Running

[Leatherhead]

Chorus definitely better than the verse and the outro

I'm not sure what it is, but something about the chorus is kinda bugging me. Maybe the drums?

[stip]

Damn it Trag, while I appreciate the spatial economy of that response, it's a PITA to quote

[Kalevi]

I agree with where Trag is coming from. For me iv invested a lot of time and sentiment into this group. Paramount to this development is the run from vitalogy thru riot act where they mostly didn't chase more money or more fans. I think that level of integrity and what I would say artistic integrity was rare in that situation. To me what is now the back half of their catalog doesn't compare to the first. Things change. Ed is quoted as saying he doesn't want PJ to be fog hat playing the fair which is why the second half of the catalog is coming from a different place. There is still a lot to love in the back half. I love gigaton. Hope they can make a few more coming from that space. If this album is their worst, it's still not going to be that bad. They haven't gone full foo fighters, green day, Nickelback yet. I just hope this album isn't a huge step in that direction. The more I listen to running the better I like it, mostly the production bothers me. I like what Mike is doing which I can barely hear. I like Ed's delivery.

[stip]

Response to stip #3:

Spoiler: show

Eddie very rarely has class based lyrics.

To clarify, I didn't say "class," you did. I think I understand what you're driving at, but I'd suggest we work within the ideas of class, capitalism, and political action/complacency.

I'd then argue all of these songs are about these topics, or contextualized by these topics:

Even Flow
Glorified G
WMA
Elderly Woman
Indifference
Not For You
Satan's Bed
Who You Are
No Way
Do the Evolution
In Hiding
Insignificance
Grievance
Soon Forget
Cropduster
Green Disease
Bu$hleaguer
Half Full
World Wide Suicide
Comatose
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Getaway
Mind Your Manners
Swallowed Whole
Who Ever Said
Quick Escape
Seven O'Clock
The Haves
Good and Evil
Rose of Jericho

And then basically every song on Into the Wild is influenced by class or capitalism.

That's a lot, in my mind. Which makes their current MO really confounding.

Insofar as capitalism is the dominant structural organizing principle of the modern world then sure, there are lots of songs to throw on that list. Insofar as it drives modern alienation, then you can probably throw almost every song on this list in one way or another. Having said that, Pearl Jam's response to alienation has been grounded in humanism, not socialism or revolution. The search for alternatives have not been structural, even if they are situated within structures, and the few attempts at voicing those kinds of critiques tend to be some of the weaker lyrical outings.

Within that frame (which I think is defensible) I don't seen any loss of authenticity (though we're pretty much always projecting when we read authenticity into other people's actions. If I wasn't happy with new music I'm sure i'd be more skeptical). I don't see the walking back of core commitments. I see an evolution that has been shaped over the last 15 years or so primarily from Eddie's experience as a parent, and as an aging gen Xer grappling with questions of legacy.

What we've heard from Dark Matter so far (and I love Dark Matter and quite enjoy Running. My expectations for this record are pretty high right now) seems to fit right into that understanding of the band.

I recognize that this is next bit is a little obnoxious and self-serving, so I apologize. But the book, even though it's structured in the song by song format of the series it is a part in, is basically an unpacking of the argument above situated in a systematic and evolutionary exploration of the catalog. I love this conversation when we can lower the volume a bit (which you 100% did in all your responses, which I respect even where I disagree).

[spike]

So if the music kicked ass, trag wouldn’t care they’re hypocrites?

[Coach]

It’s a great tune

Reminds me of whipping

[stip]

In terms of my own politics, for context, I'm a socialist who would have been a New Deal democrat. I am more concerned with helping as many people as possible live as well as they can within the systems that trap us, while we take what steps we can to push back against the boundaries where we can.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[smallest_oceans]

This has grown on me.

Maybe they wanted to capitalise on the relative success of Dark Matter.

Sounded better on my proper set up at home. Nice head phones and weirdly the you tube visualiser.

I also listened to the Pearl Jam running playlist on spotify at the gym. Sick.

The gang shouty bit reminded me of the outro to MYM,but in a good way.

Matt's drumming elevates this over similar late album rockers from the last few albums.

[Ms Harmless]

I feel as if, probably the biggest impact PJ had on me in terms of activism is causing little 9 year-old me to become an activist myself

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Ms Harmless]

I feel as if, probably the biggest impact PJ had on me in terms of activism is causing little 9 year-old me to become an activist myself

Heck yeah, samesies

[DeeDee]

The mini bridge before the solo could have been a very good chorus of another of their songs.

They chose to bury it in this shitty song instead.

There are things I'll never understand about this band.

[spike]

So if the music kicked ass, trag wouldn’t care they’re hypocrites?

Oh I’d still care, but I’d be listening and digging it while acknowledge the transactional moral compromise I’d be making. E.g, “I’m hitting this tour despite the fact they’re paying poster artists in merch, and that makes me complicit in the artists’ suffering.” It’s basically how I frame my 401k contributions and use of an iPhone.

Perhaps the music isn’t as bad as you say, it’s just a convenient excuse for you to avoid such an uncomfortable compromise.

[stip]

I've reached the point where my enjoyment of Running probably merits 4 stars, but I'm not quite ready to change my vote yet.

[BurtReynolds]

Are they really hypocrites though? It seems to me that they've just moved on from a lot of stuff they used to preach about, albeit silently. It doesn't seem like they care about shit like ticket prices or merch anymore (Lord knows I don't)

Maybe being a member of the upper crust does that to one's viewpoint. They rub elbows with presidents for God's sake.

Mostly I see them as dumb rockstars. I can't really take them seriously enough to be worried about selling out. Except for those corporate gigs. That shit is weak.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[DeeDee]

If this song merits 4/5 or 5/5 stars I wonder how many would you give to Corduroy, RVM, Inmortality or Jeremy... 8/5?

[96583UP]

Mostly I see them as dumb rockstars.

indeed, they are very dumb, that is true

listening to them talk is painful

it makes sense that these were role models when we were children

where you can be impressed easily

as an adult,

well let's just say...

SHE'S A LIGHTNIN' BOWLLLLL!

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now