Gigaton: Official album thread

[stip]

the recent performances have got me thinking that a lot of the shit in the last few years was absolutely choices they made, rather than diminished talent

The PJ20 victory tour went on way too long.

In their defense, they are just giving the fans what they want. Hits, deep cuts, rarities, a show that feels like their own in sets. I mean we pore over nightly set lists and tell tales of Eddie’s half focused banter, and then get annoyed when they keep pushing in that direction because they screw up a few chords!? You can say you want them to have a set 20 songs to play every night with one or two deviations because that would make them a tighter outfit, but really, when it’s your show, you know you want them to play stuff from out of left field…

I mean, there’s a contingent demanding both that the band is stagnant and too uninspired to try something whilst also criticizing their live show because they throw too much shit at the fan to see how it splats.

1. which fans? not me

2. who's "we"? I don't do any of those things

PJ have earned the right to do what they want, but let's stop pretending their fanbase is or was ever a monolith; it always consisted of several demographics, and different aspects of PJ's sound appealed to each in different ways; the PJ20 victory lap was a phase where they actively decided to pursue catering to one of those demographics (mainly pissed up jocks), and they've only just started to slightly branch out from that again with Gigaton

Reducing that element of the fanbase (of which I am certainly a part) to mainly pissed of jocks is exactly the same behavior you just decried.

[Strat]

Im sorry I played sports and do sports and stuff

[stip]

you're more of a happy jock though

[knee tunes]

the recent performances have got me thinking that a lot of the shit in the last few years was absolutely choices they made, rather than diminished talent

The PJ20 victory tour went on way too long.

In their defense, they are just giving the fans what they want. Hits, deep cuts, rarities, a show that feels like their own in sets. I mean we pore over nightly set lists and tell tales of Eddie’s half focused banter, and then get annoyed when they keep pushing in that direction because they screw up a few chords!? You can say you want them to have a set 20 songs to play every night with one or two deviations because that would make them a tighter outfit, but really, when it’s your show, you know you want them to play stuff from out of left field…

I mean, there’s a contingent demanding both that the band is stagnant and too uninspired to try something whilst also criticizing their live show because they throw too much shit at the fan to see how it splats.

I agree 100 percent.

Just read these posts .

Pearl jam fans are pussy wussy

[knee tunes]

the recent performances have got me thinking that a lot of the shit in the last few years was absolutely choices they made, rather than diminished talent

The PJ20 victory tour went on way too long.

In their defense, they are just giving the fans what they want. Hits, deep cuts, rarities, a show that feels like their own in sets. I mean we pore over nightly set lists and tell tales of Eddie’s half focused banter, and then get annoyed when they keep pushing in that direction because they screw up a few chords!? You can say you want them to have a set 20 songs to play every night with one or two deviations because that would make them a tighter outfit, but really, when it’s your show, you know you want them to play stuff from out of left field…

I mean, there’s a contingent demanding both that the band is stagnant and too uninspired to try something whilst also criticizing their live show because they throw too much shit at the fan to see how it splats.

I agree 100 percent.

Just read these posts .

Pearl jam fans are pussy wussy

Oh god not a cover .

Oh god help us

Lol

[Birds in Hell]

In their defense, they are just giving the fans what they want. Hits, deep cuts, rarities, a show that feels like their own in sets.

I think there is definitely a large component of the fanbase that wants exactly this from the band and over the last ten or so years they've been very happy to provide it.

That said, I think the band generally perform better when their primary focus is playing new songs they're really committed to.

I'm feeling a little bit of that with the recent shows, probably for the first time since 2006.

