Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Ms Harmless]

And you nail it when you say 'as long as they're doing something they do well'. I complain about Running because I think they aren't very good writting this kind of songs.

Comatose, Supersonic, Running, Mind your manners, Never Destination... all average songs at the very best, being very friendly.

At least for me.

the things that make Running interesting to me are: the performance (they're all playing their hearts out), little off-kilter rhythmic things (a bar missed off a phrase here, a weird unexpected accent or pause there, the solo started before you're expecting one), and an archetypally "open" half-time bridge copy-pasted onto a fast punk song; for me, it's that mixture of parts that don't typically belong together which add up to something that tickles my ear; there's something of Binaural's swerving about in it

[Ms Harmless]

and the reason I'm actually happy about Running is that it's actually doing things Supersonic tried to do, but I hate (tolerate, at most) that song

[Ms Harmless]

it was the band trying out new things, for them, but I've always listened to bands that were more experimental as a baseline

I don't need Pearl Jam to be experimental as long as they're doing something they do well, well; and I'd even say that their recent "experiments" have been some of my least favourites

And that was just what I was referring to. Obviously, they're not Tool or Rush.

Unemployable, Dance of the Clairvoyants or Buckle Up are other examples of PJ being 'experimental'.

OK, under that definition of experimental I'll take it

I hope there are a few deeper and more inventive moments on the album, even if we don't get another You Are or DOTC; but I'm also happy that we haven't got another Supersonic or Future Days (that piano at least)

You know something I would LOVE?

A song with Running's bridge as a chorus.

Even Stone says in the Spin article that he loves that bridge (it's Mike's, I think).

It would be a little weird and exciting to me.

whereas I think putting that bridge in a song it "belongs" in *could* make it the butt rock you don't want; it's made weirder by the parts surrounding it

[tommy]

They should just cancel this album. It's caused too much turmoil as is.

[Ms Harmless]

hold onto your butts

[spike]

Im larry david for sure

You’re Cousin Andy.

[Birds in Hell]

Everyones opinion is wrong but mine, hate to break it to you fools.

Evacuation is one of PJ's best songs.

Maybe even the very best!

[Ms Harmless]

Everyones opinion is wrong but mine, hate to break it to you fools.

Evacuation is one of PJ's best songs.

Maybe even the very best!

yep

[McParadigm]

it was the band trying out new things, for them, but I've always listened to bands that were more experimental as a baseline

I don't need Pearl Jam to be experimental as long as they're doing something they do well, well; and I'd even say that their recent "experiments" have been some of my least favourites

And that was just what I was referring to. Obviously, they're not Tool or Rush.

Unemployable, Dance of the Clairvoyants or Buckle Up are other examples of PJ being 'experimental'.

OK, under that definition of experimental I'll take it

I hope there are a few deeper and more inventive moments on the album, even if we don't get another You Are or DOTC; but I'm also happy that we haven't got another Supersonic or Future Days (that piano at least)

You know something I would LOVE?

A song with Running's bridge as a chorus.

Even Stone says in the Spin article that he loves that bridge (it's Mike's, I think).

It would be a little weird and exciting to me.

whereas I think putting that bridge in a song it "belongs" in *could* make it the butt rock you don't want; it's made weirder by the parts surrounding it

It is, indeed, the most generic radio rock part of either of the songs we’ve heard so far. People just imbue it with other qualities because they like it. It’s done well, it has a memorable melody, and it’s fun to listen to.

But we don’t like to say “I especially liked that formulaic arena rock radio-friendly bridge,” because that doesn’t make us feel very cool.

So because I like it, it must have other qualities that I have previously identified as the type of that thing I, a discernible listener, gravitate towards. And not the kind of qualities that I don’t think of myself as approving of.

[Ms Harmless]

it was the band trying out new things, for them, but I've always listened to bands that were more experimental as a baseline

I don't need Pearl Jam to be experimental as long as they're doing something they do well, well; and I'd even say that their recent "experiments" have been some of my least favourites

And that was just what I was referring to. Obviously, they're not Tool or Rush.

Unemployable, Dance of the Clairvoyants or Buckle Up are other examples of PJ being 'experimental'.

OK, under that definition of experimental I'll take it

I hope there are a few deeper and more inventive moments on the album, even if we don't get another You Are or DOTC; but I'm also happy that we haven't got another Supersonic or Future Days (that piano at least)

You know something I would LOVE?

A song with Running's bridge as a chorus.

Even Stone says in the Spin article that he loves that bridge (it's Mike's, I think).

It would be a little weird and exciting to me.

whereas I think putting that bridge in a song it "belongs" in *could* make it the butt rock you don't want; it's made weirder by the parts surrounding it

It is, indeed, the most generic radio rock part of either of the songs we’ve heard so far. People just imbue it with other qualities because they like it. It’s done well, it has a memorable melody, and it’s fun to listen to.

But we don’t like to say “I especially liked that formulaic arena rock radio-friendly bridge,” because that doesn’t make us feel very cool.

So because I like it, it must have other qualities that I have previously identified as the type of that thing I, a discernible listener, gravitate towards. And not the kind of qualities that I don’t think of myself as approving of.

exactly!

