Backspacer: Official Album Thread

[VinylGuy]

Backspacer is such a great album...specially for a band with the mileage of PJ.

[Birds in Hell]

The last great Pearl Jam album was Yield.

Because Jack was on it, I’m assuming.

It's not that simple: Backspacer wouldn't necessarily be any better only if Jack played on it, though I also suspect they wouldn't have made the same record in he had.

The great Pearl Jam records had a combination of things going for them, though I think creative chemistry was really the paramount driver. They had it with Dave (if not on a personal level) and they had it with Jack. I'm not sure they've really had it since.

[wease]

The last great Pearl Jam album was Yield.

Because Jack was on it, I’m assuming.

It's not that simple: Backspacer wouldn't necessarily be any better only if Jack played on it, though I also suspect they wouldn't have made the same record in he had.

The great Pearl Jam records had a combination of things going for them, though I think creative chemistry was really the paramount driver. They had it with Dave (if not on a personal level) and they had it with Jack. I'm not sure they've really had it since.

I respect this statement.

[dimejinky99]

Yeah spenno nailed it there

[PHATJ]

The last great Pearl Jam album was Yield.

Because Jack was on it, I’m assuming.

It's not that simple: Backspacer wouldn't necessarily be any better only if Jack played on it, though I also suspect they wouldn't have made the same record in he had.

The great Pearl Jam records had a combination of things going for them, though I think creative chemistry was really the paramount driver. They had it with Dave (if not on a personal level) and they had it with Jack. I'm not sure they've really had it since.

I respect this statement.

Yeah spenno nailed it there

He really did. Though I think Binaural has a lot going for it.

[bodysnatcher]

Backspacer is the album where they started sounding like Eddie and The Pearl Jams. Feels like a studio band could have done any of that with Eddie’s vocals on top.

[liebzz]

Backspacer is the album where they started sounding like Eddie and The Pearl Jams. Feels like a studio band could have done any of that with Eddie’s vocals on top.

I think this is not far off. It doesn’t help that Just Breathe is a direct descendant of Tulumne on Into the Wild, and that The End kind of has a similar signature to it. Gonna See My Friend probably could have been done with C Average or something. I think there’s still 2/3 of the album that is distinctly Pearl Jam though.

[wease]

Backspacer is the album where they started sounding like Eddie and The Pearl Jams. Feels like a studio band could have done any of that with Eddie’s vocals on top.

I think this is not far off. It doesn’t help that Just Breathe is a direct descendant of Tulumne on Into the Wild, and that The End kind of has a similar signature to it. Gonna See My Friend probably could have been done with C Average or something. I think there’s still 2/3 of the album that is distinctly Pearl Jam though.

Eddie was performing The End in his solo shows before Backspacer was even released. I saw him do it at The Ryman months before the album came out.

Totally agree with the Eddie and the Pearl Jams statement.

[Kevin Davis]

I agree with Spenno's comment in regards to "No Code" and "Yield." I don't know that I feel like they had same collective, creative synergy with Dave, or with each other during that time. They sound like a great rock band firing on all cylinders, but I don't hear the same multi-directional give-and-take that I hear on "No Code" and "Yield." In a lot of ways "Vitalogy" is the original and ultimate Eddie and the Pearl Jams album.

"Binaural" and "Riot Act" have a sort of "lost weekend" feel to them -- they're confused and uncertain, but also uninhibited. I can understand why they might feel like a bit of a tailspin after "No Code" and "Yield" especially, which felt like and was marketed as a spiritual rejuvenation of sorts after years of unhealthy power struggles and melodrama, but their willingness to embrace that uncertainty and follow it into some odd, uncomfortable places makes those albums equally compelling to me as their best work.

[epilogue]

The last great Pearl Jam album was Yield.

Because Jack was on it, I’m assuming.

It's not that simple: Backspacer wouldn't necessarily be any better only if Jack played on it, though I also suspect they wouldn't have made the same record in he had.

The great Pearl Jam records had a combination of things going for them, though I think creative chemistry was really the paramount driver. They had it with Dave (if not on a personal level) and they had it with Jack. I'm not sure they've really had it since.

I respect this statement.

Yeah spenno nailed it there

He really did. Though I think Binaural has a lot going for it.

Agree. And Riot Act is my second favorite PJ album. Still, there's a lot to what Spenno said that rings true.

[epilogue]

I agree with Spenno's comment in regards to "No Code" and "Yield." I don't know that I feel like they had same collective, creative synergy with Dave, or with each other during that time. They sound like a great rock band firing on all cylinders, but I don't hear the same multi-directional give-and-take that I hear on "No Code" and "Yield." In a lot of ways "Vitalogy" is the original and ultimate Eddie and the Pearl Jams album.

"Binaural" and "Riot Act" have a sort of "lost weekend" feel to them -- they're confused and uncertain, but also uninhibited. I can understand why they might feel like a bit of a tailspin after "No Code" and "Yield" especially, which felt like and was marketed as a spiritual rejuvenation of sorts after years of unhealthy power struggles and melodrama, but their willingness to embrace that uncertainty and follow it into some odd, uncomfortable places makes those albums equally compelling to me as their best work.

Team, KD. All day, every day.

[dimejinky99]

Kevin Davis posts make us all better.

Good to see you again Kevin

[liebzz]

I could see all that KD. Good thoughts.

For me this is all a manner of perspective since I think every Pearl Jam album for me is at least good, some great, some top 10-15 all time for me. Backspacer ranks down at the bottom for me pretty much always but at the same time I would take that album over probably 66% of what I have heard in my lifetime.

I’d say fits into my top 15 or so would be No Code, Vitalogy and Yield; great would be Ten, Binaural, Vs., s/t, Riot Act; good would be Lightning Bolt and Backspacer.

[epilogue]

I could see all that KD. Good thoughts.

For me this is all a manner of perspective since I think every Pearl Jam album for me is at least good, some great, some top 10-15 all time for me. Backspacer ranks down at the bottom for me pretty much always but at the same time I would take that album over probably 66% of what I have heard in my lifetime.

I’d say fits into my top 15 or so would be No Code, Vitalogy and Yield; great would be Ten, Binaural, Vs., s/t, Riot Act; good would be Lightning Bolt and Backspacer.

Same for me, more or less. I enjoy all of PJ's albums. Even Backspacer which I have ranked last is still a fun record that I get great joy from.

[dimejinky99]

When you realize getaway is just a slowed down rearranged version of the fixer all becomes clear.

[Leatherhead]

When you realize getaway is just a slowed down rearranged version of the fixer all becomes clear.

I thought Getaway was Johnny Guitar.

[dimejinky99]

When you realize getaway is just a slowed down rearranged version of the fixer all becomes clear.

I thought Getaway was Johnny Guitar.

I’m working off the fact that the very opening strokes of both songs are the Same but just go in slightly different directions. I love both so it’s doesnt bother me

[dimejinky99]

We all been thinking with our different brains / yeh yeh yeh fight to get it back again


Play em in your head. They roll right into each other

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Bammer]

The Backspacer album thread is having a real renaissance here