Some people are above that though.
I laughed when I was on someone's myspacebook account and they didn't even mention that they liked PJ though there were alot of other bands listed.
Weird I tell you since they spend alot of time on here.
I guess I don't care what other's impressions of me are.
I love Pearl Jam, though I haven't listened to it in quite a while. Tho it comes on in the car and gym via live recordings.
Well, you're talking to a guy who openly declares his love for Bon Jovi on a regular basis, so any form of musical snobbery went out the window a long time ago for me.
Come to think of, a Pearl Jam cover of Bad Medicine....
Smokey Robinson constantly looks like he's trying to act natural after being accused of farting.
I think people compare every album that they put out to the previous ones.
As musician they are always trying something new which is what you want to do!!! If every album sounded like Ten and Vs people would complain about that too!!!!!!!!
those who criticize the Avocado album don't really argue that it should be like Ten or Vs or any album. you're right about having to trying something new with every album. but I ask you now, what's so different about the Avocado? what artistic leaps were made? they're doing the same stuff they did in the mid nineties, just not as well.
I think that Life Wasted is a really bad re-tread of Last Exit, and Severed Hand is one of the stupidest riffs Eddie has ever written. But that's just my opinion. I don't really have a problem with other people's opinions. Everybody is going to like different songs. I'm just surprised that the majority of Pearl Jam's fans seem content to enjoy the most derivative material, and anything even slightly experimental is automatically labelled "horrible". It makes me ashamed to be a Pearl Jam fan, but I guess that's just how it is. I wish there was a way to open people's eyes to the greatness of songs like Evacuation, In The Moonlight, Unemployable, Big Wave, etc...
With all due respect, Life Wasted is a lot more complex than Last Exit. I'm not sure Severed Hand has a "stupid riff" and "Big Wave" is probably one of the more generic tracks on Avocado.
Get past the drum beat, which really is only vaguely similar, and you will realise that Life Wasted and Last Exit are totally different!
Hail Hail, Habit, Brain Of J, Do The Evolution and Save You all piss on Life Wasted from a great height in my opinion.....
Life Wasted is a rehashed Last Exit....
Personally i take Life Wasted over Habit, Save You and probably Brain of J.
Shows: Montreal 98, Barrie 98, Montreal 00, Montreal 03, Montreal 05, Ottawa 05, Toronto 06, Vancouver Night 1 08 (EV), Vancouver Night 2 08 (EV), MSG1 08, MSG2 08, Montreal Night 2 08 (EV), Toronto Night 1 08 (EV), Toronto 09, Hartford 11 (EV), Ottawa 11, Ottawa 16, Ottawa 22.
For all of the work that went into the album, I still think it fails in the end from poor production, and a surprising lack of inspiration. I agree with a previous poster that Ed is surprisingly inconsistent here and it hampers the album IMO. And I am not just saying his singing is inconsistent, but the songs he contributed are fairly meh.
