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So at least their still making stuff I dig. Backspace is one of my top tier albums. Can't Deny Me has great verses and a forgettable chorus but I rate a overall grade of 80 percent. I really like the vocal on the verses
I think Ed was an unbearable dork in the 90s, I don't care if he likes getting awards now - great! He seems like a pretty chilled and happy guy now, which is nice.
I just wish the music was better, which is down to intangible things like band chemistry, inspiration, "good ideas" (whatever this stuff really means), etc.
Joined: Wed January 02, 2013 11:15 pm Posts: 20771 Location: the bathroom
Birds in Hell wrote:
I think Ed was an unbearable dork in the 90s, I don't care if he likes getting awards now - great! He seems like a pretty chilled and happy guy now, which is nice.
I just wish the music was better, which is down to intangible things like band chemistry, inspiration, "good ideas" (whatever this stuff really means), etc.
if anything, modern Ed reminds me more of early Ten-era Ed, when he was out having a good time and before he got all downtrodden.
I think Ed was an unbearable dork in the 90s, I don't care if he likes getting awards now - great! He seems like a pretty chilled and happy guy now, which is nice.
I just wish the music was better, which is down to intangible things like band chemistry, inspiration, "good ideas" (whatever this stuff really means), etc.
if anything, modern Ed reminds me more of early Ten-era Ed, when he was out having a good time and before he got all downtrodden.
Yeah, I agree. I think he was always a buzzed-out surfer dude at heart, he just got gloomy in the 90s for a bit.
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 2:04 pm Posts: 37156 Location: September 2020 Poster of the Month
Birds in Hell wrote:
bodysnatcher wrote:
Birds in Hell wrote:
I think Ed was an unbearable dork in the 90s, I don't care if he likes getting awards now - great! He seems like a pretty chilled and happy guy now, which is nice.
I just wish the music was better, which is down to intangible things like band chemistry, inspiration, "good ideas" (whatever this stuff really means), etc.
if anything, modern Ed reminds me more of early Ten-era Ed, when he was out having a good time and before he got all downtrodden.
Yeah, I agree. I think he was always a buzzed-out surfer dude at heart, he just got gloomy in the 90s for a bit.
He felt guilty because the band was instantly successful while most of his peers and idols had to spend years paying their dues. So he spent a few years too ashamed to revel in his success.
I feel like this year has finally kicked me into the spot where I'm ready to call it a day outside my continuing adoration for the old days. Hearing Ed "aah-haaaaaa" his way through the "Alive" RRHOF rehearsal just hurt. Right after I downloaded and listened to "Can't Deny Me" from 10C, I dropped to Digital. (Still have a month to drop it entirely.)
I had the absolute luck of my life that I got to see the Greenville VS. show, and it was just the absolute perfect modern-era Pearl Jam evening for me. The fire during the VS. set was as close to the old days as I ever thought possible, the other song choices were ace, and even "Future Days" was terrific. And I got to see most of the songs I'd always hoped to catch ("Indifference" haunted me for years after missing it when I left a show early years ago). I can't imagine it ever being better than that, and I'm not sure I want to try.
I think the only thing that would save it for me is if they could somehow find a piece of the political energy of the old days, but I really don't see that in "Can't Deny Me".
It's been baffling to hear a truly uninspired song from them because I guess I wasn't willing to consider maybe they're not trying to do something inspired or delve into the depths of their own souls as I used to imagine they did, which they might have done in their good days..
Maybe they're out of ideas. Or maybe they just aren't inspired.
But let's not talk like everything Pearl Jam put out in the 90's was fucking profound. "Animal" is a guy counting to five and repeating the chorus over and over. He says the word "Spin" like 50 times in less than three minutes in Spin The Black Circle. So it's fine if you think Can't Deny Me sucks, cause it kinda does (I sorta like the chorus I have to admit), but spare me the "delve in the depth of their own souls" crap. It's just a rock band.
There was actual passion in Animal and Spin the Black Circle. You could feel they really meant it, and it meant something to the audience.
Also, I don't buy the 'out of ideas' or 'uninspired' claims because I know with the talents of this band, if they sat down and worked on intricate guitar parts, even if the chords were somewhat boring, interesting drum patterns, calm Ed down and come up with some unretarded lyrics, it would be pretty good.
