Thoughts on new album ?

24

Comments

  • Album is great. Arrived this morning and going through it for the third time. Much better than last few releases. MYM, Getaway, Sirens, and Pendulum are favorites for me.
  • maki_jmaki_j Posts: 70
    Its not good. :cry:

    Probably down there with Riot Act at the bottom of the pile for me. Sleeping by myself and future days are a joke.

    COMPLETE JOKE.

    I LOVE PJ. Absolutely LOVE, but can not bring myself to even listen to some of these songs. About half the songs are just plain horrible. In addition the track order is really, really weird. I will say Pendulum and Yellow Moon are stellar and Swallowed Whole has potential but the rest are just shite. I am saying this because I KNOW they can do better. Its been said a thousand times before but the rest of the band would do well to let Ed and particularly Stone write a majority of the songs again.

    For those that just got it and are listening... give it some time. It will FADE quickly. No staying power. I respect everyone's opinion but for me and just about everyone else I've talked to it no bueno! :(
  • nsepstrunsepstru Posts: 187
    I don't want to be a downer, but so far I'm very disappointed. I've given it 3 listens and now I'm going to leave it alone for a couple of days and come back to it on Mon or Tues and see if it it was just a bad first impression. My biggest "complaint" is not the song writing, I think my issue is with the production. I feel as though they've added Brendan O'brien as an official member of the band and he is taking over the direction musically. What happened to the guitars? What happened to Rocking? I'm not expecting every song to be a barn burner, that would just be boring, but seriously where are the guitars? Too much percussion, Too much keyboards/organ/piano, Too much production. We've always heard about Ed's feelings on the final version of Ten as being over produced and radio friendly...this takes that to a whole other level....Just my opinion.

    Like I said, not giving up on the album yet, hoping after a few days it will grow on me. Don't hate it, but definitely don't love it. I think the songs are good, and probably will rock live as does everything else PJ does.
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  • joebotjoebot Posts: 372
    After 3 listens, hit and miss for me. Feel like it could be a strong EP but is weighed down with a few songs that should be relegated to b side status. One of my least favorite PJ records.
  • I love it. :D
  • jvoorheesjvoorhees Langley, BC Posts: 199
    Really digging it. There's a couple songs that havent grown on me but Im sure they will... really looking forward to seeing them play these songs live!!!! Liking "Lightning Bolt" and think it would be an awesome opener for show...
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  • boyo79boyo79 Warrington, UK Posts: 6,525
    I agree that MYM may be the worst song on this. Fathers Son is great musically, but the vocal melody with it makes the song kinda a mess.

    Completely agree on MFS. The vocal melody really is wrong at times on it.

    As a standalone song I like MYM, just feel it is out of place on the album.
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  • The Waiting Trophy ManThe Waiting Trophy Man Niagara region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 12,158
    boyo79 wrote:
    As a standalone song I like MYM, just feel it is out of place on the album.

    Really, I think it makes a great one-two punch with Getaway. Not sure where else you'd put it?
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  • VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,905
    I don't understand all the Binaural praise. "Best since Binaural". In this same forum, when Riot Act came out, Riot Act was the saviour of the workd's problems and Binaural was universally slammed. I guess the human organism has a forgetting property. One that let's people forget the pain of labor so they have more kids. All I see is people slamming the preceeding album when it was universally praised. Binaural reflects a band in an intentional, controlled dive. Light years. Jeff said it was catchy so Ed said, you're right, I'll change it. Sad was shelved. The rockers sound sterile like there was no reverb in the room. Like it was recorded in outer space. On the other hand, songs like Of the girl are so rich and warm. I have to say LB is best since VS or Yield, skipping Vitalogy. Anything with Stupid Mop on it ...

    LB represents a wiser, energized band. If you want Ten or Vs, go listen to them. They are trying new things. Like Zeppelin with In Through the Out Door. There is no Lemon Song anymore. They have to grow and reach out. It is good for them.

    BTW nice recycling job. Recycling is good for the planet. SOLAT's solo gets recycled for Ghost and then recycled again for Getaway. That is certainly Mike's signature.

