Running

[Strat]

Spotify keeps recommending me the song Gunman by Three Crooked Vultures immediately after I play the Dark Matter songs. It’s happened like 4 times so I finally gave the song a listen.

A few conclusions:

1. Gunman is a fantastic song.
2. It is also an example of a song with quite a bit of noticeable production elements but done in a way that sounds 100x better than the Dark Matter tunes imo.

Homme has generally done a stellar job of marrying his rock roots with slick production. All those albums sound awesome (except I thought it dipped considerably with Times New Roman)

villains is awful

That all mick ronson - another pup producer. Theyre the worst!

[SJM]

I was shit posting here yesterday calling Running an embarrassment and here I am tonight absolutely loving it. Forgive me.

[SJM]

Spotify keeps recommending me the song Gunman by Three Crooked Vultures immediately after I play the Dark Matter songs. It’s happened like 4 times so I finally gave the song a listen.

A few conclusions:

1. Gunman is a fantastic song.
2. It is also an example of a song with quite a bit of noticeable production elements but done in a way that sounds 100x better than the Dark Matter tunes imo.

Homme has generally done a stellar job of marrying his rock roots with slick production. All those albums sound awesome (except I thought it dipped considerably with Times New Roman)

villains is awful

Times new Roman is amazing. Paper Machete is one of my favourite Queens tracks. And I never once thought about the production on that album for better or for worse. Fuck Josh has that swagger.

[Coach]

This album is shaping up to be Earthlings Part 2 and I'm fine with that, but can understand why others aren't since that record was mixed here.

[spike]

We've hashed this out endlessly over the years, but it always surprises me to see people expecting love for the band to be the default position and criticism as a kind of deviation.

So many years of this and you still miss the point that is being made, BiH.

There is a reason that when this boils up it's very rarely (if ever?) targeted at you, and you are arguably the most consistently critical poster. Why do you suppose that is?

If I'm reading you right, you're suggesting that because Spenno delivers measured criticisms, he's not the source of RP's complaint; and that posters who are more salty therefore are the source of conflict...

Perhaps.

All I know is, I'm right in the thick of watching my PJ fandom die. I was really looking forward to this record and tour, and my disappointment and disillusionment are accelerating at a rapid pace, and I've completely gone from a lifelong PJ fan to a former PJ fan within the span of about six weeks, and it seems like the hits keep coming. Frankly it feels really crappy and a little weird.

So the saltiness is born out of that, and at least for my part it's a way of processing a sort of mourning. But playing directly into that is the sort of unvarnished enthusiasm that the band is getting lately that frankly I don't think they deserve. And I can say "five stars for Dark Matter, oh come on...", and others can say "Hey don't try to force your views on us, we love this song," and the critical back and forth holds its own merit. But I don't think it needs to be sanitized for the sake of others' feelings. This isn't a kindergarten class, and while I agree there's a line of personal attacks that shouldn't be crossed, it absolutely gets crossed by the PJ lovers as much as the haters.

My opinion is that PJ is a joke of a band now, that they're a wholly commercial enterprise that is out of touch with the (possibly false) ideals they bandied about for years, and that their music sounds simultaneously uninspired and overcooked. It would be easy for me to share that opinion calmly and gently, but when you start adding in some of the truly extractive capitalist approaches they've taken recently -- the ticket BS, the poster artist compensation thing, the EB charity thing, and now this nonsense with the vinyl variants that has a real impact on smaller bands with less buying power -- they start to look downright shitty, and they deserve all the vitriol I can muster.

Fuck 'em. And fuck you if you're someone who tries to characterize this as "negativity" or somehow infringing on your ability to love them while I laugh at them.

Haha I called this like 30 pages ago.

[BurtReynolds]

This album is shaping up to be Earthlings Part 2 and I'm fine with that, but can understand why others aren't since that record was mixed here.

i hate that fucking album and think these two songs are decent.

[spike]

This album is shaping up to be Earthlings Part 2 and I'm fine with that, but can understand why others aren't since that record was mixed here.

i hate that fucking album and think these two songs are decent.

That’s because the four members of Pearl Jam that aren’t Eddie Vedder can still fuckin chug.

[Leatherhead]

1:29-1:31. My favorite 3 seconds of the song.

[Leatherhead]

This album is shaping up to be Earthlings Part 2 and I'm fine with that, but can understand why others aren't since that record was mixed here.

i hate that fucking album and think these two songs are decent.

