Pearl Jam (self titled): Official Album Thread

[Kevin Davis]

Maybe I just don't have an ear for this kind of stuff...

You're not alone.

[dimejinky99]

Maybe we’re hard of hearing?

I know I was after first listening to it. ST is so harsh on the old ears

[Brett]

Whey can’t everything sound like no code? Or vitalogy?

And it’s the same producer even!


Bloody Brendan O Brien. Can’t even remember his good settings on a board.

Brendan didn't produce it, though. It was engineered by Adam Kasper, and produced by him with assistance from the band. Or are you referring to the remix?

[Huell]

Always think that is so strange when Riot Act is so sweetly produced and engineered. It’s everything Avocado isn’t... the 2017 mix is a big improvement, not just adding bass back in

[Norah]

It's all The Woods fault.

[VinylGuy]

It's all The Woods fault.

true.
Ed wanted to be as loud as SK was in the first song from TW.

[bodysnatcher]

Always think that is so strange when Riot Act is so sweetly produced and engineered. It’s everything Avocado isn’t... the 2017 mix is a big improvement, not just adding bass back in

it kind of makes sense in the context of the time it was released. we were smack-dab in the middle of the iPod revolution. Sure, Riot Act was released during the iPod-period too, but the devices weren't nearly as ubiquitous as they were in 2005-2006. a tidal shift was happening with how people consumed music... on tiny little earbuds that sounded like shit. not only that, but you're dealing with music files that look completely different than how they looked even in the 90s (even MORE compressed!). producers were wrapping their heads around how to make music sound better on these. there was no tried-and-true, objective method. especially older producers, like B'oB who had been around for a while and used more traditional methods of making a record. producers, bands, and labels were chasing the money. obviously people were still listening to physical music, but it wasn't the carrot they were still chasing. they could see the future, and it wasn't physical.

i liken it to a how traditional photographer might have adapted to the digital photography revolution. they were used to film and a very manual process of developing it. they knew how manipulate film in the development process to get the exact results they wanted. they were masters. then, suddenly, digital photography takes off. no longer were they in pitch black rooms developing film, then moving to manually printing on paper. their techniques, in a large sense, were no longer needed. they had to learn a whole new system to stay modern. of course, now, there are still old-school traditional photographers, just like there are still old-school analog producers. you now have earbuds that sound incredible. headphones that sound incredible. uncompressed digital audio is a bigger thing. and this is where a client or artist gets to make their decisions based on the results they are after.

[Huell]

Definitely agree with everything you said but I also think you start to hear where songs are no longer jammed out. They write alone and the hammer out an idea. Avocado songs don’t have a feel that the band are bouncing off each other except for something like Severed Hand. That’s why Marker in the Sand isn’t quite the rock and roll song they pulled off with ease. A bit off topic but the best example of an album changing like this is the KOL album with Sex on Fire etc, the band dynamic is gone and it’s short burst of making do with what you have.

For whatever reason Backspacer is an anomaly in their catalogue for me, the bass and drums click for so many of those songs. It’s peculia because it doesn’t sound jammy

[Fuzzcharger]

It's all The Woods fault.

true.
Ed wanted to be as loud as SK was in the first song from TW.

Oh really? I mean I love the woods but that was a bit more lofi vibe push with performance volume not so much mastering the shit out of it. I'll have to try find a link with this info.

Also #teamspotifymix

Because I have such shit hearing problems I've significantly noticed the 2017 mix/master is a lot less harsh than the original.

[Hatfield]

Been listening to a lot of the 2006 tour lately and it reminds me how much I love this record. I'm all in agreement with the sound (and the remix is awesome), but just wanted to state how much I love this group of songs. ie. A song like Army Reserve coming on the heels of Betterman at the Gorge is so perfect. Those songs brought a lot to that tour.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Maybe this belongs in the "unpopular Pearl Jam opinions" thread, but I've never really had a problem with how this album sounds...

Blaine!

I mean, it doesn't sound great, but if everyone didn't make such a big fuss about it I would never have guessed there was an issue. People say the same thing about Accelerate and I also think that album sounds fine.

Maybe I just don't have an ear for this kind of stuff...

Well previous to that, the albums all has dynamics, space and guts. Avocado is loud, compressed and congested. It's flat and limp-dicked. All you have to do is compare them.

Of course, it doesn't make any difference to me anyway because the songs suck and I never listen to it.

[Superblood Wolfmoon]

Been a while since I've listened to this one...goddamn what a good album. The band is loose and groovy, Eddie's in top form, and McCready rips. Great batch of tunes.

[Coach]

I still very much enjoy WWS, Severed Hand, Marker and Life Wasted.

Still think SH is one of the band's most underrated songs

[VinylGuy]

yeah, i like avocado a lot.

[Superblood Wolfmoon]

Severed Hand is easily top 5 PJ for me.

[epilogue]

Severed Hand is so great.

[Bammer]

Always think that is so strange when Riot Act is so sweetly produced and engineered. It’s everything Avocado isn’t... the 2017 mix is a big improvement, not just adding bass back in

it kind of makes sense in the context of the time it was released. we were smack-dab in the middle of the iPod revolution. Sure, Riot Act was released during the iPod-period too, but the devices weren't nearly as ubiquitous as they were in 2005-2006. a tidal shift was happening with how people consumed music... on tiny little earbuds that sounded like shit. not only that, but you're dealing with music files that look completely different than how they looked even in the 90s (even MORE compressed!). producers were wrapping their heads around how to make music sound better on these. there was no tried-and-true, objective method. especially older producers, like B'oB who had been around for a while and used more traditional methods of making a record. producers, bands, and labels were chasing the money. obviously people were still listening to physical music, but it wasn't the carrot they were still chasing. they could see the future, and it wasn't physical.

i liken it to a how traditional photographer might have adapted to the digital photography revolution. they were used to film and a very manual process of developing it. they knew how manipulate film in the development process to get the exact results they wanted. they were masters. then, suddenly, digital photography takes off. no longer were they in pitch black rooms developing film, then moving to manually printing on paper. their techniques, in a large sense, were no longer needed. they had to learn a whole new system to stay modern. of course, now, there are still old-school traditional photographers, just like there are still old-school analog producers. you now have earbuds that sound incredible. headphones that sound incredible. uncompressed digital audio is a bigger thing. and this is where a client or artist gets to make their decisions based on the results they are after.

Your analogy is lacking any mention of wet plate.

[VinylGuy]

Listening to Army Reserve live now...and Inside Job.

Mike

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Birds in Hell]

BO'B's remix of S/T managed the unbelievable, making an already-bad sounding record sound somehow even worse. I'm convinced his ears are completely shot. If it's not that, he's definitely lost his touch in the digital world.

The only good sounding version of S/T is the dynamic mastering of the (superior) original mix which somehow wound up on Spotify.