Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Aunt_Claire_Foy]

I just finished watching the whole Simmons video.

When have we had this much access with this many new anecdotes? The avocado story was great, the story about Matt's then-8-year-old son behind the kit directing the band during Riot Act was great, the story about Jonny Ramone giving Ed his Yankees and Cubs memorabilia... I learned more about this band in the past week than I have in 30 years. On the back of their best album since Yield. We are fucking EATING GOOD people. And the tour hasn't even started.

I somehow missed the avocado story. What was it?

How Ed went shopping for the*perfect* avocado to do some photo testing for the album on Superbowl Sunday. It was packed and people were watching him try and find the *perfect* avocado. Just a funny moment.

[spike]

Seems Ed only follows baseball now. Didn’t seem too interested in the NBA talk, and I guess there’s never been evidence he likes football much. The avocado story and eye-rolling the SB halftime show confirms that.

[spike]

How about Eddie admitting he consciously doesn’t take care of his voice? That was a bummer.

[stip]

it was.

[jgardz]

After a ton of listens since release, my review so far is this: I really like RR, SOF, DM and Running, while the rest of the album is decent but doesn’t really move me. What I mean by that is that if those songs were any other band I’m not sure I’d keep them in my library, but since it is PJ…I certainly haven’t discarded them yet. To be honest, I’m pleasantly surprised by the love this album is getting around here and I’m glad so many fans are really digging it, but for me it’s certainly nowhere near their 90s albums which I still love. However, after 30 plus years of hardcore fandom, the fact they can still pull off an album of this quality certainly makes me happy and I’m excited to hear how these new tunes translate live.

[blueviper]

After a ton of listens since release, my review so far is this: I really like RR, SOF, DM and Running, while the rest of the album is decent but doesn’t really move me. What I mean by that is that if those songs were any other band I’m not sure I’d keep them in my library, but since it is PJ…I certainly haven’t discarded them yet. To be honest, I’m pleasantly surprised by the love this album is getting around here and I’m glad so many fans are really digging it, but for me it’s certainly nowhere near their 90s albums which I still love. However, after 30 plus years of hardcore fandom, the fact they can still pull off an album of this quality certainly makes me happy and I’m excited to hear how these new tunes translate live.

It’s interesting that you have gravitated towards the “harder” songs on the album. Which I feel are more in line with what we expect from PJ as their rock songs are concerned.

The mid tempo songs they have here are (to me) their successful attempts and soaring pop/rock that they attempted at the end of Avocado (Inside Job), which carried into the attempts on Backspacer and Lightning Bolt. Then starting to find a footing on Gigaton, and finally coming into their own on Dark Matter.

[DDWJMUVW]

that simmons interview was awkward lol. if jeff hadn't been there, we're talking between two ferns territory.

The awkwardness with Ed and Bill was palpable.

Credit to Jeff for leveling things out. That dude is incredibly emotionally and socially mature.

Bill seems like a stiff and doesn’t appear like he really knows the band the way other interviewers do (Zane Lowe for instance).

Still fun to see the two of them talk about things other than the record for a change. Loved all the stories and anecdotes from the early years.

[stip]

those remixes released by that wombat guy are fun and pretty good. the instrumental remixes are great and a must listen, methinks

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Fattie_Vedder]

The instrumental remixes are such a delight. I love hearing little details that I had not hear before in the regular songs with vocals. A couple of noticings:

1) they make me wish there were more stretches with just instrumental music during these songs. That’s something they haven’t done since their earlier years.

2) I enjoy the instrumental version of something special more than the full song, and I wish they emphasized the acoustic guitar on it more than the electric.

[Mike]

I bet Ed is singing React/Response in his head during the Simmons interview

[Aunt_Claire_Foy]

Worst part: The Autotune on Ed’s vocal during Setting Sun was gratuitous.

Timestamp?

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Farmer John]

Fun little easter egg in the Zane Lowe interview: At around the 1:48 mark you can see the "CAN'T DENY ME!" sign peaking out from behind the Lost Dogs trash can.

[Aunt_Claire_Foy]

Worst part: The Autotune on Ed’s vocal during Setting Sun was gratuitous.

Timestamp?

The very final sequence, I believe. Like the last 45 seconds.

Yeah wow someone set it to “perfect pitch” and he’s clashing hard with those leads.

[Birds in Hell]

Worst part: The Autotune on Ed’s vocal during Setting Sun was gratuitous.

Timestamp?

The very final sequence, I believe. Like the last 45 seconds.

Yeah wow someone set it to “perfect pitch” and he’s clashing hard with those leads.

Wouldn't the band have been in control of the audio mix in these performances?

A bit foreboding for the tour ahead: Ed's using digital modelling instead of tube amps, heavy-handed Autotune...

And those hats.

[DeeDee]

Loved figuring this one out. Best song of the record?

Maybe it is.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[StuffnJunk]

Just occurred to me that Pearl Jam are older now than Bob Dylan was when he made Time Out of Mind (he was 56)

[dprival78]

Worst part: The Autotune on Ed’s vocal during Setting Sun was gratuitous.

Timestamp?

The very final sequence, I believe. Like the last 45 seconds.

Yeah wow someone set it to “perfect pitch” and he’s clashing hard with those leads.

Wouldn't the band have been in control of the audio mix in these performances?

A bit foreboding for the tour ahead: Ed's using digital modelling instead of tube amps, heavy-handed Autotune...

And those hats.

I wonder if they’ll use Autotune in the live show. That would be something.

ed told bill simmons that he's big into authenticity