Dark Matter (song)

General Pearl Jam discussion.
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Dark Matter Initial Reactions

5 Stars
33
17%
4 Stars
92
48%
3 Stars
56
29%
2 Stars
8
4%
1 Star
3
2%
 
Total votes: 192

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stip
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by stip »

looks like he’s on the Stones record as a writer, too.

If he is actively working with the band to shape the songs I’m fine with that if I like the songs (i mean that’s his job and that is literally what a collaborative relationship looks like). If I don’t I’ll be annoyed and will decide to make him the source and cause of everything I don’t like.

I wonder if producers in other genres (pop/rap) are more likely to ask for/receive writing credits than rock producers. Watt may want/expect to see his name there as an expected practice. But that’s purely speculative and could be way off base.
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stip
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by stip »

this also makes sense if the band did not come with prewritten songs, and instead were writing everything on the spot wiith Watt actively involved.

But I love Dark Matter and it feels like Pearl Jam and so I find who is attributed to what an area of interest, not concern
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

team Stip!
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dprival78
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by dprival78 »

i had a suspicion that wotman came up with this.

these 5 guys need someone else to write songs for them now?

can’t say that i love that.. let’s how much of that went on with the whole album
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

wow, from "Wottman has a credit" to "Wottman wrote this, I'm done" in 60 seconds
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oneway23
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by oneway23 »

Listen, the bottom line here is this: Are the band and Wottman proud of what they've achieved? If they're excited about the record, all I care about is the end result. If we love it, even better.

I heard the same cranky whining from Ozzy fans, and, when the first record they did together came out, it was the best received album, barring the Sabbath reunion, that he'd had in decades.

Oh, and he got two records out of him in two years, after having only put out two in the past fifteen previously. He's got the Stones 50% of the way there with a new one, as we speak.

No complaints if we get similar with PJ at this stage.
We still make records to be listened to — not that everyone will listen to a record track one to twelve in a row or side A or Side B — but we still make 'em in case somebody does want to listen to it like that, that's how we make em…
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dprival78
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by dprival78 »

I’m not jumping ship, I’m just not all that enthused with this song. and wasn’t before any confirmation of the producer’s involvement.

bring on the wreckage!
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Evvo »

After taking a few days off from the song, it came on during a fast parkrun this morning and I thought it was fantastic. That drum intro grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go, and the solo/chorus builds to a massive finish. Already feels like a real part of the PJ catalogue. Really excited for the album now.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by B »

Ms Harmless wrote:Watt clearly acted as a musical director, giving them advice on musical arrangement while watching them play, and probably telling Ed his first draft lyrics were lazy as part of his duty as producer; that's not even slightly out of the remit of what most producers do, and most of them won't get a writing credit; but Pearl Jam values collaboration with their friends as an extension of their band, so he gets a credit, and that's OK with me
For the record, Ed's the only one with writing credits on the lyrics. Music is Ament, Gossard, Vedder, McCready, Cameron, Watt, in that order, if that matters.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by elliseamos »

Ed Ved: Fixin since 1991.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

B wrote:
Ms Harmless wrote:Watt clearly acted as a musical director, giving them advice on musical arrangement while watching them play, and probably telling Ed his first draft lyrics were lazy as part of his duty as producer; that's not even slightly out of the remit of what most producers do, and most of them won't get a writing credit; but Pearl Jam values collaboration with their friends as an extension of their band, so he gets a credit, and that's OK with me
For the record, Ed's the only one with writing credits on the lyrics. Music is Ament, Gossard, Vedder, McCready, Cameron, Watt, in that order, if that matters.
I think it does, definitely

I recorded a few amateur things way back when with bands, and our trusted sound engineer always got involved with suggesting improvements to song structure, instrumentation, etc.; this stuff only matters if it's diminishing the final product
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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daft twat
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by daft twat »

Whoever said when the clip was released that it sounded like wrestler entrance music fucked me up. It’s all I can think about when this song starts.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by Ms Harmless »

you could apply that to most 90s-esque rock music
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oneway23
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by oneway23 »

tragabigzanda wrote:
oneway23 wrote: As if the integrity meter has somehow seismically swung from Fugazi over to Katy Perry.
They were never Fugazi to begin with, but tits aside, there’s not much difference between what they’re doing now and what Katy Perry has been doing her entire career, which is sourcing musical ideas from others, and abandoning any measure of subtlety, to sell tickets and merch.

Both their artistic and commercial (ticket program) integrity have in fact taken a big dive with this project, IMO. I’d be more or less fine with the first one if it didn’t sound like shit. The ticket nonsense is bogus no matter how you try to spin it.
LOL. I'm not awake enough yet to play along with this troll job, Trag. You definitely sold it well though, bubba.
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We still make records to be listened to — not that everyone will listen to a record track one to twelve in a row or side A or Side B — but we still make 'em in case somebody does want to listen to it like that, that's how we make em…
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by DDWJMUVW »

Ms Harmless wrote:Watt clearly acted as a musical director, giving them advice on musical arrangement while watching them play, and probably telling Ed his first draft lyrics were lazy as part of his duty as producer; that's not even slightly out of the remit of what most producers do, and most of them won't get a writing credit; but Pearl Jam values collaboration with their friends as an extension of their band, so he gets a credit, and that's OK with me
Exactly.

Go back and check all the writing credits associated w MJ’s records. 100 dudes you’ve never heard of. Some of them wrote the signature licks we all know (lady in my life), and some wrote or contributed to like 4 bars of a song. If you provide even a modicum of creation, you get a writing credit. Thats the way of the biz.
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by WaitingForBluey »

Both of these threads have devolved into utter nonsense. Total conjecture based on ZERO real information! FFS, pull yourselves together, man
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oneway23
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by oneway23 »

bluestate wrote:Both of these threads have devolved into utter nonsense. Total conjecture based on ZERO real information! FFS, pull yourselves together, man
It's record roll-out time, where people try out new gimmicks and characters, depending on day, mood, & temperament...We're like the WWE in here.
We still make records to be listened to — not that everyone will listen to a record track one to twelve in a row or side A or Side B — but we still make 'em in case somebody does want to listen to it like that, that's how we make em…
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Dark Matter (song)

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 7:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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