https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VLAGhOetAk
― Ian from Etobicoke (Phil D.), Friday, 20 December 2013 18:38 (ten years ago) link
This is as much a guitar nerd post as a PJ post, but I was just going over "Born to Run" with my guitar teacher, and that song features the E/G# chord, which is basically the weirdest chord that doesn't sound weird. Maybe because it's a piano-type chord? Anyway, I've only come across it one other time (though I know it pops up here and there) in the tricky bridge to Huey Lewis's "Power of Love," but my guitar teacher recently played a benefit backing Eddie Vedder and noted the intro to "Better Man" (which I think he had to learn) is a bunch of variations of that E/G# chord. Now, Vedder isn't much of a guitarist, but he's solid enough, so our theory is that "Better Man" (which quickly gets really, really simple and repetitive) was written while or sometime after Vedder was trying to figure out "Born to Run." Like, it's a really, really conspicuously awkward chord, especially for beginners/me, so our theory is that he sat around making the chord shape, practicing it, moving it around, and that turned into "Better Man." Anyway, just a fun theory.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 11 July 2015 14:06 (eight years ago) link
I feel like E/G# is somewhat common.
Based on the first sentence I thought this was going to be about how "Unemployable" sounds like "Born In The USA."
― billstevejim, Saturday, 11 July 2015 18:10 (eight years ago) link
It's really not that common, though, not on guitar songs; "Born to Run" was I believe written on piano, which is where I think E/G# pops up more. So, like, Elton John and stuff.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 11 July 2015 18:38 (eight years ago) link
It's just an inversion of a major chord, it's not weird at all. D/F# is basically the same and that pops up in lots of guitar songs.
― 29 facepalms, Saturday, 11 July 2015 23:16 (eight years ago) link
Well, I find it weird! Or at least super awkward. And have only come across it in two songs. Well, three now: "Power of Love," "Born to Run" and "Better Man." Talking about this one:http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJdjxDvQjJs/Uym9P9rothI/AAAAAAAAA7M/AlVD9gIqyik/s1600/E-G%23+Chord.png
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 12 July 2015 05:10 (eight years ago) link
It's not that weird in context of the song. It starts off on this version of D/F#:
https://jsmusicschool.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/df.png
And then he just shifts it up two frets on the next line to E/G#.
I'd say he strummed the first chord, thought it sounded good, moved his fingers up a bit and hey presto.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 07:37 (eight years ago) link
Try it as xx6454
― 29 facepalms, Sunday, 12 July 2015 07:37 (eight years ago) link
The way I've shown is how Vedder actually plays it, though - with the G# on the low E.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 07:45 (eight years ago) link
Anyway, I still miss Jack Irons in Pearl Jam.
It hasn't been quite the same since he left.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 08:27 (eight years ago) link
hey spenno
― moans and feedback (Dinsdale), Sunday, 12 July 2015 09:29 (eight years ago) link
Hey!
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 10:07 (eight years ago) link
matt cameron's a great drummer though, and a pretty great songwriter too.
― Credit: howtokeepapositiveattitudedotcom (stevie), Sunday, 12 July 2015 10:31 (eight years ago) link
Oh, for sure; I miss Jack's contribution to the band's sound a lot but it's no knock on Matt. Evacuation and In the Moonlight are among my favourite late-period Pearl Jam songs.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 10:43 (eight years ago) link
Well, it's no knock on Matt's ABILITY anyway. I'd have been tempted at one point to say that his talents were being somewhat wasted in Pearl Jam but at least Soundgarden are back together now so I don't think that's true anymore.
He's a great drummer but I think Pearl Jam's previous drummers were arguably a better fit for their core sound.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 10:56 (eight years ago) link
I'd have been tempted at one point to say that his talents were being somewhat wasted in Pearl Jam but at least Soundgarden are back together now so I don't think that's true anymore.
