Something Special - How is nobody talking about this beautiful song???

MikeDigs said:

BF25394 said:

PJNB said:

MikeDigs said:

BF25394 said:

MikeDigs said:

I also don't get the argument about the song not fitting on a Pearl Jam album or belonging on a solo record, due to composition?  Wreckage has pop-country / pop-rock vocalization styles that I would never guessed could ever end up on a Pearl Jam album. 

I refer you to "Off He Goes" and "Around the Bend."

You mentioned Off He Goes before, and I love that track.  I don't see Pop-Country at all.  I also love Around The Bend.
None of theses songs have the pop-like vocals in Wreckage.   I really don't get how you are connecting those songs to Wreckage.

Those are not even close to being the same songs imo. 

They're not the same songs, but "Off He Goes" and "Around the Bend" both have a pop-country sensibility. I'm just working off of MikeDigs' description. I don't actually hear anything "country" in "Wreckage." It is very easy to imagine a country artist doing a faithful cover of either of the No Code songs I mentioned.

EDIT: From Rob Sheffield's review of No Code from the October 1996 issue of Details:

"Off He Goes" builds its prairie atmosphere around a gentle countrified guitar riff that takes its sweet time going nowhere.

This doesn't make me right, but it just goes to show I'm not the only person who hears this. (And other reviewers made similar observations at the time.)

I can imagine a country artist doing a faithful cover of NIN - Hurt also.  But Hurt is not country.  I think you were focusing on the "country" aspect.  For me, it's the "pop vocal" aspect.  Whether pop-rock, pop-country, or pop-whatever.  For me, those gang chorus shouts, and pop vocal styles, I would have never imagined on a Pearl Jam album.  But it fits, and it's fine.  Won't Tell has some of the styling as well, "country-ish" or whatever.  It's the vocals I'm referring too.  Still a great song and fits on the album.

Off He Goes is a stellar track.  First got in to the No Code album this past January (late I know), but I LOVE it and every track is great.  I binged on Off He Goes on repeat for almost 2 days straight.  Off He Goes sounds nothing, whatsoever like Wreckage.  The vocal stylings in Wreckage / Won't Tell haven't been heard in any PJ song.

Anyway, the point is that even though those pop vocal / (easy listening?) / whatever styles exist in Wreckage / Won't Tell, and I could never have imagined them ending up on a Pearl Jam album, they still 100% fit on Dark Matter.  Yes they fit and they are great.

The idea that Something Special "doesn't fit" on Dark Matter is complete rubbish.  Imagine in 94', "oh no, a song about bugs sang over an accordion? oh no, that doesn't fit in"  Bugs is a banger lol

kmcmanus said:

BF25394 said:

MikeDigs said:

BF25394 said:

PJNB said:

MikeDigs said:

BF25394 said:

MikeDigs said:

I also don't get the argument about the song not fitting on a Pearl Jam album or belonging on a solo record, due to composition?  Wreckage has pop-country / pop-rock vocalization styles that I would never guessed could ever end up on a Pearl Jam album. 

I refer you to "Off He Goes" and "Around the Bend."

You mentioned Off He Goes before, and I love that track.  I don't see Pop-Country at all.  I also love Around The Bend.
None of theses songs have the pop-like vocals in Wreckage.   I really don't get how you are connecting those songs to Wreckage.

Those are not even close to being the same songs imo. 

They're not the same songs, but "Off He Goes" and "Around the Bend" both have a pop-country sensibility. I'm just working off of MikeDigs' description. I don't actually hear anything "country" in "Wreckage." It is very easy to imagine a country artist doing a faithful cover of either of the No Code songs I mentioned.

EDIT: From Rob Sheffield's review of No Code from the October 1996 issue of Details:

"Off He Goes" builds its prairie atmosphere around a gentle countrified guitar riff that takes its sweet time going nowhere.

This doesn't make me right, but it just goes to show I'm not the only person who hears this. (And other reviewers made similar observations at the time.)

I can imagine a country artist doing a faithful cover of NIN - Hurt also.  But Hurt is not country.  I think you were focusing on the "country" aspect.  For me, it's the "pop vocal" aspect.  Whether pop-rock, pop-country, or pop-whatever.  For me, those gang chorus shouts, and pop vocal styles, I would have never imagined on a Pearl Jam album.  But it fits, and it's fine.  Won't Tell has some of the styling as well, "country-ish" or whatever.  It's the vocals I'm referring too.  Still a great song and fits on the album.

