Eddie Vedder - Earthling

[Tj]

Finally got a chance to listen to this. Been through it a few times. I like it much more than I expected. It's nice to be able to compartmentalize Ed's work here and not compare it to Pearl Jam. A big part of that has to be that he's aged, we've aged and maybe changed our expectations with it.

It's interesting to hear all of Ed's influences in these songs. A bit over the top at times, but you can tell he and the band are having fun so it's not offensive in any way. Ed's voice sounds great throughout. The production kinda sucks though, way too glossy. Also, not a big fan of the lead guitar on this album. Just very generic, almost cheesy 1980s stuff, but not overly offensive by any means.

The best of the bunch:

Fallout Today - very infectious song. Ed channeling The Wallflowers and The Travelling Wilburys in this one.

Power of Right - love Ed's delivery in this one. Nice riff. Very QOTSA-ish.

Brother The Cloud - this seems like the most "Ed" song on the album.

Invincible - there's a level of cheese to this Peter Gabriel song. But, I dig it. It feels big.

On My Way - the melody of this reminds me of REM's The Lifting. Like others have said, I wish this was longer.

Long Way - very straight forward Petty homage with terrible lyrics. Comes across great live though. I now enjoy the song.

Mrs. Mills - a bit over the top with The Beatles here, but that was the point. He's having fun with Ringo. Nice melody.

The rest of the songs are decent, just don't feel the need to listen to again. Well, actually The Haves is terrible.
Overall, good job Ed. Hard to believe he's pushing 60 with what he put out here.

I had not made a connection to The Lifting, but now that you say it I can kind of hear it

So The Dark is just decent for you?

[EJ]

Finally got a chance to listen to this. Been through it a few times. I like it much more than I expected. It's nice to be able to compartmentalize Ed's work here and not compare it to Pearl Jam. A big part of that has to be that he's aged, we've aged and maybe changed our expectations with it.

It's interesting to hear all of Ed's influences in these songs. A bit over the top at times, but you can tell he and the band are having fun so it's not offensive in any way. Ed's voice sounds great throughout. The production kinda sucks though, way too glossy. Also, not a big fan of the lead guitar on this album. Just very generic, almost cheesy 1980s stuff, but not overly offensive by any means.

The best of the bunch:

Fallout Today - very infectious song. Ed channeling The Wallflowers and The Travelling Wilburys in this one.

Power of Right - love Ed's delivery in this one. Nice riff. Very QOTSA-ish.

Brother The Cloud - this seems like the most "Ed" song on the album.

Invincible - there's a level of cheese to this Peter Gabriel song. But, I dig it. It feels big.

On My Way - the melody of this reminds me of REM's The Lifting. Like others have said, I wish this was longer.

Long Way - very straight forward Petty homage with terrible lyrics. Comes across great live though. I now enjoy the song.

Mrs. Mills - a bit over the top with The Beatles here, but that was the point. He's having fun with Ringo. Nice melody.

The rest of the songs are decent, just don't feel the need to listen to again. Well, actually The Haves is terrible.
Overall, good job Ed. Hard to believe he's pushing 60 with what he put out here.

I had not made a connection to The Lifting, but now that you say it I can kind of hear it

So The Dark is just decent for you?

Yep. Listened to it 4 or 5 times. It's okay. Would not seek it out.

[LetMeSleep]

I've enjoyed Trag and KD's posts here in this thread much more than the actual album and those posts alone make me want to hear Earthlings again.

I'm torn.

[stip]

Fallout Today - to start, I really like this as a title.

Oh, second chances granted one more time
And in the depths of darkness, found the light
And the hope she thought abandoned
Was not lost for her companion
Kept it safe

Second chances granted one more time is a really simple but effective and striking lyric, and that whole sequence works really well

For the fallout today was just a test of strength

Don't make light of the weight, you’ll fortify thе chains

Really nice sentiment in this song in general

The Dark - there's so much empathy and well meaning intent in the performance that the whole thing ends up being powerful even if some of the lyrics are a little direct. This is a great passage, though:

Walk the moon as if on a leash
Follow my shadow in the sand
Blue light beaming down on me
And the footprints you have left
Your silence covers me
Like heavy water fathoms underneath the sea
Midnight, not a cloud in the sky
I should be lost in your eyes


I'll find you in the dark - what a simple but powerful sentiment, and then it's a powerful moment when it switches to the invitation "Come find me in the dark'

We all could, we all could use some redemption
We all fail, fail in the face of perfection - this isn't a new sentiment. This message has been all over the last 3 Pearl Jam albums, but it's nicely delivered


The Haves
I don't hate this song (though I still think it's the weakest on the record), but this is one of Eddie's weakest lyrical outings. It's especially noticeable since it's such a long, lyric forward song. There's just nothing to grab onto. It's not the message, and the performance is ok, but there's not a single lyric that makes you stop and think or nod your head in agreement.


Good and Evil-at long last, a sequel to Glorified G. This is a pretty mean spirited song that feels a bit out of place mixed in with the rest of the songs, even if it's a pretty cool track. And none of the lyrics are particularly insightful, though there are a few clever moments. And it's not like The Haves, where they bring the song down. they fit well with the general pissed off, dismissive vibe of it

[stip]

Rose of Jericho - I like the metaphor he's using here, and t 'rose of Jericho' is a nice phrase, but the lyrics generally aren't elevating the song. Music and performance is pretty strong, though. This may be my favorite of the heavier songs on the record

Try - this song is so fun, and the lyrics fit really well with its energy. It's like revisiting the couple from Hail Hail 20 years into the marriage. This is a nice moment

lifted with the elements earth, sea and sky
Hidden like the witness in your eyes
Our life is a canyon, live it deep and wide

Picture

Nice moment right at the start (though I don't know if the final lyric in the verse fully sticks the landing)

A picture tells a thousand words, some of them were mine
Combing through the evidence, afraid of what we'll find
The sun could lift us up should this thunder ever stop
There's no over, there's no under, there's no shame

Mrs Mills - in general this is Eddie's one of most successful 'paint a scene' lyrical outings. He is great at the characterization and emotional stakes, but he's not usually this on point with the descriptive (rather than metaphorical) imagery, and he's doing it while working with a more sophisticated metaphor than, say, Lightning Bolt, which is the anthemic presentation of this same sentiment.

