Pearl Jam - C or D?

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...wait! I just got it! "Pearl Jam"! Eeeeew. hahahaha!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:04 (twenty-two years ago)

No tunes! No proper tunes! That has always been my problem with the horrible PJ. The complete absence of melody,

Love them or hate them, this is totally untrue. From their first record on up through the most recent, they've always written lots of highly melodic pop tunes. In terms of music science, you just can't fucking dispute that.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

but...their name! It means jism!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"Oceans" is a good song. I thought "Vs." was a good album for its time. I haven't heard anything since "Vitalogy".

I was actually talking to somebody at the TV On the Radio show this past Friday who was wearing a Pearl Jam t-shirt. He was a big fan and said they still put on a good show (not that I'd ever seen them live anyway).

I guess I'll go with classic.

― kickitcricket, Monday, 3 May 2004 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

So...did everybody else get the joke 15 years ago?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:45 (twenty-two years ago)

you guys?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't trip over the flannel shirt on your way out.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Vitalogy is their best record - it has the highest ratio of great songs (Corduroy, Not For You, Tremor Christ, Whipping, Satan's Bed, Better Man) to dross (Nothingman, Stupid Mop, Aye Davanita). No Code is pretty good too, about the same level of quality as the best stuff from Vitalogy, but with less cohesion as an album. There's pretty good music scattered throughout their catalog, but they've recorded a lot of clunkers over the years. They've been experiencing a bad case of diminishing returns from Yield onwards - for every good pop song they write now, they do about five or six songs which just drag along and sound very rote and formulaic.

I'll always have a big soft spot for them, and I revisit them every so often with some fondness.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I was actually talking to somebody at the TV On the Radio show this past Friday who was wearing a Pearl Jam t-shirt. He was a big fan and said they still put on a good show

tvotr and pj are not so far away from each other. except pj have more memorable songs. so far.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I had no problem with Sundar's "toilet seat voice" catchphrase. I'm not sure why, but that description made perfect sense the first time I read it.
tvotr and pj are not so far away from each other. except pj have more memorable songs. so far.

xpost - I see little similarity between tvotr and pj. I'm with you on the second sentence, though.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't explain it, but I think that there is some aesthetic crossover between TV On The Radio and Pearl Jam. I think it's easy to imagine them being fans of one another, of there being significant crossover in their fanbases. They should tour together.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

they both have a somewhat drone-y style of songwriting, they're both jammy onstage (or so i've been told about tvotr, whom i've never seen), but in general i'm with matthew: can't quite explain it, but the aesthetic crossover is def. there.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

tvotr and pj are not so far away from each other. except pj have more memorable songs. so far.

That's for sure.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 3 May 2004 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Eh, I don't know - there's a lot of PJ songs which rely on vocal drone, but those are mostly songs from their first record or two. They have a lot of songs which are just straight-out melodic, like catchy boomer rock stuff.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 3 May 2004 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know, Pearl Jam was the only grunge band I didn't really like. Maybe its Vedder's growing desire to be just like BONO

― Cacaman Flores, Monday, 3 May 2004 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

"I think that there is some aesthetic crossover between TV On The Radio and Pearl Jam"

I suppose you could say that about a lot of "rock" bands, though.

I don't know, I think the guy just likes Pearl Jam, amongst many other types of bands and genres of music. We only discussed Pearl Jam when I noticed his t-shirt. The rest of the time, we talked about any number of other bands.

― kickitcricket, Monday, 3 May 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw that Madison Square Garden show that they released on DVD when it was on the Pay Per View freeview thing on my parents' satellite cable, and it was one of the most static performances I've ever seen. It wasn't just the way it was shot - I think that they (and Vedder in particular) just stopped being visually dynamic a long, long time ago. They play lots of songs and play generally strong performances, but the stage show is just non-existant. In that sense, there is absolutely nothing about Eddie Vedder (in terms of being a musician and a performer) which is at all like Bono. Bono is the biggest ham in the world!

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 3 May 2004 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

If Vedder wants to be just like anyone, I suspect that it is post-Clash Joe Strummer, or Pete Townshend.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 3 May 2004 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

But you know what Pearl Jam really is?

