Okay... So where are all the Brendan O'Brien haters now?

doompony · October 2013

see, i like that sirens comes in after the onslaught. it's a sigh of relief.

Spiritual_Chaos · October 2013

dimitrispearljam wrote:

Im not a hater..i think he did a great job..
Im just not a fan the way he talks to the media and how important he says he is at bands choices..
And as other said..he isnt the only one out there can make amazing records with pj..
Binaural is a great exable what the band can do without him..

I think both Binaural and Riot Act (whatever you think of the records) have their unique atmosphere and sound to them. So I would not have a problem with Pearl Jam putting themselves in other producers hands. May it be Rick Rubin, Trent Reznor... fucking Jim James or whoever. Just someone who could put their fingerprint on the producing and see Pearl Jams strengths and opportunities.

Spiritual_Chaos · October 2013

MSnider44 wrote:

But that's just me. But BoB was soooo, so, so good with Vitalogy and No Code and Yield!

Was he, or the band? You think he would have gone with the No Code-direction if not the band was stern in their believe in going down that route?

I think the band was really strong and with a strong will back then. I think it would be hard for any producer to fuck those records up.

Now I sound like a BoB hater, which was not my point. Just that, I think those records would have been strong if Stone produced them himself also

frankmookie · October 2013

I didn't even know that there were Brendan O'brien haters

Still don't understand all the fuss,..

If he works so much with Pearl Jam it must mean that they like him, and trust him.

He was part of the albuns he worked on.. any doubt on that? He is a Producer and, in my humble opinion, a good one.
But you have all the right not too like him.

It's just that, in my opinion, you can't hate his choices alone.. becouse it's everyone's choice: Eddie, Matt, Jeff, Stone, Brendan, Mike, sound engineers., mixing engineers, mastering engineers, etc...

If you don't like a particular album or a song it's not fair to blame one man alobe, or is it? Specially in Pearl Jam...

Cheers!

rival. · October 2013

tracks 8-12 are COVERED in o'brien's cheddar.

elvistheking44 · October 2013

rival. wrote:

tracks 8-12 are COVERED in o'brien's cheddar.

Absolutely. The end of the album falls apart rapidly. I've said this a few times now.......I've never heard an album be so amazingly good and unbelievably bad at the same time.

fife · October 2013

does anyone really believe that the band who always done whatever they wanted to do doesn't listen to the record before it being released.

you might not like some songs but Pearl Jam does and in truth that really all that matters.

Better Dan · October 2013

I think this album sounds great. Only thing I agree with the detractors about is Future Days. The piano intro/outro don't really work for me, and I kind of feel like that song might be better with just vocals and guitars. I actually like the background noises in Lightning Bolt. Sleeping by Myself doesn't seem to fit the album, but I like it so I don't mind it's placement. If it was between including it or only having 11 songs, I would rather have it in there.

From the interviews, it seems that we might still be waiting for an album if it wasn't for Brendan, so I am very grateful to him for getting the band back together and helping them produce an amazing album!

JimmyV · October 2013

I really like the softer stuff on this record. Blown away by Yellow Moon in a way I wasn't expecting. Enjoyed Future Days too which after Wrigley I wasn't sure I would. That said...

...the piano outro bothers me. This is a good, potentially great, PJ record and it ends with a BOB piano solo. That bothers me for some reason. If it was Boom it wouldn't bother me at all. I understand this might not sound entirely rational and that many will disagree.

dimitrispearljam · October 2013

rival. wrote:

tracks 8-12 are COVERED in o'brien's cheddar.

i fully disagree about track number 11.....!!

rival. · October 2013

dimitrispearljam wrote:

rival. wrote:

tracks 8-12 are COVERED in o'brien's cheddar.

i fully disagree about track number 11.....!!

it's all good. listened to the album start to finish twice last night.

love the overall vibe though. i think it's already safe to say it is their best work since riot act (easily better than backspacer, might duke it out with self titled when the dust settles).

Better Dan · October 2013

JimmyV wrote:

I really like the softer stuff on this record. Blown away by Yellow Moon in a way I wasn't expecting. Enjoyed Future Days too which after Wrigley I wasn't sure I would. That said...

...the piano outro bothers me. This is a good, potentially great, PJ record and it ends with a BOB piano solo. That bothers me for some reason. If it was Boom it wouldn't bother me at all. I understand this might not sound entirely rational and that many will disagree.

