today but i've already had it for quite a while so i think i have already formed an opinion... i will post it later, probably this weekend...
can't wait to hear what you all think!
you guys hooked me up with some artists i wouldn't have discovered otherwise and it's truely my favourite place on this message board... i think some of you proud SMC members might agree...
we have a lot of diversity here and we discussed everything from rock, metal, indie, folk, country, funk to hip hop, jazz, singer-songwriters... basically every genre of music...
but i still have no idea what you guys think about pearl jam... and it's strange because this is obviously the band that lead us here in the first place...
this is a special edition thread...
no upload this time (for obvious reasons)...
it's not intended to interfere with the regular SMC schedule, just a little something on the side...
the "rules" are simple (as if there were any rules
):post your reviews and thoughts on the new pearl jam album... but keep it as "other music" as possible... the porch is already full of threads like "severed hand rocks" or "parachutes sucks"...
review it as you'd review an album by any other band (if you can be as objective as possible, i know i can't
)the album was released here today but i've already had it for quite a while so i think i have already formed an opinion... i will post it later, probably this weekend...
can't wait to hear what you all think!
~~~
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
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man. Listen to the new record.
it's album of the year for me right now.
Well, that's the strangest response to the new album i've read.
Profit is the only thing
And everywhere the little kings
Are getting away with murder
- Paul Kelly
www.troywass.com
I thought I'd check it out when it leaked just for the hell of it, not expecting to be blown away.
well, it blew my mind.
you would be really missing out if you didn't listen to it.
so I haven't heard anything off it minus WWS so it will be at least a couple days before I can comment.
since we don't really know what each other thinks about PJ maybe it wouldn't hurt to start your review with a quick little paragraph on why ya like 'em, how many times you have seen them, favorite disc if you had to pick one etc.
should be interesting.
Alright - hope the rest of it is better than Worldwide Suicide, though.
Also I just bought Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven today, so I really honestly do need to listen to that about 8 million times.
Have we lost our way tonight?
Have we lost our hope to sorrow?
Feels like were all alone
Running further from what’s right
And there are no more heroes to follow
So what are we becoming?
Where did we go wrong?
I heard that was good....I'll have to check it out.
I just finally got around to picking up Spiderland.....
I'm speechless. That thing is a masterpiece.
You’re on the outside, never bound by such a spell.
Together in the darkness, alone in the light.
I took it upon me to be yours, Timmy,
I’ll lead your angels and demons at play tonight......»
I honestly like it better than Loveless and OK Computer.
"Washer" is worth the price of admission alone.
Here's my pearl jam story. I got into them when I was in 6th grade, not too long ago, right around the time before Riot Act came out. The first songs I fell in love with were "Alive", "Jeremy", "evenflow", etc. The one that really sealed the deal for me, as a growing young boy, was "Black". I don't know what it was, I just loved that song from the get go. I started picking up their albums, and I loved the early stuff, and just thought the mid-period records were okay.
Riot Act comes out, I liked it but it wasn't blowing me away like Ten and Vs. were. I ended up seeing my first rock concert that year also, which was Pearl Jam at Mellon Arena on April 26th. This REALLY made me love the band. A few weeks later the bootleg came in the mail, and I would spend countless hours blasting it from my room stereo. Eventually, a few songs started to stand out, "Hail Hail" and "Do the Evolution" in particular, so I went back and listened to No Code and Yield again.......and this is where the obsession began.
No Code quickly became my favorite record of all time, and Yield was just unnreal. I began buying everything I could find PJ related, and eventually I knew the lyrics to every single song they ever recorded.
and here I am today.
Sorry for that diatribe....I felt bad for derailing the thread so I rushed through it.
I love the artwork for the new record, btw. The outside cover is very misleading.
Probably more than Loveless, but OKC is a tall order. It is the same league for sure. Got nothing on Aeroplane Over The Sea, though - well, maybe a little
I agree. The first time I heard Aeroplane, I was sitting in my friends basement with the lights out.
