Music: Pearl Jam--Backspacer

As you know, Pearl Jam is my favorite band and seriously the best band ever. I have been very, very excited for the new album, Backspacer, and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

My Thoughts:

1. Gonna See My Friend. 4/5. Great Rocker to start off the album. Maybe not the most wonderful lyrics or hard hitting song writing, but a good rocker that I wish Pearl Jam would do more of.

2. Got Some. 4/5. Much the same thought as the first track, only a better song for me. They performed this one on The Tonight Show and I loved it. Love the studio version even better. It continues to up the energy on the first part of the album. Lovin' it.

3. The Fixer. 4/5. I actually upped this from 3 stars to 4 after hearing it in place on the album. It fits really well coming after GSMF and Got Some, bringing yet MORE energy and upping the ante on the album as a whole. I didn't like it as well as a single. Some of the lyrics seem just plain dumb, but as I listened to some of what I think Eddie was trying to say, it really started to grow on me.

4. Johnny Guitar. 3/5. The RM board was having a collective orgasm over this song when it went down, but to me, after the energy of the opening three tracks this Matt Cameron song falls a little flat and was the first bummer song for me. Not that it's bad, and certainly it's pretty good compared to say Evacuation, but it just doesn't do much for me and hasn't grown on me.

5. Just Breathe. 5/5. I don't generally give 5 stars to a song, but this is the first of three 5 star songs in a row on this album for me. This is just gorgeous. Would have fit right in on the Into the Wild soundtrack, and I was glad to see some of that side of Ed show up on Backspacer. Very beautiful, moving, simple song.

6. Amongst the Waves. 5/5. This one is my favorite track off the album. Really reminds me of Given to Fly and just takes me to another realm altogether when I hear it. Just....wow. Eddie, get out of my head!

7. Unthought Known. 5/5. I haven't fully digested this wonderful bit of music yet, I just know I love it. Period.

8. Supersonic. 3/5. The comes the let down. To me this is the Big Wave of this album. Usually I like these little rockers but it just doesn't cut it after the last three songs. My least favorite.

9. Speed of Sound. 3/5. No it's not a Coldplay cover. I really looked forward to this one after hearing the stripped down version that was out there. It could have been another Into the Wild type moment, and I just really don't care for the direction the album version takes it. I do like the lyrics though.

10. Force of Nature. 5/5. At first I only gave this one four stars, then I listened to it some more. This baby builds like a category 4 Hurricane and just fucking UNLEASHES itself on the listener on the chorus. Very Anthem like. Play it loud, play it proud.

11. The End. 4/5. Not a perfect song but a perfect fitting end to this wonderful album. It hits you like a velvet hammer and the pregnant pause at the actual end...just leaves you in space going, wow, what an experience.


So where do I put this in the PJ catalog? Well, best album since Yield, hands down. Yield is pretty much my favorite album, always will be. As of right now I'd probably rank them like this:

Yield
Vitalogy
Vs.
Backspacer
Ten
No Code
Avocado
Riot Act
Binaural

It may end up taking 3rd place as well.

As far as the band's later work (Post Yield) this is clearly the best for me anyway. Binaural had the dark feel and just never caught on for me save a few songs. Riot Act started out well but didn't age all that well (though LBC remains one of my favorite songs). I did like Avocado more than a lot of fans seemed to, particularly the rockers like WWS and Life Wasted (both of which rock live). This album has the balance that those three previous albums lacked. Perhaps because in the post Bush era, Eddie seems to be somewhat unencumbered by politics. We liberals all love the protest songs, but they get old, and when the protest ends and some change has come, they seem dated and perhaps overbearing, even though they were relevant for the time and place they were written in.

When all is said and done, this is a gigantic return to form in my eyes,and I believe it will be for other fans as well. If you want another Ten, it's not for you, but if you want something that seems to be a plausible evolution of the Yield sound, check it out....2010 watch it go to the fire!