The band's biggest mistake

[warehouse]

doing a Jay Z song was the coolest thing this bad has done in probably a decade

I thought it was terrible.

I was genuinely pretty okay with everything Pearl Jam up to and including everything in 2006. Though Riot Act and S/T were a step down in consistency from their best work, each record still had a handful of good-to-great songs and the live shows remained outstanding. It's really only been since 2007 that I've changed that opinion; to be honest, it's hard thinking of things they've done since then that I don't have some issue with.

I don't think I'm the only who feels as though they've become an entirely different band in the last five years or so.

It was a cool moment, not cooler than seeing them with Perry Farrel doing Mountain song, or with Chris Cornell doing stardog champion.

It was not terrible at all.

"terrible" is about the last word i would use to describe it. going into a genre they never have w/ one of the most respected artists from that genre, how can that be "terrible"?

[VinylGuy]

doing a Jay Z song was the coolest thing this bad has done in probably a decade

I thought it was terrible.

I was genuinely pretty okay with everything Pearl Jam up to and including everything in 2006. Though Riot Act and S/T were a step down in consistency from their best work, each record still had a handful of good-to-great songs and the live shows remained outstanding. It's really only been since 2007 that I've changed that opinion; to be honest, it's hard thinking of things they've done since then that I don't have some issue with.

I don't think I'm the only who feels as though they've become an entirely different band in the last five years or so.

It was a cool moment, not cooler than seeing them with Perry Farrel doing Mountain song, or with Chris Cornell doing stardog champion.

It was not terrible at all.

"terrible" is about the last word i would use to describe it. going into a genre they never have w/ one of the most respected artists from that genre, how can that be "terrible"?

yeah, exactly. I want to see them doing more stuff like this, maybe with Cypress Hill or some band like that.

[Birds in Hell]

Still this:

WMA tagged with 99 Problems.

No fucking shit.

Does this all seem a little strange (bordering on crassly tokenistic) to everyone?...or is that just me?

So, it's just me?

I thought it was weird when they had the back-up singers do WMA back in 2008 too.

"Hey, you guys are black - you'll love this one!"

How many songs do Pearl Jam have about the black experience?

If that was their thought process, then that's exactly what I meant about it feeling tokenistic.

"Hey, there sure are a lot of black folks in the audience tonight; bet they'd like to hear that one song we wrote about black people!"

[stip]

i think this may be saying more about you then them

[warehouse]

man, you are super negative. didnt they have black back up singers for "all night" too? is that song about black people too and i dunno about it?

i'm not sure what to make of your last comment. i've seen pearl jam w/ my buddy who is black probably 8-10 times. but i think everyone knows at this point eddie vedder and jay z discussed the similarity in the lyrics and subject matter of the 2 songs.

[Birds in Hell]

i think this may be saying more about you then them

That's entirely possible, depending on what exactly is being said, but I still think it was a poor (or ill-considered) choice on their part.

Again, it's not as though I'm asking anyone else to agree. I'm fine with others, even everyone, not seeing it the same way.

[NancyBabich]

When they stopped being Neil Young's backing band.

[dimejinky99]

The path they travelled musically in 6 short years, Ten through No Code, it's alarming but brilliant. Such an evolution in such a relatively short time. I don't bmean to blame Yield in an way but it did drag them back to the centre a good bit and they haven't ventured out in that way ever again really. Can't help think that if they'd kept to that same timeframe in terms of output, we would have a much deeper canon to explore. Like Neil I guess. It wouldn't all be great but there'd be a lot more to hear.

Dot know when they got so precious about their creative output. Do wish they'd relax with it and be a little more giving, if not prolific.

[stip]

i think this may be saying more about you then them

That's entirely possible, depending on what exactly is being said, but I still think it was a poor (or ill-considered) choice on their part.

Again, it's not as though I'm asking anyone else to agree. I'm fine with others, even everyone, not seeing it the same way.

fair enough. your comment reminded me of your objection to that church charity event from a few weeks ago--like there are very precise boundaries for your expectations and things are not allowed to stray outside them. It's an odd position (if it's accurate) given your musical inclinations

[stip]

really my only big beef over the last 6 years other than some ten club stuff here and there is with the amount of their output. These are prolific songwriters for the most part and should be releasing more music. That's pretty much it.

[WtOB?]

Stip, you are such a cunt.

[Birds in Hell]

Stip, you are such a cunt.

AL

[Norah]

doing a Jay Z song was the coolest thing this bad has done in probably a decade

I thought it was terrible.

I was genuinely pretty okay with everything Pearl Jam up to and including everything in 2006. Though Riot Act and S/T were a step down in consistency from their best work, each record still had a handful of good-to-great songs and the live shows remained outstanding. It's really only been since 2007 that I've changed that opinion; to be honest, it's hard thinking of things they've done since then that I don't have some issue with.

I don't think I'm the only who feels as though they've become an entirely different band in the last five years or so.

It was a cool moment, not cooler than seeing them with Perry Farrel doing Mountain song, or with Chris Cornell doing stardog champion.

It was not terrible at all.

It was much cooler than both of those things. Doing Mountain Song or Stardog Champion is the opposite of stepping out of their comfort zone.

[doone]

still think it's Boom

[Birds in Hell]

I'm relatively indifferent to the Mountain Song cover, but I thought it was awesome that they tackled Stardog Champion.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Glad no one is saying "the Real Thing".

[VinylGuy]

Glad no one is saying "the Real Thing".

thats a great song.

[surfndestroy]

While I think it was great and enjoyed it, looking back I'd say the 2005 tour was their biggest mistake. They stopped having something to say. They learned that people love them as a nostalgia act. I think every tour since has there has been a little less effort from the band and has been a little less satisfying. They learned they can take the easy path (see Target ads, Oracle event). They learned they can have shows like some of the Philly Spectrum shows that just show apathy about their craft and they're still loved.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

While I think it was great and enjoyed it, looking back I'd say the 2005 tour was their biggest mistake. They stopped having something to say. They learned that people love them as a nostalgia act. I think every tour since has there has been a little less effort from the band and has been a little less satisfying. They learned they can take the easy path (see Target ads, Oracle event). They learned they can have shows like some of the Philly Spectrum shows that just show apathy about their craft and they're still loved.

I enjoyed the 2005-2006 tours very much. For me it was their last hurrah. Those Philly Spectrum shows were a joke. They're on so many people's top 10 lists and what for? The band sounded like they hadn't played together in 10 years.

[VinylGuy]

While I think it was great and enjoyed it, looking back I'd say the 2005 tour was their biggest mistake. They stopped having something to say. They learned that people love them as a nostalgia act. I think every tour since has there has been a little less effort from the band and has been a little less satisfying. They learned they can take the easy path (see Target ads, Oracle event). They learned they can have shows like some of the Philly Spectrum shows that just show apathy about their craft and they're still loved.

I enjoyed the 2005-2006 tours very much. For me it was their last hurrah. Those Philly Spectrum shows were a joke. They're on so many people's top 10 lists and what for? The band sounded like they hadn't played together in 10 years.

the 2005-2006 tours were awesome.