Jeff Ament: My Life in Rock

[epilogue]

when i saw the thread title i thought jeff was coming out with a book. bit disappointed now.

That would be awesome. But i only see Mike doing the book thing.

I'll happily be his ghost writer. Cuz he's gonna really REALLY need one.

[chewm]

I hope that he quotes "Inside Job" lyrics.

[bodysnatcher]

Just realized that "Inside Job" is about Mike's desire to have a desk job due to its easy and reliable bathroom access

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Mine]

If their aim is to make records that sound like their early ones, they're not doing a very good job. None of their last few records share much in common musically with Ten or Vs.

I feel like they keep trying to come up with something similar to Yield more than anything else. A few anthemic ones, a few garagey ones, a few laidback ones and one kind of weird one - for the most part, pretty cruisy and accessible, nothing to rock the boat too hard. A perennial comeback album.

I think the album formula they follow goes back to Vs. Yield was the first example of the formula being used.
Ten was shaped way too much around the 80's aesthetic so it isn't easily compared with the subsequent records.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

If their aim is to make records that sound like their early ones, they're not doing a very good job. None of their last few records share much in common musically with Ten or Vs.

I feel like they keep trying to come up with something similar to Yield more than anything else. A few anthemic ones, a few garagey ones, a few laidback ones and one kind of weird one - for the most part, pretty cruisy and accessible, nothing to rock the boat too hard. A perennial comeback album.

I think the album formula they follow goes back to Vs. Yield was the first example of the formula being used.
Ten was shaped way too much around the 80's aesthetic so it isn't easily compared with the subsequent records.

At this point we have to consign ourselves to the fact that their new albums are always going to be boring alterna-dad-rock albums, no matter what vintage album they claim they are invoking or emulating. You almost wonder if it's an in-joke that they share amongst themselves, or if their heads have really disappeared that far up their own asses.

[Mine]

If their aim is to make records that sound like their early ones, they're not doing a very good job. None of their last few records share much in common musically with Ten or Vs.

I feel like they keep trying to come up with something similar to Yield more than anything else. A few anthemic ones, a few garagey ones, a few laidback ones and one kind of weird one - for the most part, pretty cruisy and accessible, nothing to rock the boat too hard. A perennial comeback album.

I think the album formula they follow goes back to Vs. Yield was the first example of the formula being used.
Ten was shaped way too much around the 80's aesthetic so it isn't easily compared with the subsequent records.

At this point we have to consign ourselves to the fact that their new albums are always going to be boring alterna-dad-rock albums, no matter what vintage album they claim they are invoking or emulating. You almost wonder if it's an in-joke that they share amongst themselves, or if their heads have really disappeared that far up their own asses.

The later definitely.
It was inevitable though.
The big issue is that for the majority of them the writing is a kind of a manufacturing process. Just think about how they describe writing as individuals. You aren't going to hear stories from them describing how a song was born spontaniuselly out of inspiration in 20 minutes or an hour or whatever like many really great songs were.
They tend to rely on recipes or go for straight emulations (Mike in particular). It's also the only creative process that allows for their beloved democratic cooperative dynamic.
You really can't force these things without compromising the music.
Even on this board a lot of people seem to believe writing is all about the specific recipe, following certain rules, spending the appropriate amount of time with the songs etc. It's a reasoning that doesn't work with Pearl Jam at all.
If it all came down to a process and the right intent, having a successful career with writing songs would be much easier than it is in practice. I think some individuals' brains are wired in a way that allows them to write and produce songs that millions of people like. A degree of artistic freedom is mandatory for these individuals to be able to create which is something Pearl Jam proudly erased from their "creative" process because it wasn't democratic enough for their liking.

[B]

All this makes me think that we need a new Vedder solo album.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

A degree of artistic freedom is mandatory for these individuals to be able to create which is something Pearl Jam proudly erased from their "creative" process because it wasn't democratic enough for their liking.

It also doesn't help that their rapid descent into mediocrity has been perceived by the press and general public as a "major comeback". From this point forward, as long as each album has a song that people can slow dance to at their wedding or get excited about because it appears in the background of a Grey's Anatomy scene, mission accomplished.

[evenslow]

All this makes me think that we need a new Vedder solo album.

