Post-Riot Act Moneygrab

[stip]

I think they are trying to be more accessible, but haven't become such hacks that they aren't trying to do it their own way. They are trying to put their own spin on it, but its not working IMO. They have only one eye on being more accessible, but thats enough to hamper them. Shades of gray here, dudes.

This is all just my own very unscientific opinion.

This is pretty much what I think, bracketing the quality judgements

[stip]

And that the desire is for an audience in itself, and not the money an audience brings (not that anyone would kick that out of bed)

[IlluminEddie]

You guys got to recognize something... it's probably Ed.

Seriously. Think about it. Let's start from the beginning. The band, including Ed, did not like Ten (reverb, etc) and they didn't want to be "Ten". You see this as they evolved, less reverb, less lead guitar, less (stone riff-type songs), more Ed on guitar, LESS WRITING AS A BAND. Verses had a few (like Ten'ish songs), but they were changing with Verses. It had less. With Vitalogy, Ed took officially over the band. Ed directed them into "punk" or more power-chord based songs. He was the main writer. The rest of the band probably didn't like that, but dealt with it. Then Jack Irons came in. With No Code they were in a shit storm. As much as they want everyone to think, they were "backing off".... they were probably just in-fighting. I'm pretty sure Jeff said he wanted to leave the band. Ed was still in control. He got rid of Dave. Brought in Jack. Was writing more. He guided the band to follow Jack's lead. We get an eclectic album - No Code. Then Ed realizes the mess the band is, and back's off in his leadership with Yield.

Here we see, Stone come back with a Stone song (In Hiding). We also see Jeff and Stone thrown a bone for writing. Was this Ed's graciousness? I'd bet Ed was like, f it... we tried my way and it's not working, f'ing try your way. Ed also tries to write a catchy song - Wishlist. I think this was actually competitive, and since I like Yield, I think it worked. But, they weren't really writing as a band at all anymore.

With Binaural, I think the attempt with Yield continued, but for the worse. The band was trying to be "soundgarden'ish". Matt joins the band and brings in "Evacuations" horrible riff. God's Dice is another Jeff song. Stone's got Of the Girl. Ed kinda wins this album's battle, with Grievance, Insignificance, etc (ed's also getting into war type songs here). Ed's also tossing in some odd stuff - because he realizes that he needs some individual material - soon forget. All in all the band's not too worried about hits, as they are close to the end of their contract.

Then we get Riot Act, where the band seems to continue the "soundgardenish" vibe. Ed's getting very into politics about now. And overdoes it. The band is going dark, and Ed goes along with that. But, the individual writing is really peaking. Eith the exception of LBC (Boom), Save You is the only real song co-written. Ed brings in Boom to even band dynamics. Ed on war. Matt continues to have trouble adapting to PJ. The band probably doesn't care about writing hits, they are almost out of their contract.

S/T was their attempt at a redemption of sorts, but Ed couldn't let the war stuff go. This album was probably the band consiously trying to get some spotlight back again, but what we end up with is Ed trying to popularize themes (that aren't horrible captivating) that he can't let go. But, at least he tried it in another way this time - unlike Bushleager. They added a bit of pop with the beginning of WWS, and even some of the vocal melodies on Unemployable. The attempt to grab back success didn't work.

With Backspacer, Obama is elected and Ed's happy about that. He starts focusing elsewhere. The band wants success, and Ed actually actively tries to "fight to get it back again". We see Stone generate another "stone" song (amongst the waves). Ed adds some solo hits, just breathe. We get some pop type stuff with Fixer, where Ed reconstructs a matt riff to make it kinda sound good. We get something like Johnny Guitar, which is actually amazing coming from that man. If The Fixer doesnt provide proof they are reaching for popularity again... that song does.

Backspacer kinda worked, so they try to continue the theme with LB. Interestingly tho, look at what Stone/Jeff bring to the table. Listen to their reaction in the interviews about how Ed changed the vibe. I think it's ridiculously obvious who's looking for the pop-sound now. It's Ed. Listen to who wrote Pendulum. Who wrote Infallible? What does Ed do to Infalliable? What did he do to Sirens? He's trying, consciously trying for pop-hooks now. As much as BOB can partially be blamed.... it's really Ed. Ed's focusing on success now. Personally, I'm ok with that.

.....also if you can dig all that, I'd also say it's mainly Ed driving the effort to generate a "money-grab" at this point. He's not uninvolved in it. That part, atleast in areas outside music, I don't agree with so much. And certainly it makes Ed, a hypocrite, based on his outspoken views he's stated openly and repetively in the past.

[BurtReynolds]

Riot Act Ed: Republicans suck! I'm going to let everyone know!!!!

