Gigaton: Official album thread

[dprival78]

this performance would be pretty wonderful if it wasn't tuned down, I hate it when they do that; puts me off right away

I've been listening to some recent-ish shows (say 2022-present) lately, and I feel like an overwhelming majority of the songs are downtuned at this point. So many of them just sound awkward and clunky now, even when there aren't any technical mistakes.

they tuned down *a lot* in 2022, but not as much since. i want to stay even songs like wishlist and black were tuned down at times

[SJM]

this performance would be pretty wonderful if it wasn't tuned down, I hate it when they do that; puts me off right away

I've been listening to some recent-ish shows (say 2022-present) lately, and I feel like an overwhelming majority of the songs are downtuned at this point. So many of them just sound awkward and clunky now, even when there aren't any technical mistakes.

they tuned down *a lot* in 2022, but not as much since. i want to stay even songs like wishlist and black were tuned down at times

They downtuned after Ed blew out his voice at the Paris concert (or wherever that outdoor festival was).

For what it’s worth, I saw them on the 2022 tour and Ed sounded great. The downtuning doesn’t bother me in the least, especially if you’re there live. I’d take the tuned down songs where Ed can actually hit the notes over the 2013 squeaking Ed. I saw them in Calgary on that tour and man he sounded rough.

Live Ed in 2022, 2023, 2024 > Live Ed in 2013.

Listen to Camden 2022 against Calgary 2013 for example. The squeaking on animal and HTI from Calgary makes it unlistenable.

I was also impressed with how good he sounded when I saw them in Vancouver in May. He shouldn’t sound as good as he does pushing 60. It’s a godamn miracle.

Also, I don’t think songs in 2024 were downtuned when I saw them.

[VinylGuy]

I was at Werchter 2022 and was blown away with the show. Tight as hell and Ed sounded amazing.

[Kevin Davis]

this performance would be pretty wonderful if it wasn't tuned down, I hate it when they do that; puts me off right away

I've been listening to some recent-ish shows (say 2022-present) lately, and I feel like an overwhelming majority of the songs are downtuned at this point. So many of them just sound awkward and clunky now, even when there aren't any technical mistakes.

they tuned down *a lot* in 2022, but not as much since. i want to stay even songs like wishlist and black were tuned down at times

They downtuned after Ed blew out his voice at the Paris concert (or wherever that outdoor festival was).

For what it’s worth, I saw them on the 2022 tour and Ed sounded great. The downtuning doesn’t bother me in the least, especially if you’re there live. I’d take the tuned down songs where Ed can actually hit the notes over the 2013 squeaking Ed. I saw them in Calgary on that tour and man he sounded rough.

Live Ed in 2022, 2023, 2024 > Live Ed in 2013.

Listen to Camden 2022 against Calgary 2013 for example. The squeaking on animal and HTI from Calgary makes it unlistenable.

I was also impressed with how good he sounded when I saw them in Vancouver in May. He shouldn’t sound as good as he does pushing 60. It’s a godamn miracle.

Also, I don’t think songs in 2024 were downtuned when I saw them.

I think they were tuning down quite a bit in 2013 too. I think 2006 (maybe 2007) was the last time everything was in its original key.

[GreenMosquito1996]

this performance would be pretty wonderful if it wasn't tuned down, I hate it when they do that; puts me off right away

I've been listening to some recent-ish shows (say 2022-present) lately, and I feel like an overwhelming majority of the songs are downtuned at this point. So many of them just sound awkward and clunky now, even when there aren't any technical mistakes.

they tuned down *a lot* in 2022, but not as much since. i want to stay even songs like wishlist and black were tuned down at times

They downtuned after Ed blew out his voice at the Paris concert (or wherever that outdoor festival was).

For what it’s worth, I saw them on the 2022 tour and Ed sounded great. The downtuning doesn’t bother me in the least, especially if you’re there live. I’d take the tuned down songs where Ed can actually hit the notes over the 2013 squeaking Ed. I saw them in Calgary on that tour and man he sounded rough.

Live Ed in 2022, 2023, 2024 > Live Ed in 2013.

Listen to Camden 2022 against Calgary 2013 for example. The squeaking on animal and HTI from Calgary makes it unlistenable.

I was also impressed with how good he sounded when I saw them in Vancouver in May. He shouldn’t sound as good as he does pushing 60. It’s a godamn miracle.

Also, I don’t think songs in 2024 were downtuned when I saw them.

I think they were tuning down quite a bit in 2013 too. I think 2006 (maybe 2007) was the last time everything was in its original key.

Nowadays, mostly sound good even with downtuning. For reference, I think the Why Go comeback in 2003 was downtuned.

[YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM5PhMBeS0M&ab_channel=PearlJam-Topic[/YouTube]

[Birds in Hell]

this performance would be pretty wonderful if it wasn't tuned down, I hate it when they do that; puts me off right away

I've been listening to some recent-ish shows (say 2022-present) lately, and I feel like an overwhelming majority of the songs are downtuned at this point. So many of them just sound awkward and clunky now, even when there aren't any technical mistakes.

they tuned down *a lot* in 2022, but not as much since. i want to stay even songs like wishlist and black were tuned down at times

They downtuned after Ed blew out his voice at the Paris concert (or wherever that outdoor festival was).

