Song of the Moment: Mind Your Manners

[harmless]

Maybe that's part of the problem. The light-hearted nature of the song should've been acted out in the performance, and it wasn't. Think of the difference between Michael Stipe in 'Losing My Religion' and Stipe in 'Shiny Happy People'. In fact, I wish I could've said that to Ed before he handed me back the towel and ran down those stairs.

[stip]

I keep thinking they're just "old and out of touch", and then hearing something a bit later on that makes me think "Hold on, maybe they're more savvy than I thought and really are just having a laugh." Again, this feeling of thinking they've done something awful and then wondering whether I was wrong, it's followed me all through my time as a fan. So I'm having it again now and thinking maybe that's just my PJ experience. This MYM single is fun, it's full of wreckless abandon and silliness almost, but it's also proper hard rock and sounds like a legitimately good rock song. So don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that on Backspacer they'd totally honed what they were trying to do, but I think this new single might be a (better) window into what they were trying to do. And it makes me go 'Oh yeah, that!'

only they would really know, but I think many of us have a clear vision in our head of what pearl jam (the idea) is supposed to be, and deviations from that are not looked upon favorably. And so if things don't plug into the story we're telling ourselves the response is often 'pearl jam lost the plot', rather than 'they are doing something else.'

[stip]

Maybe that's part of the problem. The light-hearted nature of the song should've been acted out in the performance, and it wasn't. Think of the difference between Michael Stipe in 'Losing My Religion' and Stipe in 'Shiny Happy People'. In fact, I wish I could've said that to Ed before he handed me back the towel and ran down those stairs.

well, it's not a good video no matter what.

[harmless]

Maybe that's part of the problem. The light-hearted nature of the song should've been acted out in the performance, and it wasn't. Think of the difference between Michael Stipe in 'Losing My Religion' and Stipe in 'Shiny Happy People'. In fact, I wish I could've said that to Ed before he handed me back the towel and ran down those stairs.

well, it's not a good video no matter what.

You're right, it's terrible.

[harmless]

Most bands around then had a terrible 80s phase. Backspacer was Pearl Jam's.

[spike]

ed and the gang aren't doing anything performance wise in the video that they don't normally do, it just seems hammy because of the ridiculous camera work and because the fixer is a pretty silly song.

that is true.

i think the only way we can accuse pearl jam of making fun of themselves here is if they had a hand in the concept and editing of the video, because then come on.

[spike]

also, are we positive that that crowd was even in the room when the performance was taking place?

[harmless]

ed and the gang aren't doing anything performance wise in the video that they don't normally do, it just seems hammy because of the ridiculous camera work and because the fixer is a pretty silly song.

that is true.

i think the only way we can accuse pearl jam of making fun of themselves here is if they had a hand in the concept and editing of the video, because then come on.

Maybe at most, we can say that it's not all their fault that it looks like that. But then, they could have still said it was terrible or not good enough or whatever.

[stip]

but it's also possible that playing it all straightish was the joke. Eddie is this weird mixture of painful earnestness and then over the top rock star gestures, and this is for The Fixer, of all songs. So we have two possibilities

1. Adam is right, and this is what pearl jam thinks all the cool kids who shop at target want to see, and a band that has been playing together for 20 years and is famous for their ability to command a stage forgets entirely how to do that and turns in an immensely awkward performance from eddie (while everyone else is kinda smirking to themselves)


or.

2. There is a karaokee 'this is stupid and I sound like shit so I might as well go for broke' attitude here that is kinda making fun of itself.


Unless you really have it in for them 2 just seems much more likely to me.


Regardless, none of this makes it a good video. But it does maybe mean that they are aware of what it is and are trying to have a little fun with it.

[harmless]

also, are we positive that that crowd was even in the room when the performance was taking place?

Are there any shots of them together? Why am I talking about this so early on a Saturday morning?

[stip]

ed and the gang aren't doing anything performance wise in the video that they don't normally do, it just seems hammy because of the ridiculous camera work and because the fixer is a pretty silly song.

that is true.

i think the only way we can accuse pearl jam of making fun of themselves here is if they had a hand in the concept and editing of the video, because then come on.

I think it's more the fact that they have to do it.

[spike]

ed and the gang aren't doing anything performance wise in the video that they don't normally do, it just seems hammy because of the ridiculous camera work and because the fixer is a pretty silly song.

that is true.

i think the only way we can accuse pearl jam of making fun of themselves here is if they had a hand in the concept and editing of the video, because then come on.