ST Ed: Republicans suck, but I need to write songs that are more mainstream so I can spread my message to the people!

Backspacer Ed: Republicans suck, and no one is listening, so I'll just write pop drivel and use the money to help defeat republicans.

Lightning Bolt Ed: Fuck it, I'm going to buy more cars.

[McParadigm]

Then we get Riot Act, where the band seems to continue the "soundgardenish" vibe. Ed's getting very into politics about now. And overdoes it. The band is going dark, and Ed goes along with that. But, the individual writing is really peaking. Eith the exception of LBC (Boom), Save You is the only real song co-written. Ed brings in Boom to even band dynamics. Ed on war. Matt continues to have trouble adapting to PJ. The band probably doesn't care about writing hits, they are almost out of their contract.

I can't decide if Riot Act was a "we'll play it off as a political album because the actual subject matter is too touchy" moment, or just a case where a lack of self-editing revealed what was really going on. For all the politicizing of the tour, the occasional distractive efforts of Green Disease or Bushleaguer, and the blanketing abstraction/storytelling of songs like Cropduster and Thumbing, R.A. is very much the Roskilde record.

Can't Keep's introduction to the record is a chilling warning ("I won't live forever. You can't keep me here"), which is immediately followed up with a defiantly ambitious promise to do exactly that. "I'm gonna save you, fucker." I don't think it's in any way schemed by the band that the song about ending would sound cathartic, while the song on preventing it would sound so incapable of following through on its promise...but it does make sense that Mike's ongoing problems would tie in to the album's overall thematic content so well.

Love Boat Captain, then, is a meditation on the aftermath of failing to save, which seeks redemption in understandings of what it means to live and to love. Cropduster searches for larger perspective, and Ghost is overwhelmed and stopped from this meditative effort by a world that turns the most unimportant of distractions up to full volume. I Am Mine was literally written in the aftermath of the tragedy, while Thumbing My Way is...I mean, it's Thumbing My Way. You Are finds (or, really, imagines) a protective force in the concept of love, but still feels appropriately ominous and unconvinced....Help Help finds no hope for actual escape, but twitches between begging for the comfort of lies and screaming for help...then we have Arc and a final conclusion that is almost totally absent of conclusion ("It's a hopeless situation.....to myself, I surrender...."), and really gives the future fanbase-coddling nonthreatening musical output an emotional perspective.

It has occasionally come up through the years why Down would get left off this record, and all I ever think is "Well, that's a pretty direct political statement, and there are only really three political songs on here...why would you expect them to pack another poli-sci moment on what is mostly a meditation on the undeserved, self-inflicted sense of guilt that resulted from the loss of real human life?"

I also think about that cover art, and that title, and wonder what people who think this is the political record see in it. Because it must be a long ways away from what I see.

[Sgt. Crackpot]

Jesus, MCP. If you ever write a book, I'll read it.

[verb_to_trust]

Then we get Riot Act, where the band seems to continue the "soundgardenish" vibe. Ed's getting very into politics about now. And overdoes it. The band is going dark, and Ed goes along with that. But, the individual writing is really peaking. Eith the exception of LBC (Boom), Save You is the only real song co-written. Ed brings in Boom to even band dynamics. Ed on war. Matt continues to have trouble adapting to PJ. The band probably doesn't care about writing hits, they are almost out of their contract.

I can't decide if Riot Act was a "we'll play it off as a political album because the actual subject matter is too touchy" moment, or just a case where a lack of self-editing revealed what was really going on. For all the politicizing of the tour, the occasional distractive efforts of Green Disease or Bushleaguer, and the blanketing abstraction/storytelling of songs like Cropduster and Thumbing, R.A. is very much the Roskilde record.

Can't Keep's introduction to the record is a chilling warning ("I won't live forever. You can't keep me here"), which is immediately followed up with a defiantly ambitious promise to do exactly that. "I'm gonna save you, fucker." I don't think it's in any way schemed by the band that the song about ending would sound cathartic, while the song on preventing it would sound so incapable of following through on its promise...but it does make sense that Mike's ongoing problems would tie in to the album's overall thematic content so well.

Love Boat Captain, then, is a meditation on the aftermath of failing to save, which seeks redemption in understandings of what it means to live and to love. Cropduster searches for larger perspective, and Ghost is overwhelmed and stopped from this meditative effort by a world that turns the most unimportant of distractions up to full volume. I Am Mine was literally written in the aftermath of the tragedy, while Thumbing My Way is...I mean, it's Thumbing My Way. You Are finds (or, really, imagines) a protective force in the concept of love, but still feels appropriately ominous and unconvinced....Help Help finds no hope for actual escape, but twitches between begging for the comfort of lies and screaming for help...then we have Arc and a final conclusion that is almost totally absent of conclusion ("It's a hopeless situation.....to myself, I surrender...."), and really gives the future fanbase-coddling nonthreatening musical output an emotional perspective.