[liebzz]

I don’t think Pearl Jam fans are necessarily a monolith, more that especially the hardcore fan base tends towards wanting more rare songs played at their shows, who go for piss breaks during Even Flow, etc. etc. - I don’t ever take piss breaks at Pearl Jam shows or get mad at what they play. I typically am just feeling whatever they are playing for the most part. Hell, if I got mad at a Pearl Jam show, it was the mass exodus to the bathrooms during the encore when Eddie played No More a lot in ‘08. And fans were only pissed because they went to multiple multiple shows where they saw it or just saw it on all the set lists leading in and were tired of it. I could swear I could hear a collective groan at the second MSG show. I’m not saying people shouldn’t do what they want, but that’s the point I am making - that even a song (good/bad/indifferent) played too many times on a tour will get an eye roll because we’ve all come to expect wildly different sets from night to night. It’s inevitable that the results will lead to mistakes, blown songs…but also one helluva thrill when they get it right on something you’d never expect.

Gigaton is a pretty safe record in total, but hell if it doesn’t take a few turns that remind me of that feeling - taking a few calculated risks and having them pay off.

[LetMeSleep]

In their defense, they are just giving the fans what they want. Hits, deep cuts, rarities, a show that feels like their own in sets.

I think there is definitely a large component of the fanbase that wants exactly this from the band and over the last ten or so years they've been very happy to provide it.

That said, I think the band generally perform better when their primary focus is playing new songs they're really committed to.

I'm feeling a little bit of that with the recent shows, probably for the first time since 2006.

I agree, Spenno. Shorter sets with only a handful of the classic dozen that have been played to death.

And less covers. Seriously guys, lose the covers. 4 last time I saw them.

[liebzz]

In their defense, they are just giving the fans what they want. Hits, deep cuts, rarities, a show that feels like their own in sets.

I think there is definitely a large component of the fanbase that wants exactly this from the band and over the last ten or so years they've been very happy to provide it.

That said, I think the band generally perform better when their primary focus is playing new songs they're really committed to.

I'm feeling a little bit of that with the recent shows, probably for the first time since 2006.

I agree, Spenno. Shorter sets with only a handful of the classic dozen that have been played to death.

And less covers. Seriously guys, lose the covers. 4 last time I saw them.

They only played 2 at Sea.Hear.Now - and My City of Ruins was perfectly placed given the Bruce vibes all day and that the song was written about Asbury Park.

[guitar_davey]

you're more of a happy jock though

Happy Jock wasn't old, but he was a man

[Got Some]

In their defense, they are just giving the fans what they want. Hits, deep cuts, rarities, a show that feels like their own in sets.

I think there is definitely a large component of the fanbase that wants exactly this from the band and over the last ten or so years they've been very happy to provide it.

That said, I think the band generally perform better when their primary focus is playing new songs they're really committed to.

I'm feeling a little bit of that with the recent shows, probably for the first time since 2006.

I agree, Spenno. Shorter sets with only a handful of the classic dozen that have been played to death.

And less covers. Seriously guys, lose the covers. 4 last time I saw them.

Agreed no more RITFW please.

They would have 15 Of their own songs that could do the same job easily

[Ms Harmless]

guys, I have nothing against people who happen to fall into the demographic of "jock", and the same people I'm talking about have been decried countless times on this site for the same reasons that I hoped that term would invoke / infer

[Ms Harmless]

"pissed up" = drunk, disorderly, constantly yelling EDDIE when it's quiet and wanting nothing but the Ten songs

[Jorge]

you're more of a happy jock though

Happy Jock wasn't old, but he was a man

Hehe

[VinylGuy]

Listening to this on vinyl

the sequence of this one is perfect....And im loving 7 O Clock so much these days.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Never Destination was so great live

[epilogue]

Never Destination was so great live

I loved it on the stream. And can't wait to hear it in the room some day.

[Ms Harmless]

they played Who Ever Said and I liked it

[ridleybradout]

they played Who Ever Said and I liked it

I can't believe how tight it was for a first attempt! Ed not playing guitar obviously helps. Surprisingly faithful to the studio version too, right down to the outro

[Clem Halibut]

they played Who Ever Said and I liked it

I can't believe how tight it was for a first attempt! Ed not playing guitar obviously helps. Surprisingly faithful to the studio version too, right down to the outro

Yes. All the Gigaton songs have been pretty tight so far. The band seems well rehearsed and Ed's voice is sounding pretty strong too
Maybe the 2 years off due to COVID helped give his voice a rest.