Am I the only one who loves got to give? The bridge into that final outro with him singing something’s got to give , gives me chills man.
Another fan of Got To Give. It really helps anchor the end of the album. Some critics say that the second half of the album drops off slightly but I disagree.
I think this is a GREAT album. Pearl Jam shouldn’t be asked of more than good at this point but they find a way to give a little more. I think this is an album of indulgences; it goes big and loud and it has more creativity within the tracks than has been present in a long time. It creates new things, pays homage to old things, but it always ends up sounding like Pearl Jam. Is Upper Hand basically the beginning of Time by Pink Floyd yes but it ends with a Ledbetter like jam and belting that is reminiscent of 90s PJ. The tributes and new ideas are tied up so nicely that it sounds like a PJ live set without them putting actual cover songs on the album.
8.5/10
1. React, Respond 2. Wreckage 3. Waiting for Stevie
I am so so pleased to say that I dig this album!!! I haven't felt this about a new PJ album for 18 years, so it's pretty great to have the feeling back finally.
So why did you hang on so long? Surely Imagine Dragons has a forum🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
That seems really unnecessary. She made a positive comment as part an honest observation of where her relationship with this band and its music sits. There’s no need to bully her.
She. PJ_Soul is not a he. Not that you would necessarily know that.
This album feels like their Automatic For The People. Not so much in sound but it in it's wisdom and beauty.
I liked the Tom Petty: Wildflowers analogy as well.
Either way both of those albums were followed up by more career defining work for those artists. which is really freaking exciting!
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; WF Center 10/21/13; WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
I'm at 36 full listens now. To me, this is a really good album. They should be proud.
A+: Upper Hand, Waiting For Stevie, Setting Sun (my faves) A: Dark Matter, Running, Scared of Fear, React, Respond (all bangers) B: Won't Tell, Got to Give (good live potential) C: Wreckage, Something Special (not my faves)
Right now, I'd rank it #7 of 12 on my albums list.
I think I probably have this as my number 4 album of theirs. We will see if that stands the test of time
Waiting for Stevie is a catalog all timer
If I'd rank after that
Scared of Fear, Setting Sun, Dark Matter
Honestly everything after this is a blur. Probably Wreckage and React/Respond but every song is good to great and scratches a different itch. It's hard for me to say yet how many of these songs will settle in the truly elite tier of Pearl Jam songs, but as a front to back satisfying listen this is their best work since Vitalogy
My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
Leeds 2006, London 2007, Hartford 2008, London Shepherds Bush 2009, London O2 2009, Dublin 2010, London Hyde Park 2010, Amsterdam 1 2012, Amsterdam 2 2012, Berlin 1 2012, EV solo London 30/7/2012, Berlin 2014, Stockholm 2014, Milton Keynes 2014, Amsterdam 1 2018, London 1 2018, London 2 2018, EV solo Dublin 2019, London 1 2022, London 2 2022, New York City 2022
Pitchfork is not what it once was. It was purchased by Conde Nast in 2015 and then saw a bunch of staff cuts in the last few months. Paste had reviews of Taylor (3.6 out of 10) and Dark Matter (7 out of 10) that seem just about right. I enjoy Dark Matter a lot. I don't think it is among their best but it is definitely better than the last 4 records. I am happy with it and I hope the lessons learned from this record roll over into their next. I still think they they can make a late-career gem but I don't htink Dark Matter is it. 7 out of 10 seems on the nose.
My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
I don't think a 6.5 or even a 7 for Dark Matter is all that crazy. Once you start getting closer to 7.5-8/10 you're approaching scores for the run of Ten to Binaural, and I don't think DM quite hits the highs of those albums.
Chicago, Aug 24, 2009 Noblesville, May 7, 2010 PJ20 Night 1, 2011 Cincinnati, Oct. 1, 2014 Milwaukee, Oct. 20, 2014 Wrigley Field, Aug 20, 2016 Wrigley Field, Aug 22, 2016 Wrigley Field, Aug 18, 2018 Wrigley Field, Aug 20, 2018 St. Louis, Sept. 18, 2022 Chicago, Sept. 5, 2023 Chicago, Sept. 7, 2023
It's a totally reasonable and fairly complimentary review. I never know how to objectively evaluate a Pearl Jam album or any of my favorite bands.
Really liked the review. You might not agree with the conclusion, but the reviewer put some effort into this.
