Red Mosquito

I don't buy that the political climate at the time had any great impact on the band's music through that period. Obviously it did on Vedder's lyrics, but I don't think you can extend that influence to the music itself.

The progression of the band's writing, for me, aligns really well with what Lament posted above about the band trying (and feeling as though they were failing) to figure out a new way to be Pearl Jam.

Birds in Hell wrote:I don't buy that the political climate at the time had any great impact on the band's music through that period. Obviously it did on Vedder's lyrics, but I don't think you can extend that influence to the music itself.

The progression of the band's writing, for me, aligns really well with what Lament posted above about the band trying (and feeling as though they were failing) to figure out a new way to be Pearl Jam.

Eh, yes and no but the whole VFC tour and the political climate in US at the time definitely had an influence on the more aggressive song writing with the band. The riffs, the over baked production, the lyrics, the faster playing....

I believe they even stated as such after the VFC tour. They harnessed that energy into some of the sessions.

Are the Binaural and Riot Act sessions the only ones where they neither made an attempt at a song from a previous album's sessions or had any leftovers that were attempted for subsequent album sessions? I guess maybe Ten would be the other one. I think that says something about their attitudes towards those albums.

Lament wrote:Are the Binaural and Riot Act sessions the only ones where they neither made an attempt at a song from a previous album's sessions or had any leftovers that were attempted for subsequent album sessions? I guess maybe Ten would be the other one. I think that says something about their attitudes towards those albums.

Supposedly "Of The Girl" and "Thin Air" were both from the Yield sessions

bodysnatcher wrote:Supposedly "Of The Girl" and "Thin Air" were both from the Yield sessions

I stand corrected (and more than a little intrigued at what a Jack Irons version of Of The Girl might sound like).

Strat wrote:

Birds in Hell wrote:I don't buy that the political climate at the time had any great impact on the band's music through that period. Obviously it did on Vedder's lyrics, but I don't think you can extend that influence to the music itself.

The progression of the band's writing, for me, aligns really well with what Lament posted above about the band trying (and feeling as though they were failing) to figure out a new way to be Pearl Jam.

Eh, yes and no but the whole VFC tour and the political climate in US at the time definitely had an influence on the more aggressive song writing with the band. The riffs, the over baked production, the lyrics, the faster playing....

I believe they even stated as such after the VFC tour. They harnessed that energy into some of the sessions.

I also don't think that what Lament is describing and what i'm saying are mutually exclusive. I suspect they fed off each other, although I do think the larger environment (especially on Riot Act and S/T) played a non inconsiderable role in shaping the sound of those albums. Riot Act sounds like what the early Bush years felt like for an American progressive

bodysnatcher wrote:

Lament wrote:Are the Binaural and Riot Act sessions the only ones where they neither made an attempt at a song from a previous album's sessions or had any leftovers that were attempted for subsequent album sessions? I guess maybe Ten would be the other one. I think that says something about their attitudes towards those albums.

Supposedly "Of The Girl" and "Thin Air" were both from the Yield sessions

Also, they soundchecked Parting Ways in 1996 or something.

WtOB? wrote:Also, they soundchecked Parting Ways in 1996 or something.

Ah, that's right. I can't believe I forgot about that. Barcelona 1996.

Lament wrote:

WtOB? wrote:Also, they soundchecked Parting Ways in 1996 or something.

Ah, that's right. I can't believe I forgot about that. Barcelona 1996.

ah yeah, forgot about that

stip wrote:I also think the music on Riot Act and S/T may be musical responses to the the politics of the time more than something reflecting internal band dynamics or a creative journey. Something I would not say about Binaural.


I've always thought there was an interesting parallel with Springsteen, REM, and Pearl Jam with their bush era albums. Each releases a downcast, where am I and what the hell just happened, album (Devils and Dust, Riot Act, Around the Sun) in the early years of the Bush era, and then as the country starts to turn his back on him and they see the cracks and fissures, a much angrier and aggressive album that finds the voice it needs to respond to the last several years (Magic, S/T, Accelerate)

You speak about themes, but yourself and everyone here has missed the Pj set list construct and the themes running through them over tours. Different nights would speak to each other. You weren't there, you didn't see it. But it was important.

dimejinky99 wrote:

stip wrote:I also think the music on Riot Act and S/T may be musical responses to the the politics of the time more than something reflecting internal band dynamics or a creative journey. Something I would not say about Binaural.


