Quick Escape

[Leatherhead]

I still can't find a connection in QE with Ten or Vs Pearl Jam.

Nor me.

It's still very much a modern Pearl Jam song to my ears.

They all are, really -- I think about half of them are really strong, but all of them are far closer in spirit and in compositional quality to Backspacer and Lightning Bolt than to anything of "recently risen from the ashes of Mother Love Bone" vintage.

And I don't mean that as a negative, I think they did a good job on this album of shaping that approach, and zeroing in on the elements of it that work.

Hard to argue with The Kevin Davis, but I'm hearing/feeling more No Code -> S/T than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt. Those latter elements are there, but don't seem so prevalent.

[Kevin Davis]

I don't have the same ear for production value that many others on this board do, but to me this album is way closer to the big, glossy sound of the last two records than the natural warmth of something like No Code or Yield. The only thing on here that feels remotely No Code-like to me is "Buckle Up," though it really feels more Stone Gossard solo album-like than anything. Also "Take the Long Way," which feels a bit Riot Act-y, or maybe a little Wellwater Conspiracy-ish. But the Vedder-composed tracks are all straight out of his PRAMG playbook, "Alright" feels way closer to "Pendulum" than to anything on Binaural, and "Retrograde" sounds like someone took a Brendan O'Brien production job and lip-o-suctioned the song out of it. "Dance of the Clairvoyants" and "Quick Escape," more or less, feel genuinely new to me, though "Quick Escape" does have echoes of "Infallible" in the rhythm. But there's no question it's certainly a much more satisfyingly composed, power-packed piece of work.

Again, I don't mean that comparison as an inherently bad thing; I think Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are such dirty words on this board that people feel like they have to compare this album to the "good" Pearl Jam records, otherwise they're selling it short or subjecting it to some kind of undue guilt by association. But this album sounds nothing like their middle-period records, and nothing remotely like their early ones. It's not quite a "logical extension" of their recent records -- perhaps an illogical extension of them. More surprises than we had a right to expect at this point, which is a good thing. But still -- I think there's a fair amount of "new album hyperbole" behind people's assessment of how different of an album it really is.

[Leatherhead]

I don't have the same ear for production value that many others on this board do, but to me this album is way closer to the big, glossy sound of the last two records than the natural warmth of something like No Code or Yield. The only thing on here that feels remotely No Code-like to me is "Buckle Up," though it really feels more Stone Gossard solo album-like than anything. Also "Take the Long Way," which feels a bit Riot Act-y, or maybe a little Wellwater Conspiracy-ish. But the Vedder-composed tracks are all straight out of his PRAMG playbook, "Alright" feels way closer to "Pendulum" than to anything on Binaural, and "Retrograde" sounds like someone took a Brendan O'Brien production job and lip-o-suctioned the song out of it. "Dance of the Clairvoyants" and "Quick Escape," more or less, feel genuinely new to me, though "Quick Escape" does have echoes of "Infallible" in the rhythm. But there's no question it's certainly a much more satisfyingly composed, power-packed piece of work.

Again, I don't mean that comparison as an inherently bad thing; I think Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are such dirty words on this board that people feel like they have to compare this album to the "good" Pearl Jam records, otherwise they're selling it short or subjecting it to some kind of undue guilt by association. But this album sounds nothing like their middle-period records, and nothing remotely like their early ones. It's not quite a "logical extension" of their recent records -- perhaps an illogical extension of them. More surprises than we had a right to expect at this point, which is a good thing. But still -- I think there's a fair amount of "new album hyperbole" behind people's assessment of how different of an album it really is.

Maybe. I'll keep listening. The only Pearl Jam I've listened to since getting a hold of this is some Backspacer and Lightning Bolt stuff, and it sounded very different to me.

[Leatherhead]

I hope they (Pearl Jam) love this song.

[VinylGuy]

There are certain elements of both BS and Lb present for sure, specially in Retrograde, which sounds like maybe a leftover from LB but way better produced.

Still, there are also elements of Yield, Avocado, Riot Act and No Code too. And at the same time, this album is its own beast, something LB failed, because it was the first PJ album not to have a particular sound.

