Red Mosquito

After a long break Backspacer is a great listen. Every songs good to great. Force of nature top of the pile.


I think getaway would fit on it too.

I just think it might be the first album since Yield where they set out to accomplish something cohesive and did so.

Hearing it right after Ten it was such a shock I could not appreciate it. Now making it through the middle albums, I have a different perspective.

Like I said, its a completely different sound than the Pearl Jam sound that most fell in love with, but they do that sound well here. It might be one of their strongest album in terms of no filler, there's no time for filler. Every song is good.

It's a bit disappointing to see them so poppy but I have to say its better than the other albums around it.

It's Matt Cameron-era grooveless loud and fast Pearl Jam....but it sounds like it fits. The drums suit the type of music they are making.

Its sad that we can't have Ten-era Pearl Jam again, but at least they are committing.

Eddie's voice has never sounded worse than it does on this album. "Just Breathe" and "The End" are unlistenable.

LoathedVermin72 wrote:Eddie's voice has never sounded worse than it does on this album. "Just Breathe" and "The End" are unlistenable.

I would agree here. I would like Just Breathe if Eddie wasn't warbling so much. I can't deny.

I don't think he sounds BAD on the louder ones, because it fits the songs but it definitely didn't impress me like he used to.

Also I dunno what it is, but when I first heard the album Johnny Guitar stood out to me the least and I didn't really like it. Now I dunno what I was thinking. Great song.

Also I think the lyrics on this album are MUCH better than the middle albums! Im listening to Amongst the Waves and I actually think it sounds really nice. Not sure if that's just because the song is structured without the lyrics jumping out, but while I don't really know what he's singing about, Im not distracted. I really like the way some of the lines rhyme too. he doesn't seem to be trying as hard as the middle albums or something. Somehow that makes it better

Actually I have to say hippy surfer Eddie finally took it too far for me on Unthought Known...

But its ok. Its still less distracting to me than the middle albums

I imagine mikejasond and stip listening to Backspacer like this:

darth_vedder wrote:I imagine mikejasond and stip listening to Backspacer like this:

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

LoathedVermin72 wrote:Eddie's voice has never sounded worse than it does on this album. "Just Breathe" and "The End" are unlistenable.

He sounds great on the end lv. We need him to do more of that. That's where his voice is. Much rather hear that than a load of screeching he can't do anymore which gets dropped in key, to the detriment of the song, in the live setting.

dimejinky99 wrote:

LoathedVermin72 wrote:Eddie's voice has never sounded worse than it does on this album. "Just Breathe" and "The End" are unlistenable.

He sounds great on the end lv. We need him to do more of that. That's where his voice is. Much rather hear that than a load of screeching he can't do anymore which gets dropped in key, to the detriment of the song, in the live setting.

SlihIiIde on Nehext to MheEEH

Yeah and the hurdy gurdy Swedish chef like warbling he sings on Ten is so amazing.

yes it is! shut up dime! it is the nasly vibrato from the middle albums we should be making fun of

stip wrote:yes it is! shut up dime! it is the nasly vibrato from the middle albums we should be making fun of

He sounds like Cher via Mr Ed the horse on ten.

Even heard daughter the other by accident and his vocal on that is sooooo affected. Ah huuur yeah

dimejinky99 wrote:Yeah and the hurdy gurdy Swedish chef like warbling he sings on Ten is so amazing.

Im really not a fan of that either, but it is better.

Once I saw Adam sandler do even flow as operman on SNL in 94 it ruined eddies voice for me forever.

I still think the first four songs are untouchable.

they're untouchable alright.

Eddie sounds like he has a cold on the whole record.

WtOB? wrote:Eddie sounds like he has a cold on the whole record.

Yep

There's some weird eq-ing around his voice that emphasizes the wrong tones, presumably to give more room to the other instruments, but his singing form on Backspacer is so vastly superior to Lightning Bolt that I can't even fathom how anyone could argue the reverse. It's amazing how much less muscle his voice has, just a few years later. And the worst standout vocal tick moments on Backspacer became the everyday norm on LB...the hiccuping in-vowel note jumps, the creaky push at the start of new lines, the breathiness, and the heavy overdubbing of background vocals to make up for his reduced power. Even just the tone of his voice these days grates on me.