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Avocado: oh how I wish you were better.

harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
edited May 2008 in The Porch
I like this album, I do... But it has very little depth compared to the others; none of the aggression; it's mixed in a totally lacklustre, conservative way; Matt hardly ever rocks hard (WWS is a major exercise in boredom-drumming - closed hi hats all the way, COME ON MAN this isn't jazz).

Where is the intelligence in the songs, compared to songs like 'No Way' and 'Faithful' and 'Last Exit' and 'Grievance' and 'Long Road'.... you name it....

Sorry everyone. I wish I felt differently.
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

- the great Sir Leo Harrison
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • lennybennylennybenny Posts: 37
    That's exactly the way I feel about it. There's more aggression in 10 seconds of Blood than there is on the whole of Avocado.
  • flyinwhole313flyinwhole313 Posts: 1,651
    Sure, there are individual songs that don't blow me away on every album by every band, but when you get 5 or more GREAT songs on one album, it qualifies as a winner. Army Reserve, Comatose, Marker In The Sand, Inside Job, Come Back, Gone, Unemployable...I think it is one of the better and more diverse albums they have put out in a while.
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    flyinwhole313 wrote:
    Sure, there are individual songs that don't blow me away on every album by every band, but when you get 5 or more GREAT songs on one album, it qualifies as a winner. Army Reserve, Comatose, Marker In The Sand, Inside Job, Come Back, Gone, Unemployable...I think it is one of the better and more diverse albums they have put out in a while.

    I don't think any of those are 'great' songs, unfortunately. I wish I did. :o
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • restlesssoulrestlesssoul Posts: 6,951
    lennybenny wrote:
    That's exactly the way I feel about it. There's more aggression in 10 seconds of Blood than there is on the whole of Avocado.


    theres also 13 years between those two songs....maturing and less to be "agressive" about...


    i like avocado, but i agree with the mixing.
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    I don't think any of those are 'great' songs, unfortunately. I wish I did. :o


    army reserve is definitely great for me.
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  • SuzieMSuzieM Posts: 113
    I wasn't fond of it when it first came out, but after going through boatloads of bootlegs, I think Severed Hand totally kicks ass!
  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    This thread is just a sad opinion. Avocado rocks harder than the last 3 albums combined. Songs like Marker in the Sand, Army Reserve, Parachutes have more depth than you know. Your opinion officially sucks!
  • DedvwDedvw Posts: 246
    I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT.

    It doesnt matter what album you talk about, there are always people that don't like it.
  • MohabMohab Posts: 310
    LikeAnOcean wrote:
    Avocado rocks harder than the last 3 albums combined. Songs like Marker in the Sand, Army Reserve, Parachutes have more depth than you know.

    although binaural was equally good in my mind, id say avocado is as good if not better than any pearl jam album before it. I often wonder where some people are coming form who like the band and diss thier newer material, it rocks.
  • MichaelMcKevinMichaelMcKevin Posts: 1,161
    LIFE WASTED- Awesome, rocking tune
    WWS-Decent/Pretty Good
    COMATOSE-Awesome
    SEVERED HAND- A Fucking 12.4 outta 10
    MITS- (see Severed Hand's rating)
    PARACHUTES- So good
    UMEMPLOYABLE-Decent Song
    Big Wave-Not Bad/Not A Standout
    GONE-Not crazy about it, but audible
    WASTED REPRISE- a very enjoyable 54 seconds
    ARMY RESERVE- Good song, powerful lyrics
    COME BACK- Very beautiful song: guitar chords, drums, vocals, lyrics
    INSIDE JOB- Like i read on here earlier, it makes you not want to end the album. Great song to finish it off with as the song itself is like the album, a journey that starts one place and ends another)

    Not good enough for you?
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  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,887
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    I like this album, I do... But it has very little depth compared to the others; none of the aggression; it's mixed in a totally lacklustre, conservative way; Matt hardly ever rocks hard (WWS is a major exercise in boredom-drumming - closed hi hats all the way, COME ON MAN this isn't jazz).

    Where is the intelligence in the songs, compared to songs like 'No Way' and 'Faithful' and 'Last Exit' and 'Grievance' and 'Long Road'.... you name it....

