Unreleased Pearl Jam Song "Better Days" Leaks

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  • primussucks
    primussucks Posts: 2,365
    Laddie wrote:
    Nobody else got a No Code vibe from the song? the sitar made me think of the version of Long Road with Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn. I'm not saying this song is from No Code. I don't really care when its from. I would love to know the backstory just for the sake of pearl jam nerdery. All I definitely know is that I like it.
    That is what I get out of it to! Though it likely isn't quite that old I definately don't hear any "newness" to it either like some are. People are speculating that it has to be after Riot Act because they were signed with Sony up until then. But that has nothing to do with it cause if the song was recorded in say 2001 but the band never handed the song over to Sony for release then Sony doesn't "own" the song. In fact every song this band has recorded since their formation they own until handing over to Sony for release. So for example if they recorded "Falling Down" or "Open Road" in 1995 those songs the band own under their own authority cause they never turned them over to Sony. So any song they release from the time of the expiration of their Sony contract would be released under "Monkeywrench Records" reguardless of when it was recorded. I'm gonna guess Riot Act sessions at the latest but could be older.
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  • Kilgore_Trout
    Kilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    primussucks wrote:
    I definately don't hear any "newness" to it either like some are. . . I'm gonna guess Riot Act sessions at the latest but could be older.
    the "newness" is all over eds crappy strained voice and cheesetastic lyrics... no way its pre-RA... the optimism leads me to believe it may even be post-obama election
    "Senza speme vivemo in disio"

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  • Marcus Maximus
    Marcus Maximus Posts: 282
    Oh god im sick of all this lovey optimistic crap don’t like this song at all bores the crap outta me
    Speaking as a child of the 90's
  • stuckinline
    stuckinline Posts: 3,407
    it sounds like it could be part of a movie soundtrack.
  • Gardenparty
    Gardenparty Posts: 1,910
    wolfman wrote:
    Oh god im sick of all this lovey optimistic crap don’t like this song at all bores the crap outta me

    Hey Wolfman, 1994 called. It want's its.....................ahh, i'm just f*ckin with ya :)
    “I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version.”
  • drsluggo
    drsluggo Posts: 4,742
    Gardenparty wrote:
    wolfman wrote:
    Oh god im sick of all this lovey optimistic crap don’t like this song at all bores the crap outta me

    Hey Wolfman, 1994 called. It want's its.....................ahh, i'm just f*ckin with ya :)
    Whoever wants punctuation in a run-on sentence did call.. I dont know what they want back though. :lol:
  • MayDay10
    MayDay10 Posts: 11,862
    after 1 listen, I believe this song should remain where it belongs.
  • BF25394
    BF25394 Posts: 4,940
    Veddernarian wrote:

    Good point. Look at the Zeppelin 4 and Houses of the Holy songs that ended up on Physical Graffiti, and Walter's Walk on Coda was a case where the song was from the Houses of the Holy era, a riff was used on Presence, and when it finally appeared on Coda, Plant had recorded the vocal track in the early 80's after Bonham died, obviously, for the album's release. So what I'm saying, this wouldn't be the first time a band finisher and released earlier material, at a later time.

    Aren't there examples of Pearl Jam doing this? Wasn't "Better Man" originally slated for "Vs.," and then re-recorded in the form that ended up on "Vitalogy"? (Yes, I know "Better Man" dates back to pre-Pearl Jam days, but I'm specifically referring to the fact that the band recorded a version when they were making "Vs." that got reworked for "Vitalogy.") I think the same was true of "Brain Of J."-- originally recorded for "No Code," then re-worked for "Yield."
    I gather speed from you fucking with me.
  • BF25394
    BF25394 Posts: 4,940
    The song grows on me. The first couple of listens, I wasn't that impressed. The third time, I listened through headphones and it struck a chord.
    I gather speed from you fucking with me.
  • Gardenparty
    Gardenparty Posts: 1,910
    drsluggo wrote:
    Gardenparty wrote:
    wolfman wrote:
    Oh god im sick of all this lovey optimistic crap don’t like this song at all bores the crap outta me

    Hey Wolfman, 1994 called. It want's its.....................ahh, i'm just f*ckin with ya :)
    Whoever wants punctuation in a run-on sentence did call.. I dont know what they want back though. :lol:


    I see a few things wrong with your sentence

    Good times either way ;)
    “I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version.”
  • HollisBrown
    HollisBrown Posts: 4,325
    Maybe this will be played at the yet to be announced or for that matter talked about solo tour that Eddie will do.
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  • primussucks
    primussucks Posts: 2,365
    edited June 2010
    If it is newer it could possibly be a demo. Mike and Jeff both said in seperate interviews recently that they recorded a bunch of demos in the Spring. This would also explain why management would be passing it around to one another now.
    Post edited by primussucks on
    Summerfest 7/8/95
    Missoula 6/20/98
    Alpine Valley 6/26/98 & 6/27/98
    Alpine Valley 10/8/00 
    Champaign 4/23/03
    Alpine Valley 6/21/03
    Missoula 8/29/05
    Chicago 5/16 & 17/06
    Grand Rapids 5/19/06
    Summerfest 6/29/06 & 6/30/06
    Tampa 6/12/08
    Chicago 8/23/09
    Indy 5/7/10
    Alpine Valley x2 2011
    Wrigley 2013
    Milwaukee 14
    Telluride 16
  • JasonE
    JasonE Posts: 531
    Unreal talent. This song gives me chills.
    "If you're not confused, you're not paying attention."