1. Life Wasted-A very good, strong rock song, with a cool tempo. A-
2. WWS-I'm sorry, but when I first heard this song, it reminded me of an unholy union of Undone and Get Right. It sounds chopped up and pieced together, it flows poorly, and IT'S TOO DAMNED WORDY! Ed packs it so full of lyrics that the song just doesn't have room to breathe, and neither does Ed. Just not good. D-
3. Comatose-Fairly enjoyable. I don't mind Ed's vocal performance on this one. C+
4. Severed Hand-This song is in 3 parts for me, two of which are very good, and one which just stinks. The opening is fantastic and should have served as the basis for the song. The middle gives us a very generic, almost re-hashed riff from Ed, and the end is very solid and hard-hitting. I like Ed's singing style on this one and the bridge is good, but boy does that middle section stink it up. The opening really does not jive with the main riff of the song and just seems odd when put together. C-
5. MITS-A very good song from Mike. Ed's singing is solid and the lyrics are good. Cool progression and structure with an enjoyable jam out that SHOULD lend itself to further exploring in a live set (Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. If they don't, it will be criminal.). B+
6. Parachutes-Cute, but ultimately, it leaves my mind once the song is over. C
7. Unemployable-Enjoyable song, but seems unfinished. Ed's vocal delivery is good here. Again, just seems like an unfinished idea. C+
8. Big Wave-Average rocker with an okay delivery by Vedder. Sometimes feels like filler. This albums Get Right, but unlike Get Right, this one actually sounds solid live. C
9. Gone-The absolute worst song Ed has written. Period. And the band adds nothing to it. The lyrics are flat, the music arrangement is flat, and Ed sounds flat. I am still shocked this replaced something else on this album. Generally, in PJ terms, that means it replaced an epic tune akin to Sad or Fatal. They should be ashamed of this song. F
10. Wasted Reprise-I'm a big fan of Mirrorball, and I think this kinda stays in that Neil Young interlude vibe. Nice. B
11. Army Reserve-Where to begin. The most uneven song on the album. Has great potential, but ultimately sputters and fails. Great guitar tone, good arrangement. I like Ed's delivery, but for some reason, this song doesn't lift like it seems to have been intended. This maybe b/c of poor production, but who really knows. The end sounds like they just gave up on the song and couldn't figure out a way to bring it to a close. C
12. Come Back-Not too bad of a tune. Fairly predictable, with an overwrought vocal performance by Vedder. The song is saved by the last section, which sees PJ actually hitting those peaks that they hit with Given to Fly. Not to mention, Mike actually solo's within the mood of the song and doesn't go off on a Rock Star tangent. B-
13. Inside Job-Without a doubt, the most ambitious song on the album. Love the opening, very atmospheric and Mike actually stays within the mood of the song. A commendable effort by Mike on the lyrics (I don't expect Mike to write earth shaking lyrics, and IMO, he does a fairly good job here). While Ed does over-pronunciate the lyrics in the beginning, he is on point in the 2nd half of the song. A-
Again, I don't like the production of this album. It's paper thin, almost spartan. It has zero punch and depth. What the fuck happened Adam Kasper? You did a solid job on Riot Act, then this?
One of my biggest complaints lately has been Mike's playing. We all know he is a tremendous player, with loads of skills and talent. But it seems like he goes off on a tangent too much and can't seem to stay within the mood of a song. Some of his solos sound almost masturbatory, whereas I'd like to see him give a pile-driving solo which drives the song home. I'm sure many will disagree, but that's how I see it.
To me Pearl Jam is one of those unique Bands where I like every song on every album. Avocado may be an evolution of PJ sound. Great bands evolve musically. there is nothing wrong with that.
Light green to green, dark green, brown..
Every life is falling down
Brown to black, it's coming back
Dies to be part of the ground
Seed to seedling, root to stem
Wow...this thread just stretched on and on, and now I'm jumpin back into the fray...
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I personally love Avocado, just like I love every album they've done. Although I never listen to the first two, I prefer the live versions of those songs...
I feel bad for all you folks that think Binaural was 'Moody', Riot Act was 'Uninspired' and Avacado was 'boring'...Makes me wonder what enjoyment you get from being a PJ fan anymore, and why people would bother checking out the bands Forums...I'm not really into the NBA...I don't watch it, and I don't get on forums at espn.com and tell people how boring I think it is either...Not sure what enjoyment I'd get outta that...Personally I have had a blast being a PJ freak for the last eight years, seen some great shows, met some great folks, took some great trips, and their music is the soundtrack to life for me...
I'll throw in my 10 cents...not that anyone needs it...
With respect to the Production value of the disc...I think it was a choice to go more raw overall...i dig Riot Act, but if it has a weakness, it's the slick sound of it...a bit too Steely Dan, kind of steps on the energy...So I think with this one they wanted to get the sound of five guys in a room...Bleed and all...and I think they did. I think they wanted to be more direct in their arrangements and in general connect with a braoder audience...Hey, they've done Binuaral...that's probably as far out as they'll ever go.
I think they wanted a hard hitting, to the point old school Rock and Roll record...The sound is garage for sure...but I don't think 'thin' describes it...