    I love LB. Congrats, PJ.
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  • ArtMarsArtMars Posts: 109
    I like the album. Especially the first 7 songs. Favorites are Sirens, Infallible, Pendulum, and My Father's Son. Least favorite tracks are Future Days (piano kills what could have been a decent song) and Let the Records Play. Overall at the moment I would say it is my 6th favorite album, but that can change at any moment. I don't get all the "best album since Binaural comments". I prefer this album to Binaural. Binaural is probably my least fave Pearl Jam album. Best album since "Pearl Jam/Avocado" sounds good to me. Overall I give the album 8/10. 8-)
  • nutbarznutbarz Posts: 227
    You're not playing it LOUD ENOUGH!!

    for what its worth, I have found myself playing this Album incredibly loud. It Just seems to Fit for me.

    Other thoughts I have on it.

    First time I heard Swallowed Whole - I thought, It sounded like the intro from Public Image, but its fast becoming one of my favorites on the Album

    Yellow Moon, Sounds like the start of Lowlight for about a second. lol

    But I am liking most of the album, Infallable is not my favorite, but it also took me 10 years to like Tremor Christ, and about the same for Red Mosquito.

    Pendulum is just Spooky to me.. And I really like the full band version of Sleeping by Myself.

    Now I just need to find a Lightning Bolt Poster... 24 x 36 would be nice. lol Fits with the rest I have
  • Disappointed. I honestly hope this is their last album.
    How is this the same band that made yield and Vitalogy ??
    Frustrating and depressing.

    I'm so sick of that god damn Uke and the slow boring songs.

    :cry: just a rant...

    See u in Philly for one last concert...
  • oysterjaroysterjar NH Posts: 1,235
    My Fathers Son is a favorite of mine...very interesting song. Love getaway, infallible, pendulum, swallowed whole, sleeping by myself and yellow moon especially.

    Yep, this.

    Wind this thing up.

  • I'm really liking it but they should have left SBM off the record. Not a bad version of the song. Might have worked better as a hidden track at the end of the album?
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  • Niko80Niko80 Posts: 1,539
    I have listened to this all day today and I find the album to be average. And with Pearl Jam, average is not good enough. Highlights are Getaway and Swallowed Whole, but these are not enough to save this album from the bin of forgotten records. The album will be used as beer music for a while first though. Maybe I will come around, but I doubt it.
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  • I've only listened through twice. I enjoyed it. A couple of really good stand out songs. I really liked MYM, Sirens, Pendulum, LTRP & Yellow Moon quite a bit. I actually liked SBM because I enjoy listening to the evolution of songs. This happens to songs after years of being played live usually but in this case just adding the full band to it achieved that. While I do agree that the production of the album overall isn't the greatest I think that once the bootlegs of these shows start showing up we will hear the songs totally differently and this may help the album as a whole at that point. Maybe I'm wrong. I will end this by saying this is far from my favorite PJ record but not my least favorite either (looking at you Backspacer).
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  • vaggar99vaggar99 San Diego USA Posts: 3,425
    SM10080 wrote:
    I'll come out and say it. I was completely disappointed.

    give it a few spins. i wasn't thrilled after the first listen, but the second one started to pull me in. thats the nature of PJ albums for me. Believe it or not, i didn't like Vitalogy, No Code and Yield on first listen. Now, I can't believe that was possible.

    This album has a lot of depth and shows that PJ still really cares about their craft. They don't need the money (I'm guessing), yet they still seem to work really hard at making the best music possible. If you are expecting another Ten, Vs. or Vitalogy, it will never happen. I think as an audience, we should embrace that. Those songs are out there and the band seems to have no interest and rewriting any of them. and it would be totally lame if they did that
  • Atomic PunkAtomic Punk Posts: 2,941
    Where did their balls go? The last 2 albums feel like they have been neutered. Too many songs that seem like they should be on an EV solo record. Mike and Matt are not being all they can be. JMHO
  • vaggar99vaggar99 San Diego USA Posts: 3,425
    Where did their balls go? The last 2 albums feel like they have been neutered. Too many songs that seem like they should be on an EV solo record. Mike and Matt are not being all they can be. JMHO