And I do love this lyrics

And no ones born to feel like they are owned

[stip]

After 6 or 7 listens


Invincible and In the Dark are my two favorites, though Try is right behind it. These are definitely the songs that are going to go into heavy rotation once I'm done with the full album listens. Mrs. Mills is also really really good, and On My Way is powerful - I wonder how it will work outside of the actual album

Invincible
In the Dark
Try
On My way
Mrs Mills


Picture - this has risen so much once the song settled in
Rose of Jericho
Brother the Cloud
Good vs. Evil

Fallout Today
Power of Right

Long Way
The Haves


9 songs I really like, two that are fine, and even the two at the bottom I don't mind in the context of the album. Well done, Eddie!

[Jaeti]

The Haves
I don't hate this song (though I still think it's the weakest on the record), but this is one of Eddie's weakest lyrical outings. It's especially noticeable since it's such a long, lyric forward song. There's just nothing to grab onto. It's not the message, and the performance is ok, but there's not a single lyric that makes you stop and think or nod your head in agreement.

Agree with all of this, except I think the opening lyric is actually pretty powerful. There's something pretty startling about the image of someone opening their eyes to the day and immediately feeling assaulted. All downhill from there though.

When you wake up it just might be
The first of many blows that you'll receive

[Tj]

The Haves
I don't hate this song (though I still think it's the weakest on the record), but this is one of Eddie's weakest lyrical outings. It's especially noticeable since it's such a long, lyric forward song. There's just nothing to grab onto. It's not the message, and the performance is ok, but there's not a single lyric that makes you stop and think or nod your head in agreement.

Agree with all of this, except I think the opening lyric is actually pretty powerful. There's something pretty startling about the image of someone opening their eyes to the day and immediately feeling assaulted. All downhill from there though.

When you wake up it just might be
The first of many blows that you'll receive

Could have a great lyric. Remind be of Paramore 's Hard Times then it all down music and production and mix are incredible though. Makes me want Watt to produce Cold Confession

[Fattie_Vedder]

I appreciate that most of the songs are examples of the lyrics being more than the sum of their parts. Invincible is a great example of this. There are some powerful words and moving imagery in that song as well as some cheese, but it goes so well together, and even though very few lines stand out by themselves, they’re more powerful working together to relentlessly drive home the inspirational message that builds on itself from one line to the next.

There are several clever play on words here and there too. I really dig “witness” instead of “whiteness” in this one from The Dark: “Hidden like the witness in your eyes”. Simultaneously evokes an image of someone with eyes half shut in sadness but also incapable of hiding the sadness in their eyes as witnessed by their companion.

[stip]

The Haves
I don't hate this song (though I still think it's the weakest on the record), but this is one of Eddie's weakest lyrical outings. It's especially noticeable since it's such a long, lyric forward song. There's just nothing to grab onto. It's not the message, and the performance is ok, but there's not a single lyric that makes you stop and think or nod your head in agreement.

Agree with all of this, except I think the opening lyric is actually pretty powerful. There's something pretty startling about the image of someone opening their eyes to the day and immediately feeling assaulted. All downhill from there though.

When you wake up it just might be
The first of many blows that you'll receive

You may be right

[RockPusher]

Makes me want Watt to produce Cold Confession

Watt doing Stray Cats wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.

[Ms Harmless]

The Haves
I don't hate this song (though I still think it's the weakest on the record), but this is one of Eddie's weakest lyrical outings. It's especially noticeable since it's such a long, lyric forward song. There's just nothing to grab onto. It's not the message, and the performance is ok, but there's not a single lyric that makes you stop and think or nod your head in agreement.

Agree with all of this, except I think the opening lyric is actually pretty powerful. There's something pretty startling about the image of someone opening their eyes to the day and immediately feeling assaulted. All downhill from there though.

When you wake up it just might be
The first of many blows that you'll receive

"Today.... what we need












we want what we need"

it's like he couldn't be bothered finding a lyric there, or had no idea what homeless people might need ("today, what we need is a house and the fall of capitalism"?)

[Kevin Davis]

Try
Mrs. Mills
Fallout Today
Power of Right
The Dark
Invincible
On My Way
Rose of Jericho
Good and Evil
Brother the Cloud
Picture
Long Way
The Haves

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[stip]

People don’t feel that way about long way now?

Truly baffling singles choices

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Ms Harmless]

The Long Way and The Haves are both long and boring; this album would be much better without them

[Tj]

People don’t feel that way about long way now?

Truly baffling singles choices

Seeing my wife's reaction to to The Long Way has been interesting. She is more than a casual fan in that she legitimately really like probably 25 percent of there catalog alot. She doesn't have that coming to age connection to the band. She gets annoyed by alot of Ed's vocals. She has heard the album maybe 4 times. The Long Way is easily her favorite song. It is important to note that Petty is one of her favorite artists.

[evenslow]

30 years into it Ed can still send chills down my spine with a focused delivery, his voice, and lyrics. Speaking particularly about the end of Brother the Cloud .

Shit.

[psychobain]

The haves reminds me of "All the Young dudes"