Red Mosquito

Great write up stip!

tragabigzanda wrote:After spending a day buried in the individual tracks for John Evans's mix of Scared of Fear, I'm ready to put like 98% of the blame with the sound on Serban Ghanea and not on Wotman.

Just got done with the festivities of the holiday for vinyl snobs and collectors that is Record Store Day. Had the owner of one of the stores I frequent regularly hold a copy of the PNW variant to keep sealed and got the RSD variant as well for my copy to spin.

Upon opening up the liner notes I must inform that there is not a specific vinyl mix or mastering credit in the liner notes. The RIAA equalization curve standard that all vinyl is cut to due to the technology at hand should help round this out somewhat, but I’m saddened by this and yes this Serban character needs to kept out of any subsequent Pearl Jam recordings.

I know vinyl is experiencing a renaissance so to speak, and this is not a comparison between Gigaton and Dark Matter and the content contained within the albums but consider this. Gigaton’s vinyl master was cut by Chris Bellman and pressed at the audiophile plant Quality Record Pressings with one of the most deluxe gatefold jackets ever seen. Sold for $35 then and absolutely justified. This is a bad sounding,GZ generic pressing running $50.

I’m not suggesting PJ is ripping anyone off with their pricing, just that the people involved in the process of mixing, mastering and distributing the physical product for Gigaton seemed to care more about how the product (songs) sounded.

I really really connected with this new album. It’s a fantastic collection of material from the band. I just think it deserves the same level of care provided Gigaton (and the 45 rpm remastered Vs and Yield pressings).

Josh Evans Atmos mix of this record is an improvement and he should be utilized moving forward as he really did a fantastic job on their last one.

Trag takes a lot of heat on this board from what I can see, but he’s not wrong. If you a/b’d Gigaton and Dark Matter back to back on reference grade speakers using a quality moving coil cartridge and tube phono preamp Gigaton is going to “sound” way more pleasant - even if you think Dark Matter is a better collection of songs.

mattyv1908 wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:After spending a day buried in the individual tracks for John Evans's mix of Scared of Fear, I'm ready to put like 98% of the blame with the sound on Serban Ghanea and not on Wotman.

Just got done with the festivities of the holiday for vinyl snobs and collectors that is Record Store Day. Had the owner of one of the stores I frequent regularly hold a copy of the PNW variant to keep sealed and got the RSD variant as well for my copy to spin.

Upon opening up the liner notes I must inform that there is not a specific vinyl mix or mastering credit in the liner notes. The RIAA equalization curve standard that all vinyl is cut to due to the technology at hand should help round this out somewhat, but I’m saddened by this and yes this Serban character needs to kept out of any subsequent Pearl Jam recordings.

I know vinyl is experiencing a renaissance so to speak, and this is not a comparison between Gigaton and Dark Matter and the content contained within the albums but consider this. Gigaton’s vinyl master was cut by Chris Bellman and pressed at the audiophile plant Quality Record Pressings with one of the most deluxe gatefold jackets ever seen. Sold for $35 then and absolutely justified. This is a bad sounding,GZ generic pressing running $50.

I’m not suggesting PJ is ripping anyone off with their pricing, just that the people involved in the process of mixing, mastering and distributing the physical product for Gigaton seemed to care more about how the product (songs) sounded.

I really really connected with this new album. It’s a fantastic collection of material from the band. I just think it deserves the same level of care provided Gigaton (and the 45 rpm remastered Vs and Yield pressings).

Josh Evans Atmos mix of this record is an improvement and he should be utilized moving forward as he really did a fantastic job on their last one.

Trag takes a lot of heat on this board from what I can see, but he’s not wrong. If you a/b’d Gigaton and Dark Matter back to back on reference grade speakers using a quality moving coil cartridge and tube phono preamp Gigaton is going to “sound” way more pleasant - even if you think Dark Matter is a better collection of songs.

Trag took heat because he went far beyond intelligently expressing problems with the production and started insulting people who were enjoying the music

Serban Ghanea had quite a week; I believe he mixed Taylor's new record, also.

Serbian Gonorrhea is definitely something to avoid in the future, I agree

Best album Pearl Jam has made with Matt Cameron! I AM FIRED UP !!!

digster wrote:Serban Ghanea had quite a week; I believe he mixed Taylor's new record, also.

