Red Mosquito

"Gonna See My Friend": Okay, so this one's rather bouncy, very straight-forward pop-rock. Why is Eddie so screechy, though? That's not necessary, and doesn't serve the song at all. A lower pitched, more controlled delivery I think would have been better suited. Although I guess it's supposed to signify "reckless abandon." The unabashed pop strain of the music is sort of neat, though. Jeff dominates, but with the kind of groove they've got going, that's to be expected. I like the change of the bridge; further evidence that writing bridges is one of PJ's strengths. I don't follow the lyrics, but I haven't cared about PJ lyrics in a while, so... What's this one about?

"Got Some": I think this is my favorite one on this record. I didn't care for it at first, but the charging intro and kind-of new-wave style make it stand out pretty well against the band's older songs. Once again, weak choruses, but the rest makes up for it. I like Eddie's vocals more here than in "GSMF." I can't pinpoint what bands this reminds me of. A good imitation of the style.

"The Fixer": The Target song. The melody in the verse is pretty enjoyable; kind of off-kilter a little bit, and the guitars are doing another U2-esque thing (I think). Is that a keytar in the choruses and through to the bridge transition? They definitely went full-on '80s for this one. Stupid chorus again, but this is hardly as offensive as much of "Avocado." I could definitely see myself bumping this record above that one, if this thing has some meat and doesn't flag too hard at future points.

"Johnny Guitar": Nice opening here, sets up an interesting mood. The verses are nothing to write home about, but that little twist at the end is interesting for PJ. Very throwback. Whoa, is that a chorus? That instrumental bit and the total change in vocal style. That was unexpected. Okay, the structure of this one's hard to follow because it's so anti-PJ standards. I like how different it is. I kinda wish it went on longer. The fade-out comes too soon!

"Just Breathe": This was the first song on the album I ever had any affection for. I know it's viewed with a fair amount of disdain, and I get where that's coming from, but I have to admit, I still enjoy this. It kind of feels out of place, coming after the last song, though. I like the lyrics, and the "aw huh" parts don't offend me too much. That little keyboard thing in the first verse and chorus is sweet. I don't like the bass and synth that gets layered in over the next parts, though. Yeah, it definitely gets a little over-arranged as it goes on. I think the strings need to scaled back, and the electric guitars should be more accentual than they are.

"Amongst the Waves": This is the first thing that actually sounds like a Pearl Jam song; well the very beginning does, but it changes tack pretty quick. It's trying for that "epic" thing that a lot of PJ's songs do, but I don't know if it's really pulling it off. Holy crap, that guitar solo sounds so out of place! I don't know what to think of this one, yet. Very much a ballad, but not as strong as what the band's done before, and I don't know if it really belongs on this album.

"Unthought Known": I remember liking the title for this one when we learned all of the songs' names. Kind of "Wishlist"-esque opening notes. This is the one that gets compared to "Lightning Bolt," right? Okay, now I can see the comparison. That kick drum and that goddamn piano! They used to be pretty good at utilizing piano effectively, but now now. I like the "gems & rhinestones!" part. Definitely was better served by morphing into the basis for "Lightning Bolt." The outro's okay. I like the spacy synths and the drums. Another song that seems a bit out of place.

"Supersonic": And back to the full-speed-ahead charge. Stip's right, this one's definitely aping the Ramones and others of their ilk. Not something I would generally like, but I think this fits a lot better with the first four songs. The bridge transition's pretty cool. Adds an odd swagger to the song that contrasts nicely with the pop-punk style that defines the rest of it. Pretty lightweight, but I think it might be one of their better emulations of anything in a "punk" style. They do this better than the harder-edged stuff.

"Speed of Sound": Another intro, I like; this one seems to suit the song pretty well. I remember this one a little better than some of the others. This one's done a lot better than "Unthought Known" or "Amongst the Waves." It feels more suited to its skin. I'm not sure if I've noticed the "lasers" everyone's always going on about. Yeah, this one's not bad. If they needed slower songs to balance out the faster New-Wave stuff from early on, this one's very appropriate and well done.

