Red Mosquito

tragabigzanda wrote:But then I gather some folks love Amongst the Waves, Speed of Sound, and Lightning Bolt, all of which are fucking baffling to me...

no disagreement there.

BurtReynolds wrote:I just watched The Fixer video again. I thought it would be good for a laugh and at least I could see that redhead with the boobs again, but mostly it just made me really sad. It's like watching a beloved grandparent become consumed by senility and shit himself uncontrollably.

...with cheesy fake crowd noise fading in and out in the distance.

theplatypus wrote:It's the worst of U2 crossed with the worst of the Foo Fighters, scrubbed of all soul or grit.

More than just The Fixer, this is a spot-on description of the worst aspects of the last two records. Largely devoid of any sense of character, space, etc.

The fixer lyrics are a great example of quality lyrics that can be effective in communicating something of consequence without having to be come across as ponderous or deep or trying too hard.

what's saved could be one last lifetime

That's a good lyric, nicely delivered

I guess beyond the crassness of the wording and its many awkward rhymes, I'm having difficulty understanding why we're saying "The Fixer" has any kind of lofty message that is "of consequence". It's a pop song call-to-arms, like a million other pop songs before it. This is not unique or new in the context of pop music. And in the context of Pearl Jam, it's just another instance of Eddie presenting himself as

BurtReynolds wrote:I can appreciate a band branching out and trying new things, but that song seems purpose built to ignore all of Pearl Jam's strengths as artists, and magnify all of their weaknesses. Nothing about who Eddie Vedder is could ever help him to write a song like this. The earnestness and preachiness still leaks through the preschool level lyrics. His voice has too much gravity to pull off something so light. They might as well be trying to gangsta rap.

On the contrary, none of the things that used to be this band's strengths are, anymore, and trying to write to them anyway is what made the last album so awful. Ed's voice is miles away from anything that could described as gravity...he's dumped too many affectations in to try and cover up what he's lost, and the result is usually an indirect connection to any emotional core, at best.

Give me a failed attempt to find new strengths before a faded, desperate attempt to fake it any day of the week. Cos the only song that Lightning Bolt makes me think of is this:

My fingers kill me as I play my guitar
'Cause I've been chewing down at my nails
My hairline ain't exactly superstar
But there's one thing that never fails
This never fails

I write the same old song with a few new lines
And everybody wants to cheer it
I write the same old song you heard a good few times
Admit you really want to hear it

McParadigm wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote:I can appreciate a band branching out and trying new things, but that song seems purpose built to ignore all of Pearl Jam's strengths as artists, and magnify all of their weaknesses. Nothing about who Eddie Vedder is could ever help him to write a song like this. The earnestness and preachiness still leaks through the preschool level lyrics. His voice has too much gravity to pull off something so light. They might as well be trying to gangsta rap.

Give me a failed attempt to find new strengths before a faded, desperate attempt to fake it any day of the week.

Are these my only options? Because I'd rather be deaf. Bad experiments are sill bad. No points for creativity when the result is... that. Surely they don't have to completely ignore their strengths to make something fresh.

McParadigm wrote:
My fingers kill me as I play my guitar
'Cause I've been chewing down at my nails
My hairline ain't exactly superstar
But there's one thing that never fails
This never fails

I write the same old song with a few new lines
And everybody wants to cheer it
I write the same old song you heard a good few times
Admit you really want to hear it

I'd pay to hear that!

theplatypus wrote:I guess beyond the crassness of the wording and its many awkward rhymes, I'm having difficulty understanding why we're saying "The Fixer" has any kind of lofty message that is "of consequence". It's a pop song call-to-arms, like a million other pop songs before it. This is not unique or new in the context of pop music. And in the context of Pearl Jam, it's just another instance of Eddie presenting himself as

I don't hear "The Fixer" as Ed in "messiah complex" mode -- the song is certainly a "call to arms," as you say, but just because the singer believes that it's within his power to react against his circumstances doesn't mean he thinks that he and he alone is the solution to all the world's ills. I've always heard "The Fixer" as an attempt to capture that surge of adrenaline that even the most beaten-down person is capable of experiencing when he realizes that he has even the slightest bit of control over his own situation, and while I can appreciate that the superficial bombast of the production might be a turnoff to some, I think it goes hand in hand with the emotion -- superficial bombast is pretty much exactly what an adrenaline rush is, even though it feels like the realest thing in the world. So I understand what tragabigzanda means when he calls it "a song of some gravity masquerading as a pop single" -- just because it sounds phony doesn't mean the conviction in it can't be real. I dunno, the song has always worked for me. I think "put a little fixing on it" is a fun lyric.

