Song of the Moment: Betterman

[stip]

I dunno what my top 5 would be. Its probably composed of any 5 of

Black
Corduroy
Even Flow
Betterman
Elderly Woman
Release
Daughter

I find it hard to pick 5

So, the Greatest Hits?

Of which precisely two songs were formal singles, so GH doesn't mean much with Pearl Jam.


betterman isnt in my top 5, or even top 10, but I wouldn't argue with anyone who put it there.

[PHATJ]

Betterman is a great pop rock song. Not good, Great. I almost never seek the song out, but every time I intently listen to it I’m reminded of just how great a song it truly is. It may not fall in my top 20 or 30 PJ songs, but that’s more of a testament to how many wonderful songs this band has written.

This is the correct take.

[darth_vedder]

Betterman is a great pop rock song. Not good, Great. I almost never seek the song out, but every time I intently listen to it I’m reminded of just how great a song it truly is. It may not fall in my top 20 or 30 PJ songs, but that’s more of a testament to how many wonderful songs this band has written.

This is the correct take.

I agree, but it actually might be in my top 20.

[Leatherhead]

I dunno what my top 5 would be. Its probably composed of any 5 of

Black
Corduroy
Even Flow
Betterman
Elderly Woman
Release
Daughter

I find it hard to pick 5

blegh.....

[E.H. Ruddock]

I dunno what my top 5 would be. Its probably composed of any 5 of

Black
Corduroy
Even Flow
Betterman
Elderly Woman
Release
Daughter

I find it hard to pick 5

Are you a woman in her late thirties?

[ledvedderman]

I dunno what my top 5 would be. Its probably composed of any 5 of

Black
Corduroy
Even Flow
Betterman
Elderly Woman
Release
Daughter

I find it hard to pick 5

I’m quite intrigued by this list and the fact that earlier in this thread you mentioned the appeal to Betterman to you was that it was not repetitive.
Over half of Betterman is just a D-A-G progression over and over and over and over. Granted, it makes for a good pop song but it’s insanelf repetitive. Perhaps the most in the whole catalog. So there’s my two cents.

[mikejasond]

Betterman isn't repetitive at all, unless you think solely in chords when you listen to music. It never treads the same ground twice at all in the entire song, which is pretty dang impressive. There aren't many songs that never repeat like this and crescendo like this and its so SUCCINCT. Its masterful.

I mean the first verse is just an organ, soft guitar, and Eddie's vocals, the second verse has the same tune but the drums come in and it has a COMPLETELY different feel, so you feel like you are listening to something new, which is part of the songs build.

Unlike a song like....idk....highway to hell or whatever. Where verse 2 and verse 1 are the exact same things.

[mikejasond]

I mean when you listen to Betterman its like

Delicate first verse....real atmospheric with the organ and the soft guitar.
Again, delicate beautiful first chorus. Eddie sounds so good when the arrangement is stripped down like this

Now you expect to hear verse 2. A repeat of verse 1. But wait, whats this? It starts out like another verse, the same as the last one...but then this drum fill comes in and boom we're taking off, a completely new feel and sound. The music is completely different. Eddie's singing the same melody but it sounds so different in feel now.

Spirited second chorus. Again, same tune as the first chorus but just sounds COMPLETELY different in terms of mood, feel, etc.

The end of this chorus is just amazing. The bounce...Eddie's vocals. SO GOOD

THEN THE BEST PART. THE FOUR BARS LEADING INTO THE...BRIDGE? IDK. But the stopping starting part with the drum fill. ITS AMAZING.

THE CLIMAX next with "SHE LOVED HIM". The song has built so naturally to this. IN FACT the fact the chords haven't changed is part of what makes this such a seamless build that feels so natural like you just slid right into this and now you're in this wonderful place. LOVE the harmonies here. LOVE the bounciness. Of course this section is brand new.