That’s because the four members of Pearl Jam that aren’t Eddie Vedder can still fuckin chug.

I'm with Burt on this one.

[Happy Trees]

If I'm reading you right, you're suggesting that because Spenno delivers measured criticisms, he's not the source of RP's complaint; and that posters who are more salty therefore are the source of conflict...

Perhaps.

All I know is, I'm right in the thick of watching my PJ fandom die. I was really looking forward to this record and tour, and my disappointment and disillusionment are accelerating at a rapid pace, and I've completely gone from a lifelong PJ fan to a former PJ fan within the span of about six weeks, and it seems like the hits keep coming. Frankly it feels really crappy and a little weird.

So the saltiness is born out of that, and at least for my part it's a way of processing a sort of mourning. But playing directly into that is the sort of unvarnished enthusiasm that the band is getting lately that frankly I don't think they deserve. And I can say "five stars for Dark Matter, oh come on...", and others can say "Hey don't try to force your views on us, we love this song," and the critical back and forth holds its own merit. But I don't think it needs to be sanitized for the sake of others' feelings. This isn't a kindergarten class, and while I agree there's a line of personal attacks that shouldn't be crossed, it absolutely gets crossed by the PJ lovers as much as the haters.

My opinion is that PJ is a joke of a band now, that they're a wholly commercial enterprise that is out of touch with the (possibly false) ideals they bandied about for years, and that their music sounds simultaneously uninspired and overcooked. It would be easy for me to share that opinion calmly and gently, but when you start adding in some of the truly extractive capitalist approaches they've taken recently -- the ticket BS, the poster artist compensation thing, the EB charity thing, and now this nonsense with the vinyl variants that has a real impact on smaller bands with less buying power -- they start to look downright shitty, and they deserve all the vitriol I can muster.

Fuck 'em. And fuck you if you're someone who tries to characterize this as "negativity" or somehow infringing on your ability to love them while I laugh at them.

You are right on the money as always.

My problem is, I take considerable issue with the accusations always made (again, not only with Pearl Jam) that if you have a criticism and don't love something automatically or gush hyperbolic then you have some hidden agenda or unrealistic expectation, and suggestions are also made as to what you should do instead (go listen to Ten, go listen to No Code, go listen to an old mix, go do something else) that have zero relevance. It only exposes the intent of the people complaining about complaining. It's not even the old cliche of people saying that you aren't a "real fan". There's more to it than that lately. It's an attempt to control the narrative and shut out criticism or even a simple fun debate, with the added implication that you are committing the unforgivable sin of offending people and hurting their feelings. There is no room for a "measured" discourse a'la Spenno in the first place - it doesn't even get that far. It is cut off at the pass by the positivity police and then you are gaslit for being salty. I'm tired of it at this point, and that's why I have a tendency to skip ahead to "fuck you too".

[Coach]

Running feels like it would fit in late on Earthling

[Leatherhead]

I love the way Eddie says "fingers."

[Johnny Turner]

I was shit posting here yesterday calling Running an embarrassment and here I am tonight absolutely loving it. Forgive me.

Same for me

[Strat]

I'd probably hate Trag if i didnt know him.

[coptheriotact]

I like reading posts complaining about Pearl Jam
And posts about complaining about complaining
And posts about complaining about posts

[Homeboyd]

If anyone is listening to these new songs on Spotify give the HipHop EQ preset a try...really helps make the sound warmer and deeper to my ears. Easily my favorite. This stuff is subjective as hell so no complaints if it sounds like dogshit to you...

[Birds in Hell]

I like reading posts complaining about Pearl Jam
And posts about complaining about complaining
And posts about complaining about posts

Me too.

Let a thousand blossoms bloom as far I’m concerned but I’m not spending any time on it because in the meantime every three months a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland.

[coptheriotact]

I like reading posts complaining about Pearl Jam
And posts about complaining about complaining
And posts about complaining about posts

Me too.

Let a thousand blossoms bloom as far I’m concerned but I’m not spending any time on it because in the meantime every three months a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland.

I live in North Queensland

[Birds in Hell]

I like reading posts complaining about Pearl Jam
And posts about complaining about complaining
And posts about complaining about posts

Me too.

Let a thousand blossoms bloom as far I’m concerned but I’m not spending any time on it because in the meantime every three months a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland.

I live in North Queensland

Be careful.

[LetMeSleep]

RIP Cop