http://evolutionofthemommason.blogspot. ... title.html

Debuted at solo show in Brazil 5/6/14

seems like a spirited performance of a pretty simple song. The climax is basically a darker version of Unthought Known

Has the feel of the old solo Ed I used to enjoy so much.

By which you mean a series of almost literally identical vocal melodies, just sung over a more minor key progression.

That said, one can immediately recognize the start of something decent, and just as quickly imagine all the ways the band will turn it into not that.

I give that Backspacer B side 1 star.

I take it it's the best thing to come out of the BS sessions?

Very likely.

something about this song seems personal to him. he sings it with more conviction than anything on the last two albums

fewer show-off affectations

But it seriously is Unthought Known for just an incredibly long time.

For sure, but i find it much more compelling than UK.

i'm just pumped he broke out something that's being worked out and/or new. i remember those days.

Ahh, the days of taking chances...

I think releasing Fixer as a single and coming out with an album like Backspacer was a pretty big chance, just one some people might not have liked, which is the whole nature of chances.

I'm not really sure what taking chances would mean with Pearl Jam at this point. It's hard to take chances when there really isn't the chance of anything bad happening. All their hardcore fans are going to pick up their records no matter what, it seems at this point. Even if they don't hit the radio, they're never going to go hungry. But I guess that's another story.

As for this song, eh. Maybe it's just that Ed's folky stuff doesn't do it for me as much anymore. It's really hard to make the same four chords played over and over again compelling in a solo performance. That being said, like something like Loud Uke, it could end up being something promising down the line.

I actually agree with you on that. Backspacer is a record with distinct personality and intention, and as such it carries with it an element of genuine risk. Whether or not it's the type of risk the fanbase wanted, well...you know. But there's no avoiding that it was a more targeted work (hahahahaha) that actually wanted to be something new. It also sounds very organic in retrospect, when compared to the choked off, tightly controlled production we're hearing now.

Lightning Bolt is more like a far more conservative version of what self-titled was....a record that tries to protect itself against failure by mimicking every little something that it thinks you liked about the past. Rock dude stuff? We got it. Backspacer pop? The moody blues? Introspective acoustic? We've got that, too. And it's all priced to move. Please like us. Pretty please. Oh, god.

man this is awful

Trying to be more catchy/accessible/dumbed down is pretty much the opposite of taking chances.

everyone's a critic looking back up the

uh

r

radar?

is it river?

it's radar or river.

both sound really stupid.