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  • tdawetdawe Posts: 1,990
    edited March 2020
    So I’ve been through it 3.5 times now:

    1. Streaming over Sonos Friday morning. Only got through the first four tracks (three of which were previously released) before the kids got up and started bothering me, so the bulk of my listening was on background while I was making breakfasts etc. As a side note, I actually have come to prefer approaching albums this way - listening on background the first time through to get a general feel, the later listening more intently (got that tip from a music critic friend of mine a few years back). 

    1.5. Put it on while riding my bike around town on a beautiful afternoon yesterday, dropping off bottles of wine on my friends’ porches. For better or worse, I didn’t make it past the midway point on the album, because “Seven O’Clock” was such a perfect soundtrack for what I was doing that I just repeated it over and over again.

    2.5. Headphones again, while grocery shopping this morning. 

    3.5. Got some time after lunch to sit down and really get into it, spun the vinyl (2M Blue -> Fluance RT85 -> Mofi Ultraphono -> Sennheiser HD6XX) and followed along through the book. 

    Here’s what I’ll say about this album: when it comes to new records from artists that I have a long relationship with, I always try to imagine how I’d react if it was by an artist I wasn’t familiar with. If this was an album by a new (or new to me) band, would I say “yeah this is fine” and never listen to it again, or would I put it on my “best of the year” list, start suggesting it to friends, look up when the band is coming to NYC, etc? If I’m being honest with myself, most new albums by bands I already love fall into the former category (which isn’t to say that I don’t come to love those albums anyway - the fact that I already am committed to the band usually means I’ll give it enough time to sink in). Gigaton is the rare album that I think passes this test for me - if it wasn’t Pearl Jam, I think I’d be penciling this in right at the top of the list for the year, and texting my friends that they need to check this out. It doesn’t hurt that, as a lot of other people here have already noted, the themes of the album are amazingly even more timely and topical today than they were when the album was recorded. 

    I said this in another thread but my only quibble with the album is that side C (Buckle Up, Comes Then Goes, Retrograde, River Cross) drags a bit. I think if they’d just flipped Take The Long Way (my least favorite tracks so far) with Buckle Up and/or Comes Then Goes) it would have helped the pacing of the back half just a little bit. 

    Also, as noted by several others, the record sounds great on vinyl through a solid set of headphones. This is a very busy record from a production standpoint, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Like my favorite albums of the last five years (Teens of Denial, Go Farther In Lightness), it’s layered without being distracting, so there is a lot to chew on and discover on repeat listenings. I have to say, I think the BoB version of this album wouldn’t be nearly as successful. That’s not a slam on him, but they made a good choice going in another direction for this one. 
  • ianpickusianpickus Posts: 24
    Comes Then Goes.

    Absolutely stunning.

    Thanks to the band for all the music and for still going strong. 
    8/27/2000 - Saratoga 4/29/2003 - Albany 6/27/2008 - Hartford 6/28/2008 - Mansfield 6/8/2009 - Albany (Eddie Vedder) 6/9/2009 - Albany (Eddie Vedder) 5/15/2010 - Hartford 5/20/2010 - NYC 5/21/2010 - NYC 6/18/2011 - Hartford (Eddie Vedder) 10/16/13 - Worcester, MA 10/25/13 - Hartford, CT 9/26/15 - New York City, NY 4/28/16 - Philly 4/29/16 - Philly 8/5/16 - Boston - 8/20/16 - Chicago 8/22/16 - Chicago 9/02/18 - Boston 9/04/18 - Boston 8/31/23 - St. Paul 8/2/23 - St. Paul
  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,632
    tdawe said:
    So I’ve been through it 3.5 times now:

    1. Streaming over Sonos Friday morning. Only got through the first four tracks (three of which were previously released) before the kids got up and started bothering me, so the bulk of my listening was on background while I was making breakfasts etc. As a side note, I actually have come to prefer approaching albums this way - listening on background the first time through to get a general feel, the later listening more intently (got that tip from a music critic friend of mine a few years back). 

    1.5. Put it on while riding my bike around town on a beautiful afternoon yesterday, dropping off bottles of wine on my friends’ porches. For better or worse, I didn’t make it past the midway point on the album, because “Seven O’Clock” was such a perfect soundtrack for what I was doing that I just repeated it over and over again.

    2.5. Headphones again, while grocery shopping this morning. 

    3.5. Got some time after lunch to sit down and really get into it, spun the vinyl (2M Blue -> Fluance RT85 -> Mofi Ultraphono -> Sennheiser HD6XX) and followed along through the book. 

