Song of the Moment: Getaway

[Mike]

I want an album full of Sleeping By Myselfs.

The fast songs were my favorites from the last two albums. This one has me, for the first time, kinda craving a subdued sit down record next.

It's time that PJ wrote their Nebraska.

We should buy Pearl Jam the most comfortable couch that exists in the world. They will be forced to write a lot of couch songs.

[harmless]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

As much as old habits die hard, and my PJ habit is dying harder than some, yeah. I agree.

[stip]

I read up to "anthemic songs that take off live". Sorry. That's not all I mean by a song that works live, and I wish it wasn't all Pearl Jam meant.

This tour has made it pretty clear what I think they mean. They are writing songs that will make for amazing live experiences once everyone knows the songs and are able to really commit to them as an audience. What will be the most fun for the audience to share with the band, which, frankly, is what makes the LIVE pearl jam experience so incredible (this is not just a sing along. It is also singing along). What makes this tricky in real time is people aren't necessarily as familiar or invested in the songs the first time they're played. When you've been sitting on a song for 10-20 years it'll just mean a lot more to the audience. So the songs from L-bolt that they're playing live will probably be great a tour or two from now, when they are old standbys for the audience. But right now the songs are written for audience participation and commitment while the audience doesn't actually know their part yet.

If that makes sense.

[stip]

If they wanted to write simpler songs they could pull off live that were still as great as older songs, they could. But they're not, because they can't really be bothered. They want serviceable stuff that "does the job".

They did write those songs.

Not really, but I'm honestly envious of your perpetual optimism.

I really think they did. Sorry you don't feel the same way. This stuff kicks the shit out of No Code-Riot Act for me.

same

[harmless]

I read up to "anthemic songs that take off live". Sorry. That's not all I mean by a song that works live, and I wish it wasn't all Pearl Jam meant.

This tour has made it pretty clear what I think they mean. They are writing songs that will make for amazing live experiences once everyone knows the songs and are able to really commit to them as an audience. What will be the most fun for the audience to share with the band, which, frankly, is what makes the LIVE pearl jam experience so incredible (this is not just a sing along. It is also singing along). What makes this tricky in real time is people aren't necessarily as familiar or invested in the songs the first time they're played. When you've been sitting on a song for 10-20 years it'll just mean a lot more to the audience. So the songs from L-bolt that they're playing live will probably be great a tour or two from now, when they are old standbys for the audience. But right now the songs are written for audience participation and commitment while the audience doesn't actually know their part yet.

If that makes sense.

It does.

[Mike]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

As much as old habits die hard, and my PJ habit is dying harder than some, yeah. I agree.

Haha, I was just kidding, Light Years sucks. Fuck middle period Pearl Jam.

Spoiler: show

You wanted us to stop agreeing!

Oh god, I have 1000 posts on a Pearl Jam message board!

[stip]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

Light years is actually one of those songs that I think sounds a lot better live than on the record.

But again, I don't think it's a question of whether or not they can play a song effectively live, or even how it will sound live. It's how that song will bridge the gap between band and audience.

This does become clear at an actual show.

[harmless]

I read up to "anthemic songs that take off live". Sorry. That's not all I mean by a song that works live, and I wish it wasn't all Pearl Jam meant.

This tour has made it pretty clear what I think they mean. They are writing songs that will make for amazing live experiences once everyone knows the songs and are able to really commit to them as an audience. What will be the most fun for the audience to share with the band, which, frankly, is what makes the LIVE pearl jam experience so incredible (this is not just a sing along. It is also singing along). What makes this tricky in real time is people aren't necessarily as familiar or invested in the songs the first time they're played. When you've been sitting on a song for 10-20 years it'll just mean a lot more to the audience. So the songs from L-bolt that they're playing live will probably be great a tour or two from now, when they are old standbys for the audience. But right now the songs are written for audience participation and commitment while the audience doesn't actually know their part yet.

If that makes sense.

It does.

Edit: but if you're right, I still think they're thinking in the short-term, which in the end won't contribute a great deal to their lasting legacy.

[harmless]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

As much as old habits die hard, and my PJ habit is dying harder than some, yeah. I agree.

Haha, I was just kidding, Light Years sucks. Fuck middle period Pearl Jam.