"Force of Nature": Another song that makes me think of some other band, but again, I can't place whom. I can't quite latch onto anything here. Perhaps the most inconsequential song on the record. I like that "false ending" at the bridge, but I almost think that should have been the real ending. It seems like it would have more impact that way. I see Mike wrote this one; makes sense, I guess. Okay, I guess it does end similarly to that transition out of the bridge, but I still stand by my original statement. That solo's not bad, and might even be necessary for this kind of song, but I'd be interested in hearing a version where it just ends without the big payoff.

"The End": That's a very final title. Another acoustic one, eh? I've never liked this song being the ending of the album, so it's poorly titled. I don't know how it would fit otherwise, but it's unfulfilling. I guess that's the point, though, isn't it? Yeah that inward gasp at the end is kinda silly. I almost wish it wasn't overdubbed, and that Eddie actually gasped and didn't sing the final word, and then it stopped. Probably too morbid, though, but I think it might have sold the message a little more effectively. I guess the contrast between the heavy subject matter and the light music gets the pint across.

Okay, so I still don't know that I can fully form an opinion on this album, yet, but I do know there's a fair amount of that's better than I ever gave it credit for. The sequencing feels weak, and there are a few songs that feel out of place. I think it could have been a pretty effective breezy little EP with a few somewhat serious songs to round it out, and it would feel more satisfying. As it is, it's not as tired or cliched as Pearl Jam, but it's still difficult for me to say which is the better album, though I've been leaning towards Backspacer for a little while.

Brett wrote:
"Force of Nature": Another song that makes me think of some other band, but again, I can't place whom. I can't quite latch onto anything here. Perhaps the most inconsequential song on the record. I like that "false ending" at the bridge, but I almost think that should have been the real ending. It seems like it would have more impact that way. I see Mike wrote this one; makes sense, I guess. Okay, I guess it does end similarly to that transition out of the bridge, but I still stand by my original statement. That solo's not bad, and might even be necessary for this kind of song, but I'd be interested in hearing a version where it just ends without the big payoff.

this is probably one of the most divisive songs in the catalog. people seem to either really love it or find it boring. little middle ground

stip wrote:

Brett wrote:
"Force of Nature": Another song that makes me think of some other band, but again, I can't place whom. I can't quite latch onto anything here. Perhaps the most inconsequential song on the record. I like that "false ending" at the bridge, but I almost think that should have been the real ending. It seems like it would have more impact that way. I see Mike wrote this one; makes sense, I guess. Okay, I guess it does end similarly to that transition out of the bridge, but I still stand by my original statement. That solo's not bad, and might even be necessary for this kind of song, but I'd be interested in hearing a version where it just ends without the big payoff.

this is probably one of the most divisive songs in the catalog. people seem to either really love it or find it boring. little middle ground

should have kept the original name, "Distant Planet."

Force Of Nature might be the only song from Backspacer and Lightning Bolt on which I really adore Eddie's singing.

stip wrote:

Lament wrote:

stip wrote: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.

Conversely (Since she seems to be calling the shots), what's your favorite Sesame Street record?

What's the opinion behind not playing FoN live? Too much for Ed's voice? Too many lyrics to remember? A setlist killer?

bodysnatcher wrote:What's the opinion behind not playing FoN live? Too much for Ed's voice? Too many lyrics to remember? A setlist killer?

No, "ya yas" to sing.

Strat wrote:

bodysnatcher wrote:What's the opinion behind not playing FoN live? Too much for Ed's voice? Too many lyrics to remember? A setlist killer?

No, "ya yas" to sing.

If you are prepared to whoop a celebratory "yeah yeah" after the line "by thinking we're infallible are we tempting fate instead," then you've clearly stopped worrying about placement and might as well just throw down whenever you feel the urge.

They probably don't play it live cause Eddie doesn't like the song. He does the set list right? I'm sure he puts songs on there he doesn't like if the other guys bitch so I guess no one is going to bat for it.

hlniv wrote:I will say this for now- The Fixer certainly is intended to be "fun".