    Mike did write the first two singles, so seems like he's as active as ever. Matt's never been a big song contributor. one song per album it seems.
  • I think this album had more balls than Backspacer. Of course this isn't saying much. But I have always been of the opinion that content of lyrics can be considered "balls" too. An example would be Tool's melodic/soft songs. They still seem heavy. Just because the music isn't heavy doesn't mean the feeling behind it isn't. Anybody agree with that?
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  • just gets better with each listen, those you dont like it much give it time. interesting to note its dedicated to uncle neil
  • JoshoeuhJoshoeuh Posts: 167
    As individual songs, I think I like them all... As a collective album, I'm not sure what I think after only four full listens... The thing I like -- And dislike at the same time, interestingly enough -- is that each song seems completely different than the one that precedes it. While I think that's awesome and love the fact that they're changing it up, it just doesn't feel like there's much of a flow from track to track. This is particularly noticeable on the first half of the album, and seems to get better after Lightning Bolt.

    I'm hoping something clicks for me with it soon, and I'm sure it will... I can't really express how much I want to love this album. As much as I've looked forward to it, the fact that I"m not all in from the get-go is a major disappointment.
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  • strilostrilo Portland OR Posts: 483
    Overall I love it. I wil say though, what the fuck is up with Let the Records Play? It sounds like Pearl Jam Country. Fuckin' wrong. I am NOT sold on this song...
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  • nothinasitseemsnothinasitseems New Jersey Posts: 1,507
    Loved it since the first listen through the iTunes stream. Ears exploded after blasting the CD through the stereo system. MFS (edit: I do dig the music on this song though) and SBM need to grow on me a little more, but overall, I think it's a great album.
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  • jumbojetjumbojet Posts: 1,484
    strilo wrote:
    Overall I love it. I wil say though, what the fuck is up with Let the Records Play? It sounds like Pearl Jam Country. Fuckin' wrong. I am NOT sold on this song...

    THis is classic. People always seem to say "More Stone songs" but then Stone songs become the most bashed PJ songs. Example: Supersonic, Amongst the waves...

    I think Let the Records Play fits perfectly in the album, enlightening a bit the darker, bass heavy songs.
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  • october22october22 Posts: 2,533
    jumbojet wrote:
    strilo wrote:
    Overall I love it. I wil say though, what the fuck is up with Let the Records Play? It sounds like Pearl Jam Country. Fuckin' wrong. I am NOT sold on this song...

    THis is classic. People always seem to say "More Stone songs" but then Stone songs become the most bashed PJ songs. Example: Supersonic, Amongst the waves...

    I think Let the Records Play fits perfectly in the album, enlightening a bit the darker, bass heavy songs.

    Amongst the Waves is one of the most bashed? Guess I missed that...I think it's one of it not the best on that record.

    In fairness LTRP was so bad in my opinion that it took 5 or 6 tries before I would even listen to it all the way through. Now I've accepted it for what it is and actually enjoy the soloing on it.
  • october22october22 Posts: 2,533
    I have to say LB is best since VS or Yield, skipping Vitalogy. Anything with Stupid Mop on it ...


    Again with the Stupid Mop thing? What is with the insanity of people criticizing a record because of a hidden track?

    It's completely non-sensical and devalues the rest of whatever else it is you've written.
  • jumbojetjumbojet Posts: 1,484
    I love the fact that Jeff has taken the forefront in writing in this album. The most striking songs on this album all have Jeff signature. They are also bass-heavy and moody.

    Ed's songs seem to have catchy melodies, a bit too catchy for Pearl Jam sound, I would say. That said; Getaway and Lightning Bolt are still good songs.

    Individual contributions aside, the band seems to have worked more on this album as a collective unit. The songs seem more mature.
    What's your part, who you are?

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  • Dude, stupid mop's great.
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  • DiRtyFranK38DiRtyFranK38 Posts: 3,131
    the album is FANTASTIC. gets better every listen.
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