I don't think any part of the song is strikingly new, but the pasting of them together is what makes it (and Pearl Jam as a whole, I think) interesting

[stip]

Pearl Jam, even at their 'weirdest' has always been a meat and potatoes rock band and more explicitly embraces their lineage within music history than many of their peers. This is not a critique. They are one of the best outfits to ever do it, and at my core what I will always gravitate towards in the end is intelligent rock music that lives at the center of the Venn diagram of rock genres

[Ms Harmless]

Pearl Jam, even at their 'weirdest' has always been a meat and potatoes rock band and more explicitly embraces their lineage within music history than many of their peers. This is not a critique. They are one of the best outfits to ever do it, and at my core what I will always gravitate towards in the end is intelligent rock music that lives at the center of the Venn diagram of rock genres

totally agree with that evaluation of Pearl Jam

I was reading YouTube comments about Running earlier: "just sounds like a Dead Kennedies / Ramones / <insert your favourite punk band> rip off!" -- and thinking about how the band, especially Ed, has always seemed to want nothing more than to publicly live under the shadow of his faves: the covers, the songs stretching right back to their inception that "sounds like The Who" or "sounds like Neil Young" or "sounds like The Beatles" or "sounds like Pink Floyd" or "sounds like Bruce Springsteen"; maybe their stylistic references have changed and become less cool in the public eye, but flippin' 'eck, Mike is still crediting KISS for his guitar playing; maybe what's happened as they've got older is that they've just got more nakedly themselves and stopped caring so much

[Ms Harmless]

and they've got richer; you don't have to care if you're rich

maybe these cool grunge musicians were just classic rock fans all along, waiting to be able to un-mask Scooby Doo style

[Ms Harmless]

"Rats" quotes a Michael Jackson cover, imagine if they did that now

[Revelator]

And you nail it when you say 'as long as they're doing something they do well'. I complain about Running because I think they aren't very good writting this kind of songs.

Comatose, Supersonic, Running, Mind your manners, Never Destination... all average songs at the very best, being very friendly.

At least for me.

the things that make Running interesting to me are: the performance (they're all playing their hearts out), little off-kilter rhythmic things (a bar missed off a phrase here, a weird unexpected accent or pause there, the solo started before you're expecting one), and an archetypally "open" half-time bridge copy-pasted onto a fast punk song; for me, it's that mixture of parts that don't typically belong together which add up to something that tickles my ear; there's something of Binaural's swerving about in it

Best description I've seen of Running yet; I've been playing it on repeat during my last few workouts. Super addictive in a good way.

Also in harmony with you on DM's lack of Supersonic's or Future Days thus far...the latter is actually a touching song but damn near ruined by the God awful cheesy piano.

[oneway23]

maybe these cool grunge musicians were just classic rock fans all along, waiting to be able to un-mask Scooby Doo style

For sure. They were playing Free covers in their earliest practices, FFS. They've always held the flag for classic rock. Blues-based, pentatonic guitar solos in the era of "grunge"? The Pumpkins were probably the only other band, at the time, who still thought solos were cool.

[Ms Harmless]

maybe these cool grunge musicians were just classic rock fans all along, waiting to be able to un-mask Scooby Doo style

For sure. They were playing Free covers in their earliest practices, FFS. They've always held the flag for classic rock. Blues-based, pentatonic guitar solos in the era of "grunge"? The Pumpkins were probably the only other band, at the time, who still thought solos were cool.

I think AIC had some? but yeah, wow! Free covers?? I didn't know that, Free are my dad's second favourite band after REM

[Ms Harmless]

on that basis, I really will listen to anything they've got and hope to like it because they've been with me so long, and my dad raised me with classic rock (some of which I still like)

[oneway23]

maybe these cool grunge musicians were just classic rock fans all along, waiting to be able to un-mask Scooby Doo style

For sure. They were playing Free covers in their earliest practices, FFS. They've always held the flag for classic rock. Blues-based, pentatonic guitar solos in the era of "grunge"? The Pumpkins were probably the only other band, at the time, who still thought solos were cool.

I think AIC had some? but yeah, wow! Free covers?? I didn't know that, Free are my dad's second favourite band after REM

Yep. Jeff was talking a bunch about Free/Bad Company being an influence on the bass work for Jeremy, specifically, in that CBS college basketball interview from last week.
Said he was listening to them a ton in those days.

[Ms Harmless]

And you nail it when you say 'as long as they're doing something they do well'. I complain about Running because I think they aren't very good writting this kind of songs.

Comatose, Supersonic, Running, Mind your manners, Never Destination... all average songs at the very best, being very friendly.

At least for me.

the things that make Running interesting to me are: the performance (they're all playing their hearts out), little off-kilter rhythmic things (a bar missed off a phrase here, a weird unexpected accent or pause there, the solo started before you're expecting one), and an archetypally "open" half-time bridge copy-pasted onto a fast punk song; for me, it's that mixture of parts that don't typically belong together which add up to something that tickles my ear; there's something of Binaural's swerving about in it

Best description I've seen of Running yet; I've been playing it on repeat during my last few workouts. Super addictive in a good way.

Also in harmony with you on DM's lack of Supersonic's or Future Days thus far...the latter is actually a touching song but damn near ruined by the God awful cheesy piano.

yeah I actually find the song itself quite lovely