    "Rise above principal and do what's right."
  • Blah
    Blah Posts: 469
    This band should be so proud of the fact that a song they felt wasn't good enough for an album is simply breath taking. It's far from the first time this has happened too. They have countless songs not on albums that are mesmerizing. I wonder if God knows he overloaded the members of Pearl Jam with talent?
  • 81
    81 Needing a ride to Forest Hills and a ounce of weed. Please inquire within. Thanks. Or not. Posts: 58,276
    whoa....
    81 is now off the air

    Off_Air.jpg
  • Veddernarian
    Veddernarian Posts: 1,924
    BF25394 wrote:
    Veddernarian wrote:

    Good point. Look at the Zeppelin 4 and Houses of the Holy songs that ended up on Physical Graffiti, and Walter's Walk on Coda was a case where the song was from the Houses of the Holy era, a riff was used on Presence, and when it finally appeared on Coda, Plant had recorded the vocal track in the early 80's after Bonham died, obviously, for the album's release. So what I'm saying, this wouldn't be the first time a band finisher and released earlier material, at a later time.

    Aren't there examples of Pearl Jam doing this? Wasn't "Better Man" originally slated for "Vs.," and then re-recorded in the form that ended up on "Vitalogy"? (Yes, I know "Better Man" dates back to pre-Pearl Jam days, but I'm specifically referring to the fact that the band recorded a version when they were making "Vs." that got reworked for "Vitalogy.") I think the same was true of "Brain Of J."-- originally recorded for "No Code," then re-worked for "Yield."

    I don't know many PJ examples. I understand Severed Hand was written during the 2000 tour and then put on the shelves. Didn't make it onto Riot Act but did make it onto Self Titled. This new one may have been just that.

    On another note, any opportunity I get to throw in a Zeppelin fact or analogy, I can't help myself. I still have goosebumps from when Plant joined PJ on stage in the HOB Chicago and did Fool in the Rain and Thank You, plus others. Oops, there I go again.

    After having this new song on repeat for a while, I love it. Reminds me a lot of Long Road or Hard to Imagine. I'm not a voice expert but I think someone other than Ed is backing vocals in that la-la-la part. Sounds like Jeff. Can anybody put on headphones and verify?
    Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
  • cokelogic
    cokelogic Posts: 139
    There are a few options here:

    1) The song is a straight up B-side from Riot Act. And there's no real reason why it leaked.

    2) Better Days was written during Riot Act, but held over and re-recorded for Avocado (to explain the livelier vocals) and this is an Avocado B-Side.

    3) Better Days was written during Riot Act, but held over and re-recorded for Backspacer and now this is part of the EP Mike spoke about last year.
  • 81
    81 Needing a ride to Forest Hills and a ounce of weed. Please inquire within. Thanks. Or not. Posts: 58,276
    i dunno......reminds of slow lukin....too slow and not angry enough.
    81 is now off the air

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  • demetrios
    demetrios Posts: 97,794
    cokelogic wrote:
    There are a few options here:

    1) The song is a straight up B-side from Riot Act. And there's no real reason why it leaked.

    2) Better Days was written during Riot Act, but held over and re-recorded for Avocado (to explain the livelier vocals) and this is an Avocado B-Side.

    3) Better Days was written during Riot Act, but held over and re-recorded for Backspacer and now this is part of the EP Mike spoke about last year.

    I'm gonna pick No.3 . It must be that tiny icing of the cake what Mike had been speaking about last year, EP a coming!
  • primussucks
    primussucks Posts: 2,365
    cokelogic wrote:
    There are a few options here:

    1) The song is a straight up B-side from Riot Act. And there's no real reason why it leaked.

    2) Better Days was written during Riot Act, but held over and re-recorded for Avocado (to explain the livelier vocals) and this is an Avocado B-Side.

    3) Better Days was written during Riot Act, but held over and re-recorded for Backspacer and now this is part of the EP Mike spoke about last year.
    4) Or none of the above.
    Summerfest 7/8/95
    Missoula 6/20/98
    Alpine Valley 6/26/98 & 6/27/98
    Alpine Valley 10/8/00 
    Champaign 4/23/03
    Alpine Valley 6/21/03
    Missoula 8/29/05
    Chicago 5/16 & 17/06
    Grand Rapids 5/19/06
    Summerfest 6/29/06 & 6/30/06
    Tampa 6/12/08
    Chicago 8/23/09
    Indy 5/7/10
    Alpine Valley x2 2011
    Wrigley 2013
    Milwaukee 14
    Telluride 16

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