For pitchfork at least, the reviews are separate for the scoring. If you listen to anyone who has written a review for pitchfork they will tell you that they just write their thoughts, turn it in, and then it is given a score separately by someone else. At least that was my understanding.
Pitchfork is owned by like Vogue or GQ magazine now. So yeah...Street cred. They've trashed every album by not only Pearl Jam but other great bands like Queens of the Stone Age Just a bunch of bitter poses, hipsters and twats over there. Dark Matter Rules Good Night
The PF numbers are ridiculous. The Smile gets like 8.5 or whatever. I really love Radiohead but The Smile's albums are not better than Dark Matter. I saw them in concert and all.
As for the content of the review. The writer has nice things to say about the mid-tempo and ballad type songs, but doesn't like the harder rocking songs, even Dark Matter (!). (sophomoric??? more like sophomoric album reviews amirite) I think the title track is awesome and fits into the PJ canon very well. We all have our opinions.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; WF Center 10/21/13; WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Of course, in the aggregate, PJ is getting better reviews than Tay, according to Metacritic:
My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
Comments
1. React, Respond
2. Wreckage
3. Waiting for Stevie
No prob, common mistake - thanks tbergs
Either way both of those albums were followed up by more career defining work for those artists. which is really freaking exciting!
WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16;
Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
A+: Upper Hand, Waiting For Stevie, Setting Sun (my faves)
A: Dark Matter, Running, Scared of Fear, React, Respond (all bangers)
B: Won't Tell, Got to Give (good live potential)
C: Wreckage, Something Special (not my faves)
Right now, I'd rank it #7 of 12 on my albums list.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pearl-jam-dark-matter/
Leeds 2006, London 2007, Hartford 2008, London Shepherds Bush 2009, London O2 2009, Dublin 2010, London Hyde Park 2010, Amsterdam 1 2012, Amsterdam 2 2012, Berlin 1 2012, EV solo London 30/7/2012, Berlin 2014, Stockholm 2014, Milton Keynes 2014, Amsterdam 1 2018, London 1 2018, London 2 2018, EV solo Dublin 2019, London 1 2022, London 2 2022, New York City 2022
Paste had reviews of Taylor (3.6 out of 10) and Dark Matter (7 out of 10) that seem just about right. I enjoy Dark Matter a lot. I don't think it is among their best but it is definitely better than the last 4 records. I am happy with it and I hope the lessons learned from this record roll over into their next. I still think they they can make a late-career gem but I don't htink Dark Matter is it. 7 out of 10 seems on the nose.
- Riot Act - 4.9
- Pearl Jam - 5.5
- Backspacer - 4.6
- Lightning Bolt - 5.0
- Gigaton - 6.2
- Dark Matter - 6.4
So, according to Pitchfork scores, their best work since at least Binaural.2000: 8/15, 8/18, 10/9, 10/11, 10/12
2003: 6/18, 6/21, 6/22
2005: 9/9, 9/28
2006:5/16, 5/17, 6/26, 6/27
2007: 8/5
2009: 8/23, 8/24
2010: 5/3, 5/4, 5/21
2011: 9/3, 9/4, 9/11, 9/12
2013: 7/19, 11/16
2014: 10/3, 10/9, 10/12, 10/17
2016: 4/16, 8/20, 8/22
2018: 8/18, 8/20, 9/2
2022: 9/18
2023: 8/31, 9/2, 9/5
Noblesville, May 7, 2010
PJ20 Night 1, 2011
Cincinnati, Oct. 1, 2014
Milwaukee, Oct. 20, 2014
Wrigley Field, Aug 20, 2016
Wrigley Field, Aug 22, 2016
Wrigley Field, Aug 18, 2018
Wrigley Field, Aug 20, 2018
St. Louis, Sept. 18, 2022
Chicago, Sept. 5, 2023
Chicago, Sept. 7, 2023
The score is arbitrary. Pretty much any band 15+ years old who aren't releasing anything groundbreaking get pigeonholed in the 5.0 - 6.9 range.
So yeah...Street cred.
They've trashed every album by not only Pearl Jam but other great bands like Queens of the Stone Age
Just a bunch of bitter poses, hipsters and twats over there.
Dark Matter Rules
Good Night
As for the content of the review. The writer has nice things to say about the mid-tempo and ballad type songs, but doesn't like the harder rocking songs, even Dark Matter (!). (sophomoric??? more like sophomoric album reviews amirite) I think the title track is awesome and fits into the PJ canon very well. We all have our opinions.
WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16;
Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
My insecure rock n roll soul would otherwise be shattered.