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Is Pearl Jam becoming TOO Punk?!

KM43590KM43590 Posts: 298
edited August 2013 in The Porch
I'm wondering if I'm the only PJ fan that's tired of their "punk" persona! ...Backspacer was OK, because it was different, but I'm hoping "Lightning Bolt" will be something different! "Mind your manners" seems to be "punk/rock-esk" and I'm tired of it! When I think of Pearl Jam, I don't Punk, or even: Grunge! I think Rock! Plain and simple! I hope "Lightning Bolt" is a solid example of American rock music!
Post edited by Unknown User on

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  • WhyNotSwedenWhyNotSweden Sweden Posts: 4,308
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDaOgu2CQtI
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  • Empty GlassEmpty Glass In Rob's shed Posts: 12,329
    I'd take more of the "punk" and less Just Breath and Future Days type songs, but that's just me
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  • pdalowskypdalowsky Doncaster,UK Posts: 15,164
    nope, they still play a huge range......there is room for everything.

    the fast punky songs have always been there - ever since vs
  • dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam Posts: 139,721
    nop
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  • Pjzepp67Pjzepp67 Posts: 445
    I'll take punk any day...it shows, as an ageing band, they are still "Alive"... :shock:
  • faithfullalefaithfullale Posts: 152
    I would say no, but if you listen on PJ radio on Sirius they play quite a few punk rock songs by artist who inspired pearl jam. Wouldn't surprise me to hear more of a punk rock sound at this point in time as something different from what they have done.
  • pleathermanpleatherman Posts: 472
    The punk aspect in songs like MYM is a great conduit for serving the uptempo energy they really excel at. Besides, the collaboration between the members results in a unique take on the genre. I'm no expert, but I don't believe there are many punk songs that contain MYM-type guitar solos. Even the intro is more Iron Maiden or Motörhead than straight-up punk.
    But to answer your question, nah.
  • DiRtYyELLoWoCeAnDiRtYyELLoWoCeAn Medford, Ma Posts: 1,605
    love the fast punk stuff. It really comes across live too I think SOME of the slower songs are setlist killers ie around the bend.... good song but theres a time and place for it!
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  • achon44achon44 Posts: 104
    I don't think so. Look at the three new songs from Lightning Bolt we've heard so far. Only MYM sounds "punk".
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  • lazlobluelazloblue Houston Posts: 738
    It's still Rock and Roll to me. :ugeek:
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  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,432
    edited August 2013
    When it's used as a small piece of the puzzle in a song, no. When it's used as a driving force of a song, yes. Like someone said earlier, that influence has been there since EV started writing. Stuff like Go, Animal, DTE.... great tunes. Stuff like Lukin and Supersonic are some of the worst tunes in their catalog.

    I don't think it's ever played to their strength, especially at this stage in their career. Those tunes worked better when they were young and full of piss and vinegar.
    Post edited by DewieCox on
  • DriftingByTheStormDriftingByTheStorm Posts: 8,684
    Pjzepp67 wrote:
    I'll take punk any day...it shows, as an ageing band, they are still "Alive"... :shock:
    pdalowsky wrote:
    nope, they still play a huge range......there is room for everything.

    the fast punky songs have always been there - ever since vs

    yeah, i'd argue the only reason Ten has no punk songs on it is because the entire albums was essentially written before Eddie was in the band, and before that was even a band.

    That being said, i prefer the sound of MYM to any song on Backspacer.
    I thought Comatose and Big Wave were two of the standouts on Avocado, along with Life Wasted.
    (also a big fan of Gone and Come Back, but that's another story)

    and I too could go another 10 albums with out more of the springsteen \ uke-townsend inspired Ed sits down with a guitar and bores me for 5 minutes songs. I don't mind slow (and i love it, done well), but if there was one style we could drop from pearl jam it would be the faux-folk saccharine sweet geezer-lullaby tunes.

    give me punk any day.
    throw Just Breath and Future Days away, or give them to Dave Matthews.
    :D
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  • october22october22 Posts: 2,533
    Some good points made. I would just like to add that PJ has never been and never will be "punk." Some of the songs they've written have been faster than others but I wouldn't call them punk. Anyway, I do wish they would realize it's not their strength, especially as they're getting older. Mid and even slower is when PJ is best. Faux punk is sounding worse the older they get and why do it? There's no reason to. More chill songs would be great but let's make it more Off He Goes and less Future Daze...
  • NWOntarioNWOntario Toronto Posts: 828
    It's possible to be too punk?
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  • deserteddotsedeserteddotse Posts: 1,276
    No!
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  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,432
    NWOntario wrote:
    It's possible to be too punk?

    It is for a band that excels at more interesting music, with a singer that can't scream quite like he used to.
  • Pjzepp67Pjzepp67 Posts: 445
    I'm new to the dissection and discussion of albums, but as someone who has listened to a fair amount of punk in my time, have the punk influences that are apparent in Riot Act ever been discussed or documented...just curious :corn:



    ...or was it only me and my musically restricted ear that picked it up... :?:
  • slingbladewyattslingbladewyatt Tulsa Posts: 73
    I'll take the punk. More punk please.
  • deserteddotsedeserteddotse Posts: 1,276
    slingbladewyatt wrote:
    I'll take the punk. More punk please.
    Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the Universe...
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,390
    edited August 2013
    No.

    :)

    They aren't punk at all. Many songs have a strong punk influence (which I really like most of the time a lot), but I don't feel that they've ever put out an actual punk song. I think they all sound like rock with a punk influence.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
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  • scratched vinylscratched vinyl Posts: 742
    Only someone who doesn't listen to actual punk music would refer to Pearl Jam as punk. So no, they're not too punk, or punk at all, really.

    MYM has a Dead Kennedys influence as Mike said, but even that's only in the verse riff, they get away from that by going to the melodic bridge, which definitely is not influenced by Dead Kennedys.
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,390
    scratched vinyl wrote:
    Only someone who doesn't listen to actual punk music would refer to Pearl Jam as punk. So no, they're not too punk, or punk at all, really.

    MYM has a Dead Kennedys influence as Mike said, but even that's only in the verse riff, they get away from that by going to the melodic bridge, which definitely is not influenced by Dead Kennedys.
    Agree.
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  • scratched vinylscratched vinyl Posts: 742
    NWOntario wrote:
    It's possible to be too punk?

    :clap::clap::clap:
  • backseatLover12backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    It's not "punk" it's called the evolution of a band. Either ride the wave or get off.
  • Tboz51Tboz51 Posts: 2,808
    Yes but in fairness Ed, Jeff and Mike have been punks for a long time.

    Stone seems pretty even and Matt is more of a unifier then a punk.

    I hope this helped?
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    :-)
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