Despite the directness musically, Eddie doesn't just bring the Pop Hook...he balances the more familiar Chord progressions with denser ones for the melody..There's a beauty to Unemployable, and Severed Hand that percolates just under your radar, and only hits you when you stop staring at it...Life Wasted is full on rock and roll, the kind the who, the ramones and the Stones made...WWS just grooves and grinds it's way into your brain, Comatose is all Ramones, and if you aren't looking to go, then don't put it on...
Come Back is gorgious, and Parachutes is even prettier and what the former lacks in originallity, the latter makes up for in spades sounds like it should have been on the White Album..
Big Wave is generic. An Indulgence for a guy who loves surfing as much as he loves making music...Jeff came up with the riff, and I remember the saturday morning cartoon it came from, but I don't recall the name...I know there were monsters in it... But I will forgive the band this one...it works ok live...they've earned a little grace by now...
Inside Job is a direct homage to the Who 'Blue Eyes' and 'Love Reign O'er Me', fine by me...The Doors nicked Ray Charles 'What I say' for the main riff in 'Break On Through to the Other Side', it's tradition in Rock and Roll to reinterpret what has come before...And it's pretty poignant, if a touch less poetic then Eddies lyrics...Gone may be less impactful than it wants to be, but it hardly fails completely...don't know why folks hate it, but I think it's pretty good, and I love where it gets to and the journey from start to finish of it....
All I know is it's one of those discs that I end up listening to for weeks in the car...I just end up leaving it in, listening to it over and over...And what a great song cycle...remniscient of the Stones 'Hard Side / Quiet Side' masterpiece, 'Tattoo You'...and in the era of uninterupted track listing (No more Flippin the Tape) it's a bold way to line 'em up...
Great album...And in the Gavin Degraw era we now live in, count your lucky stars that we still have Pearl Jam to bring us real music with real feeling and commitment...
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 hear you. I personally loved the avacado record. It would have been nice if they had opened the flood gates on WWS though. perfect song for that.
"All I Ever Knew" available now in print and digital formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.
2. WWS-I'm sorry, but when I first heard this song, it reminded me of an unholy union of Undone and Get Right. It sounds chopped up and pieced together, it flows poorly, and IT'S TOO DAMNED WORDY! Ed packs it so full of lyrics that the song just doesn't have room to breathe, and neither does Ed. Just not good. D-
4. Severed Hand-This song is in 3 parts for me, two of which are very good, and one which just stinks. The opening is fantastic and should have served as the basis for the song. The middle gives us a very generic, almost re-hashed riff from Ed, and the end is very solid and hard-hitting. I like Ed's singing style on this one and the bridge is good, but boy does that middle section stink it up. The opening really does not jive with the main riff of the song and just seems odd when put together. C-
I can't believe this, these are amongst my favourite PJ songs ever!!!!!!
The more I play Avocado, the more I will like to play it, it's growing on me in an incredible way!!!!!
Makes me ache, makes me shake...
...is it so wrong to think that love can keep us safe?
It ran out of gas for me but Unemployable, Parachutes, and Inside Job have tremendous staying power. Inside Job is up there with Present Tense as far as I'm concerned. That isn't a meaningless compliment. I don't have some long, drawn out review of each song, but the vocals on a lot of songs really start to get on my nerves, or they sound like recreations of old songs...i.e. Comatose= Spin the Black Circle. They aren't poorly written songs, its all in the execution...i.e. the wailing on Come Back. The album for me has always lacked flow, so I'm hoping whatever comes next has that moodier feel to it. Good album...just not a great one. Its also time to turn Jeff up.
Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Comments
Well, you're talking to a guy who openly declares his love for Bon Jovi on a regular basis, so any form of musical snobbery went out the window a long time ago for me.
Come to think of, a Pearl Jam cover of Bad Medicine....
those who criticize the Avocado album don't really argue that it should be like Ten or Vs or any album. you're right about having to trying something new with every album. but I ask you now, what's so different about the Avocado? what artistic leaps were made? they're doing the same stuff they did in the mid nineties, just not as well.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
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opinions are like assholes, and your stinks! Just kidding, I thought life wasted is one of thier best though.
