Backspacer: Official Album Thread

[stip]

The original thread is archived here

[Fuzzcharger]

I'm just listening to Brad's Gems & Rhinestones mix and it really struck me how bad a song Force of Nature is. Definitely one of the 10 worst songs in their catalogue. I actually looked forward to listening to The Fixer after hearing FON.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Every reason I've seen people give for hating force of nature has done nothing to change my love of it.

[Norah]

Force of Nature sucks.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Force of Nature sucks.

Troll

[Hatfield]

Force of Nature sucks.

I can't get over the Mike's choice of tone. Is this a rock and roll band or what? Would Neil put out weak shit like that?

I really enjoy Backspacer though. I hope they stick with Brendan for a while. Matt and Jeff have never sounded so good together.

[Jorge]

"Force of Nature" has a lot going for it-- a good vocal melody, strong lyrics, a few nice little touches like the extra percussion and the interesting piano countermelody in the second and third verses. I wish they had dirtied it up a little, performance-wise, and come up with an arrangement with more kick to it. As it turned out, it's too clinical, too clean, and that guitar solo at the end is dripping with cheese. I still enjoy it, and think they could make a really good song out of it with some retooling.

[Birds in Hell]

Force of Nature sucks.

[Norah]

"Force of Nature" has a lot going for it-- a good vocal melody, strong lyrics, a few nice little touches like the extra percussion and the interesting piano countermelody in the second and third verses. I wish they had dirtied it up a little, performance-wise, and come up with an arrangement with more kick to it. As it turned out, it's too clinical, too clean, and that guitar solo at the end is dripping with cheese.

I agree with all this. FoN was initially one of my favorites from Backspacer. Now the blandness of it has made it unlistenable for me.

[verb_to_trust]

The riff pretty much turns me off right from the get go.

[verb_to_trust]

My favorite song on BS is Supersonic's bridge

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

The riff pretty much turns me off right from the get go.

I think that's the main part that gets me, but i guess it could eventually get old for me

[Fuzzcharger]

The riff pretty much turns me off right from the get go.

I think that's the main part that gets me, but i guess it could eventually get old for me

Peer pressure in action right now.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

The riff pretty much turns me off right from the get go.

I think that's the main part that gets me, but i guess it could eventually get old for me

Peer pressure in action right now.

Nope, it could naturally get old, but nobody has the ability to change what i like, i will just enjoy the hello out of it myself

[Fuzzcharger]

The riff pretty much turns me off right from the get go.

I think that's the main part that gets me, but i guess it could eventually get old for me

Peer pressure in action right now.

Nope, it could naturally get old, but nobody has the ability to change what i like, i will just enjoy the hello out of it myself

[daft twat]

Every reason I've seen people give for hating force of nature has done nothing to change my love of it.

i'm with you. it's my favorite song on the album, and i like the album. i just love the imagery of a man standing on shore, looking hopefully toward the horizon without any real hope. i'm also a fan of the allusion to the sirens from the odyssey.

my second fave from backspacer is gonna see my friend, and while i can understand why force of nature isn't played live a lot, i can't understand why gsmf isn't a staple.

[stip]

this is my favorite song on Backspacer. Other than the whiny guitar tone at the start (and Mike's guitar tone in general) I love the fuzzy rain and windswept feel of the song, the imagery, the vocal melody, the accents and fills that flesh out the second and third verse. And while it is a bit melodramatic I love the outro playing as well. It's cheese, but it's a pure cheese.

[stip]

my ipod cord was messed up the other day when this came on. I only had one of the speakers playing, so Mike was muted but all the stuff that happens underneath int he 2nd/3rd verse was really clear and it was quite cool

[Fuzzcharger]

Force of Nature sucks.

Force of Nature sucks.

Force of Nature sucks.

this is my favorite song on Backspacer.

Classic stip.

[Brainof23]

Force of Nature is my favorite song on Backspacer and my favorite Pearl Jam song since Sad. Actually, FON is my #3 PJ song of all time.

It's interesting because its one of those songs that really seems to move people to love it or hate it. They seem to have a song like this on all the albums.

Backspacer is a really fun album. It's brief, it builds, it has powerful lyrics. I am surprised how it seems to be received on here.

I would rank the songs this way:

1. Force of Nature (I just noticed FON is the #1 played song on my iTunes)
2. Just Breathe (I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...)
3. Unthought Known (gems and rhinestones)
4. Got Some (they get after this live)
5. Speed of Sound (this song grows on me more each time)
6. Supersonic (best use of shit in the catalog)
7. The Fixer (great first single, fun live)
8. Johnny Guitar (this song is fun, Ed delivers here)
9. Amongst the Waves (was higher, was lower, I'm all over with this one)
10. Gonna See my Friend (Better live than the album)
11. The End (I just can't connect with this one)