By the time we got to the title track, I was already in tears.
that is one phenomenal record. Best of the nineties? sure.
haha, that's the beauty of the SMC... i start a thread about pearl jam and there's an album that is better than loveless and ok computer in your opinion? i'm intrigued, i just have to check this out now
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
I'd say I was hooked the second the Alive video kicked in. There was 4 of us in the room and when it was over, we about lost our shit. this was exciting as hell. It may have been the 'world premiere' of the video, not exactly sure. Anyway, we purchased Lolla '92 tickets and noticed at the same time, PJ was playing a gig in Columbus Ohio so we picked up tickets for that as well. I feel fortunate to have had that opportunity to see them in a small venue like that. I later saw the Soldiers Field '95 show, then I didn't see them again until the 2003 Denver show. Though I put them way up there on my 'favorite band' list, I don't put any of their CD's in my top 20 of all time. They could be the most consistent however it was the selling of the bootlegs in 2000 that did it for me (incredible concept). I like everything about them however I don't care much for Vedder's politics. My favorite CD is No Code. I probably played the Unplugged video 4,000 times in '92/93 alone. If I had to make a top 5 song list it may be:
Alive
Man of the Hour
I Am Mine
Given to Fly
Inside Job (this song fucking rules).
Ok, now on to this new CD. I admit to PJ falling down a few notches the last couple years. Binaural didn't do much for me, Riot Act had some very solid songs but more filler on that one than most. This 4 years between CD's has also taken a part as well as the simple fact there has been some AMAZING bands that I have gotten into the last 4 years. I was excited to hear the new disc but I had no problem waiting until it came in the mail to hear it.
Well, I have given it 3 spins so far (last week was hell, couldn't listen to it). This CD has serious potential for rivaling No Code. There isn't a bullshit filler song on here. I can for sure say this is McCready's strongest performance. That guy shines on here. It was nice to hear a couple solo's. I can see these songs play well live. Vedder's studio voice is strong, I hope it translates to the live performances OK. I generally don't care much for the other band members tunes, however no complaints here.
Inside Job is their best closer. For whatever reason, this one has really grabbed me, the music is just fantastic, very clear parts, bass is played beautifully as is the acoustic guitar.
I wanted to throw this out there to get this thread going. I am interested to read what other folks here think.
i've been a pearl jam fan since i first heard alive on the radio... i became even more serious about them with no code (still my favourite album) and after the 2000 tour i was totally hooked...
i like almost everything they put out although there are songs and albums i prefer to others... but pearl jam is the only band that managed to stay with me this long and grow with me as they grew... they just never failed to release the most fitting album to certain moments in my life...
i listen to all kinds of music and there are lots of bands i like a lot, there might even be that band, album or song of the moment that overshadows everything else... but in the long run, pearl jam stays with me even if i don't listen to them for ages...
i'm quite familiar with the new album now because i have to confess that i listened to all the leaks... mainly because it usually takes me a few listens to get into a song and i went to the astoria show so i wanted to know the new songs beforehand to enjoy them more...
let me do a very short track-by-track commentary, maybe this will get the thread going...
life wasted - what a kickstart! it sets the pace for an agry and raw album... and the chorus is infectious... it has many different parts just like most of the tracks... some songs even seem like two or three, but never in a bad way, they flow quite well... great mccready solo in the end, mindblowing to watch live...
wws - i had grown a bit tired of it after having heard it a million times... but it sits well between life wasted and comatose, no need to skip it... i'm actually surprised that i still like it, wws has staying power... good choice for a single...
comatose - raw punk rock power! enough said! great vocal performance!
severed hand - an instant favourite! epic without being anthemic! even more amazing life... mike again...
