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What Do You Expect from Brendan O'Brien and Pearl Jam?

bdgavinbdgavin Posts: 123
edited June 2008 in The Porch
Brendan hasn't produced a Pearl Jam album since Yield. I've enjoyed the Brendan O'Brien produced albums moreso than the non-Brendan albums, even moreso than Ten. I do love Binaural, but it took me years to fully appreciate it. I don't share the same love for Riot Act or the self-titled album. I thought Eddie wasn't as awsome as he usually is (writing and singing) on those albums and that you could barely hear Jeff Ament's bass in the last album.

I'm wondering what to expect from Brendan O'Brien's return. Why do you think the band chose to go back to him? McCready said some of the new stuff is poppy? Does this mean the album will be more radio friendly? Will Eddie write songs as deep and moving while at the same time as catchy as the songs he wrote for Into the Wild? I thought his Into the Wild songs were the best written songs he's done since Binaural or Yield. I also think his voice sounded pretty and passionate. Will the band adopt a Radiohead formula for releasing the album? If they release it themselves they might have incentive to make the album commercially and radio-friendly, because if it is a successful record they could be in for a huge payday. I'd love for them to put out a challenging album with catchy songs, not unlike the Vitalogy through Yield era. I don't want them to sell-out like recent Green Day or Red Hot Chili Peppers albums, and I don't think they will. I just want them to put out a juggernaut of an album that carries me like their best music has.

I asked a Live 105 San Francisco DJ what he thought having Brendan O'Brien back would mean with regards to the next album. He said Pearl Jam has such creative control and a firm grip on what they want to sound like that having O'Brien produce their record would not have much of an effect. He said he wouldn't mind hearing an album that sounds like their mid to late nineties stuff. I don't know if I want them to sound like they did in the mid to late nineties, I just want it to be a uber high quality work.
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    Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    a new record ?
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    PilatesBettermanPilatesBetterman Posts: 306
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    a new record ?
    That's 2 for a new record
    "So forget the other boys because my love is real.
    Come off your battlefield."
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    HailRoad24HailRoad24 Posts: 133
    bdgavin wrote:
    I asked a Live 105 San Francisco DJ what he thought having Brendan O'Brien back would mean with regards to the next album. He said Pearl Jam has such creative control and a firm grip on what they want to sound like that having O'Brien produce their record would not have much of an effect. He said he wouldn't mind hearing an album that sounds like their mid to late nineties stuff. I don't know if I want them to sound like they did in the mid to late nineties, I just want it to be a uber high quality work.

    I tend to agree that PJ has been doing this for quite some time now and I think a producer can only help them so much. Not to mention that they are all fairly strong-willed and opinionated, so I imagine that they only go where their musical muse takes them, not go into a direction where a producer steers them. I think a producer could nudge them some, but not much.
    -PUSH ME AND I WILL RESIST!
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    PilatesBettermanPilatesBetterman Posts: 306
    HailRoad24 wrote:
    I tend to agree that PJ has been doing this for quite some time now and I think a producer can only help them so much. Not to mention that they are all fairly strong-willed and opinionated, so I imagine that they only go where their musical muse takes them, not go into a direction where a producer steers them. I think a producer could nudge them some, but not much.

    Nah, Brendan was there for the 2nd through 5th albums, I think if anything Adam Kas[ar and Tchad Blake would be more prone to letting the band get away with crap. B.O'B has proven he can drive this band to greatness, their best albums were all produced by him, and the albums he produced were the best they've ever done and we will just continue to see them grow with Brendan back.
    "So forget the other boys because my love is real.
    Come off your battlefield."
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    wolfbearwolfbear Posts: 3,965
    bdgavin wrote:
    Brendan hasn't produced a Pearl Jam album since Yield. I've enjoyed the Brendan O'Brien produced albums moreso than the non-Brendan albums, even moreso than Ten. I do love Binaural, but it took me years to fully appreciate it. I don't share the same love for Riot Act or the self-titled album. I thought Eddie wasn't as awsome as he usually is (writing and singing) on those albums and that you could barely hear Jeff Ament's bass in the last album.

    I'm wondering what to expect from Brendan O'Brien's return. Why do you think the band chose to go back to him? McCready said some of the new stuff is poppy? Does this mean the album will be more radio friendly? Will Eddie write songs as deep and moving while at the same time as catchy as the songs he wrote for Into the Wild? I thought his Into the Wild songs were the best written songs he's done since Binaural or Yield. I also think his voice sounded pretty and passionate. Will the band adopt a Radiohead formula for releasing the album? If they release it themselves they might have incentive to make the album commercially and radio-friendly, because if it is a successful record they could be in for a huge payday. I'd love for them to put out a challenging album with catchy songs, not unlike the Vitalogy through Yield era. I don't want them to sell-out like recent Green Day or Red Hot Chili Peppers albums, and I don't think they will. I just want them to put out a juggernaut of an album that carries me like their best music has.

