Speed of Sound: Solo vs. Full Band

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  • CranMalReign
    CranMalReign Posts: 1,928
    wolfamongwolves wrote:
    Speed of Sound was the biggest disappointment about Backspacer for me - even more so than Force of Nature, which is a much, much, much worse song.

    What's fundamentally so disappointing about Speed of Sound is that we've all heard what an amazingly beautiful, haunting, moving, affecting song it was from Eddie's demo, but the band seems to have drained all the soul from it by trying to do far too much with it. It's a beautifully simple song. They made it far too complicated, so that now it's painfully overwrought.

    But to give the rest of the band the credit they deserve, they transformed Unthought Known from a frankly boring song (lyrics notwithstanding) into something utterly transcendent...

    I agree with just about everything you said!

    Speed of Sound was gorgeous in the demo version. I was so stoked for it on the album. Then I heard it and ugh... ruined. I've warmed to it since, but still burdened down w/ weird 80s synthesizers and just overall molasses. Force of Nature is probably the most forgettable song on the album for me. Finally, Unthought Known is indeed transcendent... it's a masterpiece.

    Basically, what you said. :)
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  • AmherstJammer
    AmherstJammer Amherst, Massachusetts Posts: 1,510
    Full band Speed of Sound... All day all night every day. Love it!
  • pledgeagrievance
    pledgeagrievance Posts: 2,874
    Its not even close. The solo version is beautiful. The album version actually makes me sad/disappointed in a way. I heard the album version before demo and I thought it was the weakest song on the album (tied with Force of Nature, but that song is reallying growing on me). Then heard the demo and its haunting, melodic and very moving. The major problem with the album version is Matt Cameron. I love him but he just overwhelms the song. I have to agree, live in Philly it sounded good.
  • Rubberbandman
    Rubberbandman Posts: 439
    does anyone know how to obtain this track ? pm me
    itunes?
  • Ok
    Ok Posts: 2,146
    I'm in the minority, but I thought it was pretty cool to have both versions and I definitely don't "hate" the album version as strongly as some do. With certain of the songs, I wish Ed would do more of this and put out both versions with studio recorded quality.
  • Demps
    Demps Posts: 102
    The demo is nice, but it sounds like another "Into the Wild" outtake instead of a Pearl Jam song and the album already has "Just Breathe" and "The End" which seem like EV solo songs. I love what the band did with "Speed of Sound" particularly the drumming from Matt, as it is absolutely counter to what you might expect and what 90% of drummers would do. I think the song greatly benefits from what the rest of the musicians brought to it.
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  • kiljoythemerciful
    kiljoythemerciful Posts: 549
    I like both, but I think the record version is superior.

    The different parts of the song don't mesh as well for me on the demo. Feels like two different songs. I think the instrumentation on the record version pulls it all together (in the minority who feels Matt C's drum work is pitch perfect, maybe some of his best in terms of solidifying a sound) and really gives the final two chorus sections the power the lyrics call for. Plus the record version has lazers.
  • CranMalReign
    CranMalReign Posts: 1,928
    kiljoythemerciful wrote:
    Plus the record version has lazers.
    CranMalReign wrote:
    but still burdened down w/ weird 80s synthesizers and just overall molasses.

    Heh. One man's milk...
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  • InHiding19
    InHiding19 Posts: 2,385
    Ed played it solo at a couple of solo gigs in June.
    Out of the Blue and Into the Black................Uncle Neil Philly 08 here I come!!!!
  • rebornFixer
    rebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    Solo version is another somewhat bland acoustic demo. No thanks. Full-band version has some life ...
  • rebornFixer
    rebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    Demps wrote:
    The demo is nice, but it sounds like another "Into the Wild" outtake instead of a Pearl Jam song and the album already has "Just Breathe" and "The End" which seem like EV solo songs. I love what the band did with "Speed of Sound" particularly the drumming from Matt, as it is absolutely counter to what you might expect and what 90% of drummers would do. I think the song greatly benefits from what the rest of the musicians brought to it.

    What he said. Nice. Agree 100%.
  • DH62179
    DH62179 Posts: 312
    The demo is beautiful and haunting (as someone pointed out earlier), I think it could've have been put on the album as is. The Album version is ok but a couple weeks after BS came out I went back and listened to the demo and was blown away. Ed sounds so vulnerable in the chorus, so much better than the album version. Matt's drums leave a lot to be desired too I think, how about mixing in some brushes and giving it a Thumbing my Way feel?
  • mca47
    mca47 Posts: 13,342
    Demo > Album


    I think the release of the demo really ruined it for a lot of people once they heard the more polished album version.

    I like the album version, but I like the simplistic, haunting, passionate acoustic demo version much better.


    Oh well, I like both.
  • SOLAT319
    SOLAT319 Posts: 4,609
    TheGossman wrote:
    Solo version is 10x better than the full band version hands down

    :idea:
    I have no patience for bad music and stupid people...

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  • LikeAnOcean
    LikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    Both versions are just as good for different reasons.

    I find myself jamming out to the album version. I find myself getting lost in the demo.. there is no clear winner for me.
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun
    LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    dont like either one.

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