Eddie Vedder - Earthling

[Brett]

I think an Eddie Vedder solo album with a full band could’ve been great had he made it twenty years ago.

Agreed, though I have to say this was surprisingly pleasant. It feels familiar, yet mostly empty, but I'm not disappointed by that fact.

[Kevin Davis]

i wonder if this is the vibe of the whole album or a tom petty genre exercise

Unfortunately I don't think Tom Petty is far enough removed from what Eddie does naturally as a solo artist for this to really feel like a "genre exercise" in a way that "Dance of the Clairvoyants" did, or even the way Ukulele Songs did. I definitely hear Petty here, but it's more in the specific cadences, etc. that are unique to his personal delivery, as opposed to the musical genre or style, which is just a straightforward folk-rock that is only a degree or two removed from Eddie's musical vocabulary already, and he just doesn't sell this type of music as convincingly as Petty did. Petty's natural charisma was effortlessly suited to this type of unpretentious, uncomplicated songwriting; Eddie's is better suited to other things, and it often benefits from collaboration with other, more musically diverse songwriters.

Not an awful song, but between this and Flag Day, if you'd told me even as recently as 2010 that I could ever be this indifferent to new music by Eddie Vedder, I'd have called you crazy. But unfortunately this is in-one-ear-and-out-the-other stuff for me.

[Dex]

i wonder if this is the vibe of the whole album or a tom petty genre exercise

Unfortunately I don't think Tom Petty is far enough removed from what Eddie does naturally as a solo artist for this to really feel like a "genre exercise" in a way that "Dance of the Clairvoyants" did, or even the way Ukulele Songs did. I definitely hear Petty here, but it's more in the specific cadences, etc. that are unique to his personal delivery, as opposed to the musical genre or style, which is just a straightforward folk-rock that is only a degree or two removed from Eddie's musical vocabulary already, and he just doesn't sell this type of music as convincingly as Petty did. Petty's natural charisma was effortlessly suited to this type of unpretentious, uncomplicated songwriting; Eddie's is better suited to other things, and it often benefits from collaboration with other, more musically diverse songwriters.

Not an awful song, but between this and Flag Day, if you'd told me even as recently as 2010 that I could ever be this indifferent to new music by Eddie Vedder, I'd have called you crazy. But unfortunately this is in-one-ear-and-out-the-other stuff for me.

I wouldn't want to agree with this. But unfortunately, I do. Listening to some of the recent Eddie's works feels like drinking a warm glass of milk before going to sleep.

[bodysnatcher]

At least he has a new song he can use to close the next 13 years of solos shows

[Anders]

Ed sings so beautifully here. I know time changes a voice, but I think he’s still got it, Gigaton as a fine example. More about the choices made.

[Dex]

At least he has a new song he can use to close the next 13 years of solos shows

Hard Sun / Long Way like Yellow Ledbetter / RITFW, you say?

[bodysnatcher]

At least he has a new song he can use to close the next 13 years of solos shows

Hard Sun / Long Way like Yellow Ledbetter / RITFW, you say?

Prob something like that. I bet Josh Klingonman is pumped to have a steady job for the next decade too

[liebzz]

i wonder if this is the vibe of the whole album or a tom petty genre exercise

Unfortunately I don't think Tom Petty is far enough removed from what Eddie does naturally as a solo artist for this to really feel like a "genre exercise" in a way that "Dance of the Clairvoyants" did, or even the way Ukulele Songs did. I definitely hear Petty here, but it's more in the specific cadences, etc. that are unique to his personal delivery, as opposed to the musical genre or style, which is just a straightforward folk-rock that is only a degree or two removed from Eddie's musical vocabulary already, and he just doesn't sell this type of music as convincingly as Petty did. Petty's natural charisma was effortlessly suited to this type of unpretentious, uncomplicated songwriting; Eddie's is better suited to other things, and it often benefits from collaboration with other, more musically diverse songwriters.

Not an awful song, but between this and Flag Day, if you'd told me even as recently as 2010 that I could ever be this indifferent to new music by Eddie Vedder, I'd have called you crazy. But unfortunately this is in-one-ear-and-out-the-other stuff for me.

I wouldn't want to agree with this. But unfortunately, I do. Listening to some of the recent Eddie's works feels like drinking a warm glass of milk before going to sleep.