marker in the sand - i have to say it didn't do much for me at first... although i liked the opening riff which sounds a bit white-stripeish to me... i think the chorus put me off at first... but the led-zeppelin-esque bridge drew me back in as did the outro... i liked the lyrics and the concept but when i saw it live and ed explained a bit everything started to click and make sense...
parachutes - first impression: meh, trying to sound like the beatles... it's a very pleasant song though... after a few listens it dawned on me that this is in fact very beautiful... it would be a nice lullaby if it wasn't for the last part when ed hits those high notes... very intense... i like it when he sings in a way we haven't heard before...
unemployable - like it since i first heard it... good 70s feel... i love this one note jeff plays in the main riff - you either know what i'm talking about or you don't, can't explain it properly... zeppelin riff meets r.e.m. chorus... some amazing lyrics in there i can relate to a bit too much... great matt composition and very interesting drum fills - more cowbell!
btw, when ed explained at the webcast that the lyrics weren't "scared of life" but "scared alive" i jumped up and screamed "i told you all!" and i've got the threads to prove it
big wave - first thought: filler, another song about surfing... nice little rocker, but with all of jeff's tunes there is so much more to it than you realize at first...
gone - the solo version seemed a bit odd (which i like) but the full band version is much more immediate... love how it builds... good song... very intense live...
wasted reprise - nod to neil! makes sense... not out of place at all...
army reserve - deserves a seperate post... amazing song! i love eddie's vocal delivery... it was an instant favourite but experiencing it live turned it into one of my top pearl jam songs... unreal...
come back - i can see why lots of people are drawn to this but while i respect springsteen a lot i've never been a big fan... again, it's the vocals that do it for me and the "i need you to come back" outro seals the deal... this has grown on me as well...
inside job - i didn't expect this at all... mike surprised me there... this epic rivals a lot of the other great album closers pearl jam has put out so far... i can't wait to hear this one live...
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
did you ever put a review up of your Astoria show? I can imagine it was quite awesome.
As for the new album...
It's a solid record. I'll probably like it more than both Binaural and Riot Act when all is said and done. Yet it is not a great record. I feel that most of the songs are good, but none of them are great. Inside Job comes the closest, and I am hoping live versions help lift it to that 'great' level. This album is different in my view in that there is less introspection in the majority of these songs, at least in the first 2/3 of the record. Part of my attraction to Pearl Jam's music is the detailed attention to human emotions and reactions. Everyone can pretty much identify with songs like Black because it is something we all can relate to, both lyrically and musically. I really don't think there is anything like that on this record. The song subjects are broader. There is more observational material than in any record preceding it. Listening to the words requires you to look outside rather than inside. And there are a LOT of words. There is little musical exploration- the band have something to say and they're not going to take their time getting there. This is all fine and well, I do think it is an interesting departure for them, I'm just not a big fan of it.
Specific things about the record:
Jeff shines on this album. In no previous PJ album have I ever really been able to single out his playing as something worth noting. But on this one I really appreciate his playing.
World Wide Suicide is catchy as hell. A worthy single, their first in a long long time.
Big Wave seems to be getting a lot of hate or general disinterest, but to me it's a highlight on the record. The breakdown after the second verse is one of the best things on the album and I hope, like with the mid-section of RVM, over time they extend this out and jam with it.
Inside Job is beautiful.... until the band kicks it into high gear, at which point it become just another good rock song. Those first three minutes are some of the most beautiful moments in their studio career. But I equate the sudden change in style to premature ejaculation. I'm NOT ready for that explosion when it happens. Perhaps it is my Floyd influence, but I'd have loved it if they built the track up to a natural crescendo. The 'payoff' comes way too soon. But I am proud of Mike for writing those words. Some are saying they're a bit cliche, but when you take into account why they were written, I think it adds a lot of gravity to them.
I can't wait for next week in Chicago when we get to go "I said Yeaaaah!" during Severed Hand.
Come Back is the next Yellow Ledbetter. I don't particularly care for the song, but I think it will be a crowd favorite. I do like the throwback-to-the-oldies style it employs, but that's about it. Elvis could have sang this back in the day.
