Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Birds in Hell]

Wait, could Ed not play the WFS riff?

He got about 80%?of it

It must be Watt's riff on the record, then. If they went with Ed's similar riff from way back in the day he'd know it 100%.

Watt must have written the bridge to Insignificance too, then. It took him like 6 years to get that one right.

Well, I don't know if you play guitar, but if you do, think about a simple riff you've carried around for years and then being asked to play it on the spot. It's very intuitive.

Yeah it doesn’t mean Ed was lying. He just was on the spot and I was holding my breathe for him

No, I don't think he's lying at all. What I'm getting at is: if the two riffs are similar but not the exact same, which riff is on the record? Ed's or Watt's? Stone said the song was 'Andrew's baby', which gives me the impression the recorded riff is Watt's. And if the recorded riff s not intuitive to Ed, that's another consideration.

It's definitely more Wotman's riff than Ed's based on the latter's very hesitant attempts to play something remotely similar on Stern.

I mean, it makes sense: the song was initially created during the Earthling sessions, the songs for which were co-written between Ed and Wotman. I can easily believe Wotman brought in a riff, Ed says it reminds him a bit of something he once wrote, and they knocked together a rough demo without thinking too hard about who was responsible for what (they were co-writing, after all). It doesn't fit on Earthling but they later bring it to the band in the Dark Matter sessions where it takes on new life.

I think the 'combined riff' fudge is some intentional obfuscation to make it sound less like the hotshot producer has started writing the tunes, which I suspect is the perception they're trying to avoid - but the explanation doesn't ring true, so it ends up sounding worse than simply admitting the song was built on a riff Wotman brought to Ed while making his solo record.

[Kevin Davis]

People do seem to be really connecting with this record, even people who haven't liked or been interested in new Pearl Jam for a while. Maybe we're going to find out that what's different about this album is that Watt actually wrote the whole thing.

[Ms Harmless]

lots of people overthinking this, there's no reason Ed would lie

[Ms Harmless]

if you're both working on a song, the individual parts you had are going to disappear and be subsumed into what the song becomes; it's very reasonable to think Ed might have forgotten the origins of a riff written two years ago or whatever when it's not even his role to play it now

[Strat]

lots of people overthinking this, there's no reason Ed would lie

Unless you dislike Ed and are disgusted by the idea of pursued collaborates. Perfect thing to jump on for validation!

Much love

[Ms Harmless]

lots of people overthinking this, there's no reason Ed would lie

Unless you dislike Ed and are disgusted by the idea of pursued collaborates. Perfect thing to jump on for validation!

Much love

exactly

[RockPusher]

lots of people overthinking this, there's no reason Ed would lie

I agree, but also, it doesn't matter. Pearl Jam just released an album of great songs that we now have some proof will be great live. So many great bands over the years had any number of people involved in the songwriting process.

[tommy]

If Wottman helping with the writing is the difference between this album and LB then I'm fully on board.

[basically_infirmed]

lots of people overthinking this, there's no reason Ed would lie

Unless you dislike Ed and are disgusted by the idea of pursued collaborates. Perfect thing to jump on for validation!

Much love

exactly

well and also if that somehow is true I hope he writes more songs for them

[basically_infirmed]

If Wottman helping with the writing is the difference between this album and LB then I'm fully on board.

right

[BoltofLightning]

Wait, could Ed not play the WFS riff?

He got about 80%?of it

It must be Watt's riff on the record, then. If they went with Ed's similar riff from way back in the day he'd know it 100%.

Watt must have written the bridge to Insignificance too, then. It took him like 6 years to get that one right.

Well, I don't know if you play guitar, but if you do, think about a simple riff you've carried around for years and then being asked to play it on the spot. It's very intuitive.

Yeah it doesn’t mean Ed was lying. He just was on the spot and I was holding my breathe for him

No, I don't think he's lying at all. What I'm getting at is: if the two riffs are similar but not the exact same, which riff is on the record? Ed's or Watt's? Stone said the song was 'Andrew's baby', which gives me the impression the recorded riff is Watt's. And if the recorded riff s not intuitive to Ed, that's another consideration.

It's definitely more Wotman's riff than Ed's based on the latter's very hesitant attempts to play something remotely similar on Stern.

I mean, it makes sense: the song was initially created during the Earthling sessions, the songs for which were co-written between Ed and Wotman. I can easily believe Wotman brought in a riff, Ed says it reminds him a bit of something he once wrote, and they knocked together a rough demo without thinking too hard about who was responsible for what (they were co-writing, after all). It doesn't fit on Earthling but they later bring it to the band in the Dark Matter sessions where it takes on new life.

I think the 'combined riff' fudge is some intentional obfuscation to make it sound less like the hotshot producer has started writing the tunes, which I suspect is the perception they're trying to avoid - but the explanation doesn't ring true, so it ends up sounding worse than simply admitting the song was built on a riff Wotman brought to Ed while making his solo record.

Or you could, you know, listen to the words coming out of the band members’ mouths without reading things that aren’t there.

[VinylGuy]

yeah guys, its kinda weird a few of you are still on the fence with Watt. He did great with the band, the new album is awesome, the band is really happy and ready to tour.

Happy times.

[VinylGuy]

damn that YL on Stern reminded me of how awesome that song is.

Mike was on fire really.

[stip]

I assume Watt also did the Waiting for Stevie visualizer.

Spoiler: show

I hear it's pretty good

Spoiler: show

[Ms Harmless]

lots of people overthinking this, there's no reason Ed would lie

I agree, but also, it doesn't matter. Pearl Jam just released an album of great songs that we now have some proof will be great live. So many great bands over the years had any number of people involved in the songwriting process.

I agree with that too

[VinylGuy]

Some posters seem almost unhappy that the album is actually this good

[Kevin Davis]

Or you could, you know, listen to the words coming out of the band members’ mouths without reading things that aren’t there.

It's precisely this line of thinking that has you waiting 15 years for EP's that never come

[Tj]

Some posters seem almost unhappy that the album is actually this good

Some poster don't actually like pearl jam anymore.

[VinylGuy]

Or you could, you know, listen to the words coming out of the band members’ mouths without reading things that aren’t there.

It's precisely this line of thinking that has you waiting 15 years for EP's that never come

well, only Mike said that

[Birds in Hell]

You guys, I like the album.

I just think it's funny to dig at the band members (OK, mainly Ed) when they're telling some transparent half-truths because they have their own sensitivities about authenticity, etc. - and like I said above, whatever Ed and Andrew came up with together, it's clear the band really brought the song to life.