The Gen-X Bruce Springsteen.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 3 May 2004 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Weirdly I don't mind them so much now. I sometimes have fond memories of "Glorified G" and "Rearview Mirror".

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

classic.

― uh (eetface), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

c-l-a-s-s-i-c. "No Code" is the most underrated album of the 90s.

― dieblucasdie (dieblucasdie), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Toilet-seat voice = voice like you're straining to squeeze one out?

Anyway, Ten has its moments, the best of which, you're right Dan, is "Black." I didn't really follow them much after that.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, that's what it meant, Clarke. I don't really feel the same way anymore though, especially considering all the singers who have come since. At the time I actually did enjoy a number of their songs OK, though they never clicked nearly as much as Nirvana, Soundgarden, the Pumpkins, or Sonic Youth. Is Ten the one with "Alive" and "Even Flow"?

Also, out of curiosity, does anyone here rate the guitarists and/or rhythm section?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Ten, Vs., Vitalogy, and Riot Act rule. The others either fall just short or aren't so hot. Undecided on No Code as of now.

― uh (eetface), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I think, to be honest, that it was more Eddie Vedder as personality/icon that I'd had an issue with rather than the music itself.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the guitar playing on the early stuff, yeah Sundar. (And Ten is the one you're thinking of btw.) It's very unselfconsciously skilled. I feel like lots of guitar playing today (both mainstream and fringe) is all "and now I will do *this* with the instrument!" whereas PJ (and Soundgarden and SP and Nirvana too) come across as "feel" players, something that makes them seem very classic rock, and probably what puts them off to lots of people who don't care for just plain good guitar playing.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Of course, Soundgarden had the old-school metal thing with the guitars, Nirvana had the punk thing, SP the glam/metal thing -- PJ's guitarists come across as the most straight-up classic rock of the bunch.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I feel like lots of guitar playing today (both mainstream and fringe) is all "and now I will do *this* with the instrument!" whereas PJ (and Soundgarden and SP and Nirvana too) come across as "feel" players, something that makes them seem very classic rock

This seems like a very valid point to me, even though it seems like a vague statement. Something about it intuitively makes sense.

The vocal drone thing was actually kind of cool, thinking about it now. They did have a distinctive sound that way. Do you think that approach might have been influenced by Jane's at all? I'd like to hear the collaboration with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (to whom I'm listening now.)

I've also realized I like in retrospect: The Tragically Hip.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 01:22 (twenty-two years ago)

i saw them play this past summer and ever since then PJ have gotten increasingly more and more distasteful. i couldnt stand those fucking solos. they were awful. i cant stand vedder's self righteousness. i used to be a fan, but i cant listen to any of it anymore.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Mike McCready's guitar solos used to be a lot more melodic, but as times goes on, it's just lazy wank left to fill up space in the song. Stone Gossard doesn't really impress me as a guitarist, but he tends to write the better riffs and most of their best pop tunes have been written by him. Eddie Vedder is just an okay rhythm guitarist. Jeff Ament is pretty solid bass player with a gift for melody, but isn't much of a songwriter when he's left to write a composition all by himself.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

classic, even though they never recorded a start-to-finish classic album, never recorded an album that was wholly devoid of merit (even Riot Act had some worthy tunes), but even their best (Vs. is my favorite) had a good chunk of filler. You could def. winnow down their catalogue into about one or even two CDs of pure goodness though.

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

My Pearl Jam POX:

1. Porch
2. Oceans
3. In My Tree
4. Who You Are
5. Do the Evolution
6. All Those Yesterdays
7. Corduroy
8. Bugs
9. Present Tense
10.Given to Fly

Their music: classic. Stone Gossard's record label: classic. Eddie Veddar's duet with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (who he studied with at one point) on the Dead Man Walking soundtrack: classic.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

800,000,000,000,000 live albums: dud.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Neither classic not dud. I like a couple of their songs, like "Alive" and "Elderly Woman..."

