Song of the Moment: Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me

[chewm]

I think I've listened to Stupid Mop in it's entirety two, maybe three, times. It doesn't appeal to me on any level. I'm not offended by it, I just couldn't care less about its existence.

Same.

[Leatherhead]

WTF. On Google Play this song is actually titled Stupidmop. Or is that just the title on the remastered Vitalogy?

[Leatherhead]

Listening to this right now. Starts off kinda boring, but about half way through it gets.....not bad. I dig it, if for nothing more than its weirdness at the end of a PJ album.

[LoathedVermin72]

I don't have the patience for this kind of music anymore.

[bodysnatcher]

I hate when people praise it just because its creative. Id rather it be good I dont care if its creative. Unless its creative and good. Immortality was the better choice to end the album, Pearl Jam not doing the 'safe' (sensible) option and instead doing this is not really a plus just because it was a creative (stupid) thing to do

I love it because it's creative, but I also just really like the music. I listen to a lot of experimental stuff; the Hovercraft records are some of my all-time favorites. Ditto the Sonic Youth SYR releases, Rhys Chatham, etc. Stupid Mop may not be indicative of the band's greatest strengths, but it's a pretty groovy little jam/sound collage, and it came at a time when everyone expected them to be writing one anthemic hit after another.

Stupid Mop pushed the boundaries of what I – as a 16 year old – considered music. And for that I'll forever hold a special place for it. From here, I propelled into other bands that I would have never glanced it. There's a ceiling for me, for sure. For instance, I'm never going to sit down and enjoy a Merzbow record. But I'm glad I was able to navigate those waters and find what I enjoyed, which includes a lot of field recordings.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[digster]

I think ending Vitalogy with a track like this is a great idea in theory, and I love listening to that kind of music. I just think in the case of Stupid Mop, PJ may not be particularly skilled at doing that kind of music. I think they fare far better when they take some of the attributes of that kind of off-kilter stuff and incorporate into their own songwriting (I feel like much of Binaural fits this).

[Birds in Hell]

I really enjoy the Hovercraft albums and have a lot of time for explorative instrumental music generally but I've never been a fan of this either. I just don't think it's very good, the sampled voices in particular make me cringe.

[mikejasond]

I was happy for the "Immortality is the last song on Vitalogy" option. I definitely consider it to be. This song doesn't exist.

I am relistening it for the first time in a while because people alluding to there being music playing on this song which I honestly cannot remember.

I have listened THATS NOT MUSIC THATS JUST NOISE

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Leatherhead]

I was happy for the "Immortality is the last song on Vitalogy" option. I definitely consider it to be. This song doesn't exist.

I am relistening it for the first time in a while because people alluding to there being music playing on this song which I honestly cannot remember.

I have listened THATS NOT MUSIC THATS JUST NOISE

Better sounding noise than Future Days.

[mikejasond]

I was happy for the "Immortality is the last song on Vitalogy" option. I definitely consider it to be. This song doesn't exist.

I am relistening it for the first time in a while because people alluding to there being music playing on this song which I honestly cannot remember.

I have listened THATS NOT MUSIC THATS JUST NOISE

About halfway through, once Jeff starts his bass line, it transcends noise by virtue of its rhythm and melody.

Well congrats on meeting the minimum threshold I guess but it certainly isn't anything a group of 5 year olds with a bass and some drumsticks couldnt do

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[mikejasond]

I think you might be sarcastic <_<

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[bune]

I was happy for the "Immortality is the last song on Vitalogy" option. I definitely consider it to be. This song doesn't exist.

I am relistening it for the first time in a while because people alluding to there being music playing on this song which I honestly cannot remember.

I have listened THATS NOT MUSIC THATS JUST NOISE

About halfway through, once Jeff starts his bass line, it transcends noise by virtue of its rhythm and melody.

So you're not a BAD II fan?



Man, I can't link to a specific time for the video to start? start it at 1:59.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Kevin Davis]

I really enjoy the Hovercraft albums and have a lot of time for explorative instrumental music generally but I've never been a fan of this either. I just don't think it's very good, the sampled voices in particular make me cringe.

Word. I understand the reasons people are giving for appreciating it, but in the end there is just nothing about this that I like. I have my doubts about the audacity of it all as well -- is stuffing one track of experimental gobbledygook at the end of a 14-track album really that grand an act of defiance? The Beatles had a track like this on (what I think is) their most commercially successful album. Arty indulgences aren't a new thing -- I doubt the record label really cared as long as they had their "Betterman" and their "Corduroy."

[stip]

in fairness, it did feel like a bold move at the time. That the beatles did it once before hardly made it commonplace.

[Kevin Davis]

I would be curious to see a list of long wanky tracks like this on albums preceding Vitalogy:

The Beatles - "Revolution 9"
Grateful Dead - "What's Become of the Baby"

Honestly "Stupid Mop" doesn't feel too terribly far removed from tracks like "Endless Nameless" and "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol..." -- sonically different perhaps, but functionally similar (i.e. "long, weird, noisy album enders with indistinct song structures").

NY's "Arc" was probably inspiration for "Stupid Mop" at some point as well, I'd imagine:

What others are out there?