182. Can't Keep vs. Betterman

Post by **stip** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:07 am

Can't Keep vs. Betterman

VinylGuy · Post by **VinylGuy** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:08 am

Cant Keep.

Listen, Betterman is a great song. A classic....but im burnout of it. Cant Keep is a wonderful song. Ed's voice, the guitars, that amazing beat and groove.
The work of the band is incredible.

Anders · Post by **Anders** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:15 am

Nah, it’s Better Man.

LetMeSleep · Post by **LetMeSleep** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:24 am

I honestly prefer Can't Keep here.

Post by **stip** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:26 am

Can't Keep is a pretty great song. But Betterman is arguably the best pop rock song of the 90s. That I don't need to hear it very much anymore doesn't take anything away from just how unbelievably masterfully constructed and performed that song is. And lyrically it felt really ahead of its time. Can't Keep is a great mood piece, but they've got a bunch of those.

digster · Post by **digster** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:28 am

Can't Keep is stunning, but Betterman is a massive achievement, IMO, even though like many I rarely reach for it anymore. They managed to do that kind of thing that R.E.M. did with a song like Man on the Moon or Losing My Religion; they managed to find a song that was very accessible and open-hearted, and yet didn't do away with any of that group's eccentricities. I don't know if Better Man is as good as those songs, but it fits that same kind of idea.

Post by **stip** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:30 am

Those are excellent parallels

VinylGuy · Post by **VinylGuy** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:30 am

I feel this tournament for me its more of what i wanna hear these days. I havent felt like putting Betterman in at least 10 years.

Cant Keep.

EJ · Post by EJ » Thu April 01, 2021 12:33 am

For a long time, I really couldn't be bothered with Better Man, and probably specifically for the reasons Stip and digster listed. It wasn't what I ever wanted from PJ. But, I've come around to it in the past few years, and really appreciate the song. It's still a highlight of the live show.

Nevertheless, I'm voting for Can't Keep here. Absolutely love everything about this song.

Jaeti · Post by **Jaeti** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:53 am

Both are great, but voting Betterman. If this wasn't my first full tour through this tournament I might be more inclined to take the "What would I listen to right now?" approach. But, for my first go-round, I'm trying not to take their greatest songs for granted.

knee tunes · Post by **knee tunes** » Thu April 01, 2021 12:59 am

Can't keep a better man

That ain't no shit

Post by **epilogue** » Thu April 01, 2021 2:49 am

LetMeSleep wrote:I honestly prefer Can't Keep here.

I think I do too. But I really love both.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu April 01, 2021 3:17 am

Betterman all the way. After all these years it still might be my favorite song. State College ‘03 is a great version, easy to find on YouTube.

PHATJ · Post by **PHATJ** » Thu April 01, 2021 4:13 am

digster wrote:Can't Keep is stunning, but Betterman is a massive achievement, IMO, even though like many I rarely reach for it anymore. They managed to do that kind of thing that R.E.M. did with a song like Man on the Moon or Losing My Religion; they managed to find a song that was very accessible and open-hearted, and yet didn't do away with any of that group's eccentricities. I don't know if Better Man is as good as those songs, but it fits that same kind of idea.

stip wrote:Those are excellent parallels

Wow, haven’t really considered that equivalent, but I think it’s really spot on. My mind is a little blown. Anyway, I’m stoned.

Thurman Murman · Post by **Thurman Murman** » Thu April 01, 2021 1:39 pm

Betterman obviously.

liebzz · Post by **liebzz** » Thu April 01, 2021 1:46 pm

PHATJ wrote:
digster wrote:Can't Keep is stunning, but Betterman is a massive achievement, IMO, even though like many I rarely reach for it anymore. They managed to do that kind of thing that R.E.M. did with a song like Man on the Moon or Losing My Religion; they managed to find a song that was very accessible and open-hearted, and yet didn't do away with any of that group's eccentricities. I don't know if Better Man is as good as those songs, but it fits that same kind of idea.

stip wrote:Those are excellent parallels
Wow, haven’t really considered that equivalent, but I think it’s really spot on. My mind is a little blown. Anyway, I’m stoned.

Wow. That was a perfect description.

I still went with Can’t Keep - I really love Can’t Keep and always have. Better Man is a song that ebbs and flows for me - sometimes it blows me away and other times is bores me.

tragabigzanda · Post by **tragabigzanda** » Thu April 01, 2021 2:28 pm

There’s a tension/release thing happening in Can’t Keep that only a few other PJ songs have (SoH, NAIS, Indifference, maybe a couple others). It’s never once ceased to pull me in from the first note and hold my attention until the last.

As Liebzz said, I have good days and bad days with Betterman.

wease · Post by **wease** » Thu April 01, 2021 3:27 pm

I prefer Can’t Keep, but Better Man is just a better song. No matter how tired I am of it, it’s still the better song. And Dave A.

liebzz · Post by **liebzz** » Thu April 01, 2021 3:29 pm

wease wrote:I prefer Can’t Keep, but Better Man is just a better song. No matter how tired I am of it, it’s still the better song. And Dave A.

I prefer Matt C’s drumming on Can’t Keep to Dave A’s on Better Man. In fact, other than the signal of the whole band jumping in after the first verse/chorus I don’t know if I have ever noticed the drums on Better Man.

Edit: also, in the earlier demo versions of Better Man, the time keeping intro with the sticks I think detracts and ruins any sense of the intimacy of the song, so there’s that too.

Higgs · Post by **Higgs** » Thu April 01, 2021 4:22 pm

stip wrote:Can't Keep is a pretty great song. But Betterman is arguably the best pop rock song of the 90s. That I don't need to hear it very much anymore doesn't take anything away from just how unbelievably masterfully constructed and performed that song is. And lyrically it felt really ahead of its time. Can't Keep is a great mood piece, but they've got a bunch of those.

What he said.

Red Mosquito