Pilate: Thumbs up? Thumbs down? And why?

Jeanwah · July 2009

slightofjeff wrote:

Here's some info, straight from the bassist's mouth, courtesy of a 1998 Guitar World interview:

"I think 'Pilate' was the question I was asking myself, and 'Low Light' was the answer, the realization. Have you ever read The Master and Margarita (by Mikhail Bulgakov)? I just read that book, and at the end they talk about Pontius Pilate being all alone on a mountain with his dog. He couldn't sleep and he couldn't function. It really struck me hard, because at that point I was feeling very alone. I've always had this recurring dream about being old and just me and my dog sitting on the porch.

It wasn't necessarily a sad dream or a premonition, but it did get me to thinking about why Pilate was so alone and freaked out. Then I realized he didn't get to finish his conversation with Jesus—that's why he can't function, because he didn't tie up the loose ends in his life.

Later, I was playing the guitar, and I was hit so hard by this amazing, emotion. In that moment the words "low light" came out, and somehow those were the only words to explain what I was feeling. It was a kind of gratefulness at finding that place of calm and peace at my center and getting a glimpse of the person I could choose to be.

It was the purest happiness that I've experienced in a long time, that particular emotion. God, I thought I was going to explode. I feel very lucky to have been able to put it down on tape that morning and work thorough it until it became a song."

Thanks for adding this! I've never cared for Pilate, solely due to the chorus; something about it always made me cringe although I've always liked the melody of the rest of the song.
I'll listen to it (and Lowlight) a bit differently now.

kiljoythemerciful · July 2009

Pale Blue Eyes wrote:

Great story from Jeff about the connection b/w Pilate and Lowlight! This is fantastic stuff, thanks for sharing, all of you!

It all only makes me dig this song more, and it's great to hear others are as fascinated by it as I am. I know what album I'll be playing on the iPod at the gym tonight...

I luuuuv posts like this. Yeah, I was forced to play Yield after reading those statements by Jeff. Dude was inspired for these songs.

Kilgore_Trout · July 2009

kiljoythemerciful wrote:

Pale Blue Eyes wrote:

Great story from Jeff about the connection b/w Pilate and Lowlight! This is fantastic stuff, thanks for sharing, all of you!

It all only makes me dig this song more, and it's great to hear others are as fascinated by it as I am. I know what album I'll be playing on the iPod at the gym tonight...

I luuuuv posts like this. Yeah, I was forced to play Yield after reading those statements by Jeff. Dude was inspired for these songs.

hey another champaign fan! waddup?? you a student too?

im with ya... just popped in yield to give it an attentive listen... if/when they bust out pilate live i hope they play low light right after

kiljoythemerciful · July 2009

sgossard3 wrote:

kiljoythemerciful wrote:

Pale Blue Eyes wrote:

Great story from Jeff about the connection b/w Pilate and Lowlight! This is fantastic stuff, thanks for sharing, all of you!

It all only makes me dig this song more, and it's great to hear others are as fascinated by it as I am. I know what album I'll be playing on the iPod at the gym tonight...

I luuuuv posts like this. Yeah, I was forced to play Yield after reading those statements by Jeff. Dude was inspired for these songs.

hey another champaign fan! waddup?? you a student too?

im with ya... just popped in yield to give it an attentive listen... if/when they bust out pilate live i hope they play low light right after

Yeah, we should start a 'paign jam club

I actually teach over at Parkland College, but I may be going to UI in '10 to get phd. I wouldn't mind seeing a pilate, lowlight 1 2 punch in Chicago.

Vedder_Girl77 · July 2009

It is a decent song. Not my favorite PJ song but I agree with others who have said that it fits in well with Yield. Was a good B-side to Given to Fly.

let the song protest · July 2009

I also want to add how well Ed sings this song. it's another stellar vocal performance from him, in line with the rest of his excellent singing on that album. not sure what it was about Yield, but his voice had a real warmth, i think, that was showcased very well on the slower or mid-tempo numbers. I always remember on SVT where he talks about previous to that album he'd been wrestling with the notion of it being undignified to be a singer, or something like that, so part of me has always wondered if he decided to heck with that, I'm going to sing the hell out of this record for Yield. Either way, great stuff.

