Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Val]

They should make him carry around an unplugged ukulele everywhere.
Strum away, Wild Ed! You're not ruining the songs no matter how strong your right hand is

[Jaeti]

Relentless strumming.

[Kevin Davis]

I think Ed's writing is one thing, but I think they'd benefit if he just didn't play guitar on some of the songs he brought in. Sometimes he brings in a song where all three guitars are utilized well (Insignificance, Grievance, I'd argue WWS), but on others he just takes up so much sonic space doing something that isn't as interesting. Unthought Known is a good example; if Ed wasn't just playing big, messy open chords as much as he could throughout the whole song, there might be some room for some cool sonics from the guitars. As it is, Stone or Mike may feel like they can't add much without it turning into mush. I do get if Ed wrote it, he wants to play on it, but it might open things up a bit more.

I completely agree with this; it anchors the song to a sort of lowest-common-denominator baseline that precludes other members from being able to build the composition around more interesting things. The idea of "Unthought Known" with Eddie's guitar removed, replaced with empty space for Mike, Stone, and Jeff to create some musical variation that doesn't exist in the vocal melody, is instantly more exciting to me in thought than what the song is now.

I'm not in love with Ed's guitar tone either; songs that feature it as the main attraction always feel sonically a bit thinner to me than songs where the primary rhythm is played by Mike or Stone.

[Val]

Who Ever Said suffers from it a bit.
Otherwise a great song, my personal Gigaton Top 2

[stip]

who ever said at least leans into it. It’s a gruff, rumbling sort of song

[VinylGuy]

yeah i agree with both views. I also prefer Ed as a singer only, although he has become a pretty good guitar player too.

[Tj]

I wish he would go back to the Schecter guitars. He had much better tone especially live in the early 2000. I like his playing style sometimes he is so good. Gone is a good example he sounded great on the aol sessions.

[Ms Harmless]

I was surprised the other week to see a live video from I think 1992 / 1994, where Ed was playing a third guitar, because I had previously thought of this as a modern problem, and I think this forum tends to portray it that way

also, on a slightly related note, I was listening to Jeremy and it suddenly struck me that he WOOOAAAHS and AYAYAY YEAHs all over the jam towards the end, and that if Jeremy had been a new song, we might be moaning that he can't shut up and let the instruments breathe for 2 minutes

[Val]

I was surprised the other week to see a live video from I think 1992 / 1994, where Ed was playing a third guitar, because I had previously thought of this as a modern problem, and I think this forum tends to portray it that way

also, on a slightly related note, I was listening to Jeremy and it suddenly struck me that he WOOOAAAHS and AYAYAY YEAHs all over the jam towards the end, and that if Jeremy had been a new song, we might be moaning that he can't shut up and let the instruments breathe for 2 minutes

yeah but those were good wooaahs and ayaya yeahs

[Buby]

we might be moaning that he can't shut up and let the instruments breathe for 2 minutes

This is the way.

[liebzz]

I was surprised the other week to see a live video from I think 1992 / 1994, where Ed was playing a third guitar, because I had previously thought of this as a modern problem, and I think this forum tends to portray it that way

also, on a slightly related note, I was listening to Jeremy and it suddenly struck me that he WOOOAAAHS and AYAYAY YEAHs all over the jam towards the end, and that if Jeremy had been a new song, we might be moaning that he can't shut up and let the instruments breathe for 2 minutes

On Jeremy, Eddie is using his voice as a spatial instrument versus more lyrics.

On the first point, I would just note it seems that Eddie as the third guitarist seems fine by folks compared to him as the primary guitarist.

I do think we tend to get hyper-critical on finer points sometimes and when you look at a lot of these songs at a macro level, they are still excellent. But when you do look back on at least what I generally prefer from their catalogue, it is songs that create space for more than Eddie, even if Eddie penned and/or played on it (Corduroy and RVM are examples I think). And there are tracks he dominates that I still love. I wouldn’t hesitate to say there’s too much wordiness in Seven O’Clock, but I also think that is maybe the best of its style from them (Unthought Known and Lightning Bolt being other examples). I think I just hope for space for all of it.

[Ms Harmless]

I was surprised the other week to see a live video from I think 1992 / 1994, where Ed was playing a third guitar, because I had previously thought of this as a modern problem, and I think this forum tends to portray it that way

also, on a slightly related note, I was listening to Jeremy and it suddenly struck me that he WOOOAAAHS and AYAYAY YEAHs all over the jam towards the end, and that if Jeremy had been a new song, we might be moaning that he can't shut up and let the instruments breathe for 2 minutes

yeah but those were good wooaahs and ayaya yeahs

I don't like all of the woahs and yeahs on Ten but these woahs are good

[liebzz]

As an aside, let’s really make space and have these guys finally release a self-indulgent double album. It’s the one thing they haven’t accomplished yet.

[Ms Harmless]

As an aside, let’s really make space and have these guys finally release a self-indulgent double album. It’s the one thing they haven’t accomplished yet.

I can't help feeling like yeah, Pearl Jam at their best could do that great; but Pearl Jam at their worst would fill that thing with throwaway junk

Lost Dogs might be the best we get

[liebzz]

As an aside, let’s really make space and have these guys finally release a self-indulgent double album. It’s the one thing they haven’t accomplished yet.

I can't help feeling like yeah, Pearl Jam at their best could do that great; but Pearl Jam at their worst would fill that thing with throwaway junk

Lost Dogs might be the best we get

It’s certainly nothing more than pie in the sky. They should have done this with Binaural but didn’t.

[Ms Harmless]

As an aside, let’s really make space and have these guys finally release a self-indulgent double album. It’s the one thing they haven’t accomplished yet.

I can't help feeling like yeah, Pearl Jam at their best could do that great; but Pearl Jam at their worst would fill that thing with throwaway junk

Lost Dogs might be the best we get

It’s certainly nothing more than pie in the sky. They should have done this with Binaural but didn’t.

completely agree

[VinylGuy]

i dont really want a double album. I prefer more releases.

[dimejinky99]

I don't think ND deserves nearly as much shit as it's getting in this thread, but I agree with you Dime that it's not my favourite subgenre of PJ song, by a long way

I'm kind of surprised this song isn't loved more. Of all their "punky rockers," (mileage may vary on that subgenre for certain people), I think this is one of the best. Love it live too.

It’s long way with frilly knickers on. Why the two of them


Oh I give up I just don’t like em

[Ms Harmless]

I don't think ND deserves nearly as much shit as it's getting in this thread, but I agree with you Dime that it's not my favourite subgenre of PJ song, by a long way

I'm kind of surprised this song isn't loved more. Of all their "punky rockers," (mileage may vary on that subgenre for certain people), I think this is one of the best. Love it live too.

It’s long way with frilly knickers on. Why the two of them


Oh I give up I just don’t like em

hey what you got against frilly knickers

[Monkey_Driven]

Remind me, what clip from the metal door video is Wreckage?