I don't much care for Gone- one 'get in my car' song too many now in the PJ catalog. I don't think I'll ever really like Parachutes. I do hope they fit Wasted Reprise into sets somehow.
Ummm. yeah...
isn't it great how everyone can pick different favourites on this record and how they change over time?
this is what makes a really good album, in my opinion!
i have posted bits and pieces here and there about the astoria show but not a cohesive review...
and to be honest, i still find it difficult to talk about it in a more objective way... most people would find it really silly or even pathetic to say such a thing about a concert, but it truely was the best night of my life... amazing...
experiencing my favourite band in such a tiny venue... but it wasn't only the concert itself but also the whole experience... flying to london to visit my wonderful friend, meeting fellow jammers, walking past the astoria sign the day before, etc... it was general admission, so we were queuing for most of the day but ended up second row right in front of jeff... we were so close i could even see ed's dental work (a filling top left, in case you were wondering
the crowd singing a whole verse of present tense (which kickstarted the new trend) was unbelievable... i won't go into the specifics but you can talk about a lifechanging moment there...
i'll leave out the stuff that's in all the other reviews, like the kilt flashing that ed wanted to write home about on a postcard, or the fact that the band had so much fun that night they even came out for another encore AFTER yellow ledbetter (don't remember if they have ever done that before)...
if anyone's interested, here are some of my pictures from my trip...
http://flickr.com/photos/psycosmic/sets/72057594117993531/
most of them are of fellow jammers and messageboard peeps as security confiscated my digicam and we only had disposable cameras inside... some of them are still quite good although the band seems so far away compared to the real experience...
that's true about jeff... i can't say how much respect i got for this man...
but i thinks this record really belongs to mike as well...
that's the thing i noticed about big wave as well... it went from least favourite song on the record to "whoa - musically, this is impressive!" still not a big fan of the lyrics (another song about surfing) but that breakdown alone is worth the fee of admission...
ha, and as if the band heard your request, wasted reprise made it into the sets!!!
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
Right now I'm enjoying a much needed pleasure trip in the beautiful Mexican city of Guanajuato, if you ever have the chance, you should try coming here... and I have a great friend who can provide you with some Spanish lessons...
Anyway, that wouldn't matter if it wasn't for the fact I got the album barely 2 days before doing this trip, and I decided to not bring the album with me, because I like to listen new albums with lots of attention and I know all the party and the friends wouldn't allow me the time I'd like to give this album.
So, I think I just listened to the album 2 or 3 times, and this was while doing some stuff I had to finish before coming here. I still don't know songs in detail, I'm still unable to relate a song title and its music. But what I can say so far is that I think the album has some great songs, but I'm having problem diggin the production on it. Don't wanna sound like a moron but it sounds too crispy for PJ standards, too close to sound perfection for what I expect from a PJ album. I guess not a song grabbed me instantly as happened with previous albums, but once again, I wasn't listening carefully. I think the performances are great, but I still feel there's something missing. For example, the same day I received the new Springsteen album, and that put my soul to spin... it immediatly made me want to write something about it, and I did, I hope I have the chance to publish it soon.
Take this just as a very light appreciation. As soon as I get back home I'm planning to give this record the proper listening it deserves. I'll come back to you then.
Cheers!!!
p.s: by the way, the night i arrived to this beautiful city, I was warmly welcomed at a bar with Black (unplugged) and Yellow Ledbetter, that felt like a fine detail...
-The crazy guy with the Ramones t-shirt.
Mexico C. 12/10/05.
"There is a rose that I want to live for
although, God knows, I may not have met her"
-J. Strummer
"And you'll never know just how dark this screen could be"
I'm certainly liking it, though I have to let each song sink in a bit more before I can right anything. One impression I had early on was that I thought Eddie really sounds "busy" on some tracks. He has so much to sing! There could have been more instrumentation in some, but what the hell, it's more of a protest album so the wordy element can't be avoided I guess.
