Eddie Vedder - Earthling

[ghost]

[VinylGuy]

the three snippets i got were pure saccarine

Pretty certain it was all the same song. the halves.

oh yeah could be. Ok, im relieved now.

Also, the game was super fun.

[liebzz]

I still have zero expectations on this - not expecting to be surprised or disappointed, just sort of in that phase where it’s not even registering on my radar. Perhaps since today is the 10th and all something will get me jazzed up about this, but so far it’s maybe too abstract still to get my head into as an actual upcoming album. I just yesterday heard the live version of Long Way on the video. It’s good though it does feel very ensemble, like he invited all his buddies on stage at once to play akin to when they close a festival show with Rockin in the Free World - a looser sort of feel. And I can enjoy that - it’s good to sort of let your hair down a little and have fun, which I think is the point I made more generally about the song.

[Strat]

You all know what kind of record its going to be. If anyone is holding out for a new grievance or immortality or something.... Its not gonna happen.

With a somewhat new hot producer, recording time in LA, and the first two song we've heard - Ed is certainly leaning into his more poppy/saccharine sensibilities.

I, for one, welcome it. That doesnt mean im going to like it or not, but im fine with Ed putting out what might be a full hearty solo effort with a band and bigger production.

[VinylGuy]

yeah, im super happy with the single and the people involved. Im pretty sure it will have some good moments.

[Ms Harmless]

You all know what kind of record its going to be. If anyone is holding out for a new grievance or immortality or something.... Its not gonna happen.

With a somewhat new hot producer, recording time in LA, and the first two song we've heard - Ed is certainly leaning into his more poppy/saccharine sensibilities.

I, for one, welcome it. That doesnt mean im going to like it or not, but im fine with Ed putting out what might be a full hearty solo effort with a band and bigger production.

I agree with this, it doesn't phase me either way what Ed chooses to do solo, and I'm still intrigued at the possibility it'll mean he sheds more of those inclinations for new PJ stuff

[contamination]

Those better be electric cars or I'm done with Ed.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Monkey_Driven]

You all know what kind of record its going to be. If anyone is holding out for a new grievance or immortality or something.... Its not gonna happen.

With a somewhat new hot producer, recording time in LA, and the first two song we've heard - Ed is certainly leaning into his more poppy/saccharine sensibilities.

I, for one, welcome it. That doesnt mean im going to like it or not, but im fine with Ed putting out what might be a full hearty solo effort with a band and bigger production.

yeah same. I probably won't like this album very much. But if it makes him and other fans happy, and if it provides a non-PJ outlet for this side of his music, great.

What a terrible perspective. If this album is bad, it ruins Pearl Jam forever.

[liebzz]

You all know what kind of record its going to be. If anyone is holding out for a new grievance or immortality or something.... Its not gonna happen.

With a somewhat new hot producer, recording time in LA, and the first two song we've heard - Ed is certainly leaning into his more poppy/saccharine sensibilities.

I, for one, welcome it. That doesnt mean im going to like it or not, but im fine with Ed putting out what might be a full hearty solo effort with a band and bigger production.

yeah same. I probably won't like this album very much. But if it makes him and other fans happy, and if it provides a non-PJ outlet for this side of his music, great.

What a terrible perspective. If this album is bad, it ruins Pearl Jam forever.

If the past is any measure, whatever comes out on this will likely bleed into a Pearl Jam release (I.e. Tolumne —> Just Breathe, Sleeping By Myself —> Sleeping By Brendan O’Brien).

[Kevin Davis]

I agree, liebzz - I don't think there is a lot of precedent for the line of thinking that Eddie's solo albums serve as some kind of purgative exercise that allow him to come back to Pearl Jam renewed and ready to focus; if anything they tend to foreshadow the kind of thing he'll bring to the next PJ record, at least in the singer-songwriter/ballad department.

All of Eddie's recent solo material registers as the same shade of bland and workmanlike to me, I'm afraid - I am with 'snatch that this may be the first EV-led project I just take a pass on (unless Flag Day counts, in which case it will be the second). More power to him, it looks like he's having fun, but it doesn't do anything for me.

[oftheearth]

Honestly the sound effects in the game were more interesting than the snippets themselves.

[blueviper]

No.

[joostone]

The audio snippets sound like cheese...

[Monkey_Driven]

They're real bad.

[oasisfan35]

I agree, liebzz - I don't think there is a lot of precedent for the line of thinking that Eddie's solo albums serve as some kind of purgative exercise that allow him to come back to Pearl Jam renewed and ready to focus; if anything they tend to foreshadow the kind of thing he'll bring to the next PJ record, at least in the singer-songwriter/ballad department.

All of Eddie's recent solo material registers as the same shade of bland and workmanlike to me, I'm afraid - I am with 'snatch that this may be the first EV-led project I just take a pass on (unless Flag Day counts, in which case it will be the second). More power to him, it looks like he's having fun, but it doesn't do anything for me.

I agree with everything said above. Clearly some of us here have seen this movement in Ed's output and is not surprised but at some point we may get off the train.

When this was released I heard a lot of Petty mentions but Eddie Vedder is not Tom Petty, Tom Petty is dead. I'm finding that Eddie Petty or Eddie Springsteen endeavors just aren't that great to me. We can pay homage to our influences and have it bring our own art forward but when we get to the point of emulation it's really just a vapid musical effort.

[McParadigm]

Pearl Jam concerts are taxing, vocal cord searing events. And it’s not always clear how interested everyone in the band is in regular touring.

To be honest, I halfway suspect he’s building a catalog of comfort food songs that are easy on the voice and effortlessly digestible to the casual listener (“I liked that one song he did, it reminded me of Tom Petty“) for a transition to a more expansive solo touring future.

[McParadigm]

Or it could be that he just spent a year and a half in quarantine, sneaking out to the songwriting shed because good christ, suddenly my family is around all the time now

[Farmer John]

Do you think he has more than these two songs finished?

[McParadigm]

Do you think he has more than these two songs finished?

90% of his *currently released* solo catalog sounds unfinished.