Gigaton: Official album thread

Post by **evenslow** » Sun March 29, 2020 4:49 am

McParadigm wrote:This album is such a sad, loving and tender message of hope that it’s almost intended for a future audience. Ed’s writing was always about young people having the power to overcome, and since he was always young because that’s how it works he could channel the feeling*. Then, he wasn’t young, and that made it hard. All through 2006-2013, you can hear him wanting to find a way to write to that person. To help them. To tell their story like Bruce did, or to give them a fight song they can use, or to just...in some adult way...relate.

Interestingly, a lot of the writing he did for the people he loves most during 2002-6 focused on the feeling of righteousness betrayed. The often-vaguely insincere promises of victory came later. It’s only three albums, but it’s literally Bush/Obama years. He just can’t see these kids anymore, but his politics connect him to them and he’s clinging to that, so there’s no separation in his work.

This album doesn’t do any of that, because it knows what it is. This is an old fighter’s bequeathment, a grey hair who made it as far as wounded, expressing his love for and absolute faith in younger fighters who mostly don’t hear that kind of message from his generation. And, in addition to newfound inspiration, that mentality seems to have put him in a rare alignment with Stone and Jeff, whose offerings often fit the theme even better than his own.

It probably means there isn’t much of an audience for this....a gen x message in a bottle for a 2030 audience. But it’s amazing to me. And it makes for exceptionally well-written lyrics that also feel less calculated and self-judged than anything they’ve offered in decades (solo projects included).

The earnestness of warmth that this album has for its intended audience is so immense that, if I had to summarize how it’s different from other Pearl Jam albums, I’d say it’s somehow more...maternal.

*if your reaction is “he was 30, that’s not young,” then you’re either a grouchy old dad, or 30.

yep

VinylGuy · Post by **VinylGuy** » Sun March 29, 2020 5:05 am

Im shocked on how present this album is...Its seems written yesterday really, its lyrics are really really good and i got so many things from them...i think that wasnt happening with most of pj´s work since maybe Binaural to me.

C4lukin · Post by **C4lukin** » Sun March 29, 2020 5:18 am

So it looks like Vigaton will be the number one albums this week.

Going against the second week of Childish Gambino. And new releases from Dua Lipa, and second week the Weekend.

Post by **96583UP** » Sun March 29, 2020 5:21 am

i am ultra-late to the game on the Gigaton release party (because I didn't join Club Transcode)

I held off on reading this Variety interview til now, so I could have my own experience with the album first, unbiased by descriptions

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/pea ... 203546989/

Observations:

- I remember the documentary from the Soundgarden reunion tour and Josh Evans walking through aspects of Kim Thayil's guitar setup so carefully, and thoughtfully, and modestly. It was such a great video and so amazing to think that he would then 'set PJ free' from their studio funk. His thoughtful and modest approach radiates throughout this interview (and the album)

- Really nice that a local Seattle boy gets the nod for this. Whats so different from the big chain BOB LA stuff is this conversation is local, intimate, low frills. Evans knows their history, knows the people, knows the neighborhood. You want to get musicians to 'let their guard down'? If you're fortunate enough to have your box-moving and painting guy also be an expert sound engineer on the side then you might slide into it and then realize your demos were so good they are now the album.

- I cannot fucking believe his first job was actually stringing guitars and bringing them sandwiches. When I blacked out weeks ago and wrote this make-believe parody script, I reference Josh as the guy who strings the guitars and Boom as passing out from eating sandwiches. Lo and behold, he actually was the guy who brought the sandiwches. <head explodes>

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... s#p1448826

- There are so many times in this interview that Josh says something that validates comments or observations that have been made here the same way:

- This is the Pro Tools album (originally leveled as an insult about DOTC but just roll with it)
- SBWM has no apparent structure (and that's just fine)
- Quick Escape echoes throwback to very early times (e.g. Reach Down)

Some really cool descriptions in here thoughout and I just love the way Josh Evans thinks about music

- 'If it sounds good and feels good, go with it'
- 'Sonic Lego Blocks'

Overall what a relief. I wanted something Opus-ey from PJ for this album. Josh is so thoughtful about everything and the perfect guy to articulate those things. So happy for him to get this and I know he already worked on King Animal so this isn't his first rodeo but I would be shocked if his career doesn't totally take off after this.

Lounge Lizard · Post by **Lounge Lizard** » Sun March 29, 2020 7:21 am

durdencommatyler wrote:I get tense every time I step outside.