    Here’s what I’ll say about this album: when it comes to new records from artists that I have a long relationship with, I always try to imagine how I’d react if it was by an artist I wasn’t familiar with. If this was an album by a new (or new to me) band, would I say “yeah this is fine” and never listen to it again, or would I put it on my “best of the year” list, start suggesting it to friends, look up when the band is coming to NYC, etc? If I’m being honest with myself, most new albums by bands I already love fall into the former category (which isn’t to say that I don’t come to love those albums anyway - the fact that I already am committed to the band usually means I’ll give it enough time to sink in). Gigaton is the rare album that I think passes this test for me - if it wasn’t Pearl Jam, I think I’d be penciling this in right at the top of the list for the year, and texting my friends that they need to check this out. It doesn’t hurt that, as a lot of other people here have already noted, the themes of the album are amazingly even more timely and topical today than they were when the album was recorded. 

    I said this in another thread but my only quibble with the album is that side C (Buckle Up, Comes Then Goes, Retrograde, River Cross) drags a bit. I think if they’d just flipped Take The Long Way (my least favorite tracks so far) with Buckle Up and/or Comes Then Goes) it would have helped the pacing of the back half just a little bit. 

    Also, as noted by several others, the record sounds great on vinyl through a solid set of headphones. This is a very busy record from a production standpoint, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Like my favorite albums of the last five years (Teens of Denial, Go Farther In Lightness), it’s layered without being distracting, so there is a lot to chew on and discover on repeat listenings. I have to say, I think the BoB version of this album wouldn’t be nearly as successful. That’s not a slam on him, but they made a good choice going in another direction for this one. 
    Great review.  Thanks. Good read
  • marjenmarjen CT Posts: 792
    Tier 1: Who Ever Said, SBWM, Quick Escape, Never Destination, Take The Long Way, River Cross
    Tier Two, Albright, Dance, 7 O Clock
    Tier 3: Buckley Up, Comes then Goes, Retrograde. 

    To get 6 solid songs at this point in their career is amazing. 
  • KN219077KN219077 Montana Posts: 891
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    Yep, I love certain songs off those albums but they just lacked as a cohesive album. This album  has its weak tracks but holds together well as strong album start to finish.
  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 28,258
    10-11-12 are so goddamn beautiful I could listen to them all day!
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,905
    Sounds great in the car.  My headphones are meh.  In the car, blasting with full range of sound is much better.  No bass on headphones, made the harder songs sound sparse.  A whole new album in the car.
    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
  • PJWGIIIPJWGIII Chicago, IL Posts: 806
    KN219077 said:
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    Yep, I love certain songs off those albums but they just lacked as a cohesive album. This album  has its weak tracks but holds together well as strong album start to finish.
    So true. This is why Josh Evans is the man. Nothing against Brendan (he's a legend), but the band just needed a new force in the room for the machine to start pumping again.
    "Red Rover, Red Rover, Mike McCready – Take Over!!" - E.V.

    Ten Club "Ambassador" (recap-writer) - DEEP.pearljam.com
    2018
    : Chicago 2 (Wrigley Field) 8/20 | 20(20)22: St Louis 9/18 | 2023: Chicago 2 (United Center) 9/7, Indianapolis (Deer Creek) 9/10

    EV:
    2018: CURE Benefit Show (Chicago - Navy Pier) 10/15

    RIP: Andy, Kurt, Chris
                                       * * * * * * * * *
  • VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,905
    PJWGIII said:
    KN219077 said:
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    Yep, I love certain songs off those albums but they just lacked as a cohesive album. This album  has its weak tracks but holds together well as strong album start to finish.
    So true. This is why Josh Evans is the man. Nothing against Brendan (he's a legend), but the band just needed a new force in the room for the machine to start pumping again.
    I'd like them to give the raw recording tapes for Binaural and Riot Act and see if Josh could do some good with them.  Binaural sounded so sterile and Riot Act so slushy.  For example, a Josh remaster of Save you, Ghost or Breakerfall would be great.  
    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
  • SmellymanSmellyman Asia Posts: 4,517
    edited March 2020

    Sounds great in the car.  My headphones are meh.  In the car, blasting with full range of sound is much better.  No bass on headphones, made the harder songs sound sparse.  A whole new album in the car.

