Pearl Jam – Backspacer

Three out of Five Stars

This has to be one of the most difficult things I have ever written on here.

On one hand I had to make sure that on one hand I gotten over the initial disgust of seeing them in a Target commercial and on the other hand I had to make sure I was over the initial euphoria that comes with seeing one of their live performances.

So yes, I am sticking with my initial review I gave on facebook after this album leaked, three out of five stars. 60%, a passing grade.

To my ears this record is composed of 4 excellent songs, 4 okay songs, and 3 bad ones. Very similar to every release they’ve had this decade in that respect.

But before I get to Backspacer, I have to say a few words about another highly anticipated 2009 release, one that dropped in January. Bruce Springsteen’s Working on a Dream.

Both records were produced by Brendan Obrien, both records were promoted by national campaigns (Bruce by his Super Bowl appearance, Pearl Jam by their Target deal). Both releases underwhelmed me upon first listen and continue to do so in part because they both sound tossed off and underdeveloped. Even more troubling, they lack the very depth that these bands are known and loved for.

Backspacer is better than Working on a Dream though (which I would probably give 1/5 stars for those wondering).  Much better.

Backspacer starts with a 4 song punch reminiscent of Vitalogy. The merely adequate “Gonna See My Friend” is followed by the SUBLIME  “Got Some” – Devo inspired riffs paired with a set of lyrics that are  ambiguous in all of the right ways and one of Vedder’s most inspired vocal performances on wax. Period.

“The Fixer” is also excellent. Probably the 2nd best single of the year (“Shampoo” by Elvis Perkins being the first). Its chorus is powerful enough to make you forget about the mad lib verses (If somethings bland, let me put a little spice on it - if something's blurred, let me put a little clear on it). “Johnny Guitar” is great because its different, clever and fun.

“Just Breathe” is where the record loses momentum. It has a real dentist office quality to it and should have been relegated to B-side duty.

Eddie insists that “Amongst the Waves” isn’t about surfing - but really, he has to see why people would be confused. “Riding high amongst the waves” may be a relationship or life metaphor but it conjures up the image of Eddie in a wet suit catching a wave and smiling ear to ear. An image that makes you smile, especially when it was paired with the crunchy riffs of “Big Wave” from 2006’s “Pearl Jam”. I’m not a huge Radiohead fan but do you know what Thom Yorke does in his spare time by listening to his records? Neither do I, and thats how I like it. Unless its something where he wakes up sucking lemons. In that case………ew.

“Unthought Known” suffers from the same phenomenon that “Amongst the Waves” does, it sounds like the band is TRYING to write another anthem for its fans like “Alive” or “Betterman”. The lyrics are a bit too self helpy and derivative of some of their past work (I’m thinking “Present Tense” here) for me to buy into it. Eddies 110% commitment to it almost gets me there on certain listens though. Certainly in concert.

“Supersonic” is a fun Ramones pastiche. “Speed of Sound” is a really interesting song thats become a repeat listen of mine. It suffers from, again, underdeveloped lyrics and some odd production choices (the demo version isn’t perfect either, but is essential listening for Pearl Jam fans) but possesses a strong, driving melody and some very powerful imagery.

“Force of Nature” is at best forgettable and at worst an exercise in butt-rock.

“The End” is the 4th excellent song in this group. Intensely evocative and cinematic with Ed’s voice in rare form, literally wrenching emotion out of every syllable.

Sometime around the early part of this decade the media and fans began comparing Pearl Jam to jam bands like Phish and the Grateful Dead, citing their rabid fans, epic rock shows and sub par releases. Its a comparison that I agree with at this point, I’ve been compiling my 50 favorite records of the decade and only one Pearl Jam release is a lock (Binaural) with their 2003 collection of rarities Lost Dogs probably making the cut as well. But how many Pearl Jam shows would be in my top 50 concerts seen this decade? Oh, all of them.

Think back to the some of the best records this band has released: Vitalogy for instance. What made this band so great was their ability to mix their experimental and self indulgent tracks like “Bugs” with punk meets classic rock scorchers like “Last Exit” and flat out classics like “Betterman”. None of their releases this decade have come close to doing that. A few songs on Backspacer have the punk ethos, a few songs on Pearl Jam have the anthems and a few songs on Riot Act are great exercises in creativity but none of them really stand the test of time or would really demand attention if anyone besides Pearl Jam released them.

Is it unreasonable for me to expect this band to release a classic album at this point in their career?

