Post-Riot Act Moneygrab

[OmegaprimeVKM]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

[stip]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

you're martyring yourself on the wrong board.

also the fact that you keep naming such good songs in your throwaway list is not helping your case

[harmless]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

You've named two or three songs I really like as 'abominations', and included two or three I don't like as 'the best'. I agree with your point overall, but the fact that nobody agrees on which songs are the 'chaff' means that PJ are within their rights to think they're doing OK.

[Mine]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

Developing ideas together never did wonders for this band if anything the post riot act era seems to be the "developing ideas together" more than it was ever before.

[Leatherhead]

"Moneygrab" playlist:

Pendulum
Unemployable
Johnny Guitar
Let it Ride
Comatose
Got Some
My Father's Son
World Wide Suicide
Lightning Bolt
Cold Confession
Parachutes
Gonna See My Friend
Marker in the Sand
Mind Your Manners
Life Wasted
The End
Severed Hand

..............If this is moneygrabbing PJ, I guess I'm okay with it.

Have listened to this a few times through now. It fuckin rules. I think there's more worthy songs, but then it'd be too long, and probably wouldn't fit on a disc.

[hlniv]

Complete list of money-grabbing songs to be considered "good" or better. All other songs should not be considered "good". This is definitive.

Man of the Hour
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker in the Sand
Parachutes
Unemployable
Got Some
Amongst the Waves
The End
Getaway
MYM
My Father's Son
Lightning Bolt
Pendulum
Yellow Moon

15 songs in 10 years

edit - added parachutes. Can't seem to find any fathomable way to add any addional songs, even based on stip's revisionist list

So, 15 songs in 10 years. Kind of shocking when compared to 40-50 songs that would qualify at this level in the 7 years from '91- to '98.

Yes, I'm quoting my own reply.

I didn't think about tracking my list, but here it is. This will now be my 2003-2013 Pearl Jam album that will replace the three sets of proposed tunes that were called albums by the band-

Oh, and I forgot Cold Confession. Let it Ride doesn't make the cut. And i added Swallowed Whole- today I like it a lot. MAybe not tomorrow

1 Pendulum
2 Comatose
3 Got Some
4 MYM
5 Getaway
6 Marker in the Sand
7 Cold Confession
8 Severed Hand
9 Lightning Bolt
10 Parachutes
11 Swallowed Whole
12 My Father's Son
13 Amongst the Waves
14 Man of the Hour
15 Unemployable
16 Yellow Moon
17 The End

[liebzz]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I am happy with the band's output the last 10 years. I consider both the self-titled and Lightning Bolt albums to be great, and Backspacer in the very good category. The only song I dislike over all 3 albums is Future Days, and I can't say I completely hate it...it's just not remarkable to me. Backspacer to me is their worst album, but mostly for reasons I have stated in the past, which is that the rush job resulted in a bunch of pretty good songs and a few fantastic ones, and the whole disc sort of suffered from too much brevity and not enough cooking. On Avocado, the run of the first 5 tracks might be one of my favorite runs on any album, save for maybe stretches of No Code. And even after a good period of listening, I am still quite enjoying LB - a whole lot.

[stip]

it's a sturdy limb

[harmless]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

Developing ideas together never did wonders for this band if anything the post riot act era seems to be the "developing ideas together" more than it was ever before.

Not sure I agree. As far as I know, before S/T, they would do a lot more jamming together in the room, so that ideas would be thrown in by all of them, and songs were created organically. These days, they seem to all write songs separately and individually, record a demo each, bring them in, and Ed sings on top of them if he likes them. The reason you get so many disparate styles on Lightning Bolt is that none of the songs were written by a band in a room together. There might be more songwriters involved, but I don't think it's more collaborative.

[Farmer John]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

Developing ideas together never did wonders for this band if anything the post riot act era seems to be the "developing ideas together" more than it was ever before.

Not sure I agree. As far as I know, before S/T, they would do a lot more jamming together in the room, so that ideas would be thrown in by all of them, and songs were created organically. These days, they seem to all write songs separately and individually, record a demo each, bring them in, and Ed sings on top of them if he likes them. The reason you get so many disparate styles on Lightning Bolt is that none of the songs were written by a band in a room together. There might be more songwriters involved, but I don't think it's more collaborative.

I think it's been this way since Yield.

[harmless]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

Developing ideas together never did wonders for this band if anything the post riot act era seems to be the "developing ideas together" more than it was ever before.

Not sure I agree. As far as I know, before S/T, they would do a lot more jamming together in the room, so that ideas would be thrown in by all of them, and songs were created organically. These days, they seem to all write songs separately and individually, record a demo each, bring them in, and Ed sings on top of them if he likes them. The reason you get so many disparate styles on Lightning Bolt is that none of the songs were written by a band in a room together. There might be more songwriters involved, but I don't think it's more collaborative.

I think it's been this way since Yield.

Possibly. Single Video Theory suggests there was a lot more jamming by the band in the room, but they might've just been playing up to the cameras.

[stupidmop]

They were rehearsing in SVT I think, the songs had already been written.

