Dark Matter (song)

[Leatherhead]

I wish I had never read anybody complain about the production on this song. Because then I probably would have never even thought about it. But now I think about it and wish it was better. Still great though.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I wish I had never read anybody complain about the production on this song. Because then I probably would have never even thought about it. But now I think about it and wish it was better. Still great though.

Thanks a lot, trag!

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[wease]

Let go tragdon!

[RockPusher]

Rank Pearl Jam title tracks:

1. Dark Matter
2. Lightning Bolt

[elliseamos]

Avocado Crapshoot Rapture has to be #1.

[Farmer John]

Rank Pearl Jam title tracks:

1. Dark Matter
2. Lightning Bolt

Bump those two down a notch, because "Rearviewmirror" technically counts.

[Aunt_Claire_Foy]

Well it's been a few weeks now and I can say this song has been stuck in my head, and it's starting to become an unwelcome reprise at like 330am, the bridge especially. Haven't had this happen with a Pearl Jam song before. It's annoying.

Flipside my 10 year old told me he likes it and has requested it a couple times. He's been on more of early Weezer/Green Day kick lately, this is his first interest in Pearl Jam (I have not pressured either of my kids on music in any way.)

[McParadigm]

I wish I had never read anybody complain about the production on this song. Because then I probably would have never even thought about it. But now I think about it and wish it was better. Still great though.

I appreciate that production values can hinder a record. But generally, while good production can nurture a mediocre song (Thumbing My Way), I don’t find bad production to be ruinous of a good one.

Diary of a Madman is an itty bitty sounding metal album. There is less meat on those guitars than a chicken McNugget. It sounds like the backing band is comprised entirely of mice. The low end is shallower than an influencer Instagram post.

On paper, the weaknesses of that recording run directly counter to the strengths and the mood of Ozzy’s material. But I don’t even think about any of that when I’m listening to it…let alone care.

Guided by Voices and the Mountain Goats put some of their best material into boombox mics or portastudios. Half of my favorite punk and hardcore records were recorded in trash conditions by people who only had a passing idea of what they were doing. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has a dynamic range equivalent to modern rock records and smashes many of its most cathartic moments to death (to great effect, thank you).

“Sounds like a band playing in a room” is a great sonic approach for rock and roll, but it’s not the only one…and it’s not the only one I’ll accept.

End of the day, if a record has great production, I find that to be provocatively elevational. If it doesn’t, and if the song affects me, then I default to not paying it much attention.

[Ms Harmless]

Thumbing My Way is one of my favourite Pearl Jam songs

[Clem Halibut]

someone asked Dave A what he thought of the new single and said "it has whiff of soundgarden to it!" to which dave replied "yea, it has a whiff of something "

Sorry. Who is Dave A ?

[McParadigm]

someone asked Dave A what he thought of the new single and said "it has whiff of soundgarden to it!" to which dave replied "yea, it has a whiff of something "

Sorry. Who is Dave A ?

Dave Andbusters

[RockPusher]

Half of my favorite punk and hardcore records were recorded in trash conditions by people who only had a passing idea of what they were doing. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has a dynamic range equivalent to modern rock records and smashes many of its most cathartic moments to death (to great effect, thank you).

This point is well-taken. There are a number of albums I absolutely adore that would probably be trashed by an audio expert. I'm glad it hasn't ruined my enjoyment. Jeff Mangum was AWESOME live when I saw him, but he's awesome whenever I hear him on Spotify too, and that's compression on compression.

[Strat]

someone asked Dave A what he thought of the new single and said "it has whiff of soundgarden to it!" to which dave replied "yea, it has a whiff of something "

Sorry. Who is Dave A ?

Dave Andbusters

[Jorge]

There's production that is "bad" because it's lo-fi, or amateurish, with a lot of bleed-through and wonky levels all over the place, and then there's production that is "bad" because it's too touched-up, sanitized and scrubbed clean of all grit, sterile and plastic-sounding. For rock music I tend to be much more forgiving of the former, the latter really bugs me. It's the difference between Blood and Chocolate vs. Lightning Bolt. But yeah if the songs are good that overrides everything else

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Buby]

But yeah if the songs are good that overrides everything else

This is where the meat is amigo.

This song is very good.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Buby]

Yeah I'm not on board with that. Everything jorge said except that last part. Modern squashed gloss can ruin a great song for me, though it depends on the music. It's great for pop stuff.

Yeah we kinda know that by now

[Kevin Davis]

I wish I had never read anybody complain about the production on this song. Because then I probably would have never even thought about it. But now I think about it and wish it was better. Still great though.

I appreciate that production values can hinder a record. But generally, while good production can nurture a mediocre song (Thumbing My Way), I don’t find bad production to be ruinous of a good one.

Diary of a Madman is an itty bitty sounding metal album. There is less meat on those guitars than a chicken McNugget. It sounds like the backing band is comprised entirely of mice. The low end is shallower than an influencer Instagram post.

On paper, the weaknesses of that recording run directly counter to the strengths and the mood of Ozzy’s material. But I don’t even think about any of that when I’m listening to it…let alone care.

Guided by Voices and the Mountain Goats put some of their best material into boombox mics or portastudios. Half of my favorite punk and hardcore records were recorded in trash conditions by people who only had a passing idea of what they were doing. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has a dynamic range equivalent to modern rock records and smashes many of its most cathartic moments to death (to great effect, thank you).

“Sounds like a band playing in a room” is a great sonic approach for rock and roll, but it’s not the only one…and it’s not the only one I’ll accept.

End of the day, if a record has great production, I find that to be provocatively elevational. If it doesn’t, and if the song affects me, then I default to not paying it much attention.

Good post -- no real disagreements with any of it. But I would add that, to me at least, there is a significant difference between a recording that is simply imperfect at the source (i.e. your GBV example) and a recording that has been beefed up and polished unnaturally in post-production. When you listen to the "Ten" demos/rehearsal tapes, yeah, the fidelity on those is lacking compared to the record, but that "band in a room" feel comes across great. Oftentimes the raw feel of the band playing together can come across better on tapes like this than it can on a professional mix because the sound of the band playing is literally all there is.

It's similar with live recordings -- I find good quality audience recordings generally more pleasing to the ears than some soundboards, despite the fidelity differences, because sometimes that more natural sound and feel just comes across better by pressing record and capturing the moment and all it entails. The Nirvana In Utero box set is a good example of this. Those are great shows that sound awful. The audience tapes of those shows -- or others in the same general timeframe -- are way more enjoyable to me.