Kilgore_Trout · July 2009

kiljoythemerciful wrote:

Yeah, we should start a 'paign jam club

I actually teach over at Parkland College, but I may be going to UI in '10 to get phd. I wouldn't mind seeing a pilate, lowlight 1 2 punch in Chicago.

sounds like a plan... we can hijack the murphys jukebox

lemme know if you wanna carpool to the chicago shows from champaign... im friendly enough and it couldnt hurt to save on gas

Evacuation Rules · July 2009

I think it's a nice song but it would have worked better as a b-side.

let the song protest · July 2009

Evacuation Rules wrote:

I think it's a nice song but it would have worked better as a b-side.

Ya know, I wonder if it had been a b-side, if more people would be into b/c it was rare and a secret treasure, like a Leatherman or Black, Red, Yellow (two excellent b-sides, IMHO).

ComeToTX · July 2009

fits well on yield. lucky enough to see it live in '98

craigb · July 2009

DS114969 wrote:

Bridge is one of my favorite parts of a PJ song. Chorus is one of my least fav parts of a PJ song. Overall though, I'll give it a thumbs up. Really depends on my mood though, as sometimes I'll skip it or just FFWD to the bridge LOL.

Couldn't have said it better.

LikeAnOcean · July 2009

I'm going to get tomatos thrown at me, but..

I've always felt Yield was a compilation of unfinished songs.. Pilate especially.

To me, Wishlist, Pilate, MFC and Low Light feel unfinished. Almost improvised.

Thats my problem with Yield. Other than that, great sound and good album.

dreamweaver · July 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

I'm going to get tomatos thrown at me, but..

I've always felt Yield was a compilation of unfinished songs.. Pilate especially.

To me, Wishlist, Pilate, MFC and Low Light feel unfinished. Almost improvised.

Thats my problem with Yield. Other than that, great sound and good album.

I can see what your saying but only because I know that you've missed the point of these songs...

dreamweaver · July 2009

PearlJamPatriot wrote:

Never liked this song. "Like Pilate, I have a dog" sounds corny to me. Just my opinion.
"

he's the one, who like's all our pretty songs, and he likes to sing along, but he don't know what it means, don't know what it means....]

LikeAnOcean · July 2009

dreamweaver wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

I'm going to get tomatos thrown at me, but..

I've always felt Yield was a compilation of unfinished songs.. Pilate especially.

To me, Wishlist, Pilate, MFC and Low Light feel unfinished. Almost improvised.

Thats my problem with Yield. Other than that, great sound and good album.

I can see what your saying but only because I know that you've missed the point of these songs...

What was this point?

dreamweaver · July 2009

the point is my friend... Yield is an album that has alot of soul searching throughout. I believe it is THE album that has created this connection with their fans on a level they would not achieve without making it. That's why people don't get the record because it doesn't make sense at first, the songs seem bland at first, but once you really think about it and you let yourself completely open up to it.. it really is something very very special.

LikeAnOcean · July 2009

dreamweaver wrote:

the point is my friend... Yield is an album that has alot of soul searching throughout. I believe it is THE album that has created this connection with their fans on a level they would not achieve without making it. That's why people don't get the record because it doesn't make sense at first, the songs seem bland at first, but once you really think about it and you let yourself completely open up to it.. it really is something very very special.

Oh, I really thought about it, and opened up to it, about 11 years ago.. Don't get me wrong, its a great album and given Pearl Jam's record their most up lifting..

Kilgore_Trout · July 2009

dreamweaver wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

I'm going to get tomatos thrown at me, but..

I've always felt Yield was a compilation of unfinished songs.. Pilate especially.

To me, Wishlist, Pilate, MFC and Low Light feel unfinished. Almost improvised.

Thats my problem with Yield. Other than that, great sound and good album.

I can see what your saying but only because I know that you've missed the point of these songs...

how wonderfully pretentious :geek:

people are allowed to understand and not like it

personally its my favorite album of PJ's but theres no need to make people feel dumb if its not

dreamweaver · July 2009

I only feel that if they know more about it, then they will love it... I only know that from my own trials with the unknown

to say the songs are incomplete is wrong, they are what they are. and they are like full grown plants

LikeAnOcean · July 2009

dreamweaver wrote:

to say the songs are incomplete is wrong, they are what they are. and they are like full grown plants

Of course they are complete songs, but for me, personally, they feel like they are missing something.

Music is all relative. You don't necessarily learn from it. You feel from it and relate it to your life.

Pilate: Thumbs up? Thumbs down? And why?

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