If it's supposed to be a fun song, then why does Ed look so pissed off in the video?

He got to Target too late and they had already shut down the dining area so he couldn't get any breadsticks.

Lament wrote:

stip wrote:

Lament wrote:

stip wrote: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.

Conversely (Since she seems to be calling the shots), what's your favorite Sesame Street record?

Although cookie monster is my favorite character, Ernie has the best songs.







and of course the surprisingly tender




Ellie's favorite, however is

I listened to this all the way through for the first time in years today. I'm not going to go song-by-song, but some completely pointless musings...

- Gonna See My Friend and Just Breathe were the two most improved songs. Gonna See My Friend has the feel of being ProTooled to death (it almost sounds like they just stuck the chorus in from a completely different performance of the song, so jarring is the feel of the transition), but it had a rambunctiousness that was okay. And Just Breathe has aspects of it, mainly during the verses that are nice. Both are more of an "eh, they're not terrible" as opposed to an endorsement, but still, progress.
- Jeff's bass playing may be the unsung hero of this band; for a player who's not particularly showy he can always throw in something interesting or invigorating to the most blase of arrangements. Listen to him on the bridge of Johnny Guitar, and he basically saves the second verse of Just Breathe; it's like he knew exactly when the song would start being boring as shit and threw in this weird bass line that still works quite well.
- Johnny Guitar is a good song that could have been great; I like Ed's vocal on it more than I used to, having it be such a dramatic performance for such a ridiculous, pathetic story. But it just feels like a first draft. This album is very uninspired in terms of arrangements and such; I can see why Jeff preferred LB when it came to guitar parts.
- The production on this album is pretty horrid; listening to the beginning of Amongst the Waves (a song that was kind of sunk to begin with), the opening guitar sounds so tinny and petulant. It's an IPhone picture of a painting instead of the painting itself.
- I kind of like the guitar solo in Supersonic, especially the way it vaults back into the main progression; it's like the only moment of this whole record that feels instinctual, like something chaotic could actually happen. And I'm not usually one to let lyrics alone sink a song for me, but "I wanna live my life with the volume full" may be the worst thing Ed's ever put to paper.
- I go back and forth on The Fixer; I never thought it was anything stellar, but I wouldn't call it a lowpoint of the record. Until today. That has not aged well. Every guitar sounds processed within an inch of its life, and the chorus sounds hackneyed. I did use to like this one, but time away from it didn't help.
- Speed of Sound always stuck out like a sore thumb on this record for me, primarily lyrically. This is supposed to be their 'hopeful' record, and this song has one of the most hopeless lyrics Ed's ever written.
- The End is still wonderful. Got Some, Johnny Guitar and that song still remain the best songs on here, to me.

Anyways, it still seems near the bottom of the pile for me. It feels like PJ had an interesting idea (explore some poppier, more new wave elements to their sound in a more optimistic lyrical bent), and then did the bare minimum of work to make it a reality.

stip wrote:

Those two are so good. Rarely can you revisit a topic multiple times like that with such high quality results, but that fucker Ernie pulls it off.

This is my jam, though...



This one was also really influential on me...

Y'know, I tell my friends about the fucked up stuff I overhear my roommate doing, but then I realize at moments like this she's probably texting her friends saying "I SWEAR TO GOD, HE'S IN HIS ROOM LISTENING TO SONGS FROM SESAME STREET!"

digster wrote: Anyways, it still seems near the bottom of the pile for me. It feels like PJ had an interesting idea (explore some poppier, more new wave elements to their sound in a more optimistic lyrical bent), and then did the bare minimum of work to make it a reality.

this is a great summation

Listening on crappy computer speakers at work...

GSMF- Strong opening riff makes me expect something grand, and then it gets so shrill/poppy/teenybopper. The chorus has a nice baseline, but what is this even about? Is his friend a drug dealer? The bridge has nice drumming and tolerable singing until Ed gets all shrill again. I can't stand his strained singing in this. Also, that riff which starts out so great at the beginning is really wearing on me when it doubles as the outro without the same urgency.

