Song of the Moment: Betterman

[E.H. Ruddock]

mjd, have you read the last few pages? The Atlanta performance is actually what they use for the album, for the most part. IT IS THE BETTERMAN ON THE ALBUM

[wease]

mjd, have you read the last few pages? The Atlanta performance is actually what they use for the album, for the most part. IT IS THE BETTERMAN ON THE ALBUM

Ha ha.

Ruddo’s Right.

[bart]

He was talking about Save It For Later.

[Jorge]

Again, delicate beautiful first chorus. Eddie sounds so good when the arrangement is stripped down like this

Now you expect to hear verse 2. A repeat of verse 1. But wait, whats this? It starts out like another verse, the same as the last one...but then this drum fill comes in and boom we're taking off, a completely new feel and sound. The music is completely different. Eddie's singing the same melody but it sounds so different in feel now.

Pearl Jam, inventors of the quiet-intro-into-full-band formula

[ledvedderman]

Again, delicate beautiful first chorus. Eddie sounds so good when the arrangement is stripped down like this

Now you expect to hear verse 2. A repeat of verse 1. But wait, whats this? It starts out like another verse, the same as the last one...but then this drum fill comes in and boom we're taking off, a completely new feel and sound. The music is completely different. Eddie's singing the same melody but it sounds so different in feel now.

Pearl Jam, inventors of the quiet-intro-into-full-band formula

That cracked me up.

[McParadigm]

I have a friend who is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and has credited him with inventing the backbeat. He also once said Bruce was the first writer to try and craft longer, more literate rock and roll songs, so I moved away.

[PHATJ]

Again, delicate beautiful first chorus. Eddie sounds so good when the arrangement is stripped down like this

Now you expect to hear verse 2. A repeat of verse 1. But wait, whats this? It starts out like another verse, the same as the last one...but then this drum fill comes in and boom we're taking off, a completely new feel and sound. The music is completely different. Eddie's singing the same melody but it sounds so different in feel now.

Pearl Jam, inventors of the quiet-intro-into-full-band formula

That cracked me up.

[mikejasond]

mjd, have you read the last few pages? The Atlanta performance is actually what they use for the album, for the most part. IT IS THE BETTERMAN ON THE ALBUM

Im talking about Save it for Later.

Its a kind of nice song. If it reminds me of Betterman maybe it reminds me of the 20 seconds of the second chorus of betterman.

But its lacking all the other parts of Betterman

[mikejasond]

Again, delicate beautiful first chorus. Eddie sounds so good when the arrangement is stripped down like this

Now you expect to hear verse 2. A repeat of verse 1. But wait, whats this? It starts out like another verse, the same as the last one...but then this drum fill comes in and boom we're taking off, a completely new feel and sound. The music is completely different. Eddie's singing the same melody but it sounds so different in feel now.

Pearl Jam, inventors of the quiet-intro-into-full-band formula

That cracked me up.

Not inventors, but they certainly are masters of it. ESPECIALLY in Daughter. Its done EXCEPTIONALLY well in Daughter. Can't think of many songs that do it like Daughter. Its not just a quiet intro, they usually start the verses (or in Betterman's cases the chorus) before adding the full band, and the way the full band comes in is not where you would expect it to. Its pulled off PHENOMENALLY in Daughter.

Cant think of many songs that bring in the full band midway through the first verse without breaking the feel at all

[ledvedderman]

Well for every Betterman or Daughter where that method appears to work, there’s a Gone, Unthought Known, or Lightning Bolt that tries to do the same...but sucks.

[Jorge]

without breaking the feel at all

boom we're taking off, a completely new feel

it sounds so different in feel now.

[mikejasond]

Its badly worded I suppose. The transition is completely seamless and smooth even though the feel is different. Its a different feel but it doesn't feel abrupt it just feels natural.

I dunno how to word the awesomness of that Daughter transition

[Strat]

Its badly worded I suppose. The transition is completely seamless and smooth even though the feel is different. Its a different feel but it doesn't feel abrupt it just feels natural.

I dunno how to word the awesomness of that Daughter transition

[PHATJ]

the feel is different. Its a different feel but it doesn't feel abrupt it just feels natural.

[mikejasond]

Do you really not understand what Im trying to get at? Maybe somebody can word it better.

The Daughter transition is insanely seamless, the verse flows perfectly, the rhythm just rides along, yet the instrumentation and finer points of the tone change drastically

[mikejasond]

It both changes a lot and not at all at the same time

[Jorge]

It changes by not changing at all

[PHATJ]

Do you really not understand what Im trying to get at? Maybe somebody can word it better.

The Daughter transition is insanely seamless, the verse flows perfectly, the rhythm just rides along, yet the instrumentation and finer points of the tone change drastically

Everyone understands what you are describing, mjd. That isn’t the issue. What we all find funny is that you act like PJ is the only band that has ever done the slow build up of a song from single instrument to full band. The sheer amazement and joy you find in this simple and popular formula is what we all giggle about. Sure, Better Man and Daughter do this well, and I love both of those songs, but to act like these are groundbreaking compositions based on the quiet —> loud or single instrument —> full band arrangement is absurd.

[ledvedderman]

It changes by not changing at all

Exactly. The progression in the verse and chorus are exactly the same. The vocal melody changes slightly in the chorus. The only thing in that whole song that changes is the breakdown.

[mikejasond]

....You do realize there is more to a song than chords right? The sound is very different even if the chords are the same.