In a word, yes.

Looking at some of their influences: Bob Dylan and Neil Young have released some quality work well into old age but have both had their share of awful, unlistenable records. Bruce Springsteen has released at least two awful records into his 40’s and has had to essentially jettison the qualities of his music that hes best known for to remain relevant (Solo records The Ghost of Tom Joad, Devils and Dust. Playing with a folk band doing Seeger Sessions. Magic and The Rising were excellent, but that would be only 2 E Street records in almost 20 years so you catch my drift). The Who are sill touring (surviving members that is), but are essentially a tribute band and haven’t done anything artistically relevant since that concert for New York on VH1 shortly after 9/11. Tom Waits is a great example of an artist aging gracefully but hes only had a handful of releases this past decade and has turned to acting as an additional creative outlet.

Looking at their peers: They are essentially the last of the Seattle scene standing. Chris Cornell had some mediocre releases with Audioslave and severely tarnished his legacy with a Timbaland produced solo album. Dave Grohl has done some interesting projects (Queens of the Stone Age etc) and has had massive commercial success with the Foo Fighters. But lets face it, The Foo Fighters have been incredibly stale since There is Nothing Left to Lose in 1999 and weren’t anything like Nirvana conceptually anyway. Trent Reznor and Billy Corgan (not Grunge acts obviously, but broke at similar times) have drifted in and out of semi retirement, released some decent stuff and from what I hear put on pretty good shows but haven’t had the same level of output as Pearl Jam in terms of frequency and quality. 

Is it lamentable if this band keeps releasing records with only a few songs that stand alongside their best work - but keep playing epic rock shows that only a very small amount of bands can compete with?

Hell, no!

Seeing them in Seattle and Portland in September made that entirely obvious to me. This is a band that still has musical integrity, punk rock attitude and will always be more than the some of its parts. I’d still like to see them make a record that goes in a different direction (think electronica, or country or a bell to bell punk rock record) or see Eddie Vedder do a full fledged solo project (ideally one made up of all punk songs done with an outfit like Zeke or C Average) but even if they don’t: this band will always be a HUGE part of my life. And one worthy of all the superlatives that a music fan can offer.

But just like when the Blazers will inevitably lose a hard fought game to a Western Conference rival this year for lack of effort. I listen to this record and can’t help but think……

They could have done better.

Incoming......

I should have a review of the new Pearl Jam record out by Monday. This is bound to be a long piece. You know those old friends that you hang out with or talk on the phone after awhile and things seem a bit awkward? You've both changed and sometimes you can get back to that place where you first connected and sometimes you just can't (or even better, you've both grown and you can get to someplace entirely different). I'm not sure whats happening here with me and a band thats been a big part of my life for the past seven years.

Top 10 Favorite Sergio Moments

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The Waiting Game

Oh, I have been here before my friends. After a record setting 17 concerts in one year in 2008 I have not seen a single show this year, and only have two concerts on the horizon. Patterson Hood in July and Elvis Perkins in September. The situation would be hopeless if I wasn’t waiting on my three favorite artists tour summer and fall tour schedules. Yes, its up to the legendary Bruce Springsteen, the incendiary Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and the most important band in my life: Pearl Jam to save this year from mediocrity - musically speaking of course. Interesting how these bands can be categorized as well, the legend, the fairly large band and the indie artist. All important components of my sonic diet.

This is nothing new to me. I’ve been eagerly anticipating shows since the whole year leading up to my first Pearl Jam show in 2002. Checking the bands websites, the fan forums, ticketmaster, pollstar and even booking companies multiple times in a day. One might think this process would get easier with age but I’ve found myself being more anxious. With a “real” job I find myself needing these shows even more. The catharsis that only live music can bring is priceless. Thats not even mentioning the issue that my work schedule may present if I don’t have enough notice, and in some cases I may get stuck working even if I do have notice. All part of the real world I suppose.

So I play the waiting game with these three questions. Will Ted Leo, currently scheduled to play 5 shows in California in 5 nights make a trip up to play Portland in mid-August? Will Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band play Portland on the 3rd leg of their 2009 tour? The stakes are especially high here because with Bruce the shows just get better the longer a tour goes on. And with such an old band thats reportedly taking a break after this tour this might be the last opportunity, at least for the Pacific Northwest. And lastly, will Pearl Jam play Seattle or Portland to celebrate the release of their new record? All of these things are rumored, all seem possible, some seem likely – but none are guaranteed. Its been awhile since I’ve been at such a crossroads as a music fan.  