    Sorry everyone. I wish I felt differently.

    this thread would have more relevance if you posted it about a year and a half ago
    2000: Camden 1, 2003: Philly, State College, Camden 1, MSG 2, Hershey, 2004: Reading, 2005: Philly, 2006: Camden 1, 2, East Rutherford 1, 2007: Lollapalooza, 2008: Camden 1, Washington D.C., MSG 1, 2, 2009: Philly 1, 2, 3, 4, 2010: Bristol, MSG 2, 2011: PJ20 1, 2, 2012: Made In America, 2013: Brooklyn 2, Philly 2, 2014: Denver, 2015: Global Citizen Festival, 2016: Philly 2, Fenway 1, 2018: Fenway 1, 2, 2021: Sea. Hear. Now. 2022: Camden, 2024: Philly 2

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  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Ledbetterman10 wrote:
    this thread would have more relevance if you posted it about a year and a half ago

    I'm not really concerned with 'relevance'.. Pearl Jam are my favourite band.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • DavanitaDavanita Posts: 854
    LikeAnOcean wrote:
    This thread is just a sad opinion.

    news flash: *opinions* are what forums are for.... you wouldn't give it thumbs down if you agreed, because disagreeing in this case is your opinion.

    so what.

    i don't like Avocado either! does that make me a lesser fan? hell no.
    for me, personally, this album just lacks spirit... it doesn't have the light of Yield, doesn't have the darkness of Binaural and Riot Act, it just lingers somewhere in between and it feels awefully safe and mainstream to me.
    i don't necessarily want the new album to be No Code II, but i do hope they'll bring that... "fuck it - we're gonna do this OUR way" attitude back. experiment, please!

    but hey, this is just MY opinion. :rolleyes:
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  • restlesssoulrestlesssoul Posts: 6,951
    Mohab wrote:
    I often wonder where some people are coming form who like the band and diss thier newer material, it rocks.


    :D me too :D
    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, Van I+II, Vegas I+II '24
  • RicsardRicsard Posts: 1,943
    I do like Avocado.
    I have listenned to it a couple hundred times and still sounds fresh to me. I mean it's still not a classic one for me (unlike the others)...I guess I need 1 or 2 more years to come...
    Budapest.Budapest.Arnhem.Antwerpen.Vienna.Madrid.Katowice.Nova_rock.Nijmegen.Rotterdam.Berlin.Dublin.Belfast.London.Venice.Prague.Stockholm.Copenhagen.Vienna.Leeds.Milton_keynes.Padova.Prague.Seattle1.Seattle2.Chicago1.Budapest.Cracow.Vienna..>>>LONDON.BERLIN1.BERLIN2
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  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    songs are great live...but the album is pretty dull. like Riot Act.

    hopefully Brendan O'brien will change all that.
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    ohohoh! because you demanded it!
    My review

    LIFE WASTED- pretty good
    WWS-great live, but this version is bland.
    COMATOSE-Awesome
    SEVERED HAND- Greatest PJ rocker in a decade or more.
    MITS- average
    PARACHUTES- below average
    UMEMPLOYABLE- hated it
    Big Wave- forgettable. should be a B-side
    GONE-worst song on the album and a huge dissappointment after hearing the great demo. what a fuck up decision.
    WASTED REPRISE- a very enjoyable 54 seconds
    ARMY RESERVE- crap. sorry.
    COME BACK- pretty bland. the last ten seconds are good
    INSIDE JOB- incredible opening minute (and probably ripped straight off of a 311 song) but after that kinda loses steam. Dont like the way Ed sings the lyrics either.

    So i give it a C-. Starts off pretty good but the second half offers me nothing. I like sad/experimental stuff too, but this album couldnt handle that.

    in its defense though, i really do think this album is about as experimental as most of their albums. the first 4 songs can be lumped together, but the rest are all over the place. I know PJ still likes to do whatever they want but sometimes it doesnt work out.
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    I listened to it a lot, in the first couple of weeks, but I haven't played it for two years.
  • prince119prince119 Posts: 104
    I tend to listen to this and Riot Act about the same amount. Very little.

    For me it does seem a bit uninspired. I like about 4 songs very much and have a few other that are audible, but I find myself skipping a larger number of tracks than the others.

    The real problem for me is the "datable" nature of the album. Most of their other stuff is laced with political or social commentary and still does not feel as "dated"

    I think that when I listen to this album 20 years from now, the themes and the content will be less relevant and that will make the album feel dated to me.

    Just my 2 cents.
  • Rhinocerous SurpriseRhinocerous Surprise Posts: 4,423
    prince119 wrote:
    I tend to listen to this and Riot Act about the same amount. Very little.

    For me it does seem a bit uninspired. I like about 4 songs very much and have a few other that are audible, but I find myself skipping a larger number of tracks than the others.

