Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Jorge]

The band has said that Watt has a deep knowledge of their catalog and would use it to help communicate musical ideas to the band during the writing and recording

Just as an aside, does anyone really believe this?

I'm sure he's pretty aware broadly of the stuff they do, and no doubt did a deeper dive on getting the gig, but I also find it hard to believe he's a long-standing fan on the same level as any given member here.

It makes for a good story, though.

Why the hell is it hard to believe? I don't understand this level of cynicism at all! Yes, I absolutely believe that Watt is a big fan and was as excited to work with Pearl Jam as Ed was to work with him again.

I don't doubt he likes the band a lot, and did so before producing Ed's solo abum - but I also think the level of his fandom is being exaggerated to some extent, that's all.

But what makes you say that? It's not such a wild claim

[Ms Harmless]

The band has said that Watt has a deep knowledge of their catalog and would use it to help communicate musical ideas to the band during the writing and recording

Just as an aside, does anyone really believe this?

I'm sure he's pretty aware broadly of the stuff they do, and no doubt did a deeper dive on getting the gig, but I also find it hard to believe he's a long-standing fan on the same level as any given member here.

It makes for a good story, though.

do we just not believe any of Pearl Jam's own words anymore? there are people here who have been to 50 shows or more... or have they?

[Birds in Hell]

The band has said that Watt has a deep knowledge of their catalog and would use it to help communicate musical ideas to the band during the writing and recording

Just as an aside, does anyone really believe this?

I'm sure he's pretty aware broadly of the stuff they do, and no doubt did a deeper dive on getting the gig, but I also find it hard to believe he's a long-standing fan on the same level as any given member here.

It makes for a good story, though.

Why the hell is it hard to believe? I don't understand this level of cynicism at all! Yes, I absolutely believe that Watt is a big fan and was as excited to work with Pearl Jam as Ed was to work with him again.

I don't doubt he likes the band a lot, and did so before producing Ed's solo abum - but I also think the level of his fandom is being exaggerated to some extent, that's all.

But what makes you say that? It's not such a wild claim

I think it is quite a wild claim, "Pearl Jam superfan tapped to produce their new album"!

It just seems a bit over-egged, though I can acknowledge I'm potentially responding more directly to stip's characterisation above than anything he or the band have said.

[dprival78]

the early reports that came out about wotman pushing the band to play hard and heavy like the early days, and pushing matt to play like the soundgarden days make me leery of this whole union. i began to have concerns that wotman's pearl jam would be j.j. abrams' star wars

it's 2024, not 1994. these guys are AARP-eligible. i don't need to hear them trying to be 28 again because wotman digs ten and vs.

[Ms Harmless]

at the end of the day, being a "superfan" doesn't Dark Matter if your work is shit; I believe that he is but I also believe that some of us have terrible music taste; all that Dark Matters is whether I like the song, and I like the song; it sounds like a relatively minor rawk number, but that's par for the course for first single

[WaitingForBluey]

Almost $90 for a vinyl and a CD?

Motherfucker!!!

[Ms Harmless]

the early reports that came out about wotman pushing the band to play hard and heavy like the early days, and pushing matt to play like the soundgarden days make me leery of this whole union. i began to have concerns that wotman's pearl jam would be j.j. abrams' star wars

it's 2024, not 1994. these guys are AARP-eligible. i don't need to hear them trying to be 28 again because wotman digs ten and vs.

we're not gonna get another Ten

we might get the ghost of that passion applied to modern Pearl Jam songs

[coptheriotact]

They spend years trying to distance themselves from ten and then Wotman says “sound like ten” and they all agree immediately

[Jorge]

I think it is quite a wild claim, "Pearl Jam superfan tapped to produce their new album"!

It just seems a bit over-egged, though I can acknowledge I'm potentially responding more directly to stip's characterisation above than anything he or the band have said.

Stip's "characterization" is just what the band has said. Jeff said he had an "encyclopedic" knowledge of the band's work that surpassed even his own. I see no reason to doubt them

[RockPusher]

i began to have concerns that wotman's pearl jam would be j.j. abrams' star wars.

Is that what you hear, though?