With all due respect, Life Wasted is a lot more complex than Last Exit. I'm not sure Severed Hand has a "stupid riff" and "Big Wave" is probably one of the more generic tracks on Avocado.
Get past the drum beat, which really is only vaguely similar, and you will realise that Life Wasted and Last Exit are totally different!
they have 8 studio albums, no two are alike and they all kick ass.
you could poll 50 different PJ fans and get 50 different opinions on album rankings.
as far as avocado goes, i think it's really grown on me and i've come to love it.
it's tough as a band to produce many consistenly strong albums and i think pearl jam has accomplished this with their studio work.
i could keep blabbing and list all the songs but you all know what's on it...think i'll throw avocado in the stereo and leave it in for awhile.
Well put - that's what's so great about PJ they are so diverse
London, Copenhagen 07
MSG 08
SBE, Manchester, London 09
Dublin, Belfast, London 10
Personally i take Life Wasted over Habit, Save You and probably Brain of J.
1. Life Wasted-A very good, strong rock song, with a cool tempo. A-
2. WWS-I'm sorry, but when I first heard this song, it reminded me of an unholy union of Undone and Get Right. It sounds chopped up and pieced together, it flows poorly, and IT'S TOO DAMNED WORDY! Ed packs it so full of lyrics that the song just doesn't have room to breathe, and neither does Ed. Just not good. D-
3. Comatose-Fairly enjoyable. I don't mind Ed's vocal performance on this one. C+
4. Severed Hand-This song is in 3 parts for me, two of which are very good, and one which just stinks. The opening is fantastic and should have served as the basis for the song. The middle gives us a very generic, almost re-hashed riff from Ed, and the end is very solid and hard-hitting. I like Ed's singing style on this one and the bridge is good, but boy does that middle section stink it up. The opening really does not jive with the main riff of the song and just seems odd when put together. C-
5. MITS-A very good song from Mike. Ed's singing is solid and the lyrics are good. Cool progression and structure with an enjoyable jam out that SHOULD lend itself to further exploring in a live set (Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. If they don't, it will be criminal.). B+
6. Parachutes-Cute, but ultimately, it leaves my mind once the song is over. C
7. Unemployable-Enjoyable song, but seems unfinished. Ed's vocal delivery is good here. Again, just seems like an unfinished idea. C+
8. Big Wave-Average rocker with an okay delivery by Vedder. Sometimes feels like filler. This albums Get Right, but unlike Get Right, this one actually sounds solid live. C
9. Gone-The absolute worst song Ed has written. Period. And the band adds nothing to it. The lyrics are flat, the music arrangement is flat, and Ed sounds flat. I am still shocked this replaced something else on this album. Generally, in PJ terms, that means it replaced an epic tune akin to Sad or Fatal. They should be ashamed of this song. F
10. Wasted Reprise-I'm a big fan of Mirrorball, and I think this kinda stays in that Neil Young interlude vibe. Nice. B
11. Army Reserve-Where to begin. The most uneven song on the album. Has great potential, but ultimately sputters and fails. Great guitar tone, good arrangement. I like Ed's delivery, but for some reason, this song doesn't lift like it seems to have been intended. This maybe b/c of poor production, but who really knows. The end sounds like they just gave up on the song and couldn't figure out a way to bring it to a close. C
12. Come Back-Not too bad of a tune. Fairly predictable, with an overwrought vocal performance by Vedder. The song is saved by the last section, which sees PJ actually hitting those peaks that they hit with Given to Fly. Not to mention, Mike actually solo's within the mood of the song and doesn't go off on a Rock Star tangent. B-
13. Inside Job-Without a doubt, the most ambitious song on the album. Love the opening, very atmospheric and Mike actually stays within the mood of the song. A commendable effort by Mike on the lyrics (I don't expect Mike to write earth shaking lyrics, and IMO, he does a fairly good job here). While Ed does over-pronunciate the lyrics in the beginning, he is on point in the 2nd half of the song. A-
Again, I don't like the production of this album. It's paper thin, almost spartan. It has zero punch and depth. What the fuck happened Adam Kasper? You did a solid job on Riot Act, then this?