He's a menace!

Fantastic review, as always, Stip. I've been lurking around here since I was a teenager and always look forward to your writing. Let me know where I can sign the petition to get you an advanced copy for the next album.

stip wrote:There were albums and songs that were exactly what I needed at that moment. There were albums and songs that unfolded over time, or that would be set aside to be picked up later, when I was finally ready to receive them.

"Ready to receive them" is the perfect way to put it. I was too young for the Ten era of the band, but it certainly made its mark at the right time. Yield was my starting point and changed the way I thought about music forever. Every album has been there to soundtrack a part of my life (even if I had to reach back to an older album). It's always more fun when a new one hits immediately, though, and this one certainly does.

tragabigzanda wrote:

Ms Harmless wrote:

mattyv1908 wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:After spending a day buried in the individual tracks for John Evans's mix of Scared of Fear, I'm ready to put like 98% of the blame with the sound on Serban Ghanea and not on Wotman.

Just got done with the festivities of the holiday for vinyl snobs and collectors that is Record Store Day. Had the owner of one of the stores I frequent regularly hold a copy of the PNW variant to keep sealed and got the RSD variant as well for my copy to spin.

Upon opening up the liner notes I must inform that there is not a specific vinyl mix or mastering credit in the liner notes. The RIAA equalization curve standard that all vinyl is cut to due to the technology at hand should help round this out somewhat, but I’m saddened by this and yes this Serban character needs to kept out of any subsequent Pearl Jam recordings.

I know vinyl is experiencing a renaissance so to speak, and this is not a comparison between Gigaton and Dark Matter and the content contained within the albums but consider this. Gigaton’s vinyl master was cut by Chris Bellman and pressed at the audiophile plant Quality Record Pressings with one of the most deluxe gatefold jackets ever seen. Sold for $35 then and absolutely justified. This is a bad sounding,GZ generic pressing running $50.

I’m not suggesting PJ is ripping anyone off with their pricing, just that the people involved in the process of mixing, mastering and distributing the physical product for Gigaton seemed to care more about how the product (songs) sounded.

I really really connected with this new album. It’s a fantastic collection of material from the band. I just think it deserves the same level of care provided Gigaton (and the 45 rpm remastered Vs and Yield pressings).

Josh Evans Atmos mix of this record is an improvement and he should be utilized moving forward as he really did a fantastic job on their last one.

Trag takes a lot of heat on this board from what I can see, but he’s not wrong. If you a/b’d Gigaton and Dark Matter back to back on reference grade speakers using a quality moving coil cartridge and tube phono preamp Gigaton is going to “sound” way more pleasant - even if you think Dark Matter is a better collection of songs.

Trag took heat because he went far beyond intelligently expressing problems with the production and started insulting people who were enjoying the music

True to an extent. Simultaneously, people including you took offense when there was not intended nor applied.

Let’s all just move on and enjoy what we’ve got while uniting in our hatred of Serban Ghanea.

is there anything I can do about the drums getting fainter when Dolby Atmos is applied?

if i was that Ghanea guy i would file a restriction order from Tha Trag

I'll be the first to forgive

RockPusher wrote:Setting Sun is the one that won’t leave my head today.

Mine is Won’t Tell

Album is OP; it insta-healed the whole party.

dprival78 wrote:probably missing something obvious, but who's the "one and only P.O." that eddie dedicates the album to in the liner notes?

patton oswalt?
pam oliver?
paul orndorff?

Apparently it’s the “Presence Object” from Led Zeppelin’s Presence album cover based on the drawing.

tragabigzanda wrote:

mattyv1908 wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:After spending a day buried in the individual tracks for John Evans's mix of Scared of Fear, I'm ready to put like 98% of the blame with the sound on Serban Ghanea and not on Wotman.

Just got done with the festivities of the holiday for vinyl snobs and collectors that is Record Store Day. Had the owner of one of the stores I frequent regularly hold a copy of the PNW variant to keep sealed and got the RSD variant as well for my copy to spin.

