Eddie Vedder - Earthling

[lecherouslittlestump]

which era of Bruce is Eddie currently in?

Judging by the quality of Long Way, he's fully in the Working On A Dream era.

[McParadigm]

If he’s gonna be a tourist in other artist’s creative spaces, the least he could do is give a nod to Bowie and design his album cover so it sorta looks like the album is called fart healing

[Strat]

Am I the only one enjoying eds current output then?

That's fine. I just need to know .

[epilogue]

Am I the only one enjoying eds current output then?

That's fine. I just need to know .

You're not alone, buddy.

[Ms Harmless]

while I still find the song unexciting, I did appreciate what the lyric video adds to the aesthetic; they're a piece; I felt the same way about the Gigaton visualisers, albeit they were better songs to begin with

[Strat]

Am I the only one enjoying eds current output then?

That's fine. I just need to know .

You're not alone, buddy.

ive settled comfortable into the same comfort zone adult/happy Eddie has and all these new songs suit me right to the bone.

[epilogue]

Am I the only one enjoying eds current output then?

That's fine. I just need to know .

You're not alone, buddy.

ive settled comfortable into the same comfort zone adult/happy Eddie has and all these new songs suit me right to the bone.

Like I said earlier in this thread, there is an unburdened quality to this song that I don't hear in much of Ed's music. And I love that this song has that quality. Though the style/structure/etc may be unoriginal or derivative or whatever, that feeling is really pretty fresh for Ed. And I think that's awesome.

I'm also a huge fan of everything he did on Gigaton and while Flag Day still feels more like GH feat EV, I really appreciate all his work there, too. I'm with you. I really dig the space he's occupying right now.

[Freewheelin]

The moment Eddie (probably around 03-05) started emulating and copping Springsteen/petty moves rather than the Neil young aesthetic he had been on was the moment any hopes for challenging future solo music were dashed.

The Springsteen infatuation has affected so much of his career and what he does with PJ.

[stip]

I think there’s a bit of Eddie fatigue happening in part from the collaborations and covers.

Yeah, there is definitely a disproportionate "Ed visibility" to "Ed quality output" ratio as of late. I feel like he's made an entire late-period career out of the kind of thing he used to do once a night at PJ concerts, like perform "Throw Your Arms Around Me" or "The Kids Are Alright" solo at the start of the first encore, the kind of thing you'd think was cool but know was ultimately just a ramp-up to a bigger payoff. That's the vibe I get from virtually everything he does now, even his original songs, even the ones he gives to PJ ("River Cross," "Future Days," "Gone," etc.).

I don't know, he's just kind of lost me a bit, I guess. As a songwriter, it seems like he's sort of said all he has to say already, with the Bush/Iraq stuff feeling like the last time he genuinely had something urgent to get off his chest. Since then he feels more like a guy who writes songs because that's his job, and because he enjoys the act of doing it. There's nothing wrong with that, and he's certainly had moments of inspiration since then, but in general -- especially when left entirely to his own devices -- it feels like he spins his wheels a lot.

All that said, I liked Gigaton and still do, even though I haven't had the same yearlong love affair with it that many here have. I think it's just down to him needing that additional input. He just doesn't seem to have the singular sense of vision coupled with musical range to be the driving force behind a solo career. I'd put Bono, Stipe, etc. in this same category. They've contributed to some great music, but they're frontmen first, and need other contributors to give the best shape to their ideas.

i think thats a fair critique/observation of his solo output, but I would definitely push back against that with his pearl jam writing (which I think he spends more time with, maybe)? the last two records (it is done with more intentionality on gigaton) really have him diving into the whole idea of legacy and aging and revisiting old themes from that new vantage point, and one that requires him to interrogate his own complicity in the things he doesnt like in a way that I think is both new (for him) and fascinating

[liebzz]

The moment Eddie (probably around 03-05) started emulating and copping Springsteen/petty moves rather than the Neil young aesthetic he had been on was the moment any hopes for challenging future solo music were dashed.

The Springsteen infatuation has affected so much of his career and what he does with PJ.

Rock n roll - where we prefer our elder rock stars crotchety over well adjusted and happy.

[stip]

Am I the only one enjoying eds current output then?

That's fine. I just need to know .

You're not alone, buddy.

his pearl jam output has been aces! and flag day took a while to sink in but Im really getting into it.

This new song has been a pleasent non-starter but lets see where the album goes. it has its moments

[Strat]

The moment Eddie (probably around 03-05) started emulating and copping Springsteen/petty moves rather than the Neil young aesthetic he had been on was the moment any hopes for challenging future solo music were dashed.

The Springsteen infatuation has affected so much of his career and what he does with PJ.

Rock n roll - where we prefer our elder rock stars crotchety over well adjusted and happy.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[bodysnatcher]

That lamp has no idea that it’s the only light in that guy’s life

[wease]

That lamp has no idea that it’s the only light in that guy’s life

Wrong. The end of every cigarette he smokes is the one true light of his life.

[FlatSideofaDog]

I like it. His voice is perfect for Tom Petty rock.

His sound and style has always been a little derivative, anyway. Jim Morrison/80s rock (ten), Jim Morrison/Kurt Cobain (vs), Kurt Cobain/Neil Young (vitalogy), Neil Young (No Code - Riot Act), Neil Young/Springsteen/Ramones (Backspacer-Lightning Bolt), finally ed? (Gigaton). I think there is innovation there, too - for sure in his constant transformations at least.

[dprival78]

might this have been a gigatron reject?

i could envision him bringing this in and matt and jeff simultaneously giving him a

[washing machine]

Don’t freeways typically offer the fastest route over the more circuitous country roads?

[lecherouslittlestump]

The moment Eddie (probably around 03-05) started emulating and copping Springsteen/petty moves rather than the Neil young aesthetic he had been on was the moment any hopes for challenging future solo music were dashed.

The Springsteen infatuation has affected so much of his career and what he does with PJ.

Eddie said they went back to Brendan O'Brien and gave him more creative freedom partly because of O'Brien's work with Springsteen - so I don't think you're far off on that.

I find it interesting that Vedder wasn't vocal about his Bruce obsession in the 90s. Possibly wanted to hitch his wagon to more 'cool' artists like Neil Young. Bruce was kind of a cheesy has been in the 90s.

[Tj]

This fits with riot act era stuff like Undone specifically Down as well. In fact it also reminds me of the Rockfords. If I didn't know better I would have guessed it was a Mcready composition.