It has occasionally come up through the years why Down would get left off this record, and all I ever think is "Well, that's a pretty direct political statement, and there are only really three political songs on here...why would you expect them to pack another poli-sci moment on what is mostly a meditation on the undeserved, self-inflicted sense of guilt that resulted from the loss of real human life?"

I also think about that cover art, and that title, and wonder what people who think this is the political record see in it. Because it must be a long ways away from what I see.

All of this

[BurtReynolds]

RA isn't as political as its made out to be, but its still relatively political. And Ed was almost insufferable at the time.

Binaural is probably about the same, actually. Maybe a little less.

[McParadigm]

RA isn't as political as its made out to be, but its still relatively political.

Don't do this to me, Burt. I'm literally being the most succinct I know how to be, as is.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Matt joins the band and brings in "Evacuations" horrible riff.

LOL...which riff would that be? There are like 12 riffs in that song. I don't see how anybody could be bored by it, but that's just me. I don't suckle the teat of Eddie Vedder.

[evenslow]

Jesus, BurtReynolds. If you ever write a book, I'll read it.

[Sgt. Crackpot]

Jesus, BurtReynolds. If you ever write a book, I'll read it.

[verb_to_trust]

RA isn't as political as its made out to be, but its still relatively political. And Ed was almost insufferable at the time.

Binaural is probably about the same, actually. Maybe a little less.

Riot Act tour Ed is the reason people view the actual album in such a political way, that and it has a song called 'Bushleaguer'

[IlluminEddie]

Then we get Riot Act, where the band seems to continue the "soundgardenish" vibe. Ed's getting very into politics about now. And overdoes it. The band is going dark, and Ed goes along with that. But, the individual writing is really peaking. Eith the exception of LBC (Boom), Save You is the only real song co-written. Ed brings in Boom to even band dynamics. Ed on war. Matt continues to have trouble adapting to PJ. The band probably doesn't care about writing hits, they are almost out of their contract.

I can't decide if Riot Act was a "we'll play it off as a political album because the actual subject matter is too touchy" moment, or just a case where a lack of self-editing revealed what was really going on. For all the politicizing of the tour, the occasional distractive efforts of Green Disease or Bushleaguer, and the blanketing abstraction/storytelling of songs like Cropduster and Thumbing, R.A. is very much the Roskilde record.

Can't Keep's introduction to the record is a chilling warning ("I won't live forever. You can't keep me here"), which is immediately followed up with a defiantly ambitious promise to do exactly that. "I'm gonna save you, fucker." I don't think it's in any way schemed by the band that the song about ending would sound cathartic, while the song on preventing it would sound so incapable of following through on its promise...but it does make sense that Mike's ongoing problems would tie in to the album's overall thematic content so well.

Love Boat Captain, then, is a meditation on the aftermath of failing to save, which seeks redemption in understandings of what it means to live and to love. Cropduster searches for larger perspective, and Ghost is overwhelmed and stopped from this meditative effort by a world that turns the most unimportant of distractions up to full volume. I Am Mine was literally written in the aftermath of the tragedy, while Thumbing My Way is...I mean, it's Thumbing My Way. You Are finds (or, really, imagines) a protective force in the concept of love, but still feels appropriately ominous and unconvinced....Help Help finds no hope for actual escape, but twitches between begging for the comfort of lies and screaming for help...then we have Arc and a final conclusion that is almost totally absent of conclusion ("It's a hopeless situation.....to myself, I surrender...."), and really gives the future fanbase-coddling nonthreatening musical output an emotional perspective.

It has occasionally come up through the years why Down would get left off this record, and all I ever think is "Well, that's a pretty direct political statement, and there are only really three political songs on here...why would you expect them to pack another poli-sci moment on what is mostly a meditation on the undeserved, self-inflicted sense of guilt that resulted from the loss of real human life?"

I also think about that cover art, and that title, and wonder what people who think this is the political record see in it. Because it must be a long ways away from what I see.

I guess my basic point is - I think we, as fans, often give this band way, way too much credit. You kinda hint at that with the first paragraph of your response. I honestly don't see much of this record as a response to Roskilde, even I Am Mine and LBC. I'm sure there were elements of those incidents in one or more, but I honestly don't think it ended that way. And the lyrics, with the exception of one line or two, are the reason I believe that.