Upon opening up the liner notes I must inform that there is not a specific vinyl mix or mastering credit in the liner notes. The RIAA equalization curve standard that all vinyl is cut to due to the technology at hand should help round this out somewhat, but I’m saddened by this and yes this Serban character needs to kept out of any subsequent Pearl Jam recordings.

I know vinyl is experiencing a renaissance so to speak, and this is not a comparison between Gigaton and Dark Matter and the content contained within the albums but consider this. Gigaton’s vinyl master was cut by Chris Bellman and pressed at the audiophile plant Quality Record Pressings with one of the most deluxe gatefold jackets ever seen. Sold for $35 then and absolutely justified. This is a bad sounding,GZ generic pressing running $50.

I’m not suggesting PJ is ripping anyone off with their pricing, just that the people involved in the process of mixing, mastering and distributing the physical product for Gigaton seemed to care more about how the product (songs) sounded.

I really really connected with this new album. It’s a fantastic collection of material from the band. I just think it deserves the same level of care provided Gigaton (and the 45 rpm remastered Vs and Yield pressings).

Josh Evans Atmos mix of this record is an improvement and he should be utilized moving forward as he really did a fantastic job on their last one.

Trag takes a lot of heat on this board from what I can see, but he’s not wrong. If you a/b’d Gigaton and Dark Matter back to back on reference grade speakers using a quality moving coil cartridge and tube phono preamp Gigaton is going to “sound” way more pleasant - even if you think Dark Matter is a better collection of songs.

Cheers sir! Much obliged.

Here’s my gripe. With everything being what it is (Serban Ghanea mix, compression, etc.), the least the band could do is make this three sides like Gigaton. Side B is nearly 28 minutes long, which means Setting Sun (arguably the best track on the record) suffers the most from sibilance and tracking distortion. Now some may argue that they intended side b to start with the intro of Upper Hand, or essentially being the opening song for side B for people who still listen in this format. Ok that’s fair, but at minimal cost expense your looking at the side breaks looking like:

Scared of Fear
React Respond
Wreckage
Dark Matter

Won’t Tell
Upper Hand
Waiting for Stevie - interlude
Running

Something Special
Got to Give
Setting Sun

I think that works just as well and you’re not cheaping out by stuffing too much music into side B when it’s already over compressed.

In the same way that I will never be able to separate Gigaton from the ominous moment of its arrival, I will probably never fully erase the connection between Dark Matter and this week.

Pearl Jam loves to say they write songs with the concert setting in mind. This is the first album…the first one…that really felt reflective of the live experience to me.

I really don’t know how much of that is down to the way they let these songs run free and wild, or to the Santa’s bag worth of stadium-sized solos and howls…and I also don’t know how much comes from being in the audience with you guys, on some sort of spiritual Zoom call, watching a thirty-plus year promise that we didn’t have any reason to expect to see fulfilled seen through.

Whatever it is, there are moments on this album when I feel like I’m in an audience. Surrounded.

McParadigm wrote:In the same way that I will never be able to separate Gigaton from the ominous moment of its arrival, I will probably never fully erase the connection between Dark Matter and this week.

Pearl Jam loves to say they write songs with the concert setting in mind. This is the first album…the first one…that really felt reflective of the live experience to me.

I really don’t know how much of that is down to the way they let these songs run free and wild, or to the Santa’s bag worth of stadium-sized solos and howls…and I also don’t know how much comes from being in the audience with you guys, on some sort of spiritual Zoom call, watching a thirty-plus year promise that we didn’t have any reason to expect to see fulfilled seen through.

Whatever it is, there are moments on this album when I feel like I’m in an audience. Surrounded.

No hyperbole - this could be their best work. No, I'll never have the connection to it as I did for the first 5 or so. That's just because I'm old

But stip made a comment in his long winded write up...

There's something special about this record. It's everything Pearl Jam ever was or hoped to be wrapped up in the best that Pearl Jam is. A perfect record from 60 year old forever rockers.

Daft twat said "this isn't my favorite pj album but this will be the one I Listen to moving forward


And like Gigaton....

This record will be so fucking locked into my current life situation of moving, building my own business, and new life with my wife while settling back into the humid midwestern summer

this album is doing all sorts of things for me emotionally, my relationship to it is becoming more bittersweet the more I listen