I kind of want a beer but then I kind of don't want to get out on the reactor roof

elliseamos · Post by **elliseamos** » Sun March 29, 2020 11:46 am

96583UP wrote:i am ultra-late to the game on the Gigaton release party (because I didn't join Club Transcode)

I held off on reading this Variety interview til now, so I could have my own experience with the album first, unbiased by descriptions

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/pea ... 203546989/

Observations:

- I remember the documentary from the Soundgarden reunion tour and Josh Evans walking through aspects of Kim Thayil's guitar setup so carefully, and thoughtfully, and modestly. It was such a great video and so amazing to think that he would then 'set PJ free' from their studio funk. His thoughtful and modest approach radiates throughout this interview (and the album)

- Really nice that a local Seattle boy gets the nod for this. Whats so different from the big chain BOB LA stuff is this conversation is local, intimate, low frills. Evans knows their history, knows the people, knows the neighborhood. You want to get musicians to 'let their guard down'? If you're fortunate enough to have your box-moving and painting guy also be an expert sound engineer on the side then you might slide into it and then realize your demos were so good they are now the album.

- I cannot fucking believe his first job was actually stringing guitars and bringing them sandwiches. When I blacked out weeks ago and wrote this make-believe parody script, I reference Josh as the guy who strings the guitars and Boom as passing out from eating sandwiches. Lo and behold, he actually was the guy who brought the sandiwches. <head explodes>

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... s#p1448826

- There are so many times in this interview that Josh says something that validates comments or observations that have been made here the same way:

- This is the Pro Tools album (originally leveled as an insult about DOTC but just roll with it)
- SBWM has no apparent structure (and that's just fine)
- Quick Escape echoes throwback to very early times (e.g. Reach Down)

Some really cool descriptions in here thoughout and I just love the way Josh Evans thinks about music

- 'If it sounds good and feels good, go with it'
- 'Sonic Lego Blocks'

Overall what a relief. I wanted something Opus-ey from PJ for this album. Josh is so thoughtful about everything and the perfect guy to articulate those things. So happy for him to get this and I know he already worked on King Animal so this isn't his first rodeo but I would be shocked if his career doesn't totally take off after this.

Agree with all of this. Thanks for sharing. Why no Rambo?

elliseamos · Post by **elliseamos** » Sun March 29, 2020 1:21 pm

McParadigm wrote:This album is such a sad, loving and tender message of hope that it’s almost intended for a future audience. Ed’s writing was always about young people having the power to overcome, and since he was always young because that’s how it works he could channel the feeling*. Then, he wasn’t young, and that made it hard. All through 2006-2013, you can hear him wanting to find a way to write to that person. To help them. To tell their story like Bruce did, or to give them a fight song they can use, or to just...in some adult way...relate.

Interestingly, a lot of the writing he did for the people he loves most during 2002-6 focused on the feeling of righteousness betrayed. The often-vaguely insincere promises of victory came later. It’s only three albums, but it’s literally Bush/Obama years. He just can’t see these kids anymore, but his politics connect him to them and he’s clinging to that, so there’s no separation in his work.

This album doesn’t do any of that, because it knows what it is. This is an old fighter’s bequeathment, a grey hair who made it as far as wounded, expressing his love for and absolute faith in younger fighters who mostly don’t hear that kind of message from his generation. And, in addition to newfound inspiration, that mentality seems to have put him in a rare alignment with Stone and Jeff, whose offerings often fit the theme even better than his own.

It probably means there isn’t much of an audience for this....a gen x message in a bottle for a 2030 audience. But it’s amazing to me. And it makes for exceptionally well-written lyrics that also feel less calculated and self-judged than anything they’ve offered in decades (solo projects included).

The earnestness of warmth that this album has for its intended audience is so immense that, if I had to summarize how it’s different from other Pearl Jam albums, I’d say it’s somehow more...maternal.

*if your reaction is “he was 30, that’s not young,” then you’re either a grouchy old dad, or 30.

This makes a lot of sense and Eddie says as much in the Simmons podcast. "My younger self wouldn't have listened to my current self, so I wouldn't say anything and when I came around later my current self would pull out the journal entry."

Oh, and Simmons 100% calls it giga-tron at the end. Too funny.

Post by **stip** » Sun March 29, 2020 1:34 pm

excellent post McP. If people revisit lightning bolt for lyrics and themes you can see how gigaton figures out how to articulate what l-bolt struggled with

Post by **96583UP** » Sun March 29, 2020 2:07 pm

elliseamos wrote:
96583UP wrote:i am ultra-late to the game on the Gigaton release party (because I didn't join Club Transcode)

I held off on reading this Variety interview til now, so I could have my own experience with the album first, unbiased by descriptions

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/pea ... 203546989/

Observations:

- I remember the documentary from the Soundgarden reunion tour and Josh Evans walking through aspects of Kim Thayil's guitar setup so carefully, and thoughtfully, and modestly. It was such a great video and so amazing to think that he would then 'set PJ free' from their studio funk. His thoughtful and modest approach radiates throughout this interview (and the album)

- Really nice that a local Seattle boy gets the nod for this. Whats so different from the big chain BOB LA stuff is this conversation is local, intimate, low frills. Evans knows their history, knows the people, knows the neighborhood. You want to get musicians to 'let their guard down'? If you're fortunate enough to have your box-moving and painting guy also be an expert sound engineer on the side then you might slide into it and then realize your demos were so good they are now the album.