Off He Goes is a stellar track.  First got in to the No Code album this past January (late I know), but I LOVE it and every track is great.  I binged on Off He Goes on repeat for almost 2 days straight.  Off He Goes sounds nothing, whatsoever like Wreckage.  The vocal stylings in Wreckage / Won't Tell haven't been heard in any PJ song.

Anyway, the point is that even though those pop vocal / (easy listening?) / whatever styles exist in Wreckage / Won't Tell, and I could never have imagined them ending up on a Pearl Jam album, they still 100% fit on Dark Matter.  Yes they fit and they are great.

The idea that Something Special "doesn't fit" on Dark Matter is complete rubbish.  Imagine in 94', "oh no, a song about bugs sang over an accordion? oh no, that doesn't fit in"  Bugs is a banger lol

To be clear, at no point was I suggesting that "Off He Goes" is anything but stellar. (Same goes for "Around the Bend.") Nor was I saying that "Wreckage" was country. I was responding to your description of "Wreckage" and suggestion of its novelty and pointing out that songs that fit that description have graced the Pearl Jam catalog before. The most country-sounding song on Dark Matter is actually "Something Special." Its tempo and its twangy guitar are both redolent of contemporary country-rock.

Maybe it’s just me, I get big Counting Crows vibes from Something Special 

BF25394 said:

kmcmanus said:

BF25394 said:

MikeDigs said:

BF25394 said:

PJNB said:

MikeDigs said:

BF25394 said:

MikeDigs said:

I also don't get the argument about the song not fitting on a Pearl Jam album or belonging on a solo record, due to composition?  Wreckage has pop-country / pop-rock vocalization styles that I would never guessed could ever end up on a Pearl Jam album. 

I refer you to "Off He Goes" and "Around the Bend."

You mentioned Off He Goes before, and I love that track.  I don't see Pop-Country at all.  I also love Around The Bend.
None of theses songs have the pop-like vocals in Wreckage.   I really don't get how you are connecting those songs to Wreckage.

Those are not even close to being the same songs imo. 

They're not the same songs, but "Off He Goes" and "Around the Bend" both have a pop-country sensibility. I'm just working off of MikeDigs' description. I don't actually hear anything "country" in "Wreckage." It is very easy to imagine a country artist doing a faithful cover of either of the No Code songs I mentioned.

EDIT: From Rob Sheffield's review of No Code from the October 1996 issue of Details:

"Off He Goes" builds its prairie atmosphere around a gentle countrified guitar riff that takes its sweet time going nowhere.

This doesn't make me right, but it just goes to show I'm not the only person who hears this. (And other reviewers made similar observations at the time.)

I can imagine a country artist doing a faithful cover of NIN - Hurt also.  But Hurt is not country.  I think you were focusing on the "country" aspect.  For me, it's the "pop vocal" aspect.  Whether pop-rock, pop-country, or pop-whatever.  For me, those gang chorus shouts, and pop vocal styles, I would have never imagined on a Pearl Jam album.  But it fits, and it's fine.  Won't Tell has some of the styling as well, "country-ish" or whatever.  It's the vocals I'm referring too.  Still a great song and fits on the album.

Off He Goes is a stellar track.  First got in to the No Code album this past January (late I know), but I LOVE it and every track is great.  I binged on Off He Goes on repeat for almost 2 days straight.  Off He Goes sounds nothing, whatsoever like Wreckage.  The vocal stylings in Wreckage / Won't Tell haven't been heard in any PJ song.

Anyway, the point is that even though those pop vocal / (easy listening?) / whatever styles exist in Wreckage / Won't Tell, and I could never have imagined them ending up on a Pearl Jam album, they still 100% fit on Dark Matter.  Yes they fit and they are great.

The idea that Something Special "doesn't fit" on Dark Matter is complete rubbish.  Imagine in 94', "oh no, a song about bugs sang over an accordion? oh no, that doesn't fit in"  Bugs is a banger lol

To be clear, at no point was I suggesting that "Off He Goes" is anything but stellar. (Same goes for "Around the Bend.") Nor was I saying that "Wreckage" was country. I was responding to your description of "Wreckage" and suggestion of its novelty and pointing out that songs that fit that description have graced the Pearl Jam catalog before. The most country-sounding song on Dark Matter is actually "Something Special." Its tempo and its twangy guitar are both redolent of contemporary country-rock.