Yeah. Though I would be bummed to see SG and find it was Matt Chamberlain and not Matt Cameron playing (not sure who drummed at Hyde Park last summer, was p sure in was Cameron)
― Credit: howtokeepapositiveattitudedotcom (stevie), Sunday, 12 July 2015 11:52 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, that was Cameron - Hyde Park was one of the only Soundgarden shows he played at in 2014, Chamberlain played the rest for the most part.
I get the impression that was a one-off arrangement for last year though, Cameron's played at every Soundgarden show since.
Funnily enough, I'd be thrilled to see Chamberlain sit in with Pearl Jam (again). He's a GREAT drummer and his style seems a lot more suited to them than Soundgarden.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 12:44 (eight years ago) link
Chamberlain's a great session drummer. I even liked him back in Edie Brickell's band, and he was an integral part of Tori Amos' band sound, too, and he's great when he plays with Jon Brion. Not sure how well he ultimately fits PJ, though. I mean, he's a session guy and can fit in anywhere, in the end, but I actually like Cameron's contributions.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 12 July 2015 13:53 (eight years ago) link
E/G# is a very common inversion, it's just E major with the 3rd in the bass instead of the root. I've seen inversions like that in countless songs. On guitar, I tend to just play a standard E major chord but use my little finger to fret the G# on the low E string. Using chords like this is great for creating descending basslines, e.g. A E/G# D/F# E, or ascending basslines, e.g.: F D/F# G E/G# A.
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Sunday, 12 July 2015 16:53 (eight years ago) link
oh yeah, chamberlain was in pj between krusen and abbrusseze, wasn't he?
― Credit: howtokeepapositiveattitudedotcom (stevie), Sunday, 12 July 2015 18:52 (eight years ago) link
Soundgarden getting a Cameron replacement while he does PJ shows irritated me so much...I get it from a logistical standpoint, because PJ has a bigger repertoire and changes setlists dramatically from night to night, so it's easier for a guy to come in and learn a set that Soundgarden plays every night than to keep up with the demands of a PJ tour. But Cameron is Soundgarden's backbone more fundamentally than any drummer has been for PJ. Totally agree that having Jack Irons back for one tour would've been wonderful.
― some dude, Sunday, 12 July 2015 21:28 (eight years ago) link
Jack was beautifully loose, No Code is so great partly bcz of him.
But Cameron is good! He's a great fit, and while maybe he's not someones technical cup of tea, he's a keen collaborator, plus his steadiness & easygoingness has helped glue the band together in a positive way. They are a better band collectively for having him imo
But it would def suck seeing Soundgarden without him, that's some bullshit
Maybe he needs cloning to play both bands at the same time
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 12 July 2015 22:04 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM0zINtulhM
It was recorded live, so that's his playing too.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 22:49 (eight years ago) link
yeah Cameron is good with PJ...I wish more of their work with him had the interesting spark he brought to the best parts of Binaural, but that's more down to the band already being on a creative decline by the time he joined.
― some dude, Sunday, 12 July 2015 23:09 (eight years ago) link
I wish more of their work with him had the interesting spark he brought to the best parts of Binaural, but that's more down to the band already being on a creative decline by the time he joined.
That said, Matt does seem like more of a cerebral, 'straight' drummer (in terms of feel) that someone like Irons or Abbruzzese who, despite having very different styles, both seem like looser, groovier players which I think fits right in with the band's expansive 70s rock thing.
― Birds in Hell, Sunday, 12 July 2015 23:24 (eight years ago) link
If anybody is interested, this bod has a really good YT channel in which they sync the soundboard recordings of full gigs to crowd digicam footage, I know there's a lot of this stuff to be found out there but this guy/girl is especially good at putting them together.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn-WEUogXBFbwfm3nmGN3rw
― MaresNest, Wednesday, 26 August 2015 19:12 (eight years ago) link
Getting a little too into the rhythms of even flow at the bar ...will bring it down a notch
― calstars, Saturday, 14 July 2018 21:18 (five years ago) link
Nah, take it up a notch buddy
― Minister of the Pillow (fionnland), Saturday, 14 July 2018 21:47 (five years ago) link
Looks like I get to see them at Wrigley Field, pretty psyched. I've seen the band a bunch but not for a long while, and even though I never put on their records I've always been impressed by them live.