We are technically due for one when you consider he dropped ITW and Uke songs in between the previous PJ records. At least give us Lost Dogs 2 or something.

[Mine]

A degree of artistic freedom is mandatory for these individuals to be able to create which is something Pearl Jam proudly erased from their "creative" process because it wasn't democratic enough for their liking.

It also doesn't help that their rapid descent into mediocrity has been perceived by the press and general public as a "major comeback". From this point forward, as long as each album has a song that people can slow dance to at their wedding or get excited about because it appears in the background of a Grey's Anatomy scene, mission accomplished.

and the wedding scene in one of the final episodes of How I Met Your Mother.
The comeback thing had more to do with them becoming media friendly and the nostalgia factor of them being the only active grunge era act. The press writes about them mainly as of an nostalgia act who happens to be out with a new album. Sometimes the articles feel as if they were filled with backhanded compliments.
I think the press and the general public in the last 20 years always perceived them as mediocre so expectations aren't exactly high.

[Mine]

All this makes me think that we need a new Vedder solo album.

We are technically due for one when you consider he dropped ITW and Uke songs in between the previous PJ records. At least give us Lost Dogs 2 or something.

2017 or when the Twin Peaks soundtrack drops. I actually could imagine and ITW like thing, with Badalamenti doing the score with Ed and the other musicians providing songs and vocals to Badalamenti's music.

[evenslow]

All this makes me think that we need a new Vedder solo album.

We are technically due for one when you consider he dropped ITW and Uke songs in between the previous PJ records. At least give us Lost Dogs 2 or something.

2017 or when the Twin Peaks soundtrack drops. I actually could imagine and ITW like thing, with Badalamenti doing the score with Ed and the other musicians providing songs and vocals to Badalamenti's music.

Thanks I'll pass.

[McParadigm]

Seeing as uke songs was just a repackaging of pre-Riot Act songs he had never released, and ItW was a soundtrack, I'm not sure we are due for anything. He's never actually sat down out of the blue to write and record a solo album.

[Mine]

He's way too ball deficient to sit down and do a solo record.

[Self]

What strange thing to say.

[Mine]

It is kind of my thing

[Birds in Hell]

A degree of artistic freedom is mandatory for these individuals to be able to create which is something Pearl Jam proudly erased from their "creative" process because it wasn't democratic enough for their liking.

It also doesn't help that their rapid descent into mediocrity has been perceived by the press and general public as a "major comeback". From this point forward, as long as each album has a song that people can slow dance to at their wedding or get excited about because it appears in the background of a Grey's Anatomy scene, mission accomplished.

I know, that's the worst thing - their last two records have actually been somewhat successful, there's no way I can see them changing course now. They think they've got it all figured out.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

A degree of artistic freedom is mandatory for these individuals to be able to create which is something Pearl Jam proudly erased from their "creative" process because it wasn't democratic enough for their liking.

It also doesn't help that their rapid descent into mediocrity has been perceived by the press and general public as a "major comeback". From this point forward, as long as each album has a song that people can slow dance to at their wedding or get excited about because it appears in the background of a Grey's Anatomy scene, mission accomplished.

I know, that's the worst thing - their last two records have actually been somewhat successful, there's no way I can see them changing course now. They think they've got it all figured out.

This must be how old school Genesis fans felt in the mid-80's.

Actually, that's not fair. Genesis always put at least one creative song on their albums to throw the old school fans a bone.

[E.H. Ruddock]

A degree of artistic freedom is mandatory for these individuals to be able to create which is something Pearl Jam proudly erased from their "creative" process because it wasn't democratic enough for their liking.

It also doesn't help that their rapid descent into mediocrity has been perceived by the press and general public as a "major comeback". From this point forward, as long as each album has a song that people can slow dance to at their wedding or get excited about because it appears in the background of a Grey's Anatomy scene, mission accomplished.

I know, that's the worst thing - their last two records have actually been somewhat successful, there's no way I can see them changing course now. They think they've got it all figured out.

This must be how old school Genesis fans felt in the mid-80's.

Actually, that's not fair. Genesis always put at least one creative song on their albums to throw the old school fans a bone.

Man I would love it if Pearl Jam put out a Land of Confusion