Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[mikejasond]

I feel like Scared of Fear is one of the album lowlights to me. Its one of only three openers they ever made that i don't like (Breakerfall, Getaway, Scared of Fear). Its better than the other two I don't like, but it's kind of embodying a lot of what I DON'T like about Pearl Jam, especially in the later half of their career. But I think it works as an opener because of how it bookends the album with the themes and lyrics.

[Jaeti]

Upper Hand is climbing for me.

Songs 5, 6, and 7 might be back-to-back-to-back 5-stars. And there's at least one other 5-star song on here. Bonkers.

[Arthur Morgan]

Listening to the Broken Record interview with Jeff and Stone. Really good! They are great conversationalist. Thanks to whoever pointed out this was available and I highly recommend!

[mikejasond]

I guess another possibility for this album's meaning and themes is that instead of an actual divorce, he's upset his kids are leaving and growing up and is processing these emotions through an album about a 'divorce' , when actually the relationship he is losing are his children (in a sense). And so its not a one-to-one correlation, just an emotional space he is expressing. Or as people said, its about his lost friends, his kids, his music, and he tells the story through a relationship metaphor

[tree_]

Why can't the simplest explanation be the most likely? He and his wife are splitting.

[Ms Harmless]

I'm hearing a connection between the hopeful, maybe a little naive plea of "don't react, respond" and the more jaded, but wise and experienced admission of "deplore the dialogue / everybody else pays for someone else's mistake" -- and therefore sometimes reaction is necessary; it's almost like this album as a whole rides a wave (!!!!) from young expectation, to middle-aged complication, to death (Running), the legacies of hope and wisdom we want to leave behind (Something Special), to the "last one standing" (Got to Give) and the Setting Sun

it feels like a concept album of Pearl Jam busting out the gate, then growing, almost disappearing, but ultimately lasting

[mikejasond]

I guess another possibility for this album's meaning and themes is that instead of an actual divorce, he's upset his kids are leaving and growing up and is processing these emotions through an album about a 'divorce' , when actually the relationship he is losing are his children (in a sense). And so its not a one-to-one correlation, just an emotional space he is expressing. Or as people said, its about his lost friends, his kids, his music, and he tells the story through a relationship metaphor

Another bit of evidence for this...

Something Special:

If you could see what I see now
You gotta know I'm looking up, oh, so proud
The one I used to hold is, oh, so special

Setting Sun:

If you could see what I see now
You'd find a way to stay somehow

Is the repeated lyric a coincidence or a connection? Are both songs about his kids? Or is it a juxtoposition? (First for his kids, second for his wife?)

There's a couple interesting repeated lyrics cross song on the album

[mikejasond]

I'm hearing a connection between the hopeful, maybe a little naive plea of "don't react, respond" and the more jaded, but wise and experienced admission of "deplore the dialogue / everybody else pays for someone else's mistake" -- and therefore sometimes reaction is necessary; it's almost like this album as a whole rides a wave (!!!!) from young expectation, to middle-aged complication, to death (Running), the legacies of hope and wisdom we want to leave behind (Something Special), to the "last one standing" (Got to Give) and the Setting Sun

it feels like a concept album of Pearl Jam busting out the gate, then growing, almost disappearing, but ultimately lasting

I took the "don't react, respond" thing to sort of be like the narrator desperately trying to do the type of thing you'd expect from counceling, to not just react in a fight in anger but take time to think and respond. (https://zenhabits.net/respond/)

But the frantic pace of the song is showing how difficult this is because of wild emotion, so it comes off more like a desperate self-plea to keep it together and not give in and make things worse.

Until Wreckage, where the narrator now legitimately no longer cares who was right because he realizes what he lost

[DDWJMUVW]

I feel like Scared of Fear is one of the album lowlights to me. Its one of only three openers they ever made that i don't like (Breakerfall, Getaway, Scared of Fear). Its better than the other two I don't like, but it's kind of embodying a lot of what I DON'T like about Pearl Jam, especially in the later half of their career. But I think it works as an opener because of how it bookends the album with the themes and lyrics.

I love breakerfall. Getaway is one of the few palatable tracks on LB.

I suppose we couldn't be further apart here. What are you favorite openers then?

[mikejasond]

I feel like Scared of Fear is one of the album lowlights to me. Its one of only three openers they ever made that i don't like (Breakerfall, Getaway, Scared of Fear). Its better than the other two I don't like, but it's kind of embodying a lot of what I DON'T like about Pearl Jam, especially in the later half of their career. But I think it works as an opener because of how it bookends the album with the themes and lyrics.

