10th album rumors and speculation

[bodysnatcher]

re: EPs, totally.

We discussed this in a thread on the old board.

I'm willing to bet PJ ain't gonna release a masterpiece at this stage, so why not record 4 or so songs and release it via the internets. A few months later release a few more songs, and repeat cycle.

I'd be all for something like that.

Once upon a time, I remember reading an interview with (someone from Radiohead, I think it was) Thom Yorke. And he mused about where the band goes from here. He talked about releasing sets of singles and EP and putting artwork on the website, allowing fans to make their own album. They could put whatever songs they liked in whatever order they liked and download the artwork and have an album.

Since a lot of us already do this kind of thing (retracking Pearl Jam albums) I think this could be a great outlet for Pearl Jam. No more would we have to worry about them leaving the best stuff on the cutting room floor. Just release a group of songs here and a group of songs there and let us build it however we want.

I remember Thom talking about that. I think the past 3 albums, he's come out of the process saying that it was their last long-form album. He apparently hates the process, which is funny to me.

I wish PJ would just sit down with a roundtable of fans (ie. fans who are analytical, not homer 10c fans) and get opinions and ideas. Sometimes they are so insular, I find it difficult to believe that they are constantly coming up with fresh ideas. bc most of the time, those ideas come from outside sources and interactions that you aren't familiar with. My only hope for the next album is that all the side projects they are individually doing brings new and fresh ideas to the table.... maybe that's what Jeff was thinking when he made the "start from scratch" comment

[lowlight79]

It kinda funny that they preached all of last about not dipping into the past anymore and putting all the treasure chests away and creating a new road in 2011. But since then, they have done NOTHING. A euro tour and few quick cash grab shows in September.They seem more interested in doing there own things and that's fine. I can't really take anymore non new albums shows once you have seen them some 20-30 times. But people asking for another Riot Act are funny. When that album came out,there was so much hate for that album here and at the pit for that record.

[KurtLeon]

re: EPs, totally.

We discussed this in a thread on the old board.

I'm willing to bet PJ ain't gonna release a masterpiece at this stage, so why not record 4 or so songs and release it via the internets. A few months later release a few more songs, and repeat cycle.

I'd be all for something like that.

Once upon a time, I remember reading an interview with (someone from Radiohead, I think it was) Thom Yorke. And he mused about where the band goes from here. He talked about releasing sets of singles and EP and putting artwork on the website, allowing fans to make their own album. They could put whatever songs they liked in whatever order they liked and download the artwork and have an album.

Since a lot of us already do this kind of thing (retracking Pearl Jam albums) I think this could be a great outlet for Pearl Jam. No more would we have to worry about them leaving the best stuff on the cutting room floor. Just release a group of songs here and a group of songs there and let us build it however we want.

I like this idea.

Too bad it will never happen.

[pnjguy]

Put me in the camp that thinks this is a good thing. If they're not inspired by the music they're making, its probably bad music. Backspacer, to me, was very uninspired. I'd rather hear no new music than another Backspacer. If that's the type of music I have to look forward to, just call it a career and play live gigs.

[evenslow]

I wish PJ would just sit down with a roundtable of fans (ie. fans who are analytical, not homer 10c fans) and get opinions and ideas. Sometimes they are so insular, I find it difficult to believe that they are constantly coming up with fresh ideas. bc most of the time, those ideas come from outside sources and interactions that you aren't familiar with.

I don't think sitting down with fans would do much, but I do agree with your point that from around the mid-2000s on, they've definitely been in more and more of a bubble. The connection between them and their fans is a few steps removed now, and unfortunately they have tim bierman as the go-between. What they really need is someone with balls and expertise to take hold of the operation and infuse it with some new thinking and energy. finally bring it into the 21st century.

I think they also bought into their own hype around 2006, when articles in EW and the like celebrated their connection with the fans. They stopped feeding the beast as much around that time. Eliminating b-sides, their new bootleg practices and more festival shows are just a few practices that have created distance over time. There has been diminishing returns since then, with many complicated reasons to point to (getting older, starting families, the new Internet model, poor management, etc). I'm sure they didn't want to create extra layers between them and their fans, but here we are.

This is not to say that they owe me something, just that the band/fan community dynamic is not what it once was.

I think I'm just depressed b/c there's no new music on the horizon. Help.

[darth_vedder]

re: EPs, totally.

We discussed this in a thread on the old board.

I'm willing to bet PJ ain't gonna release a masterpiece at this stage, so why not record 4 or so songs and release it via the internets. A few months later release a few more songs, and repeat cycle.

I'd be all for something like that.

Once upon a time, I remember reading an interview with (someone from Radiohead, I think it was) Thom Yorke. And he mused about where the band goes from here. He talked about releasing sets of singles and EP and putting artwork on the website, allowing fans to make their own album. They could put whatever songs they liked in whatever order they liked and download the artwork and have an album.

Since a lot of us already do this kind of thing (retracking Pearl Jam albums) I think this could be a great outlet for Pearl Jam. No more would we have to worry about them leaving the best stuff on the cutting room floor. Just release a group of songs here and a group of songs there and let us build it however we want.

I like this idea.

Too bad it will never happen.

[EJ]

I don't want them to sit with fans for ideas. I think that's a terrible approach for any band to take. They should be making the music they want to make, period. They are certainly aware of what other bands are doing to connect with their fans.

The truth is, we really don't know what's going on behind the scenes. As pnjguy mentioned, maybe they did write some music, but weren't excited about it and shelved it for awhile. I agree, better to not release it than to have Backspacer II - which is what they've (or at least Ed's) said is not the type of music they want to keep making together.