However, calling Pearl Jam a "grunge" band: DUD!!!!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I wonder how many people own all of those live albums. I wonder if those people even bother to listen to non-PJ music.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't hate them, a few of their songs are kiinda catchy I guess, but overall they were always just too dull for me.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

http://goldenfiddle.com/system/files?file=images/pj.img_assist_view.jpg

Allegedly the new album's cover.

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 19:28 (twenty years ago)

They rock as Neil Young's backing band, but really, they do suck the big hairy one, there's just no argument.

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 20:14 (twenty years ago)

Their best song to date is "Black". That's the only song of theirs that I would actively seek out.

Still OTM nearly 4 years later.

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 20:45 (twenty years ago)

MADNESS

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 20:48 (twenty years ago)

The only positive statement I have about Pearl Jam is that when "Vitalogy" was in every juke box in the world, I always put "Bugs" in as my first choice so that I knew my stuff was coming up.

"all these...
i got bugs
i got bugs in my room
bugs in my bed
bugs in my ears
their eggs in my head
bugs in my pockets
bugs in my shoes
bugs in the way i feel about you
bugs on my window
trying to get in
they don't go nowhere
waiting, waiting...
bugs on my ceiling
crowded the floor
standing, sitting, kneeling...
a few block the door
and now the question's:
do i kill them?
become their friend?
do i eat them?
raw or well done?
do i trick them?
i don't think they're that dumb
do i join them?
looks like that's the one
i got bugs on my skin
tickle my nausea
i let it happen again
they're always takin' over
i see they surround me, i see...
see them deciding my fate
oh, that which was once...was once up to me...
now it's too late
i got bugs in my room...one on one
that's when i had a chance
i'll just stop now
i'll become naked
and with the...i'll become one"

Oh yeah!! Now I'm ready for some shots and good times!

Otherwise, Pearl Jam is a horrible, horrible nightmare.

― John Justen (johnjusten), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 20:56 (twenty years ago)

Classic, despite themselves. They've written more good songs now that they've stopped being The Biggest Band in the World -- a conclusion which would have horrified this addled Anglophile back when I thought Blur was the Beatles.

Most of Vitalogy, No Code, and Yield sound great.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 21:02 (twenty years ago)

They've written more good songs now that they've stopped being The Biggest Band in the World

Yup. But I'll stand by the quiet songs on the first one.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 21:05 (twenty years ago)

They're about as unfashionable as a band can be in 2006, but I really like them. Not the first album as much, it's too slick with too much reverb. But the best of Vitalogy, No Code and especially Yield are absolutely classic.

I don't understand the Pearl Jam hatred. Compared to other bands on the radio like Nickelback, Creed and Fuel, they're the Beatles, Elvis and Dave Clarke 5 combined.

They're also one of the best cover bands around, with killer versions of Let My Love Open the Door, and tons of others. Eddie Vedder does a great version of X's Poor Girl, backed by teh Supersuckers.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 21:07 (twenty years ago)

They're blamed for every regrettable AOR trend of the last 10 years. But AOR doesn't play Sleater Kinney, the Buzzcocks, or Crowded House, all of whom Vedder has championed over the years.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 21:09 (twenty years ago)

anyone got an early '90's pic of them to post, you know, the long hair and stoopid shorts era? I wanna see some justification of their fashion sense too.

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 21:17 (twenty years ago)

Gotta give em credit for producing the least expected album cover ever.

― erklie (erklie), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 22:38 (twenty years ago)

the new song on myspace sounded aiight actually.

i really like courderoy. that's a good song.

i find them kinda loveable now, for just keepin' on keepin' on....but i don't really ever listen to them.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 23:02 (twenty years ago)

i'm not sure why, but this really made me laugh.

http://digicollage.com/music/pearl_jam.jpg

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 23:50 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 714 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Oh, and one guy was like "Matt Cameron sucks, bring back Jack Irons!"

― ⓓⓡ (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 8 July 2025 00:43 (eleven months ago)

same calibre of braindead idiots that clamored for Gruden’s return to the Oaklan Raiders & that turned out great :/

Dave was fine, but lmao that is SOOOO not gonna happen

they’re more likely to bring back fkn Krusen (and have) than to undelete Ole Headshop Dave’s number

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 8 July 2025 01:01 (eleven months ago)

I did love that Jack Irons era Aussie live album they put out for RSD a while back.