I love breakerfall. Getaway is one of the few palatable tracks on LB.

I suppose we couldn't be further apart here. What are you favorite openers then?

Good question. Hm...I like most of them I guess, so its hard to choose a favorite

I guess I really like - in no order -
Sometimes
Can't Keep (Ironically, I really don't like this album , but really like this as an opener)
Go
Life Wasted
Who Ever Said
Brain of J
Last Exit (I don't like this song much as a standalone but it is perfect to kick off Vitalogy)

Once is also good but not my favorite. Gonna See My Friend is not my favorite but kicks off backspacer very well (but not as well as Last Exit)

And then I don't like the ones I mentioned above.

[Ms Harmless]

I'm hearing a connection between the hopeful, maybe a little naive plea of "don't react, respond" and the more jaded, but wise and experienced admission of "deplore the dialogue / everybody else pays for someone else's mistake" -- and therefore sometimes reaction is necessary; it's almost like this album as a whole rides a wave (!!!!) from young expectation, to middle-aged complication, to death (Running), the legacies of hope and wisdom we want to leave behind (Something Special), to the "last one standing" (Got to Give) and the Setting Sun

it feels like a concept album of Pearl Jam busting out the gate, then growing, almost disappearing, but ultimately lasting

I took the "don't react, respond" thing to sort of be like the narrator desperately trying to do the type of thing you'd expect from counceling, to not just react in a fight in anger but take time to think and respond. (https://zenhabits.net/respond/)

But the frantic pace of the song is showing how difficult this is because of wild emotion, so it comes off more like a desperate self-plea to keep it together and not give in and make things worse.

Until Wreckage, where the narrator now legitimately no longer cares who was right because he realizes what he lost

yes to your react respond thoughts, but they need tempering with Dark Matter's thoughts, that sometimes a reaction and a riot is the only way to bring about change, even if "don't react" is wonderful advice to tell our internal selves as individuals; there's a time for everything

so yeah, Wreckage might be "the beginning of wisdom" on my wave timeline

[EBowie]

The 3 song stretch of Won't Tell, Upper Hand and Waiting for Stevie is my favorite part of the album. It also feels like what I would describe as the emotional heart of the album.

[FlatSideofaDog]

Why can't the simplest explanation be the most likely? He and his wife are splitting.

Exactly.

How does DM factor into the history of pearl jam? Three things come to mind.

1. An upblip in quality. About 600 pages on that in this thread.

2. The role of Watt. A total aberration in the history of pearl jam, though when you deconstruct the author conept I suppose you can make a case for antecedents. About 4 pages on this? Division on how to deal with it. There is a 'no one cares' crowd. If you're of that crowd, ignore the rest of this point. Many unanswered questions such as: in Setting Sun, we know Jeff brought in the first part and that Watt wrote the 'riff' in part 2, but was the song going to soar anyway in part 2 even without Watt's riff? I haven't heard the band discuss whether the chord progression under Watt's riff in part 2 was written by a member of pearl jam prior to the riff. Love Watt's riff but the chords behind it are really what makes the transition.

3. The divorce songs. This can get shut down pretty quickly when the most obvious interpretation is mentioned. But anyway, there are so many divorce songs that half the album seems like a concept. It was recorded in 2 sessions. Are the divorce songs all from one or the other? Is divorce a metaphor for something else. Is someone else getting a divorce? Is it personal to the lyricist. My instinct is the third option, and if you know what to look for, Ed's answer to Stern about one of the divorce songs (Wreckage) would all but confirm that.

[stip]

I'm hearing a connection between the hopeful, maybe a little naive plea of "don't react, respond" and the more jaded, but wise and experienced admission of "deplore the dialogue / everybody else pays for someone else's mistake" -- and therefore sometimes reaction is necessary; it's almost like this album as a whole rides a wave (!!!!) from young expectation, to middle-aged complication, to death (Running), the legacies of hope and wisdom we want to leave behind (Something Special), to the "last one standing" (Got to Give) and the Setting Sun

it feels like a concept album of Pearl Jam busting out the gate, then growing, almost disappearing, but ultimately lasting

I took the "don't react, respond" thing to sort of be like the narrator desperately trying to do the type of thing you'd expect from counceling, to not just react in a fight in anger but take time to think and respond. (https://zenhabits.net/respond/)

But the frantic pace of the song is showing how difficult this is because of wild emotion, so it comes off more like a desperate self-plea to keep it together and not give in and make things worse.