For what it’s worth, I saw them on the 2022 tour and Ed sounded great. The downtuning doesn’t bother me in the least, especially if you’re there live. I’d take the tuned down songs where Ed can actually hit the notes over the 2013 squeaking Ed. I saw them in Calgary on that tour and man he sounded rough.

Live Ed in 2022, 2023, 2024 > Live Ed in 2013.

Listen to Camden 2022 against Calgary 2013 for example. The squeaking on animal and HTI from Calgary makes it unlistenable.

I was also impressed with how good he sounded when I saw them in Vancouver in May. He shouldn’t sound as good as he does pushing 60. It’s a godamn miracle.

Also, I don’t think songs in 2024 were downtuned when I saw them.

I think they were tuning down quite a bit in 2013 too. I think 2006 (maybe 2007) was the last time everything was in its original key.

Nowadays, mostly sound good even with downtuning. For reference, I think the Why Go comeback in 2003 was downtuned.

Why Go was still in standard tuning in 2003.

KD is correct, 2006 was the last tour in which nothing was tuned down.

Life Wasted was tuned down from 2007 onwards but I think it may have been the outlier on that tour and 2008.

In 2009, World Wide Suicide also began being tuned down, as well as several Backspacer songs that were never played live in their recorded key: Gonna See My Friend, Got Some, The Fixer, Supersonic and Force of Nature.

I'm fairly sure 2010 was the first time they played old standards in a lower key, like Once (which has since gone up and down in key over the years).

[dimejinky99]

this is album i woulda wanted to be there and see songs played live.

ah well

[Birds in Hell]

All this talk of tuning down made me curious what the original studio versions of some of the band's frequently tuned-down songs would sound like if played in their new, lower key.

Breath, tuned down from E to E♭:

https://voca.ro/13NnwBUDAVIN

Habit, tuned down from D to C (a whole step, more than any other song):

https://voca.ro/14dIQAKpgZRH

World Wide Suicide, tuned down from A to A♭:

https://voca.ro/1o0AbB2jnCqP

---

Just for fun, here's a 2023 live version of Habit:

https://vocaroo.com/1jQNn5RJ2vSz

Here it is, tuned way back up to its original key (it makes Ed sound weird):

https://vocaroo.com/15o0sxDxzceh

EDIT: Maybe this discussion should go in its own thread: http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 17&t=19940

[epilogue]

Listened to Gigaton, front to back in one sitting, last night. Haven't done that in a minute. The record continues to impress. I just don't think there's a bad song on it.

[dimejinky99]

more people think this is a 5 star album than those that think it's 3 and below.

Sometimes RM gets it right.

[VinylGuy]

yeah, its a great listening experience too.

[EBowie]

I love Gigaton but the ending with Retrograde and River Cross hurts the album for me - what a slog. Ending the album on Comes Then Goes would have been perfect.

[dimejinky99]

I love Gigaton but the ending with Retrograde and River Cross hurts the album for me - what a slog. Ending the album on Comes Then Goes would have been perfect.

thats not a bad shout

songs like river cross and the end, always seem like songs Ev would be better keeping for his own thing.

Comes then goes woulda been a great way to close this record.

[daft twat]

I love Gigaton but the ending with Retrograde and River Cross hurts the album for me - what a slog. Ending the album on Comes Then Goes would have been perfect.

thats not a bad shout

songs like river cross and the end, always seem like songs Ev would be better keeping for his own thing.

Comes then goes woulda been a great way to close this record.

Form me it always kind of has. I’m just ready to be done after that song.

[Monkey_Driven]

Ditch Retrograde and it still works.

[igotworms]

Retrograde is one of the highlights for me. The run of Buckle Up > Comes Then Goes > Retrograde > River Cross is a bit of a slog but take Retrograde out and it's even worse as it's all very downbeat.

[stip]

i like what the band adds to River Cross - a lot

[McParadigm]

It’s always weird to me how 80% of the fan discussions on this webzone boil down to “which songs by a band I like would I get rid of”

[dimejinky99]

It’s always weird to me how 80% of the fan discussions on this webzone boil down to “which songs by a band I like would I get rid of”

exactly this. Its not like the band dont edit out songs theyll never play again

theres no need for us to be contributing to it



*bring back Force of Nature yis Cuntz!

[lvc]

I pop into this thread every now and then and am always surprised at some of the overflowing appreciation for songs on this record that I flat out don't like (and there are very few Pearl Jam songs I flat out don't like--I mean I've even taken a shine to Sweet Lew and that was a rough one) and the real disdain for some of the songs on here I really do like. t

I think Pearl Jam is greater than the sum of its parts and Gigaton is a very "sum of the parts" record. It reminds me of the season of Arrested Development that Netflix made. All of the pieces should have been there, but there was just none of the chemistry.

Anyway, thus concludes this minority report.