It sounds like he's trying to be dad. Talking down to his audience. I bet his kids already hate him.

Guys,

Eddie Vedder wrote:Men, we all think we can fix anything. It's not necessarily a good thing. In a relationship, a woman will say 'This is wrong,' and we're like, 'I'll fix that, don't worry about it, we can fix it.' These wonderful people, the woman you're in a relationship with, they don't want you to fix it. They just want you to listen to what's happening: 'Don't fix it, I want you to own this with me—feel it.' This is a reminder song to me, to stop fixing.

So, no, it isn't a call to arms. Or a Christ thing. Or a dad thing.

durdencommatyler wrote:So, no, it isn't a call to arms. Or a Christ thing. Or a dad thing.

He says a lot of things

BurtReynolds wrote:

durdencommatyler wrote:So, no, it isn't a call to arms. Or a Christ thing. Or a dad thing.

He says a lot of things

I see.

Kevin Davis wrote:I don't hear "The Fixer" as Ed in "messiah complex" mode -- the song is certainly a "call to arms," as you say, but just because the singer believes that it's within his power to react against his circumstances doesn't mean he thinks that he and he alone is the solution to all the world's ills.

It's lines like "I'll find us a way to make light" that give me that messianic impression, as well as the repetition of the "let me fix things" sentiment. It's a bit "follow me, I will lead the way". Which I don't mind in general, it's all over several other Pearl Jam songs I admire. This is just an instance of it on a song that, as an overall package, strikes me as unconvincing and garish. This is all largely irrelevant now that I know the secret meaning of these lyrics is "listen to your wife."

McParadigm wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote:I can appreciate a band branching out and trying new things, but that song seems purpose built to ignore all of Pearl Jam's strengths as artists, and magnify all of their weaknesses. Nothing about who Eddie Vedder is could ever help him to write a song like this. The earnestness and preachiness still leaks through the preschool level lyrics. His voice has too much gravity to pull off something so light. They might as well be trying to gangsta rap.

On the contrary, none of the things that used to be this band's strengths are, anymore, and trying to write to them anyway is what made the last album so awful. Ed's voice is miles away from anything that could described as gravity...he's dumped too many affectations in to try and cover up what he's lost, and the result is usually an indirect connection to any emotional core, at best.

Give me a failed attempt to find new strengths before a faded, desperate attempt to fake it any day of the week. Cos the only song that Lightning Bolt makes me think of is this:

My fingers kill me as I play my guitar
'Cause I've been chewing down at my nails
My hairline ain't exactly superstar
But there's one thing that never fails
This never fails

I write the same old song with a few new lines
And everybody wants to cheer it
I write the same old song you heard a good few times
Admit you really want to hear it

I'd agree that Ed is obviously not as good live these days but to say that he's lost his voice would be something I'd have to disagree with on the evidence of the last album. Infallible is one of his best ever studio vocals. He's also excellent on MYM, Getaway and good on just about all the others. There are some affectations but they've been around for a long time; for example, I hear them on Low Light and find them much more irritating there. The band's main strength in studio is still Ed's voice and his ability to convey emotions with it. Whenever they've written songs that don't showcase his voice, I've never liked them as much. One of the main reasons I'm not a fan of PJ's 96-02 era with the notable exception of some of Yield and a sprinkling of songs on the other albums. LB was a huge success as far as I'm concerned and I'd be happy if they continue in that vein rather than do something where Ed gets put on the backburner.

2 Best on BS: Force Of Nature & Amongst The Waves or The End
2 Worst on BS: Speed of Sound & Supersonic

2 Best on LB: Infallible & Getaway
2 Worst on LB: Future Days & LTRP

Overall, 2 best: Infallible & Getaway
2 worst: Future Days and Speed Of Sound