[dprival78]

the early reports that came out about wotman pushing the band to play hard and heavy like the early days, and pushing matt to play like the soundgarden days make me leery of this whole union. i began to have concerns that wotman's pearl jam would be j.j. abrams' star wars

it's 2024, not 1994. these guys are AARP-eligible. i don't need to hear them trying to be 28 again because wotman digs ten and vs.

we're not gonna get another Ten

we might get the ghost of that passion applied to modern Pearl Jam songs

dark matter

the force awakens

[dprival78]

i began to have concerns that wotman's pearl jam would be j.j. abrams' star wars.

Is that what you hear, though?

not entirely. yet. but i'm not really loving the single

still looking forward to hearing the record though.. hoping i'm completely wrong

[RockPusher]

As a raging Star Wars fan, I totally get the concern, but I can't say that I hear it in the actual song at all. The Force Awakens tried hard to have the energy of the originals, but was a very paint-by-numbers story retread in the end. That is not what I hear in Dark Matter. I hear the angry energy of say Ten or Vs, but there is nothing that sounds like a copy of any of those songs or their components. To me, it is far more Rogue One than Force Awakens.

[Birds in Hell]

I think it is quite a wild claim, "Pearl Jam superfan tapped to produce their new album"!

It just seems a bit over-egged, though I can acknowledge I'm potentially responding more directly to stip's characterisation above than anything he or the band have said.

Stip's "characterization" is just what the band has said. Jeff said he had an "encyclopedic" knowledge of the band's work that surpassed even his own. I see no reason to doubt them

How does anyone not hear that and think "oh c'mon".

[Jorge]

I think it is quite a wild claim, "Pearl Jam superfan tapped to produce their new album"!

It just seems a bit over-egged, though I can acknowledge I'm potentially responding more directly to stip's characterisation above than anything he or the band have said.

Stip's "characterization" is just what the band has said. Jeff said he had an "encyclopedic" knowledge of the band's work that surpassed even his own. I see no reason to doubt them

How does anyone not hear that and think "oh c'mon".

Time for some self-reflection Spenno

[RockPusher]

I think it is quite a wild claim, "Pearl Jam superfan tapped to produce their new album"!

It just seems a bit over-egged, though I can acknowledge I'm potentially responding more directly to stip's characterisation above than anything he or the band have said.

Stip's "characterization" is just what the band has said. Jeff said he had an "encyclopedic" knowledge of the band's work that surpassed even his own. I see no reason to doubt them

How does anyone not hear that and think "oh c'mon".

I trust Jeff to be honest about this stuff. I don't think he has a history of hyperbolic statements, and he has other quotes indicating he's very proud of this experience. Dark Matter sounds inspired to me, which goes along with the sentiments he's expressed.

[WaitingForBluey]

I think it is quite a wild claim, "Pearl Jam superfan tapped to produce their new album"!

It just seems a bit over-egged, though I can acknowledge I'm potentially responding more directly to stip's characterisation above than anything he or the band have said.

Stip's "characterization" is just what the band has said. Jeff said he had an "encyclopedic" knowledge of the band's work that surpassed even his own. I see no reason to doubt them

How does anyone not hear that and think "oh c'mon".

Of all the members of the band to just start ripping off random BS... you're calling shots at Jeff?

[Ms Harmless]

They spend years trying to distance themselves from ten and then Wotman says “sound like ten” and they all agree immediately

they haven't "all agreed immediately", what is even going on in here? nobody is saying this is the second coming of Ten except for dumb YouTubers who haven't listened since Ten

[RockPusher]

They spend years trying to distance themselves from ten and then Wotman says “sound like ten” and they all agree immediately

they haven't "all agreed immediately", what is even going on in here? nobody is saying this is the second coming of Ten except for dumb YouTubers who haven't listened since Ten

Hear hear! Literally the only thing I hear that connects it to that era is the fiery energy, and that can only be a plus.

[Ms Harmless]

They spend years trying to distance themselves from ten and then Wotman says “sound like ten” and they all agree immediately

they haven't "all agreed immediately", what is even going on in here? nobody is saying this is the second coming of Ten except for dumb YouTubers who haven't listened since Ten

Hear hear! Literally the only thing I hear that connects it to that era is the fiery energy, and that can only be a plus.

as long as that energy is authentic to current 2024 Ed, then yes; we know he means these lyrics as we know what his politics is (*Anthony Fantano voice* "I'm feeling a light anti-capitalism on this one")