The "Can't find a better maaaaaaaaaaaaaan' call and response after this with the bouncy drums and guitar is complete ear candy and one of the best moments in their catalog. So amazing.

The guitar solo out of this....SO GOOD.

AND THEN EDDIE WITH THE "OOOOOHHHHHHHHHH" as we finally get to enjoy this amazing background music that have built up for like three minutes.

God, its never boring for a second. It builds, climaxes, and then just coasts on this amazing vibe.

And then falls off nicely at the end to bring you right back down to a fading organ.

God its just so amazing.

[mikejasond]

Honestly....the thing I'm noticing most, and I will say the same came up when we talked about Daughter (Though I don't believe daughter is AS good)

People listen and feel like they've done nothing but simplicity.

But I can marvel at how they make something sound so simple and natural like that's the only way you could ever write a song, when in actuality what they are doing is very unique. They just do it so dang amazingly you're like 'of course that's how that song would go. How else could it EVER go?'

The strength of both Betterman and Daughter is how they lead you on this journey so seamlessly you barely feel like you're going anywhere but you take a step back and you realize the places you've gone, and you just feel like you've EXPERIENCED something.

I dunno if I've ever ever ever heard a song quite like Betterman and if you guys can find one please let me know.

Yes there are songs like Bohemian Rhapsody that take you on a journey but that song is pretty drawn out and obviously has 3 sections that don't really transition into each other very smoothly. Its still an amazing song
.
But I still dunno anything like Betterman that takes you to such an amazing place so easily without ever treading the same ground twice, and does it in such little time.

I dunno if you want to call it a pop or a rock song.

But I do think it's one of the best I've EVER heard in its genre.

And thus, it is a top 5 Pearl Jam song

[chewm]

You really like crescendos.

[Rob]

And thus, it is a top 5 Pearl Jam song

For sure, and in concert too.

[wease]

I dunno if I've ever ever ever heard a song quite like Betterman and if you guys can find one please let me know.

Save It For Later is kinda like Better Man.

And Atlanta ‘94 or gtfo.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I dunno if I've ever ever ever heard a song quite like Betterman and if you guys can find one please let me know.

Save It For Later is kinda like Better Man.

And Atlanta ‘94 or gtfo.

Considering that is the actual album recording, yeah

[Strat]

I dunno if I've ever ever ever heard a song quite like Betterman and if you guys can find one please let me know.

Save It For Later is kinda like Better Man.

And Atlanta ‘94 or gtfo.

Considering that is the actual album recording, yeah

lol

[E.H. Ruddock]

I dunno if I've ever ever ever heard a song quite like Betterman and if you guys can find one please let me know.

Save It For Later is kinda like Better Man.

And Atlanta ‘94 or gtfo.

Considering that is the actual album recording, yeah

lol

Am I wrong? Isn't that the performance they used for the album?

[ledvedderman]

I dunno if I've ever ever ever heard a song quite like Betterman and if you guys can find one please let me know.

Save It For Later is kinda like Better Man.


And Atlanta ‘94 or gtfo.

Considering that is the actual album recording, yeah

lol

Am I wrong? Isn't that the performance they used for the album?

Didn’t they use Ed’s vocals from that? But I think the instruments are studio.

[E.H. Ruddock]

No, if I remember correctly it's the whole performance, except for the intro

[E.H. Ruddock]

This is the best description of it:

Just to be clear, and hopefully for the last time...

The first part of the song is the "bonus track" version on the Vitalogy deluxe.

Then when the drums come in, it edits to the Atlanta show with new vocals and some overdubs (tambourine, acoustic guitar?).

[Strat]

Its all the band. i was lol'ing because you were spot on.

[mikejasond]

I dunno if I've ever ever ever heard a song quite like Betterman and if you guys can find one please let me know.

Save It For Later is kinda like Better Man.

And Atlanta ‘94 or gtfo.

I...don't get this at all. I just listened to it and it was a nice song, but it doesn't have the strengths of Betterman that I was just talking about.