General Pearl Jam Bitching

[Birds in Hell]

Granted I am working under the assumption that I am a careful, thoughtful listener, one not easily impressed by generic and uninspired music

Shut up, heathen

[96583UP]

the intense emotion that had been lifting the music into overachieving places that it would not have otherwise gone has evaporated, and what's left, when coupled with their always relatively limited professional musical tool kit, sounds like an ass after 164 slices of american cheese

I call bullshit. I feel intense emotion listening to many of the songs on Self-Titled, Backspacer, and Lightning Bolt. In fact, these albums contain some of the deepest emotional connections that Ed's lyrics have made with me. They resonate. You are acting like this experience I've had is somehow not legit. That's called being a jerk, but here at RM, "it's herd behavior!"

sorry, i didn't meant to diminish the emotional connection that you have made with those shitty albums

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

I don't like anything after Riot Act because quite frankly, most of the songs and riffs they are offering up just plain stink. The quality of the songs has gone way downhill and they have fallen into that tired dinosaur rock formula of "every album's gotta have a punk rocker" and "every album's gotta have a Bon Jovi/Aerosmith type ballad" and they are delving into areas of bad taste that I normally associate with bullshit "rock saviors" like The Foo Fighters who really have nothing of substance to offer up and are no better than the bands they are supposed to be alternatives to. There was a period in the late 70's where a lot of rock bands went through a period of re-discovery because of punk and disco and all of the other shit that was going on. Eventually a lot of these bands made a big comeback in the 80's/90's but returned as watered-down versions of themselves and had to team up with professional producers and writers to get their shit done and so they could have big hits. Pearl Jam are in that phase right now. I can't imagine there were too many people who bought the Stones' "Steel Wheels" in 1989 and thought, "man these guys are so much better than when they did Exile On Main Street". Those kinds of people do exist - and they are called WEIRDOS!

[Sgt. Crackpot]

I don't like anything after Riot Act because quite frankly, most of the songs and riffs they are offering up just plain stink. The quality of the songs has gone way downhill and they have fallen into that tired dinosaur rock formula of "every album's gotta have a punk rocker" and "every album's gotta have a Bon Jovi/Aerosmith type ballad" and they are delving into areas of bad taste that I normally associate with bullshit "rock saviors" like The Foo Fighters who really have nothing of substance to offer up and are no better than the bands they are supposed to be alternatives to. There was a period in the late 70's where a lot of rock bands went through a period of re-discovery because of punk and disco and all of the other shit that was going on. Eventually a lot of these bands made a big comeback in the 80's/90's but returned as watered-down versions of themselves and had to team up with professional producers and writers to get their shit done and so they could have big hits. Pearl Jam are in that phase right now. I can't imagine there were too many people who bought the Stones' "Steel Wheels" in 1989 and thought, "man these guys are so much better than when they did Exile On Main Street". Those kinds of people do exist - and they are called WEIRDOS!

[Iholdthepain]

You people here are funny... mistaking opinion for lecturing and turning one's opinion into personal attacks... NO band who endures through as much time and change has EVER been as relevant a band as PJ is right now. NO established band can live up to the most critical fans' expectations... They still have moments of greatness on stage, albeit fewer and further between... Go back to ANY time period for PJ, and you will find lyrical mistakes, fucked up sounding vocals (see 1995 tour), drummer flubs, and all the other imperfections. Also, there are still songs that resonate emotionally for me, regardless of whether someone thinks an album is shitty. Dare I say, they can even produce a 5* song (Pendulum)... I've heard this shitty album syndrome with each album they've released, going all the way back to Vitalogy. Nothing's changed, but the surrounding... Oh, nevermind!

[Sgt. Crackpot]

You people here are funny... mistaking opinion for lecturing and turning one's opinion into personal attacks... NO band who endures through as much time and change has EVER been as relevant a band as PJ is right now. NO established band can live up to the most critical fans' expectations... They still have moments of greatness on stage, albeit fewer and further between... Go back to ANY time period for PJ, and you will find lyrical mistakes, fucked up sounding vocals (see 1995 tour), drummer flubs, and all the other imperfections. Also, there are still songs that resonate emotionally for me, regardless of whether someone thinks an album is shitty. Dare I say, they can even produce a 5* song (Pendulum)... I've heard this shitty album syndrome with each album they've released, going all the way back to Vitalogy. Nothing's changed, but the surrounding... Oh, nevermind!

