sward wrote:Ok..this will come across as either a lie, or showoff'y (is that a word?), but whatever... I worked out beside Vedder this summer at the hotel gym before their London show and the dude is in shape. No idea if he's off the puff, but he put a solid hour in on the cardio machines at a decent clip. (I didn't know it was him until half way through, but had already noticed that he was cruising on the machine). Hopefully a good sign going forward, and there's definitely an improvement in voice if you ask me.
That's awesome!! Why can't shit like this happen in my gym? I can definitely tell an improvement in his vocals in the LB studio cuts compared to BS and even S/T. Hopefully he has or plans to lay off the cigs, but I know it's hard to do...
My biggest regret? They also have this little gym where you can shoot hoops. I had been in there shooting around and Ed went in there after his workout to shoot. I wanted desperately to go and see if I could shoot a few with him, but he had earphones on and loud enough that you could hear it. So we didn't want to intrude. He nodded a hi and smiled at the gym, but you could tell he wasn't looking to chat. We did watch for a few shots though.
Small town shows rule. The only other time I met the whole band was in St. John's NFLD.
I had a student tell me yesterday that she thinks she could get me backstage passes to the Barcaly's show. I've known her for a couple of years and helped her out a lot, so I don't think it was grade grubbing as much as a nice gesture (she likes pearl jam and knows how huge a fan I am). I had to tell her no, since she's still an active student and I couldn't accept it.
BootsToAsses wrote:Life Wasted
Worldwide Suicide
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker In The Sarker
That's a fantastic 5-song combo IMO. But then things take a big dip with Parachutes and Unemployable. Big Wave is groovy in my book, but full band Gone is atrocious. Army Reserve, Wasted Reprise, Come Back and Inside Job is a fine way to end a record.
So that's 10 great songs and 3 bad ones. Pretty solid effort. I don't mind the production either; much better production than Backspacer. The drums sound full and more impactful than Backspacer.
Probably going to be called insane, but I I think the first seven songs on S/T is the strongest run on any Pearl Jam album. They're all 4.5 to 5 star songs to me.
sward wrote:Ok..this will come across as either a lie, or showoff'y (is that a word?), but whatever... I worked out beside Vedder this summer at the hotel gym before their London show and the dude is in shape. No idea if he's off the puff, but he put a solid hour in on the cardio machines at a decent clip. (I didn't know it was him until half way through, but had already noticed that he was cruising on the machine). Hopefully a good sign going forward, and there's definitely an improvement in voice if you ask me.
That's awesome!! Why can't shit like this happen in my gym? I can definitely tell an improvement in his vocals in the LB studio cuts compared to BS and even S/T. Hopefully he has or plans to lay off the cigs, but I know it's hard to do...
My biggest regret? They also have this little gym where you can shoot hoops. I had been in there shooting around and Ed went in there after his workout to shoot. I wanted desperately to go and see if I could shoot a few with him, but he had earphones on and loud enough that you could hear it. So we didn't want to intrude. He nodded a hi and smiled at the gym, but you could tell he wasn't looking to chat. We did watch for a few shots though.
Small town shows rule. The only other time I met the whole band was in St. John's NFLD.
I had a student tell me yesterday that she thinks she could get me backstage passes to the Barcaly's show. I've known her for a couple of years and helped her out a lot, so I don't think it was grade grubbing as much as a nice gesture (she likes pearl jam and knows how huge a fan I am). I had to tell her no, since she's still an active student and I couldn't accept it.
I'm sure some others of us 'round here would kindly take her up on it. Maybe you can hold an RM auction of sorts. Still ethical if you're just acting as the middleman?
sward wrote:Ok..this will come across as either a lie, or showoff'y (is that a word?), but whatever... I worked out beside Vedder this summer at the hotel gym before their London show and the dude is in shape. No idea if he's off the puff, but he put a solid hour in on the cardio machines at a decent clip. (I didn't know it was him until half way through, but had already noticed that he was cruising on the machine). Hopefully a good sign going forward, and there's definitely an improvement in voice if you ask me.
It is all compensation, because he still has not stopped smoking, unfortunately. In Amsterdam in july last year, during his solo shows, he also talked about working out. Or swimming, in fact. Very inspiring. I want to get in shape like Eddie Vedder
Release_Me wrote:The only thing which holds back S/T from being a great album is the songwriting which just isn't 'hooky' enough (WWS, MiTS and mayble Unemployable excluded). The subject matter is very serious and better melodies would do well to offset that seriousness. The band's playing is excellent though and I find none of the songs to be clunkers like some of you. The other problem with S/T is the fact that it sounds more dated than any other albums beside maybe Ten. Still, it's my joint 5th with Yield.