    so earbuds?  those aren't headphones.  :)
  • tbergstbergs Posts: 9,195
    I'm really digging Alright. Love the interplay and Jeff's lyrics sung by Eddie. Alright seems to me to be a good show opener much like Pendulum. Comes Then Goes will be great to open Encore 1. Love these 2 songs the most of the slower tempo songs. I could see 7OC dropping like song 7 of first set. Would be a tempo killer much like Sirens was, but a good song that needs to be played.
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,434
    tbergs said:
    I'm really digging Alright. Love the interplay and Jeff's lyrics sung by Eddie. Alright seems to me to be a good show opener much like Pendulum. Comes Then Goes will be great to open Encore 1. Love these 2 songs the most of the slower tempo songs. I could see 7OC dropping like song 7 of first set. Would be a tempo killer much like Sirens was, but a good song that needs to be played.
    Alright would be an excellent opener! They could put 7 o’clock very early or in the first encore so it doesn’t kill tempo
  • tbergstbergs Posts: 9,195
    JPPJ84 said:
    tbergs said:
    I'm really digging Alright. Love the interplay and Jeff's lyrics sung by Eddie. Alright seems to me to be a good show opener much like Pendulum. Comes Then Goes will be great to open Encore 1. Love these 2 songs the most of the slower tempo songs. I could see 7OC dropping like song 7 of first set. Would be a tempo killer much like Sirens was, but a good song that needs to be played.
    Alright would be an excellent opener! They could put 7 o’clock very early or in the first encore so it doesn’t kill tempo
    True, they could place it in Encore 1 like they used to do with Just Breath and The End. River Cross could show up in Encore 2.
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,434
    tbergs said:
    JPPJ84 said:
    tbergs said:
    I'm really digging Alright. Love the interplay and Jeff's lyrics sung by Eddie. Alright seems to me to be a good show opener much like Pendulum. Comes Then Goes will be great to open Encore 1. Love these 2 songs the most of the slower tempo songs. I could see 7OC dropping like song 7 of first set. Would be a tempo killer much like Sirens was, but a good song that needs to be played.
    Alright would be an excellent opener! They could put 7 o’clock very early or in the first encore so it doesn’t kill tempo
    True, they could place it in Encore 1 like they used to do with Just Breath and The End. River Cross could show up in Encore 2.
    Absolutely! Can’t wait for live shows :)
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 28,867
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    I have a feeling people are dissing a bit extra on Lightning Bolt these days.
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,434
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    I have a feeling people are dissing a bit extra on Lightning Bolt these days.
    I noticed that, too! I really like LB, some beautiful songs on there
  • tbergstbergs Posts: 9,195
    The one song that I can't get into is Buckle Up. Just not feeling it. I've heard people mention it's the Parachutes of this album, but I find that a dig on Parachutes. I really like that song and thought it fit that album well. It may grow on me yet though, we'll see.
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • tbergstbergs Posts: 9,195
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    I have a feeling people are dissing a bit extra on Lightning Bolt these days.
    It's an easy comparison. The last album they released and not near as collaborative or original compared to most of their other releases. It really showed a band that was either out of gas or just coasting.
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • nicknyr15nicknyr15 Posts: 7,640
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    I have a feeling people are dissing a bit extra on Lightning Bolt these days.
    Definitely are. I fuckin love LB. so many highlights
  • VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,905
    Smellyman said:

    Sounds great in the car.  My headphones are meh.  In the car, blasting with full range of sound is much better.  No bass on headphones, made the harder songs sound sparse.  A whole new album in the car.

    so earbuds?  those aren't headphones.  :)
    I have this Jabra headset which is really for video conferences.  Has a big microphone coming around the front.  Not the best.
    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
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,072
    Listened to this a lot over the last couple of days. Split into 4 tiers of 3 songs each. Was tough.  At the moment the ones I love the most are:

    Quick Escape
    Super blood
    alright

    the least:
    never destination
    comes then goes
    retrograde

    Overall id day I love 10.5/12. Retrograde I’m not feeling. Comes then goes I enjoy 1 every 3 times I listen. These are so far becoming the skip songs.

    And while many disagree, I Love buckle up. To each their own.

    hippiemom = goodness
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,072
    10-11-12 are so goddamn beautiful I could listen to them all day!
    I feel the opposite. I fall asleep before river cross ever comes on!!!! 

    I’ll take the first 9 and you can have the last 3, deal?
    hippiemom = goodness
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,434
    10-11-12 are so goddamn beautiful I could listen to them all day!
    I feel the opposite. I fall asleep before river cross ever comes on!!!! 

