Red Mosquito

Can't Keep vs. Betterman

Cant Keep.

Listen, Betterman is a great song. A classic....but im burnout of it. Cant Keep is a wonderful song. Ed's voice, the guitars, that amazing beat and groove.
The work of the band is incredible.

Nah, it’s Better Man.

I honestly prefer Can't Keep here.

Can't Keep is a pretty great song. But Betterman is arguably the best pop rock song of the 90s. That I don't need to hear it very much anymore doesn't take anything away from just how unbelievably masterfully constructed and performed that song is. And lyrically it felt really ahead of its time. Can't Keep is a great mood piece, but they've got a bunch of those.

Can't Keep is stunning, but Betterman is a massive achievement, IMO, even though like many I rarely reach for it anymore. They managed to do that kind of thing that R.E.M. did with a song like Man on the Moon or Losing My Religion; they managed to find a song that was very accessible and open-hearted, and yet didn't do away with any of that group's eccentricities. I don't know if Better Man is as good as those songs, but it fits that same kind of idea.

Those are excellent parallels

I feel this tournament for me its more of what i wanna hear these days. I havent felt like putting Betterman in at least 10 years.

Cant Keep.

For a long time, I really couldn't be bothered with Better Man, and probably specifically for the reasons Stip and digster listed. It wasn't what I ever wanted from PJ. But, I've come around to it in the past few years, and really appreciate the song. It's still a highlight of the live show.

Nevertheless, I'm voting for Can't Keep here. Absolutely love everything about this song.

Both are great, but voting Betterman. If this wasn't my first full tour through this tournament I might be more inclined to take the "What would I listen to right now?" approach. But, for my first go-round, I'm trying not to take their greatest songs for granted.

Can't keep a better man

That ain't no shit

LetMeSleep wrote:I honestly prefer Can't Keep here.

I think I do too. But I really love both.

Betterman all the way. After all these years it still might be my favorite song. State College ‘03 is a great version, easy to find on YouTube.

digster wrote:Can't Keep is stunning, but Betterman is a massive achievement, IMO, even though like many I rarely reach for it anymore. They managed to do that kind of thing that R.E.M. did with a song like Man on the Moon or Losing My Religion; they managed to find a song that was very accessible and open-hearted, and yet didn't do away with any of that group's eccentricities. I don't know if Better Man is as good as those songs, but it fits that same kind of idea.

stip wrote:Those are excellent parallels

Wow, haven’t really considered that equivalent, but I think it’s really spot on. My mind is a little blown. Anyway, I’m stoned.

Betterman obviously.

PHATJ wrote:

digster wrote:Can't Keep is stunning, but Betterman is a massive achievement, IMO, even though like many I rarely reach for it anymore. They managed to do that kind of thing that R.E.M. did with a song like Man on the Moon or Losing My Religion; they managed to find a song that was very accessible and open-hearted, and yet didn't do away with any of that group's eccentricities. I don't know if Better Man is as good as those songs, but it fits that same kind of idea.

stip wrote:Those are excellent parallels

Wow, haven’t really considered that equivalent, but I think it’s really spot on. My mind is a little blown. Anyway, I’m stoned.

Wow. That was a perfect description.

I still went with Can’t Keep - I really love Can’t Keep and always have. Better Man is a song that ebbs and flows for me - sometimes it blows me away and other times is bores me.

There’s a tension/release thing happening in Can’t Keep that only a few other PJ songs have (SoH, NAIS, Indifference, maybe a couple others). It’s never once ceased to pull me in from the first note and hold my attention until the last.

As Liebzz said, I have good days and bad days with Betterman.

I prefer Can’t Keep, but Better Man is just a better song. No matter how tired I am of it, it’s still the better song. And Dave A.

wease wrote:I prefer Can’t Keep, but Better Man is just a better song. No matter how tired I am of it, it’s still the better song. And Dave A.

I prefer Matt C’s drumming on Can’t Keep to Dave A’s on Better Man. In fact, other than the signal of the whole band jumping in after the first verse/chorus I don’t know if I have ever noticed the drums on Better Man.

Edit: also, in the earlier demo versions of Better Man, the time keeping intro with the sticks I think detracts and ruins any sense of the intimacy of the song, so there’s that too.

stip wrote:Can't Keep is a pretty great song. But Betterman is arguably the best pop rock song of the 90s. That I don't need to hear it very much anymore doesn't take anything away from just how unbelievably masterfully constructed and performed that song is. And lyrically it felt really ahead of its time. Can't Keep is a great mood piece, but they've got a bunch of those.

What he said.