[Kevin Davis]

I don't have the same ear for production value that many others on this board do, but to me this album is way closer to the big, glossy sound of the last two records than the natural warmth of something like No Code or Yield. The only thing on here that feels remotely No Code-like to me is "Buckle Up," though it really feels more Stone Gossard solo album-like than anything. Also "Take the Long Way," which feels a bit Riot Act-y, or maybe a little Wellwater Conspiracy-ish. But the Vedder-composed tracks are all straight out of his PRAMG playbook, "Alright" feels way closer to "Pendulum" than to anything on Binaural, and "Retrograde" sounds like someone took a Brendan O'Brien production job and lip-o-suctioned the song out of it. "Dance of the Clairvoyants" and "Quick Escape," more or less, feel genuinely new to me, though "Quick Escape" does have echoes of "Infallible" in the rhythm. But there's no question it's certainly a much more satisfyingly composed, power-packed piece of work.

Again, I don't mean that comparison as an inherently bad thing; I think Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are such dirty words on this board that people feel like they have to compare this album to the "good" Pearl Jam records, otherwise they're selling it short or subjecting it to some kind of undue guilt by association. But this album sounds nothing like their middle-period records, and nothing remotely like their early ones. It's not quite a "logical extension" of their recent records -- perhaps an illogical extension of them. More surprises than we had a right to expect at this point, which is a good thing. But still -- I think there's a fair amount of "new album hyperbole" behind people's assessment of how different of an album it really is.

Maybe. I'll keep listening. The only Pearl Jam I've listened to since getting a hold of this is some Backspacer and Lightning Bolt stuff, and it sounded very different to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it sounds exactly like those albums -- just more like them than any others. I think KidC's very early assessment that Lightning Bolt was its closest parallel, but that even that was still something of a forced comparison, was pretty on point. Most PJ records occupy their own sonic and thematic space, to a degree, but they also all exist on a continuum where their closest sonic relatives are their immediate predecessors and their immediate successors. I don't think this album breaks that lineage, but I also don't think following it is a strike against it.

[Bammer]

I still can't find a connection in QE with Ten or Vs Pearl Jam.

Nor me.

It's still very much a modern Pearl Jam song to my ears.

They all are, really -- I think about half of them are really strong, but all of them are far closer in spirit and in compositional quality to Backspacer and Lightning Bolt than to anything of "recently risen from the ashes of Mother Love Bone" vintage.

And I don't mean that as a negative, I think they did a good job on this album of shaping that approach, and zeroing in on the elements of it that work.

Hard to argue with The Kevin Davis, but I'm hearing/feeling more No Code -> S/T than Backspacer and Lightning Bolt. Those latter elements are there, but don't seem so prevalent.

You know what I’m hearing is a new song called Quick Escape from a new album called Gigatron.

[Birds in Hell]

I think Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are such dirty words on this board that people feel like they have to compare this album to the "good" Pearl Jam records, otherwise they're selling it short or subjecting it to some kind of undue guilt by association.

I definitely think this is happening.

But this album sounds nothing like their middle-period records, and nothing remotely like their early ones.

Agreed.

It's not quite a "logical extension" of their recent records -- perhaps an illogical extension of them.

That's a good way of putting it.

[Bammer]

I think Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are such dirty words on this board that people feel like they have to compare this album to the "good" Pearl Jam records, otherwise they're selling it short or subjecting it to some kind of undue guilt by association.

I definitely think this is happening.

But this album sounds nothing like their middle-period records, and nothing remotely like their early ones.

Agreed.

It's not quite a "logical extension" of their recent records -- perhaps an illogical extension of them.

That's a good way of putting it.

Like I was saying...

[Anders]

I am happy we got such a heavy song on the album, without going the punk route in any way.

[dimejinky99]

Agree with KD on those two albums being dirty words around here.

But you don’t have this album without those two. It’s almost like a natural follow on from both to these ears.

[Angus]

Hmm. I'm a bit surprised reading the reactions. I've listened 3 times and I even like Superblood Wolfmoon more than this. Dance being the standout so far. Not very happy. Maybe it'll come...

It's a lot better after a couple of times on headphones. Starting to like it.

[Jorge]

I still can't find a connection in QE with Ten or Vs Pearl Jam.

Nor me.

It's still very much a modern Pearl Jam song to my ears.

People are making that comparison because it's a groove-based mid-tempo rocker with a big chorus that features multiple vocal parts (reminiscent of "Breath") and also has extended solo sections and a "jammy" ending. The aesthetics aren't the same but I totally understand why this comparison is happening. PJ haven't made a lot of these types of songs in a while.

[Ms Harmless]

Agree with KD on those two albums being dirty words around here.

But you don’t have this album without those two. It’s almost like a natural follow on from both to these ears.