    I’ll take the first 9 and you can have the last 3, deal?
    Whaat?! I agree with Jose, so beautiful :) don’t you like the more quiet ones in general or is it just these ones? Or is it too many quiet ones at once?
  • VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,905
    JPPJ84 said:
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    I have a feeling people are dissing a bit extra on Lightning Bolt these days.
    I noticed that, too! I really like LB, some beautiful songs on there
    I like Backspacer and LB a lot.  People diss the previous album a lot.  I remember when Riot Act came out, there was such venom towards Binaural.  I mean, caustic, acid venom.  Then, there was all this heated debate about keyboards and Boom.  A lot of haters, locked threads, etc.  When Avocado came out, the venom spewed on Riot Act and all these posts praising Binaural and Avocado.  It's a cycle I guess.  I love Backspacer and LB, probably LB more.  Some great songs from both.  Unthought Known and Infallible.  So when I see all the venom towards BS and LB, debates about the current release, Gigaton, I'm glad to see that in these strange times, some things haven't changed.  Long live the donut.
    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
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 28,867
    Listened to this a lot over the last couple of days. Split into 4 tiers of 3 songs each. Was tough.  At the moment the ones I love the most are:

    Quick Escape
    Super blood
    alright

    the least:
    never destination
    comes then goes
    retrograde

    Overall id day I love 10.5/12. Retrograde I’m not feeling. Comes then goes I enjoy 1 every 3 times I listen. These are so far becoming the skip songs.

    And while many disagree, I Love buckle up. To each their own.

    We are the same person. Bur replace Alright with Who Ever Said or DoTC
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 28,867
    tbergs said:
    MedozK said:
    So much better than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt
    I have a feeling people are dissing a bit extra on Lightning Bolt these days.
    It's an easy comparison. The last album they released and not near as collaborative or original compared to most of their other releases. It really showed a band that was either out of gas or just coasting.
    Okey. I think Lightning Bolt is them looking for what was left after Backspacer and found stuff they were to lost to include on that album. A bit scattered, sounds like a B-side collection of various songs not really fitting together. 

    But a step up from Backspacer så det skriker om det. (so much it screams)
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • vitovito Chicago Posts: 1,434
    After taking the new album in for 3 days now for me I would rank the albums this way.
    No Code
    VItalogy
    VS
    Ten
    Yield
    Gigaton
    Binaural 
    Riot Act
    S/T
    Backspacer
    LB
    ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE 1992
    SUMMERFEST MILWAUKEE 1995
    ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE 1998
    UNITED CENTER CHICAGO1998
    THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA KNOXVILLE 1998
    ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE 2000
    ALLSTATE ARENA ROSEMONT 2000
    ALPINE VALLEY MUSIC THEATRE 2003
    HERSHEYPARK STADIUM 2003
    TOLEDO SPORTS ARENA 2004
    AIR CANADA CENTRE TORONTO 2005
    UNITED CENTER CHICAGO 2006
    UNITED CENTER CHICAGO 2006
    VERIZON CENTER DC 2008
    UNITED CENTER CHICAGO 2009
    NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS 2010
    PJ20 NIGHT 1 Alpine Valley Music Theatre 2011
    PJ20 NIGHT 2 Alpine Valley Music Theatre 2011
    1ST MARINER ARENA BALTIMORE 2013
    IWIRELESS CENTER MOLINE 2014
    XCEL ENERGY CENTER ST. PAUL 2014
    CHICAGO 1 Wrigley Field 2016 
    CHICAGO 2 Wrigley Field 2016
    CHICAGO 1 Wrigley Field 2018
    CHICAGO 2 Wrigley Field 2018
    BOSTON 2 Fenway Park 2018
    ENTERPRISE CENTER SAINT LOUIS 2022
    Eddie Vedder Auditorium Theatre CHICAGO 2008

  • tbergstbergs Posts: 9,195
    A few other things to note; I really wish that jam at the end of Who Ever Said carried on for at least 30 seconds longer. That song ends and you're like, damn! Also, the end of Alright has me really confused. It seems like it all of a sudden ends mid verse. I checked the lyrics page in the CD and it seems it doesn't list that last line by Eddie. The last lyrics it shows seemed to be a more logical end. Love the song, but I feel like it got cut off and then you roll in to 7OC which at first sounds like a continuation. 
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,434
    tbergs said:
    A few other things to note; I really wish that jam at the end of Who Ever Said carried on for at least 30 seconds longer. That song ends and you're like, damn! Also, the end of Alright has me really confused. It seems like it all of a sudden ends mid verse. I checked the lyrics page in the CD and it seems it doesn't list that last line by Eddie. The last lyrics it shows seemed to be a more logical end. Love the song, but I feel like it got cut off and then you roll in to 7OC which at first sounds like a continuation. 
    I thought the exact same thing about Alright!! The end sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it? 
  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,632
    Call me biased or whatever but there’s basically 1 song id put as Tier 2. —- Never Destination.  And even that one is better than the usual fun, fast rockers like SuperSonic, Johnny Guitar, Let the Records Play. 

    So impressed with this album.  
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