The Sweatpants Years album

Man of the Hour
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Speed of sound demo
Pendulum
Yellow Moon

Unemployable
Army Reserve
Parachutes
My fathers son
Big Wave
WWS

[nomorecrackpipes]

To me, the Post-Riot Act Moneygrab™ isn't really about the quality of music. I think the quality is what they they would do regardless, they've simply been incredibly stingy about new music. Three new albums, quite uninspiring Xmas singles, and one true b-side. It's like they're saving the Cold Confessions/Let It Rides for a rainy day. There's quality on the albums whether we like it or not, just as the number of songs I find annoying or stupid increase (Big Wave, GSMF, LTRP, Future Days).

The Moneygrab™, to me, is the conscious decision by the band to focus on merch, the hits, and tamping down the exploratory & politically leaning side of their music. That latter may show on their solo products or hidden in "Jungle Oats," but who really knows. They're certainly beyond the growth stage and are now in the cash cow phase, I hope they snap out of it and fall into a Neil Young "don't give a damn" phase.

[Mine]

my historical revisionist list (all songs borerline 4 stars or better)

Man of the Hour
Love Reign O'er Me (a cover, but fine)
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker
Parachutes
Come Back
GSMF
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Force of Nature
The End
getaway
MYM
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infallible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

It's been a good couple of years...

Man of the Hour
Life Wasted
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Unthought Known
Cold Confession
Let It Ride
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Yellow Moon

I think there's about just enough material for 1 album in the past 10 years.

The most disturbing thing is that most would assume that I am complaining that there's too much material here - on the contrary, that's precisely the opposite point. There is simply not enough. the band is LAZILY recording 12 tracks and turning it into an album, rather than the 20-30 that they should be to weed out the obvious offcuts such as Sleeping By Myself, Come Back, Gonna See My Friend etc.

There was a time where abonminations such as the likes of Future Days, Johnny Guitar, Parachutes or Supersonic was the ham fisted, half baked, semi-serious b-side of the Christmas fanclub single. That no longer is the case. Too much chaff has made it because the band isn't spending long enough developing ideas together.

Developing ideas together never did wonders for this band if anything the post riot act era seems to be the "developing ideas together" more than it was ever before.

Not sure I agree. As far as I know, before S/T, they would do a lot more jamming together in the room, so that ideas would be thrown in by all of them, and songs were created organically. These days, they seem to all write songs separately and individually, record a demo each, bring them in, and Ed sings on top of them if he likes them. The reason you get so many disparate styles on Lightning Bolt is that none of the songs were written by a band in a room together. There might be more songwriters involved, but I don't think it's more collaborative.

As far as i can tell it's a mixed bag. I do remember Jeff saying s/t was the 1st time since Vs they jammed out the songs. I don't think they ever wrote songs together at least not the vast majority of them. I don't think it has much to do with how they write songs. Their songs were more organic mostly because of what Ed says about the change in his approach and you can tell that from LB. He very obviously doesn't bother with writing full arrangements and telling the band how to play. Lighting Bolt is a clear example- it doesn't sound like Ed's approach and in a way i miss the layered guitars that where the trademark of his rockers since RVM.
I think that PJ writing songs in a room together at any point in their career is a hard argument to make because the band itself keeps on contradicting itself on it. From what i can tell the last 3 albums are the closest to a collaborative process as this band can do or ever did. In my opinion this has a lot do with their creative processes as individuals. It's kind of like the "more Matt's songs" argument. If he isn't into it more than having 1.something songs average on either SG or PJ albums has everything to do with him not either band's songwriting dynamics.

[hlniv]

Saw this photo on the pit and it seemed appropriate for this thread -

Anyone care to caption?

[hlniv]

The Moneygrab™, to me, is the conscious decision by the band to focus on merch, the hits, and tamping down the exploratory & politically leaning side of their music. They're certainly beyond the growth stage and are now in the cash cow phase

I hope they snap out of it and fall into a Neil Young "don't give a damn" phase.

[harmless]

Saw this photo on the pit and it seemed appropriate for this thread -

Anyone care to caption?

"So I said, I said, "Stone, let's call our next album Trickle-Down Economy."

[harmless]

The Moneygrab™, to me, is the conscious decision by the band to focus on merch, the hits, and tamping down the exploratory & politically leaning side of their music. They're certainly beyond the growth stage and are now in the cash cow phase

I hope they snap out of it and fall into a Neil Young "don't give a damn" phase.

Are there any precedents for a band or artist having done this?

[Mine]

The Moneygrab™, to me, is the conscious decision by the band to focus on merch, the hits, and tamping down the exploratory & politically leaning side of their music. They're certainly beyond the growth stage and are now in the cash cow phase

I hope they snap out of it and fall into a Neil Young "don't give a damn" phase.

Are there any precedents for a band or artist having done this?

I think that ironically something like Future Days fits that description. It may be indicating many things but "giving a damn" it does not.

[harmless]

The Moneygrab™, to me, is the conscious decision by the band to focus on merch, the hits, and tamping down the exploratory & politically leaning side of their music. They're certainly beyond the growth stage and are now in the cash cow phase

I hope they snap out of it and fall into a Neil Young "don't give a damn" phase.

Are there any precedents for a band or artist having done this?

I think that ironically something like Future Days fits that description. It may be indicating many things but "giving a damn" it does not.

I'm not sure it qualifies, because it really sounds like it wants to make money. From us? Probably not, but let's be honest and say that there is a large demographic ready to swallow that shit whole.