    I asked a Live 105 San Francisco DJ what he thought having Brendan O'Brien back would mean with regards to the next album. He said Pearl Jam has such creative control and a firm grip on what they want to sound like that having O'Brien produce their record would not have much of an effect. He said he wouldn't mind hearing an album that sounds like their mid to late nineties stuff. I don't know if I want them to sound like they did in the mid to late nineties, I just want it to be a uber high quality work.
    Lots of good questions and thoughts there. :) I have no answers or even guesses, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. :D
    "I'd rather be with an animal." "Those that can be trusted can change their mind." "The in between is mine." "If I don't lose control, explore and not explode, a preternatural other plane with the power to maintain." "Yeh this is living." "Life is what you make it."
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    Blind3Blind3 Posts: 1,149
    I expect that they'll get together , mate creatively speaking, and in 9 months they'll gbive birth to a not so bouncing new disc for everyone on the Pit to criticize.
    "Buy the ticket,take the ride"
    Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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    MattyJoeMattyJoe Posts: 1,424
    Maybe they're unsatisfied with the sounds of their last 3 albums. I know I am. The music itself is good but I feel that some of the recording is not as good as it could be, ESPECIALLY with how the drums were recorded. They just don't have that rich sound that Abbruzzese's and Irons' had. Binaural and Avocado are especially bad for Cameron.
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    Surf RiderSurf Rider Posts: 813
    bdgavin wrote:
    What Do You Expect from Brendan O'Brien

    i fUllY expEcT hIM To BrinG iN a 20O PiECE cHOIr To BaCK EddiE Up. AlSo i tHiNK hE WiLL MiX In a lIttLE CyMbaLoM tHRouGhOut ThE AlbUm.




    foR tHosE wHo dON't knOw Of tHe CyMbaLoM: http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om08750.html


    tHiS aLbUm WiLl rOcK!
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    willtupperwilltupper Posts: 70
    I expect more cowbell.

    In fact, I expect a sequel to "Bugs" called, "Cowbell."
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    zenithzenith Posts: 3,191
    utopia














    .. oh, and a bonus tambourine to play would be a nice touch too
    impatience is a gift ........
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    bdgavinbdgavin Posts: 123
    bizump
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    Gonzo1977Gonzo1977 Posts: 1,696
    I'm very excited at the prospect at having Brendon back in the fold.

    He's done some awesome work with Pearl Jam in the past and I think he did an superb job producing (and playing on) their cover of "Love Reign O'er Me". Another case in point were his re-mixes of the "Ten" songs on "Rearviewmirror"; which blow the original versions out of the fucking water.

    I feel Brendon knows this band better than any other producer out there. The boys are comfortable with him and he knows how to get what he wants out of them.

    As much as I like the last three albums, I don't think they hold up production wise against the music that Brendon produced for them.

    Vs. Merkinball, Vitalogy, No Code, and Yeild, are the definative albums in the bands catalog and If the production even comes half way as close matching the standard set by those albums, I think we're in for a real ass kicker of a record.

    I'm just thankful they haven't jumped the shark and approached Danger Mouse or Rick Rubin to produce their album.

    Brendon is their man. He's like their George Martin.

    Later
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    JackieboyJackieboy Posts: 78
    I hope he brings back some of the pretentiousness to Pearl Jam. The one I can feel while listening to the recordings of In My Tree, Present Tense, Low Light, Faithful, Tremor Christ and Red Mosquito. They're so well produced. The way the synth blends in, how Eddie wails and the different distortions. I think they've lost some of their musical ideals and that's partly why Avocado feels so shattered. I liked a bunch of the Riot Act-songs and Binaural-songs but I still think that the 90s stuff is more musically interesting. Not simply "hard rock" if you know what I mean.
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    LedbetterdaysLedbetterdays Round Rock, Texas Posts: 555
    I do not even know what I want from them anymore. I thought I would like it if they were more punk but I don't. I thought I would like if they explored different styles more and I don't. I thought I would like Ed having more control/solo and that is OK but still.....I think I struggle with songs that have no meaning for me personally and Brendan has nothing to do with that. I would like to hear them be lyrically creative like Vs. and with the creativity of No Code and the guitar work of Yield. That is all Brendan's territory so here's to hoping. Now if Ed can just write more meaningfully again....
    Touring Fan since 1996
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    Evolution6579Evolution6579 Posts: 624
    I think this album will be their magnum opus. Being back in the studio with Brendan O'Brien will make the band feel comfortable. They will step back into this comfortable place and turn everything up to 11! Plus, Eddie said that working on Into The Wild made him excited about writing music with the rest of the band.

    I think we are in for the Best Album of 2008....or 2009.
    Chicago 8-23-09

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    jubilairesjljubilairesjl Posts: 497
    If O'Brien mixes it like he did with Yield then it could sound a bit different.
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    restlesssoulrestlesssoul Posts: 6,941
    Evolution6579 wrote:
    I think this album will be their magnum opus. Being back in the studio with Brendan O'Brien will make the band feel comfortable. They will step back into this comfortable place and turn everything up to 11! Plus, Eddie said that working on Into The Wild made him excited about writing music with the rest of the band.