― conspiracitorial theories (stevie), Tuesday, 8 July 2025 08:20 (eleven months ago)

Wondered if the remaining Soundgardens were planning to do something, but I'm guessing it's more that Matt's had enough of the heavy workload.

― conspiracitorial theories (stevie), Tuesday, 8 July 2025 08:20 (eleven months ago)

He's the oldest in Pearl Jam (but not that old, really, a couple of years younger than Tool chops monster Danny Carey, for example), he's been touring for 40 years, he's financially set for life, he's lived the/a dream of a career. Hell, he made an album with Geddy Lee. It's still hard to believe this is about retirement, though hopefully it's not about health. Maybe he'll form a band with Jason Newsted.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 8 July 2025 12:43 (eleven months ago)

two months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwXjtba57YQ

― Maresn3st, Friday, 26 September 2025 20:49 (nine months ago)

^Cameron's last show, someone made a nice multicam with desk audio

― Maresn3st, Friday, 26 September 2025 20:51 (nine months ago)

three weeks pass...

i'm on my first genuine listen of this band (only 30 years late) and it made me appreciate why some people completely hate the smashing pumpkins. because woof at this band.

need to poll which rat song is more embarrassing: smashing pumpkins "bullet with butterfly wings" or pearl jams "rats"

― My homies buttthole surfers' record sounds like a f (Western® with Bacon Flavor), Thursday, 23 October 2025 13:18 (eight months ago)

Even as a Pearl Jam fan, I can't stand "Rats" and that's easily their worst song. Just terrible.

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 23 October 2025 13:43 (eight months ago)

I quite like it. Definitely prefer it to Bugs, say.

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Thursday, 23 October 2025 14:11 (eight months ago)

I don't know, for me "Bugs" leans into the obvious fuck-around, ridiculous aspect. "Rats" doesn't commit to the bit enough and tries to also be overly earnest, failing at both. Also "Bugs" works better in context than "Rats" does, sticks out like an ugly wart on Vs for me.

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 23 October 2025 14:21 (eight months ago)

Rats has a good groove and a “Ben” coda! Bugs does not have either of those things

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 23 October 2025 14:47 (eight months ago)

Yeah, the Ben coda works for me tbh, and as Veg says the groove. I enjoy listening to it! I skip Bugs erry time!

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Thursday, 23 October 2025 15:45 (eight months ago)

Honestly, I guess it's just me but the "Ben" coda is where I completely give up on it. Fwiw, I'm not arguing that "Bugs" is a killer Pearl Jam song or anything, just building off of Stevie's mention and I appreciate it as a fucked up little interlude in the flow of Vitalogy.

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 23 October 2025 16:03 (eight months ago)

The key change to the Ben coda is great! Plus, it's Eddie singing 'Ben' by Michael Jackson! On a song about how rats are better than people!

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Thursday, 23 October 2025 16:10 (eight months ago)

I'll stick up for Rats!

― peace, man, Thursday, 23 October 2025 16:37 (eight months ago)

"rats" goes on the fonky pearl jam playlist of songs that remind me that the band has opened for and shared multiple musicians with red hot chili peppers ("dirty frank" is track 1).

― some dude, Thursday, 23 October 2025 17:10 (eight months ago)

ha was about to say you need to put Dirty Frank on there. But also I have no desire to ever hear that song again.

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Thursday, 23 October 2025 17:49 (eight months ago)

FONKEH

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Thursday, 23 October 2025 17:49 (eight months ago)

wait til you guys hear about Mother Love Bone

― imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 23 October 2025 18:25 (eight months ago)

*strokes chin at fretless 12 string bass grooves*

― imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 23 October 2025 18:26 (eight months ago)

Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns is all the MLB I can tolerate tbh

― meat-based daughter-based unwellness (stevie), Thursday, 23 October 2025 18:32 (eight months ago)

i cannot abide any strays sent in Mother Love Bone’s direction imo

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 23 October 2025 20:55 (eight months ago)

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