Interesting you say that, as S/T was the album that Eddie had said he was really working to be super melodic on. I'm pretty sure I read an interview with him where he discussed a conversation he'd had with Johnny Ramone about creating the perfect melody and how he'd been trying to bake that into the S/T songs.
It's all subjective though - what's an earworm to one person is forgettable to another. I point to the pop charts as Exhibit A of that, m'lud.
I think there are great melodies on S/T but the delivery (the harshness, the screaming) masks it. Its like making a great dish but adding too much salt. LW is a perfect example as the "reprise" displays a beautifel melody but the delivery overwhelms it.
If Ed only held back a bit in that album it could have been a PJ classic album. Even on a song like COMBACK - its nicely peformed until the "ohhhhh COme baack Come BaaAaack" part" - he reaches too high above his register.
All of my issues vocally with S/T (and most of Backspacer) seem to be a non-issue on LB as the delivery on the songs I have heard is brilliant.
Maybe for you, but for me it's the melodies pure and simple. I am a big fan of Ed's wailing screams. I much prefer it to the mumbly delivery on Riot Act and his singing was what I preferred the most on first listen. Some of the S/T songs get lost in memory because there is no melody that sticks in your mind enough for you to go back for it (replace you with me here). I don't want Ed to hold back on the rockers. He didn't on Vs or Vitalogy. That's one of my biggest peeves with the Riot Act rockers. He isn't even trying. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Ed is not reaching anywhere near the top of his vocal range or upper register on S/T or BS. He does that on LROM and sounds amazing but on these it's just powerful fourth octave screams that seem to not sit well with those who prefer his middle range singing. I actually like his upper register.
sward wrote:Ok..this will come across as either a lie, or showoff'y (is that a word?), but whatever... I worked out beside Vedder this summer at the hotel gym before their London show and the dude is in shape. No idea if he's off the puff, but he put a solid hour in on the cardio machines at a decent clip. (I didn't know it was him until half way through, but had already noticed that he was cruising on the machine). Hopefully a good sign going forward, and there's definitely an improvement in voice if you ask me.
That's awesome!! Why can't shit like this happen in my gym? I can definitely tell an improvement in his vocals in the LB studio cuts compared to BS and even S/T. Hopefully he has or plans to lay off the cigs, but I know it's hard to do...
My biggest regret? They also have this little gym where you can shoot hoops. I had been in there shooting around and Ed went in there after his workout to shoot. I wanted desperately to go and see if I could shoot a few with him, but he had earphones on and loud enough that you could hear it. So we didn't want to intrude. He nodded a hi and smiled at the gym, but you could tell he wasn't looking to chat. We did watch for a few shots though.
Small town shows rule. The only other time I met the whole band was in St. John's NFLD.
sward wrote:Ok..this will come across as either a lie, or showoff'y (is that a word?), but whatever... I worked out beside Vedder this summer at the hotel gym before their London show and the dude is in shape. No idea if he's off the puff, but he put a solid hour in on the cardio machines at a decent clip. (I didn't know it was him until half way through, but had already noticed that he was cruising on the machine). Hopefully a good sign going forward, and there's definitely an improvement in voice if you ask me.
That's awesome!! Why can't shit like this happen in my gym? I can definitely tell an improvement in his vocals in the LB studio cuts compared to BS and even S/T. Hopefully he has or plans to lay off the cigs, but I know it's hard to do...
My biggest regret? They also have this little gym where you can shoot hoops. I had been in there shooting around and Ed went in there after his workout to shoot. I wanted desperately to go and see if I could shoot a few with him, but he had earphones on and loud enough that you could hear it. So we didn't want to intrude. He nodded a hi and smiled at the gym, but you could tell he wasn't looking to chat. We did watch for a few shots though.
Small town shows rule. The only other time I met the whole band was in St. John's NFLD.
I'm a BIG fan of S/T but Sirens is better than anything on that record.
The first album I bought on day release was Vitalogy. so I'm more of an "older" fan if you will. With this being said SIRENS to me, is the greatest piece of music they have released since Nothingman.
OmegaprimeVKM wrote:It looks like Infallible and Swallowed Whole are going to be this album's Got Some, Unthought Known, Unemployable, Marker In the Sand.
The other tracks are very forgettable dross (there is nothing new in Lightning Bolt, Getaway or Mind Your Manners) and I don't exactly maintain high hopes for the likes of Future Days or Sleeping By Myself, knowing how Sirens has turned out.
My only remaining hope is that Yellow Moon and Pendulum are pleasant surprises and that turns this into a 4 star album rather than a 2 star one.
I like everything we've had so far to an extent. There's probably more "new" ideas here than any album since Riot Act, but PJ haven't done anything very new for a long time now.
