Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Backspacer

[stip]

I don't know if I'd go as far as fun, but this seems clearly meant to be PJ's optimistic 'pop' album, for lack of a better term. I think it's very inconsistent in trying to be that, but that does seem to be the intent.

Optimistic for sure. And pop for pearl jam.

[stip]

Speed of Sound: This song has grown on me quite a bit. I like the lyrics, I like the sentiment, I like the way the dreamy introduction calls back to Amongst the Waves. The music is maybe a bit too busy, but it's a strong song underneath it. It's not doing Speed of Sound any favors, but the song can take it--The music between the first verse and second chorus is really good.

Not sure I like how he gets all whispery and deep for Speed of Sound, but I do like the register he sings this song in, and in general it's a pretty strong performance. I wish it was a bit more prominent elsewhere. I wish The End and Just Breathe were sung like this.

I like the studio version more than the demo. I like the life and energy--I just wish this song didn't have so much ADD.

[stip]

Force of Nature: The one true 5 star song for me on this album. Some of Eddie's best lyrics ever, and maybe the best song this side of Insignificance for the music creating a soundscape to match the story being told--which is even more of an achievement given how this is a much more traditional sounding song than Insignificance (although Insignificance still does this better).

I love the muscular riff and how stubborn it is. But why is mike playing that whiny lead in the beginning. It does make a bad first impression that the song has to overcome.

I love all of Mike's little The Edge moments in this song.

Such a great chorus.

There is a lot of really cool stuff happening in the second verse that never gets the credit it deserves.

'Somewhere there's a siren singing a song only he can hear 'is one of my favorite lyrics ever.

I like how Eddie sings this, but I do wish he had gotten a hold of this one is his prime. It's easy to imagine how he would have destroyed this if it was on Ten.


This song has the sense of movement, of build and climax and something being at stake that the other anthems on this album are missing.

It's not a solo per se, but I adore the stuff Mike plays at the end of this. There's a scuffed purity to it. The best ending to a PJ song since I Am Mine, maybe.

[digster]

but that would make sense if they were already writing songs, wouldn't it? they're accurate descriptions.

It's speculation, but their intents don't fit all that well with the records as they ended up. S/T isn't really any more of a rock record after it's opening salvo; it's just produced to be very loud. Backspacer is this weird mish-mash of pop songs, Eddie's folk ditties, and some anthem-by-numbers. Both records seem a little confused, which makes me feel like they may have had a direction going in without the songs to support them. They both just end up sounding muddled.

[stip]

The End: I like the orchestration on this, and how it feels intimate and private without being hushed--full of thoughts you'd normally whisper but are really too important for that. Better loud than too late. Really nice melody. Not the greatest lyrics, but they're okay with some lovely sentiment and such a vulnerable delivery that it's forgiven.

the gasp at the end is a little melodramatic, but was pretty powerful the first few listens. And the way it ends so starkly is still pretty powerful.

[stip]

I'm not saying they didn't really feel that way; I have no way of knowing that. But Stone had an interesting quote in one of those recent 'Lightning Bolt' interviews, where he said that it was difficult for him to understand how bands could sit down and figure out what they wanted their next record to be before even writing it. But it did seem like PJ was doing that to a degree for these records; I remember that S/T was the 'rock' album, and Backspacer was the 'poppy new wave' album probably years before they came out, in terms of how the band discussed them.

but that would make sense if they were already writing songs, wouldn't it? they're accurate descriptions.

It's speculation, but their intents don't fit all that well with the records as they ended up. S/T isn't really any more of a rock record after it's opening salvo; it's just produced to be very loud. Backspacer is this weird mish-mash of pop songs, Eddie's folk ditties, and some anthem-by-numbers. Both records seem a little confused, which makes me feel like they may have had a direction going in without the songs to support them. They both just end up sounding muddled.

That's true. Neither album really maintains its alleged sonic identity for the whole time. But in both cases I feel like the ideas in the records give them a unity. It works for me anyway, but I tend to look for stuff like that.

[stip]

Yeah, I still really love this album. It might over time even age better than Lightning Bolt (which still gets listened to a few times a week because my daughter loves it). I'll have to see in a year or so.


On the plus side I think of the 11 songs only one is bad, and 8 are pretty strong (1-6 plus the last two). Unthought Known and Speed of Sound are decent, but UK was limited and speed of sound needed a different treatment than it got.

The problem with Backspacer, for me, is that there is really just only one song on it that is a classic (Force of Nature--but GSMF may come close). The good songs are good, and some are really good, and the album is a really enjoyable listen from start to finish, but it rarely feels essential.

[Lament]

Lightning Bolt (which still gets listened to a few times a week because my daughter loves it)

How does your daughter feel about Backspacer?

[bodysnatcher]

I'm not saying they didn't really feel that way; I have no way of knowing that. But Stone had an interesting quote in one of those recent 'Lightning Bolt' interviews, where he said that it was difficult for him to understand how bands could sit down and figure out what they wanted their next record to be before even writing it. But it did seem like PJ was doing that to a degree for these records; I remember that S/T was the 'rock' album, and Backspacer was the 'poppy new wave' album probably years before they came out, in terms of how the band discussed them.

but that would make sense if they were already writing songs, wouldn't it? they're accurate descriptions.

It's speculation, but their intents don't fit all that well with the records as they ended up. S/T isn't really any more of a rock record after it's opening salvo; it's just produced to be very loud. Backspacer is this weird mish-mash of pop songs, Eddie's folk ditties, and some anthem-by-numbers. Both records seem a little confused, which makes me feel like they may have had a direction going in without the songs to support them. They both just end up sounding muddled.