[Iholdthepain]

THERE IT IS! That's all I was really hoping for from my post

[aurynsdad]

I don't like anything after Riot Act because quite frankly, most of the songs and riffs they are offering up just plain stink. The quality of the songs has gone way downhill and they have fallen into that tired dinosaur rock formula of "every album's gotta have a punk rocker" and "every album's gotta have a Bon Jovi/Aerosmith type ballad" and they are delving into areas of bad taste that I normally associate with bullshit "rock saviors" like The Foo Fighters who really have nothing of substance to offer up and are no better than the bands they are supposed to be alternatives to. There was a period in the late 70's where a lot of rock bands went through a period of re-discovery because of punk and disco and all of the other shit that was going on. Eventually a lot of these bands made a big comeback in the 80's/90's but returned as watered-down versions of themselves and had to team up with professional producers and writers to get their shit done and so they could have big hits. Pearl Jam are in that phase right now. I can't imagine there were too many people who bought the Stones' "Steel Wheels" in 1989 and thought, "man these guys are so much better than when they did Exile On Main Street". Those kinds of people do exist - and they are called WEIRDOS!

Whatever points you had going for you got obliterated by the ironic (in this context) negative connotation you placed on the idea of someone who doesn't conform with societal norms.

[Lament]

NO band who endures through as much time and change has EVER been as relevant a band as PJ is right now.

[Heathen]

Granted I am working under the assumption that I am a careful, thoughtful listener, one not easily impressed by generic and uninspired music

Shut up, heathen

That was hilarious. The first post, I mean.

[stip]

NO band who endures through as much time and change has EVER been as relevant a band as PJ is right now.

You certainly can't put rem on that list. They were in the exact same position as pj but with less reach. You could probably say the same thing about Springsteen.

U2 and radiohead are probably different

[Heathen]

NO band who endures through as much time and change has EVER been as relevant a band as PJ is right now.

You certainly can't put rem on that list.

I'm pretty sure you can put ANYONE on that list. ALL you have to do is use CAPS.

[Sgt. Crackpot]

NO band who endures through as much time and change has EVER been as relevant a band as PJ is right now.

[Thejambi]

Guys, this title of "relevant" is precisely why we are getting the records we are getting.
All of these albums are full of 5 star songs that have been neutered to appeal to the public's idea of what Pearl Jam is (which is 1992 Pearl Jam).

[McParadigm]

All of these albums are full of 5 star songs that have been neutered to appeal to the public's idea of what Pearl Jam is (which is 1992 Pearl Jam).

Cue more pictures of U2 and Springsteen.

[Thejambi]

[stip]

All of these albums are full of 5 star songs that have been neutered to appeal to the public's idea of what Pearl Jam is (which is 1992 Pearl Jam).

Cue more pictures of U2 and Springsteen.

I read that mick jagger's girlfriend killed herself. you were the first person I thought of. Weird.

[McParadigm]

All of these albums are full of 5 star songs that have been neutered to appeal to the public's idea of what Pearl Jam is (which is 1992 Pearl Jam).

Cue more pictures of U2 and Springsteen.

I read that mick jagger's girlfriend killed herself. you were the first person I thought of. Weird.

Good thing ol' Mick has the tyranny of cool at his back. The guy is pure uncut ice. I'm surprised they even postponed.

[Iholdthepain]

NO band who endures through as much time and change has EVER been as relevant a band as PJ is right now.

You certainly can't put rem on that list.

I'm pretty sure you can put ANYONE on that list. ALL you have to do is use CAPS.

Here come the Typing Police... Just put more emphasis on the all-capped words and you'll be fine... but you already knew that, hoss...

Got a point with U2 and maybe RH... Sorry for the caps

[aurynsdad]

More grist for the PJ bitching mill:

http://ow.ly/i/4X253/original

can't figure out a way to post that picture. Short version: "Future Days" is next single, driven by iTunes sales. Good news though- new tour dates coming soon.