Oh you want "Unretarded lyrics." I get it now.
I mean, come on, you can't critique a songwriter and suggest you'd prefer "Unretarded lyrics."
You're right, not a fair critique. I, personally, find the lyrics extremely boring and it seems to me he's pandering to the 'Left of the Day' in a rather unintelligent and uninteresting way.
Fair enough. And I gotta give you a little credit for being reasonable in your message board debate.
I dunno, maybe I've just gone through all of this criticizing of PJ's creativity already with The Fixer, which is a thousand times worse than Can't Deny Me, and is a complete embarrassment in every way. So for me, all I expect from new Pearl Jam albums anymore are four or five songs I like. So when this song dropped, I thought Eddie sounded horrible on the verses, and I liked the chorus (even though it's kinda cheesy). Nothing more and nothing less. And I've never been much of a lyric guy, but following Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, there's really no reason to expect good lyrics anymore anyway. "I come from a gene-e-ous, I am my father's son." Ugh.....
I get it. Harsh criticism of the band is new territory for me. I found a way to enjoy everything else when it came out. This Pay Attention to My Protest song just feels like the last straw. I had so much respect for the band as a kid and it's hard to shake it off. I'm the same with the Miami Dolphins. There's something wrong with my loyalty.
Hey I'm a Dolphins fan too! I love coming across people who suffer like I do.
The Fixer is actually a really smart and creative song (lyrics aside). tis a great song because the music is actually quite very interesting (what a riff!) and Ed brings a level of simplicity over it.
Matt Cameron thinks outside the box, and ed delivers it in a nice little package.
Fixer is great, can't deny me is borderline boring.
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm Posts: 32274 Location: Buenos Aires
I think you're overstating that a bit. Yeah the verse guitars are cool and chunky and I like how the main riff shifts between 6/4 and 4/4, but the twinkly chorus, braindead lyrics and hamfisted bridge kill that song dead for me. Matt came up with some interesting musical ideas and then they made it sound like a cross between an Erasure cast-off and a mid-aughts Foo Fighters single.
Reads the opposite to me. Like, the whole point is people change, and the problem occurs when they refuse to let the music come along with them. You end up with these stilted old man impressions of people they remember but no longer are.
Joined: Sun September 15, 2013 5:50 am Posts: 22323
wish they would do another album with neil young instead of all this crap
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How do you know if Stone is enjoying things or not? Because of the photo of them from the stage after they bowed? It is just a split second expression on his face, why don't you youtube the very same show and watch him play the solo to Rocking in the Free World. The man seems to really love what he does. Your rant sucks in every way, when Ed couldn't care less* about the Grammy's.....it was years and years ago and the band was in competition with other bands for the award, Hall of Fame is something different all together. I am not going to waste my time going over your rant in total, most of this board is so jaded about PJ. The new album will be great like every album they ever made, they are great players with a great sound, it's just music. EVERY album has 4-8 fucking classics on it. Can't Deny Me reminds me of Grievance; the studio versions have Ed sounding exasperated in the versus, but when done live Ed is explosive and thunderous. The live debut of Can't Deny Me had me wishing he did the versus like that in the studio version, it sounded huge live. I like the way he sings the "meee" in the chorus, classic Ed. That's what Ed has done over the years, the contrast in delivery with Can't Deny Me throughout the song by Ed is well....Ed. Mike writing a song with no solo in it is also interesting, I think the album will be a cool one.
I don’t know why people are getting worked up about one song which I think is quite good anyway. At least wait until the album comes out and we might be really surprised. Especially since I feel like from everything I have heard the band released this song after finishing recording it around a month ago which times it with current events. It is just an immediate rocker, take it for what it is. My main issue with the band are the ticket prices and not having tons of money to buy all their Vaults, etc that I would like to. I was feeling pretty jaded. It sometimes feels like rich PJ fans are the only ones that count anymore. But in a way the new song woke me up and brought me back to what really matters which is the music. I just feel very fortunate that my favorite band is still out there doing what they do. Think how basically every other band of the era is gone, has different members, or members who are no longer with us. Long live PJ.
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