To me, I see this record as a response to 9/11, including those two songs. And in all honesty, as far as the larger picture goes, I don't see how anyone couldn't. Every point you make about life/death, could be applied to that politically themed event. The straight up in your face politics of Green Disease and Bushleaguer are hauntingly political. LBC is alluded to later by Green Disease lyrically. To me, that connects them. I Am Mine - I don't believe Ed for a moment that this isn't about 9/11 given the lyrics.... especially, the "full moon is looking for friends at high tide" (a reference to the towers)... there's no need to hide, etc. I mean, who are the "selfish" standing in line?

Save You is a song about Mike, and I think that's obvious. Can't Keep is about someone accepting moving on. Cropduster's lyrics are 100% related to politics of that time. Tell me these lines from Ghost aren't on 9/11 - "The mind is grey,... like the city
Packing in and overgrown, Love is deep,... dig it out, Standing in a hole alone". I do think some of the metaphors in You Are and Get Right are also related. Help, Help is all about the politics of that time. The real trouble is Bushleager, which is so direct, it takes the "us vs them" INTO the album. Which was horrible. Without that song, it could have potentially seemed very political, but not offensive. All or NOne is also political.

Just read the lyrics, if you're doubting the politics of the album. It's all over it. But, truth is, if the songs were a bit better, may be it would've really worked.

[evenslow]

Jesus, BurtReynolds. If you ever write a book, I'll read it.

Easily the best 16 pages I've ever "read."

[BurtReynolds]

RA isn't as political as its made out to be, but its still relatively political.

Don't do this to me, Burt. I'm literally being the most succinct I know how to be, as is.

pfft. you didn't even use the word "sucks". that can take the place of entire paragraphs.

[Sgt. Crackpot]

Jesus, BurtReynolds. If you ever write a book, I'll read it.

Easily the best 16 pages I've ever "read."

NSFA (Not safe for anyone)

Spoiler: show

[IlluminEddie]

Matt joins the band and brings in "Evacuations" horrible riff.

LOL...which riff would that be? There are like 12 riffs in that song. I don't see how anybody could be bored by it, but that's just me. I don't suckle the teat of Eddie Vedder.

The off-beat shit riff. You're right, there's a few of em'. They are all awful.

They show up again on other Matt songs, but in a less horrible fashion.

[BurtReynolds]

Jesus, BurtReynolds. If you ever write a book, I'll read it.

Easily the best 16 pages I've ever "read."

NSFA (Not safe for anyone)

Spoiler: show

and that's how I got my Pulitzer.

[Norah]

Then we get Riot Act, where the band seems to continue the "soundgardenish" vibe. Ed's getting very into politics about now. And overdoes it. The band is going dark, and Ed goes along with that. But, the individual writing is really peaking. Eith the exception of LBC (Boom), Save You is the only real song co-written. Ed brings in Boom to even band dynamics. Ed on war. Matt continues to have trouble adapting to PJ. The band probably doesn't care about writing hits, they are almost out of their contract.

I can't decide if Riot Act was a "we'll play it off as a political album because the actual subject matter is too touchy" moment, or just a case where a lack of self-editing revealed what was really going on. For all the politicizing of the tour, the occasional distractive efforts of Green Disease or Bushleaguer, and the blanketing abstraction/storytelling of songs like Cropduster and Thumbing, R.A. is very much the Roskilde record.

Can't Keep's introduction to the record is a chilling warning ("I won't live forever. You can't keep me here"), which is immediately followed up with a defiantly ambitious promise to do exactly that. "I'm gonna save you, fucker." I don't think it's in any way schemed by the band that the song about ending would sound cathartic, while the song on preventing it would sound so incapable of following through on its promise...but it does make sense that Mike's ongoing problems would tie in to the album's overall thematic content so well.

Love Boat Captain, then, is a meditation on the aftermath of failing to save, which seeks redemption in understandings of what it means to live and to love. Cropduster searches for larger perspective, and Ghost is overwhelmed and stopped from this meditative effort by a world that turns the most unimportant of distractions up to full volume. I Am Mine was literally written in the aftermath of the tragedy, while Thumbing My Way is...I mean, it's Thumbing My Way. You Are finds (or, really, imagines) a protective force in the concept of love, but still feels appropriately ominous and unconvinced....Help Help finds no hope for actual escape, but twitches between begging for the comfort of lies and screaming for help...then we have Arc and a final conclusion that is almost totally absent of conclusion ("It's a hopeless situation.....to myself, I surrender...."), and really gives the future fanbase-coddling nonthreatening musical output an emotional perspective.

It has occasionally come up through the years why Down would get left off this record, and all I ever think is "Well, that's a pretty direct political statement, and there are only really three political songs on here...why would you expect them to pack another poli-sci moment on what is mostly a meditation on the undeserved, self-inflicted sense of guilt that resulted from the loss of real human life?"

I also think about that cover art, and that title, and wonder what people who think this is the political record see in it. Because it must be a long ways away from what I see.

This guy gets Riot Act.