Song of the Moment: Swallowed Whole

[bodysnatcher]

[Hatfield]

I liked this song a lot from the very first listen but I was never a huge fan of the chorus, as someone else just mentioned. But this week, I was listening to it on headphones and for the first time I heard the neat finger-picking/arpeggio thing that either Mike or Stone is doing during the chorus... which I'm really loving right now. I think it all clicked for me now. As of right now, I'd say this song is the closest they've gotten to "classic PJ" territory in a while.

Yeah, I noticed the finger picking thing going on in the chorus as well and it really made me like the chorus even more. I really wish that finger picking was a little bit higher in the mix, you can barely hear it. They've done that with a bunch of other songs, burying cool guitar parts deep in the mix, and it's a bit frustrating.

Yes, yes! That picking/arpeggio thing. Love it! Reminds me of the powerful subtlety of the guitar work in Hail, Hail that adds so much to the song.

[parasolmonster]

do lyric flubs really bother people that much?

I don't mind legit changes to a song. For instance, changing "Mommy" and "Daddy" to "Mother" and "Father" in Jeremy. I'm also fine with the little things that he clearly changes on purpose, excluding adding completely unnecessary F-bombs to get a cheap rise out of the audience. However, songs that he NEVER sings correctly (Swallowed Whole, Got Some, etc) really piss me off. Especially songs from whatever the latest album are. To me it comes of as extremely lazy. Thousands of people pay a ton of money to hear him perform live and he can't be bothered to learn the songs. Stone, Mike, Jeff, and Matt learn their parts (and Boom probably tries), but Eddie for some reason won't do it. I have heard it mentioned a few times that Stone wants them to practice, but Eddie doesn't want to do it. I know you could make the argument that with Pearl Jam you get quantity over quality, but my taste is for quality. And that is really disappointing for me because I really like Swallowed Whole. I think it's one of the hidden gems on Lightning Bolt

[wease]

Has he EVER sung the right words to Lukin?

[parasolmonster]

Has he EVER sung the right words to Lukin?

I think he was singing it correctly in '96.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Birds in Hell]

Swallowed Whole is a perfectly serviceable REM-style song by latter day PJ, but I can't muster much enthusiasm beyond that.

Agreed, it feels like a pleasant stylistic excercise with nothing deeper going on underneath.

[ridleybradout]

Swallowed Whole is a perfectly serviceable REM-style song by latter day PJ, but I can't muster much enthusiasm beyond that.

Agreed, it feels like a pleasant stylistic excercise with nothing deeper going on underneath.

True, but it's still probably my favourite track off LB - a much better take on 'joyous modern PJ' than say Unthought Known.

It would have been at home on ITW. I've actually always thought Ed should try this at his solo shows, I reckon it could sound quite good (and as a two-for he might actually learn the words).

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[E.H. Ruddock]

Ugh. EV ruins this song for me.

[Kevin Davis]

I like this song -- yeah, it's the umpteenth victim of Eddie's hippie-dippie, tree-hugging, planet-saving Deepak Chopra fetish, but damned if it doesn't just have a melody, and it's certainly a more fully realized work than much of what appears on "Into the Wild" or "Unthought Known" or whatever else Eddie's done that falls into this general category of writing. One of my favorite "LB" tunes for sure.

[Norah]

I like this song -- yeah, it's the umpteenth victim of Eddie's hippie-dippie, tree-hugging, planet-saving Deepak Chopra fetish, but damned if it doesn't just have a melody, and it's certainly a more fully realized work than much of what appears on "Into the Wild" or "Unthought Known" or whatever else Eddie's done that falls into this general category of writing. One of my favorite "LB" tunes for sure.

Same. 3 stars.

[Strat]

I always forget this is a song. I do enjoy it . i think stone is the hero on this one. he finally found a song to really let his new found tremelo bar fetish shine

[Jorge]

It's my favorite LB song, I think.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[LoathedVermin72]

how does this song go again

[Strat]

how does this song go again

de ne ne ne de ne ne de nenenene

da na na na na na da nananana

[bodysnatcher]

how does this song go again

de ne ne ne de ne ne de nenenene

da na na na na na da nananana

there's also a Mike solo that goes, "WAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrr-wa-wa-wa-wer-wahhh"

[E.H. Ruddock]

"swallowed who -o -o -o -o -o llleeee..."

[knee tunes]

I always forget this is a song.

what do you mistake it for............pasta?