I've always thought there was an interesting parallel with Springsteen, REM, and Pearl Jam with their bush era albums. Each releases a downcast, where am I and what the hell just happened, album (Devils and Dust, Riot Act, Around the Sun) in the early years of the Bush era, and then as the country starts to turn his back on him and they see the cracks and fissures, a much angrier and aggressive album that finds the voice it needs to respond to the last several years (Magic, S/T, Accelerate)

You speak about themes, but yourself and everyone here has missed the Pj set list construct and the themes running through them over tours. Different nights would speak to each other. You weren't there, you didn't see it. But it was important.

I'm not sure I followed that, Dime. Could you say more?

stip wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:

stip wrote:I also think the music on Riot Act and S/T may be musical responses to the the politics of the time more than something reflecting internal band dynamics or a creative journey. Something I would not say about Binaural.


I've always thought there was an interesting parallel with Springsteen, REM, and Pearl Jam with their bush era albums. Each releases a downcast, where am I and what the hell just happened, album (Devils and Dust, Riot Act, Around the Sun) in the early years of the Bush era, and then as the country starts to turn his back on him and they see the cracks and fissures, a much angrier and aggressive album that finds the voice it needs to respond to the last several years (Magic, S/T, Accelerate)

You speak about themes, but yourself and everyone here has missed the Pj set list construct and the themes running through them over tours. Different nights would speak to each other. You weren't there, you didn't see it. But it was important.

I'm not sure I followed that, Dime. Could you say more?

I think the gist was that he's seen a lot of Pearl Jam shows.

Case closed!

Lament wrote:Are the Binaural and Riot Act sessions the only ones where they neither made an attempt at a song from a previous album's sessions or had any leftovers that were attempted for subsequent album sessions? I guess maybe Ten would be the other one. I think that says something about their attitudes towards those albums.

Apparently Alive was written whilst MLB were still going and Andy even sang on it, Dollar Short.

So that leaves Riot Act.

EJ wrote:I dunno, I really don't picture these guys writing music in terms of perceived "eras."

I'd usually agree that it sounds like a stretch, but in the context of the band's lyrics I can definitely see a shift after Yield. Many of the themes that Ed and the band were concentrating on in the Vitalogy/No Code stretch kind of get put to rest on Yield (personally, I always felt Given to Fly in particular was Ed making peace with the shit he was going through on Vitalogy). You really don't see a lot of those themes come up again. Like others have mentioned, with Binaural onwards there's more of an outward shift, a change in focus, a larger emphasis on political topics in the lyrics. The lyrics on Binaural through S/T, although they vary widely in quality, go from frustration to despair and questioning, and finally regaining their anger. That's overtly simplistic, but I can see a through line.

Backspacer doesn't make as much sense; I understand the idea that the lack of politics is in itself a response to S/T, but it's more a record about holding onto the things that you love rather than feeling triumphant. It seems like a sequel to the records they would have been writing had Bush not happened.

that's true digster, except much of Pearl Jam's political/external music is still personal--about the intersection between the public world and the private self

stip wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:

stip wrote:I also think the music on Riot Act and S/T may be musical responses to the the politics of the time more than something reflecting internal band dynamics or a creative journey. Something I would not say about Binaural.


I've always thought there was an interesting parallel with Springsteen, REM, and Pearl Jam with their bush era albums. Each releases a downcast, where am I and what the hell just happened, album (Devils and Dust, Riot Act, Around the Sun) in the early years of the Bush era, and then as the country starts to turn his back on him and they see the cracks and fissures, a much angrier and aggressive album that finds the voice it needs to respond to the last several years (Magic, S/T, Accelerate)

You speak about themes, but yourself and everyone here has missed the Pj set list construct and the themes running through them over tours. Different nights would speak to each other. You weren't there, you didn't see it. But it was important.

I'm not sure I followed that, Dime. Could you say more?

Sometimes on tours, set lists seem to have a theme. And different nights would correspond with the one before. We had a great discussion about this on the old board. Can't remember where It is though.

Lament wrote:

bodysnatcher wrote:Supposedly "Of The Girl" and "Thin Air" were both from the Yield sessions

I stand corrected (and more than a little intrigued at what a Jack Irons version of Of The Girl might sound like).

Yeah, the Jack take on Of The Girl has been my Pearl Jam wet dream for some time now.

cutuphalfdead wrote:

Lament wrote:

bodysnatcher wrote:Supposedly "Of The Girl" and "Thin Air" were both from the Yield sessions

I stand corrected (and more than a little intrigued at what a Jack Irons version of Of The Girl might sound like).

Yeah, the Jack take on Of The Girl has been my Pearl Jam wet dream for some time now.

Hey Pete remember that cool looped Of The Girl instrumental you made? That was neat.

It seems to me a lot of the newer fans have been produced around this time. Interesting. .......