Red Mosquito

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

i think that is a fair assessment, given the space they occupied in pop culture

and the fact that it was written and recorded almost 30 years ago.

yeah, back in the day it seemed like a boring weird song...i wasnt a fan. Nowadays, every time i listen to it its fuuuck this is just so good...the guitars, the bass...the groove man.

liebzz wrote:

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

I am pretty sure that WMA was in response to Rodney King.

Me too.

It's really interesting to me, and I don't mean it as any kind of sight, it's fascinating to see the change, that folks think of WMA as a premonition rather than a reaction to not only the year in which it was written but the previous two hundred as well.

epilogue wrote:It's really interesting to me, and I don't mean it as any kind of sight, it's fascinating to see the change, that folks think of WMA as a premonition rather than a reaction to not only the year in which it was written but the previous two hundred as well.

People think this?

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

High school B was not aware of politics, and probably a little racist. I knew about Rodney King and the resulting riots, but I was MORE interested in making out with Melinda Elkins.

B wrote:

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

High school B was not aware of politics, and probably a little racist. I knew about Rodney King and the resulting riots, but I was MORE interested in making out with Melinda Elkins.

Fair enough I think. I was not really aware of politics in a real sense until the Spring of my sophomore year of high school, which dating me was around April 1994. I recall (without googling or looking online) that Rodney King was a big enough issue in I think 1991-1992 that I was aware of it. The video, and then the resulting trial and acquittal of the officers (that part being the impetus for WMA).

I don’t think I paid enough attention to the lyrics back in 1993/94 when i listened to Vs. on repeat nearly every day (that 90 Maxell cassette with Ten on side A [Release cut off], Vs. on side B [fit somehow perfectly on one side]). I was vaguely aware though and not a woke 15 year old. Perhaps subliminally this was a seed planted in my future political awareness?

liebzz wrote:

B wrote:

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

High school B was not aware of politics, and probably a little racist. I knew about Rodney King and the resulting riots, but I was MORE interested in making out with Melinda Elkins.

Fair enough I think. I was not really aware of politics in a real sense until the Spring of my sophomore year of high school, which dating me was around April 1994. I recall (without googling or looking online) that Rodney King was a big enough issue in I think 1991-1992 that I was aware of it. The video, and then the resulting trial and acquittal of the officers (that part being the impetus for WMA).

I don’t think I paid enough attention to the lyrics back in 1993/94 when i listened to Vs. on repeat nearly every day (that 90 Maxell cassette with Ten on side A [Release cut off], Vs. on side B [fit somehow perfectly on one side]). I was vaguely aware though and not a woke 15 year old. Perhaps subliminally this was a seed planted in my future political awareness?

So now both of you need to vote for WMDaveA

I voted WMA.

Attaboy

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

LOL, a mainstream white rock band in 1993 writing a song against police brutality against black people is unquestionably ahead of the curve.

Long Road's maybe been a song I rediscovered a bit during this tournament. I've always liked it a lot, but it's moving closer to the top of the heap of PJ songs for me, which is a pretty recent development. So I'll stick with it here (I enjoy WMA, but overall it's never been a favorite).

Outdoor venue, late summer/early fall evening, the sun is going down, there is a warm breeze, and PJ comes on stage and opens with Long Road. Those first few chords while you take in the surroundings and the excitement of a show starting. Life can't get much more perfect in that moment. Long Road easy for me.

Long Road and Nothing As It Seems are my top two late summer/early autumn outdoor venue songs.

B wrote:

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

High school B was not aware of politics, and probably a little racist. I knew about Rodney King and the resulting riots, but I was MORE interested in making out with Melinda Elkins.

what happened with Melinda? Did you paid more attention to her than to wma?

VinylGuy wrote:

B wrote:

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

High school B was not aware of politics, and probably a little racist. I knew about Rodney King and the resulting riots, but I was MORE interested in making out with Melinda Elkins.

what happened with Melinda? Did you paid more attention to her than to wma?

they're married activists now...because of wma.

VinylGuy wrote:

B wrote:

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

High school B was not aware of politics, and probably a little racist. I knew about Rodney King and the resulting riots, but I was MORE interested in making out with Melinda Elkins.

what happened with Melinda? Did you paid more attention to her than to wma?

Oh the attention paid off. I got to touch her boobs.

Long Road from TB2k is god-tier PJ. Gets the vote here.

B wrote:

VinylGuy wrote:

B wrote:

epilogue wrote:

B wrote:I spent years and years of my youth skipping WMA, and only rediscovered it with the reissue and realized how ahead of the curve Pearl Jam was, both musically and socially.

We certainly don't need to get political here but it says a lot that you think of it as "ahead of the curve" politically.

High school B was not aware of politics, and probably a little racist. I knew about Rodney King and the resulting riots, but I was MORE interested in making out with Melinda Elkins.

what happened with Melinda? Did you paid more attention to her than to wma?

Oh the attention paid off. I got to touch her boobs.

Actual skin or sweater?