Red Mosquito

Force of Nature vs. Retrograde vs. The End

There are lots of hugely underrated late period pearl jam songs. Force of Nature might be at the top of the list. It DOES get off to a sluggish start. I have to own that. But great lyrics, wonderful outro 'patterns', and such a nuanced, understated, softly textured performance from everyone


Retrograde is a decent song (Mike going back to the Sirens well in terms of its feel. Something I don't love but can't help but like) with a phenomenal ending.

The End: This is in everybody hurts territory for me now. A really affecting song that works best if it's been a while.

But it's always time for Force of Nature

yeah, its FON to me too

I like Retrograde a surprising amount, hopefully it pulls this off.

Force of Nature is just awful.

oooh. I think the End is beautifully heartbreaking and a wonderfully tender performance.

FoN is the worst song on Backspacer, which is PJ's worst album.

Retrograde is a mediocre song on a pretty good PJ record, though it sounds like an LB outtake.

The End is a good song and really beautiful.

epilogue wrote:FoN is the worst song on Backspacer, which is PJ's worst album.

Retrograde is a mediocre song on a pretty good PJ record, though it sounds like an LB outtake.

The End is a good song and really beautiful.

were back baby!

Strat wrote:

epilogue wrote:FoN is the worst song on Backspacer, which is PJ's worst album.

Retrograde is a mediocre song on a pretty good PJ record, though it sounds like an LB outtake.

The End is a good song and really beautiful.

were back baby!

FoN

I’ve loved the final verse/chorus and guitar outro to Force of Nature since day one. One of my favourite standalone moments in the catalogue.

Retrograde is very nice. The End has never really landed for me but it’s a good performance from Eddie.

Force of Nature is a distant, distant third here, it puts a cap on PJ's weakest run of songs on record to me. I love Retrograde, particularly the first part. It's a pretty but intricate successor to something you'd hear off of Green or Out of Time from R.E.M. I like the sound collage kind of thing at the end, though Ed didn't need to feel the sound quite so hard.

I'm going with Retrograde, but The End is close behind, and I think it's easily Ed's best version of this kind of song that popped up sporadically on Backspacer, LB and Into the Wild.

Force of Nature advances