Red Mosquito

Release_Me wrote:

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.

durdencommatyler wrote: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.

Kevin Davis wrote: If "The Fixer" really is just Ed leaving himself a post-it note to stop meddling in his wife's problems, I think I'll keep my own incorrect interpretation. The song really doesn't convey any of these things to me.

Kaius wrote:You guys are making the song even worse.

Kevin Davis wrote:

Kaius wrote:You guys are making the song even worse.

Man, that sucks, Kaius. I know how you feel. Let me own this with you.

BurtReynolds wrote:

Release_Me wrote:

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.

Regardless of his voice being worse or not, it really doesn't change the fact that his voice has what I would call "gravity" and is ill suited for light and silly pop songs. It commands attention (which is probably why his last soundtrack got tossed) and sounds super-duper important. When he was twenty he sounded like he was forty. Face it, everyone has their limits.

theplatypus wrote:

Kevin Davis wrote: If "The Fixer" really is just Ed leaving himself a post-it note to stop meddling in his wife's problems, I think I'll keep my own incorrect interpretation. The song really doesn't convey any of these things to me.

Yeah I see Ed's point but I can't find anything in the lyrics that supports that idea. Maybe it just fades out before he shouts "my wife was right!" at the very end.

tragabigzanda wrote:

McParadigm wrote:I guess, at the end of the day, my best case scenario for this band is that they might have a Girls in Their Summer Clothes in them...a blatantly retro but unasteriskedly great pop moment of unapologetic candy...because I feel genuine embarrassment over the nostalgia act approach and for the people who are comforted by it, but I do enjoy a truly great no-cal Sam Cooke era callback pop effort by someone who has made music their entire life.

The only thing they've done that might have gotten them close to that was Backspacer, so I appreciate the direction. I wish they'd gone further down that road.

I'd put the studio cover of Leaving Here up there in terms of pure pop excellence, albeit in a more primitive/edgy manner. I remember first hearing that and thinking I could listen to a whole record like that.

LetMeSleep wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

McParadigm wrote:I guess, at the end of the day, my best case scenario for this band is that they might have a Girls in Their Summer Clothes in them...a blatantly retro but unasteriskedly great pop moment of unapologetic candy...because I feel genuine embarrassment over the nostalgia act approach and for the people who are comforted by it, but I do enjoy a truly great no-cal Sam Cooke era callback pop effort by someone who has made music their entire life.

The only thing they've done that might have gotten them close to that was Backspacer, so I appreciate the direction. I wish they'd gone further down that road.

I'd put the studio cover of Leaving Here up there in terms of pure pop excellence, albeit in a more primitive/edgy manner. I remember first hearing that and thinking I could listen to a whole record like that.

Absolutely.

durdencommatyler wrote: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.

BurtReynolds wrote:The Mansplainer

durdencommatyler wrote:

theplatypus wrote:

Kevin Davis wrote: If "The Fixer" really is just Ed leaving himself a post-it note to stop meddling in his wife's problems, I think I'll keep my own incorrect interpretation. The song really doesn't convey any of these things to me.

Yeah I see Ed's point but I can't find anything in the lyrics that supports that idea. Maybe it just fades out before he shouts "my wife was right!" at the very end.

It's a song about dangerous thinking. And I think that's pretty clear actually.

There's a dark undercurrent to the lyric and the story/sentiment that I think is really cool, especially juxtaposed with the brighter more pop-oriented sensibility in the music.

BurtReynolds wrote:this song is not dark just because it has "grave" in the lyrics, guys. And even if it was, the performance has all the authenticity of a trust fund kid trying to sing the blues. But then again if it is meant to be ironic, it would reinforce my opinion that The Fixer showcases all their weaknesses and plays to none of their strengths (as PJ is nothing if not earnest and face value). Whatever their intention I hearby declare it a FAILURE!