Maybe it’s just me, I get big Counting Crows vibes from Something Special 

Don't ruin it for me.

Johnny Abruzzo said:

I like the song if I’m in a certain mood but usually I think it messes up the flow. 

BF25394 said:

curmudgeoness said:

kmcmanus said:

curmudgeoness said:

It's a sweet song, and as the mother of young adults I appreciate the sentiment. But for me it's an Ed solo album song and thus feels out of place here.

If songs about his kids are off limits then so are songs about his dad. So give back your copy of Ten.

It's not a question of subject matter, it's a question of composition. That's a song well-suited to a solo acoustic concert, with Ed playing his guitar or his uke and talking about how proud he is of the women his daughters are becoming. "Alive" is a quintessential PJ song, with scorching guitar solo, intense vocals, etc.; the subject of either song is not the point. If the band had included a fiery song on this album, called, maybe, "Unfuckwithable," about how badass their wives and daughters are, well, that would, to my mind, fit the overall vibe of the album better.

You are positing an argument I didn't make. I didn't and wouldn't suggest that any topic is "off-limits;" in fact, I've argued on here for years that the band, and Ed in particular, have made it clear over the past few decades that they're going to do whatever they feel like doing, and it's our choice to follow them or not.

Moreover, "..give back your copy of Ten" makes me giggle. I had a strong aversion to PJ in 1992 because I couldn't turn on the damn TV without seeing "Jeremy." I didn't start listening until Vitalogy came out. I don't believe Ten is the greatest album of all time, or of the '90s, or even from this band.

You love the song -- that's the great thing about this band and this album, there are songs for everyone. I would like it more in the context of an Ed solo album. You have your opinion, I have mine -- and yelling at me because you don't share my opinion is not going to change my mind or win your argument.

If this song were performed as a solo acoustic song, it would lose the twangy guitars and the rolling drums. It would be totally stripped-down from what it is on the record and not nearly as interesting or effective, in my opinion. This is a Pearl Jam song, not a solo song. It's not like "Comes Then Goes" (which is great, but basically an Ed solo song with no additional instrumentation other than guitar).

bootlegger10 said:

BF25394 said:

curmudgeoness said:

kmcmanus said:

curmudgeoness said:

It's a sweet song, and as the mother of young adults I appreciate the sentiment. But for me it's an Ed solo album song and thus feels out of place here.

If songs about his kids are off limits then so are songs about his dad. So give back your copy of Ten.

It's not a question of subject matter, it's a question of composition. That's a song well-suited to a solo acoustic concert, with Ed playing his guitar or his uke and talking about how proud he is of the women his daughters are becoming. "Alive" is a quintessential PJ song, with scorching guitar solo, intense vocals, etc.; the subject of either song is not the point. If the band had included a fiery song on this album, called, maybe, "Unfuckwithable," about how badass their wives and daughters are, well, that would, to my mind, fit the overall vibe of the album better.

You are positing an argument I didn't make. I didn't and wouldn't suggest that any topic is "off-limits;" in fact, I've argued on here for years that the band, and Ed in particular, have made it clear over the past few decades that they're going to do whatever they feel like doing, and it's our choice to follow them or not.

Moreover, "..give back your copy of Ten" makes me giggle. I had a strong aversion to PJ in 1992 because I couldn't turn on the damn TV without seeing "Jeremy." I didn't start listening until Vitalogy came out. I don't believe Ten is the greatest album of all time, or of the '90s, or even from this band.

You love the song -- that's the great thing about this band and this album, there are songs for everyone. I would like it more in the context of an Ed solo album. You have your opinion, I have mine -- and yelling at me because you don't share my opinion is not going to change my mind or win your argument.

If this song were performed as a solo acoustic song, it would lose the twangy guitars and the rolling drums. It would be totally stripped-down from what it is on the record and not nearly as interesting or effective, in my opinion. This is a Pearl Jam song, not a solo song. It's not like "Comes Then Goes" (which is great, but basically an Ed solo song with no additional instrumentation other than guitar).

Comes then Goes is a snooze fest.

PureandEasy said:

BrainofBGA said:

Was spinning my tri colour vinyl on Thursday (it was a national public holiday here in Aus) and while Something Special was playing my daughter, who is 6, came and jumped into my lap. We had a big cuddle. When I listen to PJ in the car she calls them Jam Pearl. 

Adorable.  Cherish the memory.  Jam Pearl, sweet.