- I cannot fucking believe his first job was actually stringing guitars and bringing them sandwiches. When I blacked out weeks ago and wrote this make-believe parody script, I reference Josh as the guy who strings the guitars and Boom as passing out from eating sandwiches. Lo and behold, he actually was the guy who brought the sandiwches. <head explodes>

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... s#p1448826

- There are so many times in this interview that Josh says something that validates comments or observations that have been made here the same way:

- This is the Pro Tools album (originally leveled as an insult about DOTC but just roll with it)
- SBWM has no apparent structure (and that's just fine)
- Quick Escape echoes throwback to very early times (e.g. Reach Down)

Some really cool descriptions in here thoughout and I just love the way Josh Evans thinks about music

- 'If it sounds good and feels good, go with it'
- 'Sonic Lego Blocks'

Overall what a relief. I wanted something Opus-ey from PJ for this album. Josh is so thoughtful about everything and the perfect guy to articulate those things. So happy for him to get this and I know he already worked on King Animal so this isn't his first rodeo but I would be shocked if his career doesn't totally take off after this.
Agree with all of this. Thanks for sharing. Why no Rambo?

i think i’ve tapped out every photo from google image search

Ms Harmless · Post by **Ms Harmless** » Sun March 29, 2020 2:09 pm

I think I'm gonna give this album a Tarot reading - a card for each song

at least two are sticking out to me, others are a bit murky atm

watch this space

Post by **96583UP** » Sun March 29, 2020 2:21 pm

i love murky atm

joostone · Post by **joostone** » Sun March 29, 2020 3:06 pm

Tass Man · Post by **Tass Man** » Sun March 29, 2020 3:08 pm

not sure if either of these were posted, I checked the Gigaton articles thread and didn't see them.

neither of them are particularly glowing (probably expected for Pitchfork)

https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture ... d-1.998197

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pearl-jam-gigaton/

Ms Harmless · Post by **Ms Harmless** » Sun March 29, 2020 3:13 pm

lol 12 years

Tuolumne · Post by **Tuolumne** » Sun March 29, 2020 3:15 pm

I get that people need narratives, but I think the whole 'last couple albums sucked new one rocks' is such a lame rock cliche. I don't feel like they ever slid back significantly. They just made choices over the years that certain fans didn't like. Most people didn't like Vitalogy and No Code, for example. We here all pretty much did, but turning off fans is part of any artist's longevity. PJ will be remembered for 2 things:

1) The early 90s band from the grunge era that made Ten
2) The band that went their own way and developed a enviable close bond with their fans.

Gigaton is a continuation of the narrative from #2. It's not a fun and sexy narrative, but I think Gigaton is further validation that #2 deserves to be just important as #1.

Anders · Post by **Anders** » Sun March 29, 2020 3:44 pm

It’s true that Pearl Jam should be considered a lot more than the band that made Ten/Vs, but are often not.

Not sure if Gigaton will change that at all, but delivering their strongest record in many years, is proof of their lasting quality.

Ms Harmless · Post by **Ms Harmless** » Sun March 29, 2020 3:46 pm

Tuolumne wrote:I get that people need narratives, but I think the whole 'last couple albums sucked new one rocks' is such a lame rock cliche. I don't feel like they ever slid back significantly. They just made choices over the years that certain fans didn't like. Most people didn't like Vitalogy and No Code, for example. We here all pretty much did, but turning off fans is part of any artist's longevity. PJ will be remembered for 2 things:

1) The early 90s band from the grunge era that made Ten
2) The band that went their own way and developed a enviable close bond with their fans.

Gigaton is a continuation of the narrative from #2. It's not a fun and sexy narrative, but I think Gigaton is further validation that #2 deserves to be just important as #1.

so you don't think narratives are bad, you just disagree with one possible narrative

oneway23 · Post by **oneway23** » Sun March 29, 2020 3:58 pm

96583UP wrote:Overall what a relief. I wanted something Opus-ey from PJ for this album. .

I read this as, "wanted something Opethy-ey." I got excited

elliseamos · Post by **elliseamos** » Sun March 29, 2020 4:25 pm

joostone wrote:

I laughed.

Post by **Jorge** » Sun March 29, 2020 4:41 pm

Tuolumne wrote: I don't feel like they ever slid back significantly. They just made choices over the years that certain fans didn't like.

I don't feel like they maintained their quality, they just made choices over the years that certain fans liked

Do you see the problem here

Red Mosquito

Gigaton: Official album thread

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