I'll post how I got into PJ and everything later on.
Cheers.
If you can't get high on purely music and the sounds that you hear, you're missing out on something.
This disc IMO is still better than Binaural and Riot Act however like most of their CD's, I listen to them a ton for a couple months and then purchase a bunch of bootlegs and never go back to the studio releases.
I like Big Wave and am surprised by the level of hate. I love Gone however the chorus reminds me of In Hiding a little too much. I don't care for Parachutes, Army Reserve. Life Wasted and World Wide Suicide are good songs, instantly recognizable however I feel like they would write a hundred of songs like this, kind of like Save You.
I still love Inside Job but I can't help but feel EXACTLY the way AndySlash feels about it. Well done on that critique.
My favorite tune now is Marker in the Sand. I hope to hear it Sunday.
I got introduced to PJ like others through Alive, Evenflow and Black in early 2001 because that is when I moved away from Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Def Leppard to umm better music. Needless to say they became one of my favourite bands and though like you guys I don't listen to PJ nearly as often as I used to....No Code & Binaural are still very special to me.
Getting to the self-titled album...
Life Wasted - just doesn't do anything for me...lyrically I think Eddie has fallen off since Binaural.
World Wide Suicide - I like it...the riff and chorus are catchy as hell and no wonder its a hit.
Comatose - I can hear the comparisons to Vitalogy on this song...the gruffy vocals and a nice rocking solo from mike.
Severed Hand - first time I heard it was when they played it on SNL and instantly loved it and I must admit it made me more hopeful about the album than I was earlier.
Marker in the Sand - again great riff and chorus that makes me sing along.
Parachutes - ah, reminds me of Thin Air. Another song I instantly fell in love with.
Unemployable - could have easily been on Riot Act...not a bad song at all but I'll probably get bored of it in a few months.
Big Wave - see above...another Riot Act throw-away.
Gone - at first I didn't think much about this song but it has grown on me big time....reminds me of Dead Man a little bit especially the solo live version.
Wasted (reprise) - its ok.
Army Reserve - guitars are under-stated but give a lovely Yield-like vibe...good song.
Come Back - another song that doesn't do anything for me and i usually skip it.
Inside Job - fucking brilliant...part of the reason why I skip Come Back is because I can't wait to listen to this. Everything about this is vintage Pearl Jam...one of their best songs ever. This song must be absolutely killer live.
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Well, I would say I was a casual fan of PJ up until Vitalogy came out, and obviously got way into vs and Ten at around the same time. Then No Code came out.......that album just killed me it was that good. Still is my favorite album of theirs. Got to see them on their opening show of the '96 tour in Seattle and that still is my favorite concert I've been to.
I've seen PJ in '96, '98, two times in '00, once in '01, and once in '03. The Binaural tour was when I really got into PJ, constantly checking 5H for setlist updates and what-not. anyways, I think PJ have suffered a bit since Binaural, Riot Act being their lowest point.
And now there is Pearl Jam, self-titled. I've got to admit I was immediately turned off by it. It bugs me that it is self-titled and has an avocado on the front, which tells me nothing about where PJ was going with this record and has NO theme, which pretty much every other album of theirs does. And upon the first few spins, I really thought it was a bland ablum all the way through. But I revisited it like a loyal fan and have now come around to respect this album much more. It blows Riot Act out of the water. Comatose is so punk and so awesome. I LOVE Parachutes- it's my favorite on the record, as I find myself singing it in my head all the time. And I'm a big fan of Big Wave too. I'm not too fond of Life Wasted, but WWS is great. Gone, Marker In the Sand, and Comeback are not very good, imo. Inside Job is a great closer.
All in all, it's afun record with a good bunch of songs, but I would've liked to see a more cohesive album with a theme.
WAR + MAGIC BEANS = PEACE