Got Some- Incredibly fast drumming intro and then a really clever ska-ish riff suck me into this one. Really nothing to dislike here- Ed sounds earnest, and there's less of that scratchy strained vocal thing going on. The bridge on this one is fun with the echoing guitar.

The Fixer- So many style changes in the first twenty seconds, and then all the sudden it's a total new wave song. Points for pulling off a new style, but I wish they did more melodically in this one. Ed sounds great to me, and the lyrics are good enough, but there's not a whole lot beyond the basic melody, after that hectic intro.

Johnny Guitar- Okay, this has always been my least favorite. Again, I dig the intro, but when Ed starts singing, he loses me. He sounds insincere in this track. Musically, I can't get into the mood- the urgency is there, but it sounds like it's trying to be kind of dirty and clever, and I don't like that from PJ.

Just Breathe- The guitar is so beautiful. The "uh huh" is a little distracting, but the guitar and lyrics are so great that I don't care. I like the bass that comes in at "practiced all my sins". The orchestration at "did I say…" really pissed me off when I first heard this song. I still maybe wince a little, as it sounds like the muzakification of my favorite band. But damn if this isn't a beautiful little ditty.

Amongst the Waves- I like how this immediately sounds like it's going somewhere. When it gets to the chorus, I'm struck by it's slow majesty, the same way I've always been struck by Alive. Keyboard part comes in nicely. "First time you saw blood" lyric is one that always sticks out to me. Mike's solo in this is pure grunge until it goes into a momentary lapse of Allman Bros. At this point, I'm totally digging this shit. Goddamn this song is so much better than people realize. I'm totally taken back to the first time I ever heard it. All those times singing it in Rock Band. Fuck yeah.

Unthought Known- I like buildups, and this song is nothing if not a buildup. When the tension finally breaks, it's a little bit anti-climactic, and I wish the piano would leave the main legwork more to the guitars. "Nothing left nothing left…" The guitar riff that comes next doesn't really do it for me. Then there's a buildup again, but it's quicker and more to the point this time. The guitar is better this time around, but again such a simple little riff. Where are the hooks on this album? Oh yeah, modern PJ doesn't have many of those.

Supersonic- Beginning reminds me of "Mankind". This is "cute Pearl Jam", like in GSMF. Sounds insincere and poppy to me, although there is certainly a fun element to it. The dirty guitar bridge is interesting with some classic Mike noodling. Then right back into the silliness. "Yeh eh!"

Speed of Sound- Opening sound is so cathedral, then straight into sad country song Ed. Where is this melody going? "But this night has been a long one…" Now it's getting somewhere, and the guitar melody really is nice. I'm getting into this. When the opening melody repeats, it takes me out of it a little. But just like Unthought Known, there's a second buildup and I am enjoying that. The lasers are "different" but to me they harken to a 70s sound that I like, so I don't mind them. Taken as a whole though, I can understand why people like the demo version.

Force of Nature- Opening guitar sounds reminiscent of the things in Johnny Guitar that I didn't like, but soon enough Ed gets to the "one man stands at the edge of the ocean" part and I find myself getting hooked in. By the time the piano comes in, I'm totally rolling in this one. The background guitar punctuating Ed's verses is great. Ed sounds passionate on this one. One of the better bridges on this album. Great use of piano continues. Ed's vocal affectations aren't annoying me on this one, maybe because it sounds like he really cares about the subject matter. The guitar that comes in at the final part elevates the song. A truly majestic ending.

The End- This sounds like a nice Ed solo song. Why is it on a Pearl Jam album? Ugh, more orchestral arrangements. This would have been great on the ukelele album, stripped down, with less vocal affectations. Loved it live in Portland, but on the album it's kind of a dud.

Overall, I am again reminded of what a strange experience this album is. I love a number of songs (Got Some, Amongst the Waves, and Force of Nature really stand out for me), really like several others (Fixer, JB, UK), with the rest being a messy soup of stuff that I dig (i.e. guitar in middle of Supersonic) and don't dig (what seems to me like a general insincerity in lyrics and musical choices).