[acs236]

I picked this up today.

As an initial matter, I don't think you get to release an eponymous studio album this far into your career, Pearl Jam -- so I dub this the Avocado Album. Don't like it? Well, you should have spent 5 minutes to come up with a name then.

I've only listend a couple of times. Seems okay so far. A bit bland perhaps, not as engaging as some of there others. But most albums I end up really liking I have an initial mixed reaction to -- we'll see.

It's becoming more difficult to get around the fact that Eddie Vedder it is a pretty bad singer, though.

 

[swmtnbiker]

SPELLING POLICE ALERT!!

It's "avocado".

I think I'll pick this up tomorrow along with 10,000 Days.

 

[Thaddy]

I'm taking a break from 10,000 Days and I'm almost done with the first listen of the new Pearl Jam. It's definately the Pearl Jam sound, but are these guys getting old? It seems like they lost the ability to really rock out. I think you hit the nail on the head acs236 when you said it's sort of bland and not as engaging.

I'll give it more listens though

 

[MikeB06]

Eddie Vedder a bad singer? I mean he's no MJK in terms of vocal range, but his voice is engaging and unique and sings rock music with the best of them. But his voice has lost a bit of its edge over the least 15 years, but not much. This is their best album since Vitalogy, easily. Keep listening, its a great album--Severed Hand, Marker in the Sand, and Inside Job are my favorites thus far.

Oh, and bands make self-titled albums for a reason, not because they didn't feel like taking 5 minutes to think up a name. And I think a band with as much staying power and success as Pearl Jam can call their albums whatever they want, and they're not the first to release a self-titled album late in their career (The Beatles, anyone? not that I'm comparing the two, just going by the self-titled album).

 

[MikeB06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thaddy I'm taking a break from 10,000 Days and I'm almost done with the first listen of the new Pearl Jam. It's definately the Pearl Jam sound, but are these guys getting old? It seems like they lost the ability to really rock out. I think you hit the nail on the head acs236 when you said it's sort of bland and not as engaging. I'll give it more listens though

They are just going in a different direction, like they do with each album. Just see them live this summer if you can get tickets, they definately still can rock very hard

.

 

[Thaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeB06 They are just going in a different direction, like they do with each album. Just see them live this summer if you can get tickets, they definately still can rock very hard .

Yeah I should have put it that way. I don't know what I was thinking

 

[acs236]

As I've said a few times on here, I think there best album was No Code -- but hey, to each his own.

Eddie Vedder a bad singer? Yes. I find that conclusion unavoidable at this point. He has a somewhat unique sounding voice, now often immitated. The problem is that the power he displayed on their early albums seems gone. His voice switches to raspy and a bit grating on a dime -- almost like it's cutting out on him. During so many songs on the new album, it sounds as if Eddie is on the very edge of his vocal abilities -- and that's never a good thing.

Hell, if they didn't want to spend 5 minutes coming up with an album name, how much time do you think they spent writing the songs?

I certainly don't hate the album and maybe after a few more listens I'll really like it, but my initial impressions make it difficult to ignore the flaws the band is displaying.



Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeB06 Eddie Vedder a bad singer? I mean he's no MJK in terms of vocal range, but his voice is engaging and unique and sings rock music with the best of them. But his voice has lost a bit of its edge over the least 15 years, but not much. This is their best album since Vitalogy, easily. Keep listening, its a great album--Severed Hand, Marker in the Sand, and Inside Job are my favorites thus far. Oh, and bands make self-titled albums for a reason, not because they didn't feel like taking 5 minutes to think up a name. And I think a band with as much staying power and success as Pearl Jam can call their albums whatever they want, and they're not the first to release a self-titled album late in their career (The Beatles, anyone? not that I'm comparing the two, just going by the self-titled album).

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

Just a warning this album was recorded hot and clips like mad. Might want to stick to the mp3's. Dissapointing, considering how nice every other Pearl Jam album sounds. Looks like they sold out.

Biggie.

 

[acs236]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotoriousBIG_PJ Just a warning this album was recorded hot and clips like mad. Might want to stick to the mp3's. Dissapointing, considering how nice every other Pearl Jam album sounds. Looks like they sold out. Biggie.

Well, I did just buy a ticket to their show from Ticketmaster.

I haven't heard any clipping yet on my system, but I've only listed to the album once on my home system. Not sure I would have noticed anything the few times I listened in the car. Any particular tracks or portions of tracks that stick out as bad offenders?

 

[MikeB06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acs236 Hell, if they didn't want to spend 5 minutes coming up with an album name, how much time do you think they spent writing the songs?

Are you serious? There are reasons why bands release self-titled albums, and normally it's not because they were too lazy to spend "5 minutes" thinking up a name

. There's a lot of speculation as to why this is a self-titled album, and maybe a lot of it has to do with their dropping from the Sony/Epic label and going under J-Records. Starting fresh maybe? Who knows, but I do know its not because they felt 5-minutes was too long to spend slapping an album title on their CD. I also think the song-writing on this album is top-notch as well. I do agree with you to an extent about Eddie's voice, 15 years singing PJ songs can't have positive effects on one's vocal chords

.

 

[mdjenders]

Unfortunately, this album is uber loud and clips all over the place. This is really a shame, as PJ is capable of some really great individual musicianship with many subtle layers, but this "wall of noise" crap ruins this completely.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Rancid's fifth(?) album is self-titled - and so was their first. Leave Pearl Jam alone. They have rich-man angst.

 

[Clarity]

Glad you guys gave some reviews. I was going to pick it up but I may end up passing. We'll see....

To me their best album is "Ten"

 

[GlendaleViper]

This doesn't touch Ten, not by a long shot. If you liked Yield, you will ilke this one.

 

[acs236]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlendaleViper Rancid's fifth(?) album is self-titled - and so was their first. Leave Pearl Jam alone. They have rich-man angst.

Nawwww... They don't get a pass on this one. It's too annoying to refer to the album. If it's your first album, you can self title it. That's fine -- get your band's name out there. But what are we going to call this album when they stop's being the "new" one?