I like it, but I certainly don’t harbor the same excitement for new solo Ed music the way I did 10 years ago. I really want more Pearl Jam music though. That would excite me. I think there’s a bit of Eddie fatigue happening in part from the collaborations and covers. I like nearly all of it but I can’t say it’s a direction I love.

[McParadigm]

Eddie's is better suited to other things, and it often benefits from collaboration with other, more musically diverse songwriters.

He is definitely at his best when he's feeling rather than thinking, and collaboration serves him well in this regard.

[Biff Pocoroba]

Just realized he’s going to be 57 just before Christmas.
Gahd, we’re all getting old.

[Kevin Davis]

I think there’s a bit of Eddie fatigue happening in part from the collaborations and covers.

Yeah, there is definitely a disproportionate "Ed visibility" to "Ed quality output" ratio as of late. I feel like he's made an entire late-period career out of the kind of thing he used to do once a night at PJ concerts, like perform "Throw Your Arms Around Me" or "The Kids Are Alright" solo at the start of the first encore, the kind of thing you'd think was cool but know was ultimately just a ramp-up to a bigger payoff. That's the vibe I get from virtually everything he does now, even his original songs, even the ones he gives to PJ ("River Cross," "Future Days," "Gone," etc.).

I don't know, he's just kind of lost me a bit, I guess. As a songwriter, it seems like he's sort of said all he has to say already, with the Bush/Iraq stuff feeling like the last time he genuinely had something urgent to get off his chest. Since then he feels more like a guy who writes songs because that's his job, and because he enjoys the act of doing it. There's nothing wrong with that, and he's certainly had moments of inspiration since then, but in general -- especially when left entirely to his own devices -- it feels like he spins his wheels a lot.

All that said, I liked Gigaton and still do, even though I haven't had the same yearlong love affair with it that many here have. I think it's just down to him needing that additional input. He just doesn't seem to have the singular sense of vision coupled with musical range to be the driving force behind a solo career. I'd put Bono, Stipe, etc. in this same category. They've contributed to some great music, but they're frontmen first, and need other contributors to give the best shape to their ideas.

[Biff Pocoroba]

Comes Then Goes is one of my favorite Ed/guitar songs. Maybe he’s peaked but still has it in him.

[B]

Yeah, I'd take an album of all Comes Then Goeses.

[VinylGuy]

i totally get why people dont care about ed new music or soundtracks or even Gigaton but man, im so happy i like them all.

[bodysnatcher]

Yeah, I'd take an album of all Comes Then Goeses.

would be kinda boring to listen to the same song 13 times in a row(?)

[Anders]

I think there’s a bit of Eddie fatigue happening in part from the collaborations and covers.

Yeah, there is definitely a disproportionate "Ed visibility" to "Ed quality output" ratio as of late. I feel like he's made an entire late-period career out of the kind of thing he used to do once a night at PJ concerts, like perform "Throw Your Arms Around Me" or "The Kids Are Alright" solo at the start of the first encore, the kind of thing you'd think was cool but know was ultimately just a ramp-up to a bigger payoff. That's the vibe I get from virtually everything he does now, even his original songs, even the ones he gives to PJ ("River Cross," "Future Days," "Gone," etc.).

I don't know, he's just kind of lost me a bit, I guess. As a songwriter, it seems like he's sort of said all he has to say already, with the Bush/Iraq stuff feeling like the last time he genuinely had something urgent to get off his chest. Since then he feels more like a guy who writes songs because that's his job, and because he enjoys the act of doing it. There's nothing wrong with that, and he's certainly had moments of inspiration since then, but in general -- especially when left entirely to his own devices -- it feels like he spins his wheels a lot.

All that said, I liked Gigaton and still do, even though I haven't had the same yearlong love affair with it that many here have. I think it's just down to him needing that additional input. He just doesn't seem to have the singular sense of vision coupled with musical range to be the driving force behind a solo career. I'd put Bono, Stipe, etc. in this same category. They've contributed to some great music, but they're frontmen first, and need other contributors to give the best shape to their ideas.

Good post.

[bodysnatcher]

which era of Bruce is Eddie currently in?

[epilogue]

The left one?

[B]

Yeah, I'd take an album of all Comes Then Goeses.

would be kinda boring to listen to the same song 13 times in a row(?)

Anything to ensure that "Say Hi" stays off of this album.

[epilogue]

I like Say Hi.