Red Mosquito

Birds in Hell wrote:I'm just not willing to spend the time trying to uncover hidden depths in songs that I'm already certain aren't any good.

Pretty much where I am too. I find myself liking to really liking about 2/3 of this album, but my level of investment is so different this time that the intangible listening experience feels the most underwhelming of any PJ record to date. Which isn't to say I've lost interest in the band, or that I'm not more or less happy with the album we got. It's just...different.

I do like "Yellow Moon," though. I said it earlier in the thread but I feel like of all the songs this is the one that suffers worst from O'Brien's clean-shaven, one-size fits all production approach--this type of meditative, bluesy ballad rarely benefits from having its edges sanded off the way they are here. Mike's guitar solos are painfully inappropriate, and they speak poorly to his versatility as a player, reinforcing the idea that wailing metal solos way high up on the neck represent the extent of his range as a soloist. I hear this as having should have been a grainy, live-in-the-room performance with maybe just Ed, Stone, and Jeff, or an electric slow burn in the style of "Long Road" or "Cold Confession," something more atmospheric that gives Ed's performance a chance to pick up some steam. The composition is there, though, and I can make allowances for the rest of the stuff in my head. It's in the upper half of the record for me.

harmless wrote:All I read is 'This song sucks because it doesn't do what it would've done in the past.'

i like you better on Thursdays.

BurtReynolds wrote:

harmless wrote:All I read is 'This song sucks because it doesn't do what it would've done in the past.'

i like you better on Thursdays.

Don't ask me to just do what I've done in the past!

On. So this one has crept up on me in a big way.

dimejinky99 wrote:On. So this one has crept up on me in a big way.

Just heard it and hit me big time.

Jeff Ament is a genius. Thanks Jeff, for doing a very classic Pearl Jam mid tempo song.

Kevin Davis wrote:

Birds in Hell wrote:I'm just not willing to spend the time trying to uncover hidden depths in songs that I'm already certain aren't any good.

Pretty much where I am too. I find myself liking to really liking about 2/3 of this album, but my level of investment is so different this time that the intangible listening experience feels the most underwhelming of any PJ record to date. Which isn't to say I've lost interest in the band, or that I'm not more or less happy with the album we got. It's just...different.

I do like "Yellow Moon," though. I said it earlier in the thread but I feel like of all the songs this is the one that suffers worst from O'Brien's clean-shaven, one-size fits all production approach--this type of meditative, bluesy ballad rarely benefits from having its edges sanded off the way they are here. Mike's guitar solos are painfully inappropriate, and they speak poorly to his versatility as a player, reinforcing the idea that wailing metal solos way high up on the neck represent the extent of his range as a soloist. I hear this as having should have been a grainy, live-in-the-room performance with maybe just Ed, Stone, and Jeff, or an electric slow burn in the style of "Long Road" or "Cold Confession," something more atmospheric that gives Ed's performance a chance to pick up some steam. The composition is there, though, and I can make allowances for the rest of the stuff in my head. It's in the upper half of the record for me.

I'd love to hear a demo or a rough mix of this one just to hear what it might sound like somewhere closer to what you're imagining. I happen to really like the production on this one, which I think gives it a grandiosity that is at odds (in an interesting way) with the solitary loneliness of the song, so I'd like to hear what it might sound like with a different gloss (or lack of one, really)

This song would benefit from black lady back-up singers.

Specially at "round...."

Once again, Eddie sounds so good on this.

stip wrote:Once again, Eddie sounds so good on this.

I was talking about this song in the LB thread... he's voice brings me back to things like Long Road, with that hint of fragility in the verse, building to the cathartic chorus. I'd love an album of Yellow Moons.

Ok, maybe a Blue Moon, Green Moon....

knee tunes wrote:This song would benefit from black lady back-up singers.

Specially at "round...."

every song would benefit from black lady back-up singers.

stip wrote:Once again, Eddie sounds so good on this.

and consider he lost his voice according to objective people

this song reminds me of No Code more than any post-No Code song of theirs.

Mine wrote:

stip wrote:Once again, Eddie sounds so good on this.

and consider he lost his voice according to objective people

He didn't lose his voice, he ju-hust does ruh-heally stuh-hoopid thuh-hiings with it nuh-how.

cutuphalfdead wrote:

Mine wrote:

stip wrote:Once again, Eddie sounds so good on this.

and consider he lost his voice according to objective people

He didn't lose his voice, he ju-hust does ruh-heally stuh-hoopid thuh-hiings with it nuh-how.

He always did though, he just changed them a little.

Mine wrote: He always did though

Not to this extreme level he didn't.

I fell asleep on the couch while it was playing on my headphones the other night, is that a postive?

cutuphalfdead wrote:

Mine wrote: He always did though

Not to this extreme level he didn't.

The H thing no, the hurrdurr though...

Mine wrote:

cutuphalfdead wrote:

Mine wrote: He always did though

Not to this extreme level he didn't.

The H thing no, the hurrdurr though...

The hurr durr was the worst during the stip years of Pearl Jam. 1990-1993, 2006-present.

cutuphalfdead wrote:

Mine wrote:

cutuphalfdead wrote:

Mine wrote: He always did though

Not to this extreme level he didn't.

The H thing no, the hurrdurr though...

The hurr durr was the worst during the stip years of Pearl Jam. 1990-1993, 2006-present.

Which is an obvious calculated attempt at a reaching more people and grabbing their money.