Spoiler: show

You wanted us to stop agreeing!

Oh god, I have 1000 posts on a Pearl Jam message board!

[stip]

I think they probably enjoy playing the songs live a lot more than recording them, and so they are writing with that in mind. I agree if their concern was their studio legacy other approaches might be more fruitful, and I say that as someone who places the last two records in the top half of the catalog, and genuinely thinks they are better than albums 4-8.



Part of the problem is that most of pearl jam's fans are consuming their live material through bootlegs, rather than attending shows (which obviously makes sense) and the approach that makes the most sense for a live show is not necessarily going to make for the best bootleg either.

[Mike]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

Light years is actually one of those songs that I think sounds a lot better live than on the record.

But again, I don't think it's a question of whether or not they can play a song effectively live, or even how it will sound live. It's how that song will bridge the gap between band and audience.

This does become clear at an actual show.

I judge live Pearl Jam solely based on youtube videos because I've only seen them two times live. But I really enjoy songs I love performed well live even if it doesn't reach the audience all around me at all. Do you mean songs that will keep up the energy in the crowd when you're talking about bridging the gap?

[harmless]

I think they probably enjoy playing the songs live a lot more than recording them, and so they are writing with that in mind. I agree if their concern was their studio legacy other approaches might be more fruitful, and I say that as someone who places the last two records in the top half of the catalog, and genuinely thinks they are better than albums 4-8.



Part of the problem is that most of pearl jam's fans are consuming their live material through bootlegs, rather than attending shows (which obviously makes sense) and the approach that makes the most sense for a live show is not necessarily going to make for the best bootleg either.

Yup.

Part of my frustration is that, being from the UK and having no disposable income, I just can't follow them around on tour. I can rarely even see them live even if they visit the UK. So all this prioritisation of the live set, the tour, I feel somewhat excluded. I did not mind this even a little bit, and I didn't feel like this, when I enjoyed their albums as much as their one-off Youtube performances. But now, although I won't say that's all I have (I do *like* Lightning Bolt), it *is* all I have if I want to be reminded of the band that I sold my soul to all those years ago. Because they're just not reaching for the sky in terms of recorded output anymore. Stylistically, I find Lightning Bolt to be wonderful (and more the kind of thing I'm after than Backspacer), but I can't help thinking that if they'd really, really aimed for songcraft that was truly competitive with their peers, they could've knocked it out of the park. But they just didn't feel that need.

[harmless]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

Light years is actually one of those songs that I think sounds a lot better live than on the record.

But again, I don't think it's a question of whether or not they can play a song effectively live, or even how it will sound live. It's how that song will bridge the gap between band and audience.

This does become clear at an actual show.

I judge live Pearl Jam solely based on youtube videos because I've only seen them two times live. But I really enjoy songs I love performed well live even if it doesn't reach the audience all around me at all. Do you mean songs that will keep up the energy in the crowd when you're talking about bridging the gap?

I agree. I don't really care whether the audience around me cares. I just want a well-performed song performed by a bunch of great musicians. If everyone around me finds it "boring" I couldn't care less, at least then it means they'll stop yelling and I can listen to the song.

[LetMeSleep]

I'd love a theatre tour.

[Mike]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

Light years is actually one of those songs that I think sounds a lot better live than on the record.

But again, I don't think it's a question of whether or not they can play a song effectively live, or even how it will sound live. It's how that song will bridge the gap between band and audience.

This does become clear at an actual show.

I judge live Pearl Jam solely based on youtube videos because I've only seen them two times live. But I really enjoy songs I love performed well live even if it doesn't reach the audience all around me at all. Do you mean songs that will keep up the energy in the crowd when you're talking about bridging the gap?

I agree. I don't really care whether the audience around me cares. I just want a well-performed song performed by a bunch of great musicians. If everyone around me finds it "boring" I couldn't care less, at least then it means they'll stop yelling and I can listen to the song.

It's kind of a mix of both for me. If the music performed is engaging enough and super well performed I couldn't care less about the audience around me. It needs to be VERY engaging, though, which Pearl Jam have the ability to be. Sigur Rós pulled that off for me, for example. A great crowd can certainly elevate a gig and is sometimes even necessary. I wouldn't have that much fun at a Gaslight Anthem concerts if the crowd sucked.