    The real problem for me is the "datable" nature of the album. Most of their other stuff is laced with political or social commentary and still does not feel as "dated"

    I think that when I listen to this album 20 years from now, the themes and the content will be less relevant and that will make the album feel dated to me.

    Just my 2 cents.

    Um... You like 4 songs, and have a few others that are audible? Call me crazy... but you should be able to at least hear the rest of the album, even if you don't like it.:p
    Smokey Robinson constantly looks like he's trying to act natural after being accused of farting.
  • MKTerpMKTerp Posts: 66
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    I like this album, I do... But it has very little depth compared to the others; none of the aggression; it's mixed in a totally lacklustre, conservative way; Matt hardly ever rocks hard (WWS is a major exercise in boredom-drumming - closed hi hats all the way, COME ON MAN this isn't jazz).

    Where is the intelligence in the songs, compared to songs like 'No Way' and 'Faithful' and 'Last Exit' and 'Grievance' and 'Long Road'.... you name it....

    Sorry everyone. I wish I felt differently.

    I like the album, but I agree about the drumming - it really pisses me off. I don't know who's call it is, but it seems like Matt's drumming just blends into the background. Listen to the drums on Avocado, and then go listen to Vs. No comparison...

    I still like that it's a much more upbeat, aggressive album than Riot Act. But I'd like them to go more experimental with the next one. Ed's strength now lies in songs like Hard Sun, not screamers like Comatose.
  • LloydChristmasLloydChristmas Posts: 224
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    I like this album, I do... But it has very little depth compared to the others; none of the aggression; it's mixed in a totally lacklustre, conservative way; Matt hardly ever rocks hard (WWS is a major exercise in boredom-drumming - closed hi hats all the way, COME ON MAN this isn't jazz).

    Where is the intelligence in the songs, compared to songs like 'No Way' and 'Faithful' and 'Last Exit' and 'Grievance' and 'Long Road'.... you name it....

    Sorry everyone. I wish I felt differently.

    I completely agree. I have tried and tried to like this album but I can not get into it. Since its release I play the cd once every couple of weeks to hope that it gains my interest but I can barely listen to it. Being a big PJ fan from the beginning I feel like I need to like it but I can't. I wonder how many of us fans can really admit that the album is not great.
  • HushBullHushBull Posts: 996
    They still need to complete the trilogy... No Code, Riot Act, ? (2008)!
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    HushBull wrote:
    They still need to complete the trilogy... No Code, Riot Act, ? (2008)!

    Agreed.

    I just need one more great album, and then I can officially write this one off.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • yosi1yosi1 Posts: 3,272
    I'd call it a "fun" album. Fun songs that are good enough to enjoy listening to without being particularly deep or moving you.

    But I'll take almost all of their other albums over this one.
    you couldn't swing if you were hangin' from a palm tree in a hurricane.
  • HushBullHushBull Posts: 996
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    Agreed.

    I just need one more great album, and then I can officially write this one off.

    Only one...how about, ehh, 5?!? Too many...okay, 4!
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    yosi wrote:
    I'd call it a "fun" album. Fun songs that are good enough to enjoy listening to without being particularly deep or moving you.

    But I'll take almost all of their other albums over this one.

    Again, agreed. It is a fun album, a good sunny day album. I've just never really seen Pearl Jam as a sunny day band. :o
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • PilatesBettermanPilatesBetterman Posts: 306
    Davanita wrote:
    news flash: *opinions* are what forums are for.... you wouldn't give it thumbs down if you agreed, because disagreeing in this case is your opinion.

    so what.

    i don't like Avocado either! does that make me a lesser fan? hell no.
    for me, personally, this album just lacks spirit... it doesn't have the light of Yield, doesn't have the darkness of Binaural and Riot Act, it just lingers somewhere in between and it feels awefully safe and mainstream to me.
    i don't necessarily want the new album to be No Code II, but i do hope they'll bring that... "fuck it - we're gonna do this OUR way" attitude back. experiment, please!

    but hey, this is just MY opinion. :rolleyes:


    AMEN

    Maybe they could make Eleven(the follow up to Ten) this time round, lol
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  • HushBullHushBull Posts: 996
    PilatesBetterman wrote:
    AMEN

    Maybe they could make Eleven(the follow up to Ten) this time round, lol
    That is a fucking terrible idea.
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
  • FahkaFahka Posts: 3,187
    edited July 2012
    .....
    Post edited by Fahka on
  • QballQball Posts: 283
    I have to say that the "avocado" album is my favorite. I just think it is solid from front to back. So many great songs IMO. I actually was hoping that they toured this album more than they did.
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