I'm still not convinced that's the same person

Axl can't perform within 1000 yards of an elementary school

looks like he's convinced he's exactly the same though

he looks like he's finally getting the chance to sneak up on the goddamned fucking raccoon that keeps knocking over the goddamned fucking garbage cans outside the trailer every night.

he looks like Honey Boo Boo calls him grandpa

He looks like he just blew up his neighbor's meth lab to get back at him for screwing his daughter

Actually, I read some comments about that somewhere (I can't remember where) that the guy in that photo is just a comedian that impersonates Axl as part of his routine.

I haven't been able to find anything to prove this, but I really don't believe it's him in that photo.

It's not going for adds on the formats until today (March 4th). I don't think it's a hit by any means but I also wouldn't write it off until its actual 'launch' date (for lack of a better phrase).

This song is musical poetry Vedder style!!!!

Years ago, launch dates meant something. These days, they only do for the first single off a project. "Official" release dates of follow-ups only exist for two reasons:

1. To get the name of the single on the list of "upcomings" that programmers review, which is basically the same as releasing it in this day and age (where they all want to jump the gun on each other and where there is no physical delivery related to "release."

2. To mark the start of the ass-kissing and gift buying campaign which is used to push radio adds...something Pearl Jam still, to the best of my knowledge, does not engage in.

I'd say this will do moderately well on Active and Mainstream, and roughly bupkiss everywhere else. That's fine, though, so long as they're smart enough to just be using it as a stop-gap "see, we do still play rock songs sometimes" moment in-between bigger-impact adult contemporary releases (Sleeping By Myself?).

All true. I think SBM is the much bigger single, but to those not familiar with the album and the band's later years, would hurt their "cred" without a little counterbalance. I think I read somewhere there were some changes to Republic's management team, I wonder if that is what may have stalled LB promotion. Cause honestly, the album was going pretty steady until mid-Jan when it seemed logical to take the next step with a single. All in all, the most surprising thing for me is that the album is doing about as well as Arcade Fire's, and if you told me that 6 months ago I would have laughed. I though AF was clearly going to have a much bigger album cycle than PJ but it's sort of been similar in overall audience impact.

All true. I think SBM is the much bigger single, but to those not familiar with the album and the band's later years, would hurt their "cred" without a little counterbalance. I think I read somewhere there were some changes to Republic's management team, I wonder if that is what may have stalled LB promotion. Cause honestly, the album was going pretty steady until mid-Jan when it seemed logical to take the next step with a single. All in all, the most surprising thing for me is that the album is doing about as well as Arcade Fire's, and if you told me that 6 months ago I would have laughed. I though AF was clearly going to have a much bigger album cycle than PJ but it's sort of been similar in overall audience impact.

It's possible. And I agree about "cred," although they seem to act off a blueprint rather than respond to the changing times. Case in point: they have this weird history of trying to push all these dynamically "epic" songs as third singles, even though nobody ever really wants them. Love Boat Captain was the third off of Riot Act, Gone was the third from S/T, Amongst the Waves from Backspacer. In every single case, the single failed to generate any momentum for the album. Why they keep doing that like it works, I'll never know.



Never underestimate the influence of business class passengers on the marketability of old white people rock. Middle age buys records like nobody else, and as a general rule they love a known quantity.

I would release the 4th single in about a month or so, with one of those live videos. And yes, it has to be SBM.

I'm still surprised that Infallible wasn't chosen as a single. I'd rather see that as the 4th single, even though SBM is the obvious choice.

Part of the problem is that none of those are particularly great songs. I like ATW the best of them. Maybe it reflects the dearth of great anthems on the recent records, but in all these cases (maybe not Riot Act, but certainly S/T and Backspacer) there were better choices for similar types of songs.

As soon as pearl jam stops giving a boner about Radio play we can get back to some incredible music.

Thanks.

Remember when they left Sad off Binaural because they were afraid it would be a hit?

Also a stupid move

Sure, but the overall effect of that attitude led to better music than the current attitude they have.