RisingTides wrote:There is more kindness on the internet than we would care to admit to ourselves. Sometimes we are so afraid of falling victim to a ruse, we miss out on actual opportunities.
sward wrote:Ok..this will come across as either a lie, or showoff'y (is that a word?), but whatever... I worked out beside Vedder this summer at the hotel gym before their London show and the dude is in shape. No idea if he's off the puff, but he put a solid hour in on the cardio machines at a decent clip. (I didn't know it was him until half way through, but had already noticed that he was cruising on the machine). Hopefully a good sign going forward, and there's definitely an improvement in voice if you ask me.
That's awesome!! Why can't shit like this happen in my gym? I can definitely tell an improvement in his vocals in the LB studio cuts compared to BS and even S/T. Hopefully he has or plans to lay off the cigs, but I know it's hard to do...
My biggest regret? They also have this little gym where you can shoot hoops. I had been in there shooting around and Ed went in there after his workout to shoot. I wanted desperately to go and see if I could shoot a few with him, but he had earphones on and loud enough that you could hear it. So we didn't want to intrude. He nodded a hi and smiled at the gym, but you could tell he wasn't looking to chat. We did watch for a few shots though.
Small town shows rule. The only other time I met the whole band was in St. John's NFLD.
BootsToAsses wrote:S/T is in my top 5 PJ albums easily. I fuckin' love that one. A couple of misfires for me (Paachutes, Unemployable, Gone) but the rest is wonderful.
Agree with gone, but I think the other two are great. Its a strange album for me... Gone is the only song I dont really like but there is something in the album that grates... Its got good individual songs... is it the drums or the production?...
Looking forward to LB more and more, took a few listens to like the partial leaks but they are good so far.
It's the production. It ruined this album for me. So crunchy, abrasive and loud.
Yup, this. I would probably have let the second half grow on me more if it wasn't so hard on the ears.
RisingTides wrote:There is more kindness on the internet than we would care to admit to ourselves. Sometimes we are so afraid of falling victim to a ruse, we miss out on actual opportunities.
RisingTides wrote:There is more kindness on the internet than we would care to admit to ourselves. Sometimes we are so afraid of falling victim to a ruse, we miss out on actual opportunities.
BootsToAsses wrote:S/T is in my top 5 PJ albums easily. I fuckin' love that one. A couple of misfires for me (Paachutes, Unemployable, Gone) but the rest is wonderful.
Agree with gone, but I think the other two are great. Its a strange album for me... Gone is the only song I dont really like but there is something in the album that grates... Its got good individual songs... is it the drums or the production?...
Looking forward to LB more and more, took a few listens to like the partial leaks but they are good so far.
It's the production. It ruined this album for me. So crunchy, abrasive and loud.
Yup, this. I would probably have let the second half grow on me more if it wasn't so hard on the ears.
Its a pity that the remaster is probably 15 years off at the rate its going. I wonder do they hear Avocado now and think about remixing like they did with Ten? Although I agree with the production but there is something off with the drumming, songs like WWS and Comeback... its like its slighty off, or his snare is flat... I dont know much about drumming and think Cameron is awesome but there is something up on that album. Himself and Ament are way more locked in on Backspacer
BootsToAsses wrote:S/T is in my top 5 PJ albums easily. I fuckin' love that one. A couple of misfires for me (Paachutes, Unemployable, Gone) but the rest is wonderful.
Agree with gone, but I think the other two are great. Its a strange album for me... Gone is the only song I dont really like but there is something in the album that grates... Its got good individual songs... is it the drums or the production?...
Looking forward to LB more and more, took a few listens to like the partial leaks but they are good so far.
It's the production. It ruined this album for me. So crunchy, abrasive and loud.
Yup, this. I would probably have let the second half grow on me more if it wasn't so hard on the ears.
Its a pity that the remaster is probably 15 years off at the rate its going. I wonder do they hear Avocado now and think about remixing like they did with Ten? Although I agree with the production but there is something off with the drumming, songs like WWS and Comeback... its like its slighty off, or his snare is flat... I dont know much about drumming and think Cameron is awesome but there is something up on that album. Himself and Ament are way more locked in on Backspacer
The snare is tuned too low, the hi-hats are always closed when he's rocking out, and he should be using less ride cymbal. These are ticks that frequently annoy me about Matt, but they're less of a problem on Backspacer. Matt is sounding more impressive on Lightning Bolt than he has since Riot Act, imo -- except on MYM, where his playing is pretty bland.
RisingTides wrote:There is more kindness on the internet than we would care to admit to ourselves. Sometimes we are so afraid of falling victim to a ruse, we miss out on actual opportunities.
RisingTides wrote:There is more kindness on the internet than we would care to admit to ourselves. Sometimes we are so afraid of falling victim to a ruse, we miss out on actual opportunities.