[harmless]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

Light years is actually one of those songs that I think sounds a lot better live than on the record.

But again, I don't think it's a question of whether or not they can play a song effectively live, or even how it will sound live. It's how that song will bridge the gap between band and audience.

This does become clear at an actual show.

I judge live Pearl Jam solely based on youtube videos because I've only seen them two times live. But I really enjoy songs I love performed well live even if it doesn't reach the audience all around me at all. Do you mean songs that will keep up the energy in the crowd when you're talking about bridging the gap?

I agree. I don't really care whether the audience around me cares. I just want a well-performed song performed by a bunch of great musicians. If everyone around me finds it "boring" I couldn't care less, at least then it means they'll stop yelling and I can listen to the song.

It's kind of a mix of both for me. If the music performed is engaging enough and super well performed I couldn't care less about the audience around me. It needs to be VERY engaging, though, which Pearl Jam have the ability to be. Sigur Rós pulled that off for me, for example. A great crowd can certainly elevate a gig and is sometimes even necessary. I wouldn't have that much fun at a Gaslight Anthem concerts if the crowd sucked.

Something just occurred to me. I've often sat in wheelchair seats at gigs (not always, sometimes it's normal seating but mostly it's the disabled stands). I've never gone to standing gigs. This has got to have affected my concert experience, right? Like, I've never cared about "energy" or the amount of people jumping around. More often than not, my experience of watching a concert is more like a much, much more atmospheric version of just listening to music. I absorb the atmosphere from everyone else in the room, but other than that, I just want well-performed songs.

This is why I don't get this "works well live" stuff. Just play me great songs, dammit!

[Anders]

I fully get where you are coming from with that. Obviously there are different opinions on what albums are better, but I feel like the middle albums had better production than the last two. Lightning Bolt is not bad, but I wish they could have gone for more atmosphere in the production, like on Binaural. LB feels more like it's made in a way that is easily reproduced live, instead of trying to hit the ball out of the park in the studio.

[LetMeSleep]

Harmless, I'm guessing that the O2 show you were elevated fisrt or second tier? Where were you for Reading? Was there a stand to a side?

[stip]

I read up to "anthemic songs that take off live". Sorry. That's not all I mean by a song that works live, and I wish it wasn't all Pearl Jam meant.

This tour has made it pretty clear what I think they mean. They are writing songs that will make for amazing live experiences once everyone knows the songs and are able to really commit to them as an audience. What will be the most fun for the audience to share with the band, which, frankly, is what makes the LIVE pearl jam experience so incredible (this is not just a sing along. It is also singing along). What makes this tricky in real time is people aren't necessarily as familiar or invested in the songs the first time they're played. When you've been sitting on a song for 10-20 years it'll just mean a lot more to the audience. So the songs from L-bolt that they're playing live will probably be great a tour or two from now, when they are old standbys for the audience. But right now the songs are written for audience participation and commitment while the audience doesn't actually know their part yet.

If that makes sense.

It does.

Edit: but if you're right, I still think they're thinking in the short-term, which in the end won't contribute a great deal to their lasting legacy.

Actually, given the way pjs rep is now built in part on the strength of the live shows they might be helping their legacy


Plus, there is no way albums like riot act or binaural are going to build a legacy either. Those are fans records

[stip]

I think their middle period songs work wonderfully live. Guess it depends on what you want from Pearl Jam. I want this and need to accept that I will probably never get it again.

Light years is actually one of those songs that I think sounds a lot better live than on the record.

But again, I don't think it's a question of whether or not they can play a song effectively live, or even how it will sound live. It's how that song will bridge the gap between band and audience.

This does become clear at an actual show.

I judge live Pearl Jam solely based on youtube videos because I've only seen them two times live. But I really enjoy songs I love performed well live even if it doesn't reach the audience all around me at all. Do you mean songs that will keep up the energy in the crowd when you're talking about bridging the gap?

Yeah, that's what I mean. And that is the disconnect. Most live pj I will hear will be on a boot or youtube and I care about the performance the way you describe here. But the experience of being there is a whole different beast, and while an expertly played cropduster will be an important part of a lowlight/speeno mix, will never be a live staple