[epilogue]

Maybe this is revisionist history on my part, but it seems it's always been difficult to be in Pearl Jam. From the tragedy that birthed them, to the grunge movement, to Kurt Cobain and the authenticity debate, to super stardom, to Dave A, to psycho fans, to theft, to Ticketmaster, to Roskilde. The band has always fought against. There has always been an adversary -- and a bigger adversary that whatever twat is President of the United States at the time.

Now, being in Pearl Jam is easy. They're fat and wealthy and happy. Where is the conflict? Where is the adversary? Ed's happy playing his toy guitar and surfing and being a father. Jeff and Stone are happy making music in bands that don't require mountain moving for inspiration.

Maybe they don't know how to be Pearl Jam without a fight, without a big bad wolf. And rather than wade through that, they're just doing what they love doing elsewhere.

[VinylGuy]

Maybe this is revisionist history on my part, but it seems it's always been difficult to be in Pearl Jam. From the tragedy that birthed them, to the grunge movement, to Kurt Cobain and the authenticity debate, to super stardom, to Dave A, to psycho fans, to theft, to Ticketmaster, to Roskilde. The band has always fought against. There has always been an adversary -- and a bigger adversary that whatever twat is President of the United States at the time.

Now, being in Pearl Jam is easy. They're fat and wealthy and happy. Where is the conflict? Where is the adversary? Ed's happy playing his toy guitar and surfing and being a father. Jeff and Stone are happy making music in bands that don't require mountain moving for inspiration.

Maybe they don't know how to be Pearl Jam without a fight, without a big bad wolf. And rather than wade through that, they're just doing what they love doing elsewhere.

I dont see that..it might have to do with their old approach to release records..the pressure sony put on them, releasing a lot of records with a two year gap for a long time.
Theyre in a different place right now, as a touring force, without the pressure of a label behind and yeah, interested in other kinds of music.
Im sure they are recording music since Backspacer came out, and im sure they were scratching a lot of sessions like Jeff said in that interview, its a bummer for us, PJ fans, that they dont seem to know how to release new music without having a record and taking so long to finally have one.
I

[McParadigm]

"Guys, let's never fight again, XOXOXO" is also not a strong way to walk into a studio....not only because creativity hinges on conflict, but because you inevitably end up not voicing some opinions or ideas out of a desire not to rock the boat.

I don't think that hurt them right away, but over time the reduction in potential "kicked in the ass" lateral shift moments results in....oh....I don't know....

Spoiler: show

[epilogue]

Maybe Ed bitching about having to grab an ebow during Single Video Theory really was the beginning of the end.

[evenslow]

"You know, Stone was the problem. Yeah it was... it was Stone."

[Norah]

Maybe Ed bitching about having to grab an ebow during Single Video Theory really was the beginning of the end.

Stone bitched about that.

Also, team McParadigm through and through.

[bodysnatcher]

"weh weh, I can't reach an ebow, weh weh."

Just say it, Stone. You hated the way it sounded. Stop being a little bitch.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Maybe this is revisionist history on my part, but it seems it's always been difficult to be in Pearl Jam. From the tragedy that birthed them, to the grunge movement, to Kurt Cobain and the authenticity debate, to super stardom, to Dave A, to psycho fans, to theft, to Ticketmaster, to Roskilde. The band has always fought against. There has always been an adversary -- and a bigger adversary that whatever twat is President of the United States at the time.

Now, being in Pearl Jam is easy. They're fat and wealthy and happy. Where is the conflict? Where is the adversary? Ed's happy playing his toy guitar and surfing and being a father. Jeff and Stone are happy making music in bands that don't require mountain moving for inspiration.

Maybe they don't know how to be Pearl Jam without a fight, without a big bad wolf. And rather than wade through that, they're just doing what they love doing elsewhere.

Maybe we should have all voted for Romney so they would have some album material

[epilogue]

Maybe Ed bitching about having to grab an ebow during Single Video Theory really was the beginning of the end.

Stone bitched about that.

Also, team McParadigm through and through.

But it was Ed's attitude about the whole thing.

Stone seemed more like he just wanted Ed to stop being a pussy. Stone was all like, "Look fucker YOU want an ebow, you USE the fucking ebow, man. I'm tired of being your bitch. Be your own bitch for a while, yeah?"

Then Ed was all like, "I understand."

And then we had Yield. So...

[evenslow]

Stone seemed more like he just wanted Ed to stop being a pussy. Stone was all like, "Look fucker YOU want an ebow, you USE the fucking ebow, man. I'm tired of being your bitch. Be your own bitch for a while, yeah?"

Then Ed was all like, "I understand."

You could say this is when Ed became Stone's Bitch.

[Charlie]

its probably all sounds like shit and they are doing us a huge favor by not releasing it. do you really want to hear it?

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

its probably all sounds like shit and they are doing us a huge favor by not releasing it. do you really want to hear it?

Yep, i wanna hear all they record, even if it sucks

[Strat]

Im happy they aren't rushing it. Thats great. But it beyond that it also feels as though they have no motivation, no creative spark.... That is what is holding the process up and that is what is saddening to me. This is the band that...well you know...

I was all for them enjoying their fame and finally just giving in to being one of the biggest bands int he world - giving us a PJ light record commonly referred to as Backspacer....

But now its time to get back to business and it doesnt feel like they are able to do that yet.

Its unfortunate but whatever - 20 years is a hell of a run.