Maybe at most, we can say that it's not all their fault that it looks like that. But then, they could have still said it was terrible or not good enough or whatever.

i just don't think they care to offer much input when it comes to the music video medium. i mean, they have a well known history of disliking the process. i could easily see them performing the song for several takes then removing themselves from the process almost entirely.

[stip]

also, are we positive that that crowd was even in the room when the performance was taking place?

Pretty positive, I believe. Someone in the audience recorded the song playing since that became the fixer leak. I THINK they were playing it live, actually. Dime or someone knows this for sure.

[harmless]

but it's also possible that playing it all straightish was the joke. Eddie is this weird mixture of painful earnestness and then over the top rock star gestures, and this is for The Fixer, of all songs. So we have two possibilities

1. Adam is right, and this is what pearl jam thinks all the cool kids who shop at target want to see, and a band that has been playing together for 20 years and is famous for their ability to command a stage forgets entirely how to do that and turns in an immensely awkward performance from eddie (while everyone else is kinda smirking to themselves)


or.

2. There is a karaokee 'this is stupid and I sound like shit so I might as well go for broke' attitude here that is kinda making fun of itself.


Unless you really have it in for them 2 just seems much more likely to me.


Regardless, none of this makes it a good video. But it does maybe mean that they are aware of what it is and are trying to have a little fun with it.

Also, they never talked about it after the fact. They've not mocked it, but it's hardly something they seem very proud of.

[stip]

ed and the gang aren't doing anything performance wise in the video that they don't normally do, it just seems hammy because of the ridiculous camera work and because the fixer is a pretty silly song.

that is true.

i think the only way we can accuse pearl jam of making fun of themselves here is if they had a hand in the concept and editing of the video, because then come on.

Maybe at most, we can say that it's not all their fault that it looks like that. But then, they could have still said it was terrible or not good enough or whatever.

i just don't think they care to offer much input when it comes to the music video medium. i mean, they have a well known history of disliking the process. i could easily see them performing the song for several takes then removing themselves from the process almost entirely.

same

[spike]

Eddie is this weird mixture of painful earnestness and then over the top rock star gestures

this is, was, and always will be vedder's MO. i think you're letting the goofy, in your (or rather, his) face camera angles affect your opinion of eddie in this video too much.

[spike]

also, are we positive that that crowd was even in the room when the performance was taking place?

Are there any shots of them together? Why am I talking about this so early on a Saturday morning?

because you have new album fevah!

[stip]

but it's also possible that playing it all straightish was the joke. Eddie is this weird mixture of painful earnestness and then over the top rock star gestures, and this is for The Fixer, of all songs. So we have two possibilities

1. Adam is right, and this is what pearl jam thinks all the cool kids who shop at target want to see, and a band that has been playing together for 20 years and is famous for their ability to command a stage forgets entirely how to do that and turns in an immensely awkward performance from eddie (while everyone else is kinda smirking to themselves)


or.

2. There is a karaokee 'this is stupid and I sound like shit so I might as well go for broke' attitude here that is kinda making fun of itself.


Unless you really have it in for them 2 just seems much more likely to me.


Regardless, none of this makes it a good video. But it does maybe mean that they are aware of what it is and are trying to have a little fun with it.

Also, they never talked about it after the fact. They've not mocked it, but it's hardly something they seem very proud of.

and with good cause, which I think they knew. this video is like when your mom makes you apologize. you have to do it, so you do it. Sometimes you grumble. Sometimes you approach it with a mock sincerity as a type of rebellion. Sometimes you're just awkward about the whole thing because it is uncomfortable and artificial.

I think the video is a bit of the latter 2.

[harmless]

ed and the gang aren't doing anything performance wise in the video that they don't normally do, it just seems hammy because of the ridiculous camera work and because the fixer is a pretty silly song.

that is true.

i think the only way we can accuse pearl jam of making fun of themselves here is if they had a hand in the concept and editing of the video, because then come on.

Maybe at most, we can say that it's not all their fault that it looks like that. But then, they could have still said it was terrible or not good enough or whatever.

i just don't think they care to offer much input when it comes to the music video medium. i mean, they have a well known history of disliking the process. i could easily see them performing the song for several takes then removing themselves from the process almost entirely.

same

So in that context, we'll never find out whether they think this video is terrible because we didn't find out about the others either. But it's very conceivable that they laugh about it over a game of pool. Or a play date, or whatever they do now.

[harmless]

also, are we positive that that crowd was even in the room when the performance was taking place?

Are there any shots of them together? Why am I talking about this so early on a Saturday morning?

because you have new album fevah!