Unrelated, I heard "Hard to Handle" by the Black Crowes today, and parts of it sort of reminded me of a slower, major key version of "Even Flow."
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 9 August 2018 02:00 (five years ago) link
my friend is going to the Home shows in Seattle & i am crazy jealous
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 9 August 2018 02:23 (five years ago) link
They were fine last night but not their best. A friend in the know told me that Seattle - the planning, the playing, the organization - took a lot out of them.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 19 August 2018 22:48 (five years ago) link
really? My FB page was full of friends in all. Was that the show at which he used Tom Petty's guitar or some shit?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 19 August 2018 22:55 (five years ago) link
Yeah, among other stunts. Dennis Rodman was there babbling, Vedder played a Petty guitar, Cubs World Series trophy on stage, they covered "Rebel Rebel," etc. I've seen them before and they've been better. They just never gathered momentum. Bolstering my position, I know they had permission to blow past the curfew, which was 11pm, but they stopped more or less right there.
I mean, it wasn't bad! They're a good live act. But this was not the keeper among the sets I've seen them play.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 19 August 2018 23:01 (five years ago) link
And indeed, band was significantly better tonight, rain delay and all.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 21 August 2018 06:06 (five years ago) link
Looks like a great setlist both nights, with some fun songs thrown in. Got the itch to attack the PJ DVD collection tonight.
― Minister of the Pillow (fionnland), Tuesday, 21 August 2018 07:58 (five years ago) link
2020 European tour announced - got my London tickets and hopefully grab Krakow ones on Saturday. Merry Christmas to me.
― knowing for certain the first touch of the light will finish you (fionnland), Monday, 2 December 2019 13:00 (four years ago) link
those london ticket prices though :-(might do amsterdam and might be able to blag stockholm lollapalooza... definitely want to catch a few if i can anyway
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Monday, 2 December 2019 13:13 (four years ago) link
they havent had a US tour in SIX YEARS wtf are they doing a european tour :( why do they hate me
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 2 December 2019 16:46 (four years ago) link
Warming up for a US tour?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 2 December 2019 17:06 (four years ago) link
^^ My guess. Rumor has it a new album will be out next year, so it makes sense. Still leaves time for an appearance at Lolla in August, otherwise maybe Summer 2021 for their big North American tour?
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 2 December 2019 17:23 (four years ago) link
Damn, I haven't seen them since the Backspacer tour in 2010!
― I don't get wet because I am tall and thin and I am afraid of people (Eliza D.), Monday, 2 December 2019 18:05 (four years ago) link
ok kneejerk reaction set aside...i just talked to a fanclub friend, scuttlebutt is that they will ~hopefully~ also announce US tour as wellso i am crossing fingers & toes
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 2 December 2019 19:40 (four years ago) link
🚨NEW ALBUM MARCH 27 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨US TOUR🚨🚨🚨🚨https://pearljam.comSnagged tix for Oakland on April 18 woooop Excited!!!Feel free to commence cynically distancing yrself from my excitement since this is ilm after all
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 13 January 2020 20:04 (four years ago) link
single is called "Dance of the Clairvoyants" so I guess they're finally going prog
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Monday, 13 January 2020 20:27 (four years ago) link
Vedder is so cute these days.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 13 January 2020 20:40 (four years ago) link
“these days”cute in all decades imo
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 13 January 2020 20:48 (four years ago) link
Album cover is very Rush!
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 January 2020 21:02 (four years ago) link
it def is
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 13 January 2020 21:07 (four years ago) link
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Pearl_Jam_-_Gigaton.pnghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Rush_Grace_Under_Pressure.jpg
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 January 2020 22:15 (four years ago) link
I follow the nature photographer who shot the PJ cover on Instagram. He has a lot of amazing shots of Arctic wildlife.
https://www.instagram.com/paulnicklen/
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Monday, 13 January 2020 22:42 (four years ago) link