One of my biggest complaints lately has been Mike's playing. We all know he is a tremendous player, with loads of skills and talent. But it seems like he goes off on a tangent too much and can't seem to stay within the mood of a song. Some of his solos sound almost masturbatory, whereas I'd like to see him give a pile-driving solo which drives the song home. I'm sure many will disagree, but that's how I see it.
Every life is falling down
Brown to black, it's coming back
Dies to be part of the ground
Seed to seedling, root to stem
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I personally love Avocado, just like I love every album they've done. Although I never listen to the first two, I prefer the live versions of those songs...
I feel bad for all you folks that think Binaural was 'Moody', Riot Act was 'Uninspired' and Avacado was 'boring'...Makes me wonder what enjoyment you get from being a PJ fan anymore, and why people would bother checking out the bands Forums...I'm not really into the NBA...I don't watch it, and I don't get on forums at espn.com and tell people how boring I think it is either...Not sure what enjoyment I'd get outta that...Personally I have had a blast being a PJ freak for the last eight years, seen some great shows, met some great folks, took some great trips, and their music is the soundtrack to life for me...
I'll throw in my 10 cents...not that anyone needs it...
With respect to the Production value of the disc...I think it was a choice to go more raw overall...i dig Riot Act, but if it has a weakness, it's the slick sound of it...a bit too Steely Dan, kind of steps on the energy...So I think with this one they wanted to get the sound of five guys in a room...Bleed and all...and I think they did. I think they wanted to be more direct in their arrangements and in general connect with a braoder audience...Hey, they've done Binuaral...that's probably as far out as they'll ever go.
I think they wanted a hard hitting, to the point old school Rock and Roll record...The sound is garage for sure...but I don't think 'thin' describes it...
Despite the directness musically, Eddie doesn't just bring the Pop Hook...he balances the more familiar Chord progressions with denser ones for the melody..There's a beauty to Unemployable, and Severed Hand that percolates just under your radar, and only hits you when you stop staring at it...Life Wasted is full on rock and roll, the kind the who, the ramones and the Stones made...WWS just grooves and grinds it's way into your brain, Comatose is all Ramones, and if you aren't looking to go, then don't put it on...
Come Back is gorgious, and Parachutes is even prettier and what the former lacks in originallity, the latter makes up for in spades sounds like it should have been on the White Album..
Big Wave is generic. An Indulgence for a guy who loves surfing as much as he loves making music...Jeff came up with the riff, and I remember the saturday morning cartoon it came from, but I don't recall the name...I know there were monsters in it... But I will forgive the band this one...it works ok live...they've earned a little grace by now...
Inside Job is a direct homage to the Who 'Blue Eyes' and 'Love Reign O'er Me', fine by me...The Doors nicked Ray Charles 'What I say' for the main riff in 'Break On Through to the Other Side', it's tradition in Rock and Roll to reinterpret what has come before...And it's pretty poignant, if a touch less poetic then Eddies lyrics...Gone may be less impactful than it wants to be, but it hardly fails completely...don't know why folks hate it, but I think it's pretty good, and I love where it gets to and the journey from start to finish of it....
All I know is it's one of those discs that I end up listening to for weeks in the car...I just end up leaving it in, listening to it over and over...And what a great song cycle...remniscient of the Stones 'Hard Side / Quiet Side' masterpiece, 'Tattoo You'...and in the era of uninterupted track listing (No more Flippin the Tape) it's a bold way to line 'em up...
Great album...And in the Gavin Degraw era we now live in, count your lucky stars that we still have Pearl Jam to bring us real music with real feeling and commitment...
I hear you. I personally loved the avacado record. It would have been nice if they had opened the flood gates on WWS though. perfect song for that.
I can't believe this, these are amongst my favourite PJ songs ever!!!!!!
The more I play Avocado, the more I will like to play it, it's growing on me in an incredible way!!!!!
...is it so wrong to think that love can keep us safe?
gets to me every time
those two especially are pure gold, and even more so live