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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Clem Halibut
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Clem Halibut »

Give the guy a fuckin break!!
He's pushing 60 and it's 6am in the morning

99.9% of us couldn't hit the "Rise above" at 6am or any other part of the day.

I doubt Daughter was even rehearsed that much at that point.
To my ears Ed and the band sounded great on that version.

When you listen to the audio of it...he does in fact hit that "Rise Above" part...but just off mic
Who knows why he did that. Who cares?

As for the tour, some nights he'll hit it...other nights...he'll let the audience take it over
This isn't anything new, and he's been doing that on "Daughter" for years now.
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Arthur Morgan »

tragabigzanda wrote:
Arthur Morgan wrote:
I have personally landed on that in his mind the studio recording will live longer than any live show they put out, so make it as good as he is capable of making it. And that hitting the note once or twice in the studio is not a problem, especially when the song is fresh.
Leatherhead wrote: I have no interest in them writing songs that they can nail live. If they can do it in the studio, that's great. Live shows are great, but probably .0001% of the total music I listen to.
I don't think this is weird or anything. Different strokes.
Sorry I don’t catch your drift
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by dad »

hey guys, what's new?
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Rangi Guy »

Oh yay - a week after release date my vinyl from 10Club has finally shipped!
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Ensign9 »

This was probably already posted but Boom was in the room with the guys yesterday morning. You can see him at the 0:38 mark:

deep substrate foliated kalkite
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VinylGuy
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by VinylGuy »

guys, please dont engage with Trag, havent you all learned something? jesus christ. Think about that poor family!!

Shame on you rm, shame on you.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Release_Me »

I also heard him hit the note in the background in the flac audio recording someone posted earlier. He may not have been sure he'd hit it and that could be why he pulled away from the mic, but in the past, I have seen him pull away from the mic when he screams too. At any rate, I am in the camp that wants him to do the very best he can in studio, even if some notes would be very difficult to replicate live. Live performances aren't really the primary reason for my PJ fandom, especially at this stage.

I am sure Ed can still hit some really difficult notes in studio when he has multiple takes.

By the way, Dissident has a high note at the end when he sings "escape is never the sa-fest place" that Ed hardly ever hit live. The one time I definitely recall him even attempting it was a show from 2003. Otherwise, he usually just speak-sings that line and has been doing so since 1993.

Does it mean he shouldn't have recorded Dissident with the high note (it's a clean, awesome D5)? The answer is no, for me.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Arthur Morgan »

tragabigzanda wrote:
Arthur Morgan wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:
Arthur Morgan wrote:
I have personally landed on that in his mind the studio recording will live longer than any live show they put out, so make it as good as he is capable of making it. And that hitting the note once or twice in the studio is not a problem, especially when the song is fresh.
Leatherhead wrote: I have no interest in them writing songs that they can nail live. If they can do it in the studio, that's great. Live shows are great, but probably .0001% of the total music I listen to.
I don't think this is weird or anything. Different strokes.
Sorry I don’t catch your drift
? No drift, genuinely saying that preferring a great studio recording over the ability to hit the note live every night is a perfectly good view to take.

:-). I don’t have a problem if someone has that take. But thats not what I’m saying at all. 99% of the PJ I listen to is bootlegs. I would prefer that Ed could hit every not he recorded, and would make conscious decisions to only record notes that he can hit consistently. It would make for a more enjoyable bootleg listening experience. (I’m talking about newly recorded songs. I don’t expect Ed to sing Leash at 60 like he did when he was in his late 20’s)

But I am trying to understand Ed’s pov. Maybe he wants the songs to soar/rock whatever. I love Riot Act and Binuaral but I believe on most of those songs he did exactly what you are asking him to do. Yet one of my main criticisms of those albums, if I have any, is that he does sound like he is holding back.

So I see both sides.
Last edited by Arthur Morgan on Thu April 25, 2024 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Arthur Morgan »

Release_Me wrote:I also heard him hit the note in the background in the flac audio recording someone posted earlier. He may not have been sure he'd hit it and that could be why he pulled away from the mic, but in the past, I have seen him pull away from the mic when he screams too. At any rate, I am in the camp that wants him to do the very best he can in studio, even if some notes would be very difficult to replicate live. Live performances aren't really the primary reason for my PJ fandom, especially at this stage.

I am sure Ed can still hit some really difficult notes in studio when he has multiple takes.

By the way, Dissident has a high note at the end when he sings "escape is never the sa-fest place" that Ed hardly ever hit live. The one time I definitely recall him even attempting it was a show from 2003. Otherwise, he usually just speak-sings that line and has been doing so since 1993.

Does it mean he shouldn't have recorded Dissident with the high note (it's a clean, awesome D5)? The answer is no, for me.
Good post
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scrub12
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by scrub12 »

Just listened to the Jeff/Stone pod. Stone sounds almost giddy about where the band is right now.
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by E.H. Ruddock »

Ensign9 wrote:This was probably already posted but Boom was in the room with the guys yesterday morning. You can see him at the 0:38 mark:

He played on YL
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VinylGuy
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by VinylGuy »

scrub12 wrote:Just listened to the Jeff/Stone pod. Stone sounds almost giddy about where the band is right now.
yeah, he is really happy
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Arthur Morgan »

VinylGuy wrote:
scrub12 wrote:Just listened to the Jeff/Stone pod. Stone sounds almost giddy about where the band is right now.
yeah, he is really happy


They both really did. It would be awesome if we got a new record in 2 years. Is it possible?
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by dprival78 »

Leatherhead wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:
Monkey_Driven wrote:The mic thing doesn't bother me in live shows because of the crowd. It's weird in a studio setting. Just sing a different melody as others have mentioned.
I'll do you one better and say that I'm simply stymied as to why he wants to keep hitting notes in the studio that he can't hit on stage.

I totally get why he's still swinging for the fences on beloved classics, because that's how his audience knows the songs. But going forward, why wouldn't he just write things from the position of "Can I sing this multiple nights a week?"
I have no interest in them writing songs that they can nail live. If they can do it in the studio, that's great. Live shows are great, but probably .0001% of the total music I listen to.
it chips away at ed's authenticity a bit. if he - at best - needs a perfect studio setting, or - at worst - needs a bunch of digital enhancements to sound a certain way, i'd much prefer that he keep it real and sing what he can naturally in the present day. the guy can still sing.. not arguing that.

i just wish he'd lose the need, where ever it comes from, to sound younger than he is. or just different than he is.

but i've given up hope for that a few records ago, since he's been doing this since backspacer at least.

still love ya ed.. best of luck singing the new ones this tour
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by Ms Harmless »

Leatherhead wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:
Monkey_Driven wrote:The mic thing doesn't bother me in live shows because of the crowd. It's weird in a studio setting. Just sing a different melody as others have mentioned.
I'll do you one better and say that I'm simply stymied as to why he wants to keep hitting notes in the studio that he can't hit on stage.

I totally get why he's still swinging for the fences on beloved classics, because that's how his audience knows the songs. But going forward, why wouldn't he just write things from the position of "Can I sing this multiple nights a week?"
I have no interest in them writing songs that they can nail live. If they can do it in the studio, that's great. Live shows are great, but probably .0001% of the total music I listen to.
same
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Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Thu January 01, 2026 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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