I understand your point and agree. It's a great PJ record that ends with a producer playing what many believe to be an unnecessary piano part rather than ending with a member of PJ playing/singing.

thefixer9 · October 2013

I still really like Brendan O'Brien, and Lightning Bolt is a great album, but there are a couple of songs that the production sounds a little too clean. Still a great album.

Nami · October 2013

BN8419 wrote:

One is still right here. Call me a hater, whatever, my hand is raised.

Many examples of this opinion-

1) Who in their right mind puts Sirens after that abrupt end to MFS? Crazy. Kills the momentum and takes away from Sirens. Put it after Swallowed Whole where it can breathe. You know, so it can catch it's breath to breathe...

2) SBM is a xmas single. Plain and simple. Way out of place here. Just idiotic. I kinda like it in and of itself, but no way it fits on this album. No way.

3) Just stop it with the pianos on FD. Just start after the intro piano and stop before the outro piano, the song works 3x better. It actually becomes a beautiful song without distraction.

4) Pendulum is the best piece of music this band has produced in over a decade, probably since Binaural. Just shows how good Backspacer might have been without it being a return to pop, with sugary B o'B fingerprints. These guys still have it in them, stop and think where they would go if they didn't have another influence that is basically the 6th/7th band member? There's a reason why they look at Boom as a touring member, not a writing member.

Now, I will give a little credit, for the rest of the songs, I think this album is much better produced than S/T, night and day better, even. But some of the decisions that B o'B has been a part of on the last two records are just mind-boggling.

#2 agree... dont wanna say idiotic but imo doesn't fit on the album. Just my opinion and no disrespect to the band or Mr. O'Brien.

Other than that, the album is solid from beginning to end.

High Fidelity 2000 · October 2013

october22 wrote:

Dude, you have to like Yellow Moon. You simply have to.

Listen again.

You know, I probably will when I listen to it more. Just when it started, all I could think was Low Light II. It just seems like the album gets so tired out towards the end. I've only listened once... I need more experience of course before I decide.

PearlJammer623 · October 2013

As i just finished up listening to the new record for the third time. I cannot help but hear the WHO in some of the songs. A lot of the songs had a WHO ARE YOU (the record) and Endless Wire (the record) feel to it.
Which is just fine with me. They really explored outside the box with this record.

I really like the new album. If i had to be picky, i would say there are some songs where the lyrics are wordy and smoother the music, and i would have NOT recycled one of ED's ukulele solo songs.

Some people just have to face that they are not and will never be the same band they were on the first 5 records.
The world has changed, people have changed, and sadly rock music has changed. I think until another band comes along and strips it down to the basics,like pearl jam (in their prime), sound garden, and nirvana did in the 90's, we will have a pop-like, commercial driven style of Rock music. I think the Kings of Leon do it the best these days. They changed to become pop-rock, yet stayed tough enough with some wriffs/good lyrics to keep the older fans, and yet still be radio friendly and considered rock.

Vedd Hedd · October 2013

Last-12-Exit wrote:

and after listening to the while album for the fist time, my first reaction is to get rid of the fucking piano/keyboards all together. Later boom. it was nice knowing ya.

Ouch.. No way....

Vedd Hedd · October 2013

I absolutely love the keys in FD. In fact, that song perfectly sums up the album, and in order to do that, they needed something different for them.

The whole album is about death, destruction, dealing with life while death is all around.....

FD was the only ending for this album, and the keys are the only ending for that song.

JimmyV · October 2013

Vedd Hedd wrote:

I absolutely love the keys in FD. In fact, that song perfectly sums up the album, and in order to do that, they needed something different for them.

The whole album is about death, destruction, dealing with life while death is all around.....

FD was the only ending for this album, and the keys are the only ending for that song.

So the only ending for the song which is the only ending for the album needed to be played by someone not in the band? Strange. I'm not hating on the song, I like the song, I just don't like the piano-by-producer outro to close the record.

jtr101 · October 2013

Ledbetterdays wrote:

The things I do not like about this album are Brendan O'Briens fault. Lose the Casio keyboard. Lose sleeping by Myself and make them pound out a finished version of Of the Earth. Then stop making albums that run out of gas half way through. Oh and Infallible would have been and will be epic live when it sounds like real guitars. That being said Pendulum is awesome. Also please make sure Ed knows Future Days is not a Pearl Jam song.

Pretty much sums it up right there.... great post!

Okay... So where are all the Brendan O'Brien haters now?

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