    I think we are in for the Best Album of 2008....or 2009.


    all things point to yes, a rocking album!!! heres to hoping we get some of that good ol pj.
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18
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    wwfairfieldwwfairfield Posts: 216
    B.O. Mixed R.A.


    and.... in my opinion riot act is pearl jam at its' finest
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    Stephen FlowStephen Flow Posts: 3,327
    I expect everyone here to bitch about it until they have carpel tunnel syndrome.
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    Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,731
    personally, I think O'Brien is irrelevant because the album will only be as good as the songs they write. If the songs are good, he'll make it sound good.
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    my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    PJAMEDVED wrote:
    i fUllY expEcT hIM To BrinG iN a 20O PiECE cHOIr To BaCK EddiE Up. AlSo i tHiNK hE WiLL MiX In a lIttLE CyMbaLoM tHRouGhOut ThE AlbUm.




    foR tHosE wHo dON't knOw Of tHe CyMbaLoM: http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om08750.html


    tHiS aLbUm WiLl rOcK!

    typing like that drives me fucking nuts

    i hate it
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    my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    Brendan O'Brien may be the best rock producer of the last 20 years... and Pearl Jam is the best band of the last 20 years...

    so i fully expect it to KICK ASS! :D
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    DanimalDanimal Posts: 2,000
    PJAMEDVED wrote:
    i fUllY expEcT hIM To BrinG iN a 20O PiECE cHOIr To BaCK EddiE Up. AlSo i tHiNK hE WiLL MiX In a lIttLE CyMbaLoM tHRouGhOut ThE AlbUm.




    foR tHosE wHo dON't knOw Of tHe CyMbaLoM: http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om08750.html


    tHiS aLbUm WiLl rOcK!

    Is that Freddie on the left?
    "I don't believe in PJ fans but I believe there is something, not too sure what." - Thoughts_Arrive


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    wwfairfieldwwfairfield Posts: 216
    my2hands wrote:
    Brendan O'Brien may be the best rock producer of the last 20 years... and Pearl Jam is the best band of the last 20 years...

    :D

    that's 40 years
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    chicagojammer06chicagojammer06 Posts: 60
    maybe they'll use rick rubin next and make a Reggae record.
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    solution pollutionsolution pollution Posts: 49
    Big sound but digestible. Not as indulgent as Riot Act (where I think the band was pretty unfiltered) or as fine tuned as Pearl Jam (where I think each song had such a specific sound but does not necessarily feed into a sound as a whole body of work). His last album with Bruce Sringsteen really captured a moment. My guess is he'll drive the band toward a few big ideas that play off each other--similar (conceptually) to what they did together on No Code or Yield.
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    bdgavinbdgavin Posts: 123
    solution pollution wrote:
    Big sound but digestible. Not as indulgent as Riot Act (where I think the band was pretty unfiltered) or as fine tuned as Pearl Jam (where I think each song had such a specific sound but does not necessarily feed into a sound as a whole body of work). His last album with Bruce Sringsteen really captured a moment. My guess is he'll drive the band toward a few big ideas that play off each other--similar (conceptually) to what they did together on No Code or Yield.

    Nice predictions and thoughts. I think there are so many interesting things that could play out in the next few months. I can't wait to see what developments take place. I posted this because I figured a lot of people would have random ideas as to what kind of album PJ and O'Brien will make together. I'll probably add new developments to this thread as they take place to see whether or not people's projections came true.
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    TT98TT98 Posts: 134
    I think its great to have O'brien do it. Yeild and Vitalogy were my fav 2 albums..... I heard on the radio that cornell is doing his next solo album with Timbaland, I just hope and pray they never go down that road
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    DanimalDanimal Posts: 2,000
    wwfairfield wrote:
    that's 40 years

    Huh?
    "I don't believe in PJ fans but I believe there is something, not too sure what." - Thoughts_Arrive


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    JordyWordyJordyWordy Posts: 2,257
    Ledbetterman10 wrote:
    personally, I think O'Brien is irrelevant because the album will only be as good as the songs they write. If the songs are good, he'll make it sound good.

    well, thats not totally true. Vitalogy for example had some songs that could be presented very cleanly and win over the masses as singles....but the albums he produced all had enough weird tracks to put people off, and challenge listeners (Bugs, Pry To, Hey Foxy, Im Open, Who You Are, Red Dot, Push Me Pull Me)

    and BO'B was the one who first got ed to try layering vocals on songs like All Night....which is still something he does (especially on Riot Act), and which would totally change the sound of songs like bushleaguer, Help Help etc on the later albums

    BO'B also actually has played on several of the recordings (I Got Shit, Gremmie, LROM)

    and the drums, bass and strings in LROM sounded MILES better than they have on any of the last few albums.

    BO'Bs remixes of Once, Alive & Black were fucking amazing aswell. he can totally change the way a song sounds.

    Sure, Binaural/RA/PJ has great songs on them, but imagine how different You Are, Severed Hand, Breakerfall would sound if BO'B did them? he has much better sound for them band as a whole, im pysched about the new album.

    with LROM & ITW i think the bar has been raised and its right to have high expectations.
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