Until Wreckage, where the narrator now legitimately no longer cares who was right because he realizes what he lost

i think this is right, but these are realizations and truths that can apply to all relationships

[stip]

Why can't the simplest explanation be the most likely? He and his wife are splitting.

Exactly.

How does DM factor into the history of pearl jam? Three things come to mind.

1. An upblip in quality. About 600 pages on that in this thread.

2. The role of Watt. A total aberration in the history of pearl jam, though when you deconstruct the author conept I suppose you can make a case for antecedents. About 4 pages on this? Division on how to deal with it. There is a 'no one cares' crowd. If you're of that crowd, ignore the rest of this point. Many unanswered questions such as: in Setting Sun, we know Jeff brought in the first part and that Watt wrote the 'riff' in part 2, but was the song going to soar anyway in part 2 even without Watt's riff? I haven't heard the band discuss whether the chord progression under Watt's riff in part 2 was written by a member of pearl jam prior to the riff. Love Watt's riff but the chords behind it are really what makes the transition.

3. The divorce songs. This can get shut down pretty quickly when the most obvious interpretation is mentioned. But anyway, there are so many divorce songs that half the album seems like a concept. It was recorded in 2 sessions. Are the divorce songs all from one or the other? Is divorce a metaphor for something else. Is someone else getting a divorce? Is it personal to the lyricist. My instinct is the third option, and if you know what to look for, Ed's answer to Stern about one of the divorce songs (Wreckage) would all but confirm that.

the good news about the divorce debate is that it is that it will resolve over time

[tree_]

Why can't the simplest explanation be the most likely? He and his wife are splitting.

Exactly.

How does DM factor into the history of pearl jam? Three things come to mind.

1. An upblip in quality. About 600 pages on that in this thread.

2. The role of Watt. A total aberration in the history of pearl jam, though when you deconstruct the author conept I suppose you can make a case for antecedents. About 4 pages on this? Division on how to deal with it. There is a 'no one cares' crowd. If you're of that crowd, ignore the rest of this point. Many unanswered questions such as: in Setting Sun, we know Jeff brought in the first part and that Watt wrote the 'riff' in part 2, but was the song going to soar anyway in part 2 even without Watt's riff? I haven't heard the band discuss whether the chord progression under Watt's riff in part 2 was written by a member of pearl jam prior to the riff. Love Watt's riff but the chords behind it are really what makes the transition.

3. The divorce songs. This can get shut down pretty quickly when the most obvious interpretation is mentioned. But anyway, there are so many divorce songs that half the album seems like a concept. It was recorded in 2 sessions. Are the divorce songs all from one or the other? Is divorce a metaphor for something else. Is someone else getting a divorce? Is it personal to the lyricist. My instinct is the third option, and if you know what to look for, Ed's answer to Stern about one of the divorce songs (Wreckage) would all but confirm that.

I don't think Ed is that good an actor to perform the emotions of someone else's breakup this effectively (if so, major kudos). It just feels so genuine that I can't help but believe he's going through it personally and most of these songs function as a sorta feelings journal coping mechanism. Anyway, I'm going Occam's razor and will believe this to be so until proven otherwise.

[WaitingForBluey]

Can we please focus on 10C's incompetency instead of Ed's voice?

I don't know about the 10C but "USPS Facility, United States" needs to get their shit together... they're tossing my vinyl around back and forth like it's a beach volleyball

04/23/2024
3:48 A.M. Arrived at USPS Facility, United States

04/23/2024
2:15 A.M. Departed USPS Facility, United States

04/22/2024
7:47 P.M. Arrived at USPS Facility, United States

[EBowie]

I heard someone mention Jill Vedder's social media praising the album and passing on love to Ed as a sign they aren't getting divorced. As a guy who lives in New England and witnessed the Tom Brady and Giselle relationship nonsense, I can attest that Jill's social media stuff means nothing.

[DDWJMUVW]

Can we please focus on 10C's incompetency instead of Ed's voice?

I don't know about the 10C but "USPS Facility, United States" needs to get their shit together... they're tossing my vinyl around back and forth like it's a beach volleyball

04/23/2024
3:48 A.M. Arrived at USPS Facility, United States

04/23/2024
2:15 A.M. Departed USPS Facility, United States

04/22/2024
7:47 P.M. Arrived at USPS Facility, United States

Same. And I do blame 10c as well. I ordered this thing on FUCKING feb 13th. How was it not in my hands by Friday? Sat latest.

[Ms Harmless]

going to the nearest city to me on Saturday and I'm going to pick up a CD of this baby, even though I can't play it; time to start (again) my PJ CD collection