I feel as if those albums kind of represent an experiment to work through "new" parts and elements to a maturer sound, rather than a whole Pearl Jam; they play around (with mixed success) with fun and brightness, "friendliness" instead of bleakness, pop elements in the production and instrumentation; those elements don't start to become fully integrated into a complete PJ sound until this album, which sprinkles those into what we knew and loved about them before

[Jorge]

Has Josh commented on the lyrics yet?

He's handwriting and photographing a response to this post as we speak.

[Jorge]

"Retrograde" sounds like someone took a Brendan O'Brien production job and lip-o-suctioned the song out of it.

Brutal

More surprises than we had a right to expect at this point, which is a good thing. But still -- I think there's a fair amount of "new album hyperbole" behind people's assessment of how different of an album it really is.

Yeah I agree

[Strat]

I don't have the same ear for production value that many others on this board do, but to me this album is way closer to the big, glossy sound of the last two records than the natural warmth of something like No Code or Yield. The only thing on here that feels remotely No Code-like to me is "Buckle Up," though it really feels more Stone Gossard solo album-like than anything. Also "Take the Long Way," which feels a bit Riot Act-y, or maybe a little Wellwater Conspiracy-ish. But the Vedder-composed tracks are all straight out of his PRAMG playbook, "Alright" feels way closer to "Pendulum" than to anything on Binaural, and "Retrograde" sounds like someone took a Brendan O'Brien production job and lip-o-suctioned the song out of it. "Dance of the Clairvoyants" and "Quick Escape," more or less, feel genuinely new to me, though "Quick Escape" does have echoes of "Infallible" in the rhythm. But there's no question it's certainly a much more satisfyingly composed, power-packed piece of work.

Again, I don't mean that comparison as an inherently bad thing; I think Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are such dirty words on this board that people feel like they have to compare this album to the "good" Pearl Jam records, otherwise they're selling it short or subjecting it to some kind of undue guilt by association. But this album sounds nothing like their middle-period records, and nothing remotely like their early ones. It's not quite a "logical extension" of their recent records -- perhaps an illogical extension of them. More surprises than we had a right to expect at this point, which is a good thing. But still -- I think there's a fair amount of "new album hyperbole" behind people's assessment of how different of an album it really is.

Maybe. I'll keep listening. The only Pearl Jam I've listened to since getting a hold of this is some Backspacer and Lightning Bolt stuff, and it sounded very different to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it sounds exactly like those albums -- just more like them than any others. I think KidC's very early assessment that Lightning Bolt was its closest parallel, but that even that was still something of a forced comparison, was pretty on point. Most PJ records occupy their own sonic and thematic space, to a degree, but they also all exist on a continuum where their closest sonic relatives are their immediate predecessors and their immediate successors. I don't think this album breaks that lineage, but I also don't think following it is a strike against it.

We're all various versions of ourselves as we age and mature. Its a logical extension of the last two records as much as it is the middle period. There's hints of everything in this record.

this record benefits from the time spent on it and letting the songs breathe and without BoB seemingly tamping down the most creative intentions of the band for more radio play.

Lightning Bolt is a varied record in terms of style , not unlike Gigaton, or really any pearl jam record. Pearl jam has always dabbled in the same mix of rock, punk, folk, ballad....Theyve never really strayed from that.

To my ears? These songs are just far more exciting and interesting with more lyrical depth than anything off the last two records. The production itself is far more livelier and warmer than anything of the last three records. There seems to be an excitement in the playing that has been severely lacking over the last two records, not heard since S/T.

Its the best combo of all of pearl jams abilities produced in a way that is far more exciting and listenable than many recent records.

Its pearl jam.

[Thejambi]

I still can't find a connection in QE with Ten or Vs Pearl Jam.

Nor me.

It's still very much a modern Pearl Jam song to my ears.

People are making that comparison because it's a groove-based mid-tempo rocker with a big chorus that features multiple vocal parts (reminiscent of "Breath") and also has extended solo sections and a "jammy" ending. The aesthetics aren't the same but I totally understand why this comparison is happening. PJ haven't made a lot of these types of songs in a while.

This is exactly it.

I hear several compositional elements that call back to songs like Breath, Alone and I would even say DTE and Rival than I do from anything on ST, Lightning Bolt or Backspacer. I am not suggesting that it is a copy or revision of any of those songs. Quick Escape carves out it’s own piece of the pie. I just think this song successfully recaptures what made a lot of old Pearl Jam rock successfully without sounding over the top and disingenuous.

[Bammer]

Has Josh commented on the lyrics yet?

He's handwriting and photographing a response to this post as we speak.

Josh is out of control.

[Strat]

In the opening moments of chaos....the drum shuffle just...blows my skirt up. So tasty.