That's true. Neither album really maintains its alleged sonic identity for the whole time. But in both cases I feel like the ideas in the records give them a unity. It works for me anyway, but I tend to look for stuff like that.

I feel like – especially with the last 2 records - that PJ doesn't have any agenda whatsoever going into the studio or while writing the songs that end up on the record... and in hindsight, try to find a common theme in all of them so they have something to say in the album release interviews.

[digster]

I actually feel like Lightning Bolt was one of the first times ever when it just kind of felt like "here's a bunch of songs." Backspacer and S/T, even if they don't match up with what they were supposed to be doing, to have hints of that to it, and S/T at least has some connecting threads lyrically.

[digster]

That's true. Neither album really maintains its alleged sonic identity for the whole time. But in both cases I feel like the ideas in the records give them a unity. It works for me anyway, but I tend to look for stuff like that.

I think it goes without saying, but it mainly probably comes down to how one feels about the records. If I like the songs enough, I'm going to be able to fill in the blanks.

[aurynsdad]

I've always hated "Johnny Guitar" with a vitriol that I really don't have for many other Pearl Jam songs at all. I just think the lyrics are stupid, and the music is among BS's worst. There seem to be more JG lovers here, and more JG haters at the official site's forum. Huh.

[stip]

I'm not saying they didn't really feel that way; I have no way of knowing that. But Stone had an interesting quote in one of those recent 'Lightning Bolt' interviews, where he said that it was difficult for him to understand how bands could sit down and figure out what they wanted their next record to be before even writing it. But it did seem like PJ was doing that to a degree for these records; I remember that S/T was the 'rock' album, and Backspacer was the 'poppy new wave' album probably years before they came out, in terms of how the band discussed them.

but that would make sense if they were already writing songs, wouldn't it? they're accurate descriptions.

It's speculation, but their intents don't fit all that well with the records as they ended up. S/T isn't really any more of a rock record after it's opening salvo; it's just produced to be very loud. Backspacer is this weird mish-mash of pop songs, Eddie's folk ditties, and some anthem-by-numbers. Both records seem a little confused, which makes me feel like they may have had a direction going in without the songs to support them. They both just end up sounding muddled.

That's true. Neither album really maintains its alleged sonic identity for the whole time. But in both cases I feel like the ideas in the records give them a unity. It works for me anyway, but I tend to look for stuff like that.

I feel like – especially with the last 2 records - that PJ doesn't have any agenda whatsoever going into the studio or while writing the songs that end up on the record... and in hindsight, try to find a common theme in all of them so they have something to say in the album release interviews.

Well Eddie writes all the lyrics on the last two so he can give the albums unity through the themes, and that's what binds together what in both cases (esp Lbolt) pretty disparate collections of songs.

[digster]

I'd actually say the two albums where they went the furthest on the multiple lyricists idea are, by a fair margin, more cohesive than the last two efforts. I'd say Yield was particularly well put-together in that regard. That being said, I don't think it's a huge problem that Lightning Bolt is all over the place. Sometimes records are just a collection of songs; I think there are plenty of amazing records that are way less cohesive in their lyrics than any PJ record.

[WtOB?]

lighting bolt would be so much more cohesive if sleeping by myself wasn't on it.

[bada]

Listened today. It's definitely my least favorite. I kinda like GSMF, Fixer, Waves and SOS. At least there are parts of those songs I can get behind. The others do nothing for me. JG is sorta fun but it always feels like it's missing a final section. There is nothing really wrong with Just Breathe, I try to like it, the sentiment is nice but it doesn't do anything for me. The other songs don't offend me or anything but I would be fine if I never hear them again.

[stip]

I'd actually say the two albums where they went the furthest on the multiple lyricists idea are, by a fair margin, more cohesive than the last two efforts. I'd say Yield was particularly well put-together in that regard. That being said, I don't think it's a huge problem that Lightning Bolt is all over the place. Sometimes records are just a collection of songs; I think there are plenty of amazing records that are way less cohesive in their lyrics than any PJ record.

Sure, I didn't mean to imply a single lyricist was necessary, just that they could link a disparate collection of songs

[Leatherhead]

I've always hated "Johnny Guitar" with a vitriol that I really don't have for many other Pearl Jam songs at all. I just think the lyrics are stupid, and the music is among BS's worst. There seem to be more JG lovers here, and more JG haters at the official site's forum. Huh.

Johnny Guitar IS great.

[stip]

Lightning Bolt (which still gets listened to a few times a week because my daughter loves it)

How does your daughter feel about Backspacer?

I can't get her to sit through any other pearl jam yet.

[Brett]

Alright, time for an adventure. I've mentioned before that Backsapcer is my least-listened Pearl Jam album, so now I'm going to LAL it and see what I think. Quick history: after my disappointment with the self-titled album, I fell further away from Pearl Jam than I had been after I burned out on their music.

Over the next three years my music listening habits took me ever further from my roots in classic and alt. rock, so by the time teasing for Backspacer began, I wasn't particularly interested. Out of habit, I played along with some of the "find the artwork" game that revealed clips of one of the songs (Was that "The Fixer," "Got Some," or "Gonna See My Friend"?).

My lowest expectations were confirmed with those samples; the parts of "Avocado" I liked least were apt to be the running theme on the new record. I don't remember if I downloaded this near the release date, or if it was after, but looking at the release date, I'd judge after since there was a lot of good music coming out around then that I would have been preoccupied with. When I did listen to it, it left little impression. I don't think I was even disappointed so much as apathetic. Thus, I've never really given the album a fair shot. I don't know that this listening session will count for much, either, but getting my thoughts down might help me more accurately solidify an opinion.