Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

General Pearl Jam discussion.
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Rank Dark Matter

5 Stars
119
56%
4 Stars
65
31%
3 Stars
19
9%
2 Stars
2
1%
2 Star
1
0%
%#*! Andrew Watt
5
2%
 
Total votes: 211

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Thurman Murman
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Thurman Murman »

EBowie wrote:So it seems like Something Special will be the song everyone dumps on (the Future Days of Dark Matter). If that's the only one, then sweet, we've got a good (maybe great) record.
It's kind of a shame that nobody was willing to put their neck on the line to suggest that maybe that one should be saved for the next Earthlings album.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Oversize »

EBowie wrote:So it seems like Something Special will be the song everyone dumps on (the Future Days of Dark Matter). If that's the only one, then sweet, we've got a good (maybe great) record.
Sorry, just struck me that The Future Days of Dark Matter is an excellent book, audio book or podcast title. :lol:
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by EBowie »

I can be a sucker for cheesy ballads, so I'll probably end up liking it. :haha:
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Val »

EBowie wrote:So it seems like Something Special will be the song everyone dumps on (the Future Days of Dark Matter). If that's the only one, then sweet, we've got a good (maybe great) record.
I looked at the track list and realized that from now on there’s no room left to wiggle waggle.
All the greyed out songs simply need to be killer to justify the reviews.
Last edited by Val on Thu April 11, 2024 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Thurman Murman »

EBowie wrote:I can be a sucker for cheesy ballads, so I'll probably end up liking it. :haha:
I mean i like Sirens...but couldnt do it with Future Days and pretty sure i wont be able to stomach Something Special either.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by EBowie »

Thurman Murman wrote:
EBowie wrote:I can be a sucker for cheesy ballads, so I'll probably end up liking it. :haha:
I mean i like Sirens...but couldnt do it with Future Days and pretty sure i wont be able to stomach Something Special either.
In the midst of all the backlash of Future Days, I was in agreement that it was a crappy song. But if I hear it now, without thinking about all the baggage, it's actually not THAT bad. In a vacuum, its a decent song. In terms of our expectations of this band, I understand the hate for it.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by stip »

Future Days is quiet, lovely little song that is especially poignant when you think about how it's the Eddie of Ten/Vs/Vitalogy who is singing it - that he ends up here is a victory
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by EBowie »

stip wrote:Future Days is quiet, lovely little song that is especially poignant when you think about how it's the Eddie of Ten/Vs/Vitalogy who is singing it - that he ends up here is a victory
Yep. It's like some people fault Ed for not being pissed off all the time like he was in the early/mid 90s. That's on them though, not Ed.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by oneway23 »

I've said this before, but, after some health scares my wife and I have experienced in the past few years, that song has a poignancy it never previously did.
As stip said, also not lost on me who is singing it.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Tj »

I really like Future Days. The Haves is a bit of a Clunker. Sirens is good to great depending on the day. I think Something Special will serve as a bit of a intermission before going into the final act.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Hypnos »

I think Future Days encapsulates everything that bothers us about current PJ: the cheesy, the cringe, the Vedderisms, the easy hit, the cheap sentimentality, the bland lyrics, etc. That's why all the hate, perhaps unfounded.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by digster »

EBowie wrote:
stip wrote:Future Days is quiet, lovely little song that is especially poignant when you think about how it's the Eddie of Ten/Vs/Vitalogy who is singing it - that he ends up here is a victory
Yep. It's like some people fault Ed for not being pissed off all the time like he was in the early/mid 90s. That's on them though, not Ed.
There really isn't some complex psychological underpinning to all of this; most people who don't like it do so because they think it's a bad song.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Thurman Murman »

oneway23 wrote:I've said this before, but, after some health scares my wife and I have experienced in the past few years, that song has a poignancy it never previously did.
As stip said, also not lost on me who is singing it.
The intro literally kills it for me, i cant get past it. There was an edit kicking around a few months back where someone removed the first and last 30 seconds of the song and that improved the experience for me. Still absolutely my least favorite album closer (not counting Stupid Mop).
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by DDWJMUVW »

"For me, it's all about the time we're having just playing the songs. So if it's kind of a mindless good time, then....."
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Clem Halibut »

I think it was the commercial success of Just Breathe that led to songs such as Future Days & The Halves.
I'd even throw Sirens into this category too even though I think that one was actually written by Mike (music & lyrics ?)

Something Special seems to follow in the same stylistic pattern.

I feel like Eddie writes in patterns often, and have always felt that Wishlist , Love Boat Captain, Unthought Known & Lightning Bolt all share a similar writing style and pattern

Obviously I much prefer that style of Eddie writing to the shmaltzy pattern of "I love Jill and my kids" type songs that he seems to write these days.

But whatever...Eddie's 60 years old, filthy rich, and leads a pretty great life these days.
So I guess it is what it is and we're going to get these cheesy drippy songs every now and again.
Last edited by Clem Halibut on Thu April 11, 2024 5:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by stip »

Hypnos wrote:I think Future Days encapsulates everything that bothers us about current PJ: the cheesy, the cringe, the Vedderisms, the easy hit, the cheap sentimentality, the bland lyrics, etc. That's why all the hate, perhaps unfounded.

I think there are some pretty nice lyrics throughout, though it's not a masterwork. But what I think is missed is that the sentimentality in here is real, but it is not cheap. The journey that lead to that song is what helps the song earn its peace. If that was a song on a debut record it would mean a lot less
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by stip »

digster wrote:
EBowie wrote:
stip wrote:Future Days is quiet, lovely little song that is especially poignant when you think about how it's the Eddie of Ten/Vs/Vitalogy who is singing it - that he ends up here is a victory
Yep. It's like some people fault Ed for not being pissed off all the time like he was in the early/mid 90s. That's on them though, not Ed.
There really isn't some complex psychological underpinning to all of this; most people who don't like it do so because they think it's a bad song.
But unpacking WHY people think it's a bad song is interesting.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Jorge »

My issues with "Future Days" are due to its composition and arrangement, not the sentiment. I enjoy many songs like it, including its cousin "The End." I just think it's a flat, boring melody surrounded by a whole lot of chintzy, ugly sounds.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by RockPusher »

Thurman Murman wrote:
oneway23 wrote:I've said this before, but, after some health scares my wife and I have experienced in the past few years, that song has a poignancy it never previously did.
As stip said, also not lost on me who is singing it.
The intro literally kills it for me, i cant get past it. There was an edit kicking around a few months back where someone removed the first and last 30 seconds of the song and that improved the experience for me. Still absolutely my least favorite album closer (not counting Stupid Mop).
The parts you don't like are 100% BO'B
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by oneway23 »

Hypnos wrote:I think Future Days encapsulates everything that bothers us about current PJ: the cheesy, the cringe, the Vedderisms, the easy hit, the cheap sentimentality, the bland lyrics, etc. That's why all the hate, perhaps unfounded.
Yup. Absolutely. This song is guilty on all counts. No way I'd argue that. I can see it for what it is.
It's also, for Vedder or worse, kinda who he is now.

Also, Thurman...BO'B screwed the pooch...Glad they've moved away from him. He's as middle of the road as it gets.

Ah, Rockpusher covered it...yup
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