Red Mosquito

oneway23 wrote:I don't buy the struggle = more valid art theory. They aren't exactly crammed together in a room anymore with cases of beer, taking bong rips and jamming....It's not as though they struggled for years schleping it in a van and sleeping on floors when they were young, either (at least not as Pearl Jam).

There are a lot of years and deep feelings many of us have invested, and, I'm sure each one of us has some notion of an ideal of how we'd prefer they carry themselves, how they'd write songs, or play, how often they'd release records, or what causes they'd espouse and how ethically they'd approach them, who we'd prefer they did (and didn't) do business with....on and on...

They're not going to reach the idealistic heights of every fan's mental conception of them....It's up to each of us how we balance these things against our own values.

stip wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

oneway23 wrote:I don't buy the struggle = more valid art theory.

I wasn't suggesting validity, only quality. And I don't think they have to be poor to struggle, but (in my mind) they'd need to retain some strong connection to the memory of what that felt like. I feel this is where some of them (leader Ed) has lost his way.

this is it right here. Pearl Jam has evolved. Or changed is maybe better if evolution implies progress. they are a different band doing something different than what they did when they were younger. this is not the first time. there is a major evolutionary leap forward/change with No Code as well.

I struggled with that run of albums because I was so much more interested and invested in who pearl jam was and who I wanted them to be rather than process them on the baiss of who they are. Others made that transition easily. And the quality of the music/the listeners experience of it still matters. It is easier for me to appreciate those middle records now for what they are and what PJ was trying to do rather than forc it into a pre-existing frame I had and wanted. But I still dont like the body of songs as much


In Running and songs like it, a complaint people levelis that Ed or the band (usually Ed) are trying to sound young. I dont think thats right. running is not an older man aping being young. It is the sound of an older man excited for the music he is hearing and expressing it in a way that feels inauthentic if you decide that this type of music is soley the posession of youth. What if all that’s sacred doesn’t just come from youth, and the old can do more than just remember?

96583UP wrote:Ed loves cash, power, and famous friends

tragabigzanda wrote:

Bi_3 wrote:

96583UP wrote:Ed loves cash, power, and famous friends

We all do.

I’ve actively rejected famous friends. Bad juju for my psyche. Money is great, power is…in the eye of the beholder.

Strat wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

Bi_3 wrote:

96583UP wrote:Ed loves cash, power, and famous friends

We all do.

I’ve actively rejected famous friends. Bad juju for my psyche. Money is great, power is…in the eye of the beholder.

why are we friends im basically famous

Fattie_Vedder wrote:

oneway23 wrote:I don't buy the struggle = more valid art theory. They aren't exactly crammed together in a room anymore with cases of beer, taking bong rips and jamming....It's not as though they struggled for years schleping it in a van and sleeping on floors when they were young, either (at least not as Pearl Jam).

There are a lot of years and deep feelings many of us have invested, and, I'm sure each one of us has some notion of an ideal of how we'd prefer they carry themselves, how they'd write songs, or play, how often they'd release records, or what causes they'd espouse and how ethically they'd approach them, who we'd prefer they did (and didn't) do business with....on and on...

They're not going to reach the idealistic heights of every fan's mental conception of them....It's up to each of us how we balance these things against our own values.

I see the struggle that fuels creative fire less about access, wealth, and status, and more about having demons and being tortured. Basically having something to sing about. Not that having a great life and a family you love is not worthy of singing about. Plenty of songwriters have written beautiful, creative songs about happy subjects. I just wonder if that suits Pearl Jam’s style. Backspacer was a good attempt at that. Lightning Bolt was not. More broadly, if they just write more interesting music when the subject is dark and heavy.

oneway23 wrote:

Fattie_Vedder wrote:

oneway23 wrote:I don't buy the struggle = more valid art theory. They aren't exactly crammed together in a room anymore with cases of beer, taking bong rips and jamming....It's not as though they struggled for years schleping it in a van and sleeping on floors when they were young, either (at least not as Pearl Jam).

There are a lot of years and deep feelings many of us have invested, and, I'm sure each one of us has some notion of an ideal of how we'd prefer they carry themselves, how they'd write songs, or play, how often they'd release records, or what causes they'd espouse and how ethically they'd approach them, who we'd prefer they did (and didn't) do business with....on and on...

They're not going to reach the idealistic heights of every fan's mental conception of them....It's up to each of us how we balance these things against our own values.

I see the struggle that fuels creative fire less about access, wealth, and status, and more about having demons and being tortured. Basically having something to sing about. Not that having a great life and a family you love is not worthy of singing about. Plenty of songwriters have written beautiful, creative songs about happy subjects. I just wonder if that suits Pearl Jam’s style. Backspacer was a good attempt at that. Lightning Bolt was not. More broadly, if they just write more interesting music when the subject is dark and heavy.

I see your point. He's extremely fortunate to have many wonderful things to croon about, but there are unfortunately an infinite number of horrible things going on in the world to write & sing about as well.
As many others have said, he's at his best making specific subjects into universal themes. Not so much the other way around.

96583UP wrote:he is like John Moschitta Jr. meets The Days of Our Lives

no one makes a glam bridge like Edward Veddar in the year 2024

you might be rockin along, boppin' along, but then when it's bridge time? BAM HERE COMES THE GLAM

96583UP wrote:Ed is the weak link now

TOTD reunion tour proved it

1994 spring tour was the peak

fortunately we have recordings

tommy wrote:

96583UP wrote:Ed is the weak link now

TOTD reunion tour proved it

1994 spring tour was the peak

fortunately we have recordings

Goddamn, the TOTD show was awesome.

E.H. Ruddock wrote:

96583UP wrote:he is like John Moschitta Jr. meets The Days of Our Lives

no one makes a glam bridge like Edward Veddar in the year 2024

you might be rockin along, boppin' along, but then when it's bridge time? BAM HERE COMES THE GLAM

so horny for Hope right now