2009 Halfway roundup Pt. 1: Records I've heard

2 part series here. 2009 in Music, at the halfway point. Heres a list of albums released this year that I've heard. I decided not to include U2's last "record" because they're more like Cirque du Soleil or Celtic Women at this point. Next up: The Five best Records of 2009 thus far.

Artist - Album

St. Vincent - Actor

Art Brut - Art Brut Vs. Satan

Elvis Perkins In Dearland - Elvis Perkins In Dearland

Favours For Sailors - Furious Sons

Schuyler Fisk - The Good Stuff

M. Ward - Hold Time

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Justin Townes Earle - Midnight At The Movies

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Booker T. Jones - Potato Hole

Viva Voce - Rose City

Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane And Sugarcane

Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit - Seven-Mile Island

Mute Math - Spotlight EP

Ramblin Jack Elliot - A Stranger Here

Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health

Steve Earle - Townes

Casiotone For the Painfully Alone - Vs. Children

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream

Various Artists - Dark Was The Night

Song Analysis - Down to The River

I’ve decided to use this blog to take an in depth look at some of my favorite songs. This piece will tackle Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” from the 1980 double album of the same name. Its regarded as one of his best songs by fans, critics and this blogger – I’d probably put it in my top 5 Springsteen songs in fact.

This song was, for all intents and purposes the first expression of to that point a long running interest that Bruce had in two American icons: Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. “The River” certainly has an implicit political consciousness that reminds me of some of Guthrie’s work like “Pretty Boy Floyd”. Musically “The River” is patterned after Williams “I’m a long gone Daddy” (that title would later find its way into “Born in the USA””) and shares all the bleak and lonesome qualities of William’s best work. Clearly this was the point where Springsteen began to internalize the American folk tradition, much like Born to Run proved he had internalized American Rock and Roll.

So what about the lyrics? Lets go line-by-line.

I come from down in the valley

Already Springsteen establishes the economic conditions of the protagonist by using simple geography. Typically the poorer residents of a community live “down in the valley”. Think Everclear - “I will buy you a new house – in the west hills"

where mister when you're young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done

After an economic boom people are again finding themselves less mobile, both economically and geographically. Theres less class mobility as well. This is what happens during recessions, be they our current mess, the economic climate of the late 70’s that Bruce lived through, or the dust bowl era of woody guthrie. There is also a certain amount of destiny woven into the story here, and father issues, always father issues with Bruce.

 
Me and Mary we met in high school when she was just seventeen
We'd ride out of that valley down to where the fields were green

So its with Mary that he’s able to get out of the Valley. This is important to note.

We'd go down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the river we'd ride

The River is really the other main character of the song. Consider all the meaning rivers have. Think Mesopotamia. All the Biblical language surrounding rivers. Clearly The River in this song is also a symbol of life and vitality.

Then I got Mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteen birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle
No flowers no wedding dress

This is purely expository, but heartbreaking nonetheless.

 
That night we went down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
On down to the river we did ride

Despite all this, the narrator is still able to escape with Mary. Life is still full of possibilities.

I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company
But lately there ain't been much work on account of the economy

This is where things go off the rails. Springsteen, like Steinbeck understood the spiritual dimension of work and what happened when good people found themselves in poor circumstances.

 
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well mister they vanished right into the air

Circumstances have changed. Instead of a life of possibility and opportunity its a life of obligations that can’t be fulfilled.

Now I just act like I don't remember, Mary acts like she don't care

This is where things get really tragic. How many marriages have been destroyed as a result of economic hardship. I’m no Marxist but its hard not to see the alienation that capitalism can create, even between life partners.

But I remember us riding in my brother's car

So he acts like he can’t remember. But he does.

Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir

The symbolism could not be richer here. He remembers her in a resevoir.

At night on them banks I'd lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
Now those memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse

What could be worse than losing the things that mean the most? Not being able to forget them, to get any respite from your loss.

Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
Or is it something worse

This is probably the best line in the song. It reminds me of this poem:

  What happens to a dream deferred?
  Does it dry up
  like a raisin in the sun?
  Or fester like a sore
  And then run?
  Does it stink like rotten meat?
  Or crust and sugar over
  like a syrupy sweet?
  Maybe it just sags
  like a heavy load.
  Or does it explode?
       "Harlem" - Langston Hughes

When I think of this line I think about some of the failures in my life. I had many moments where I failed because I didn’t try. I could always tell myself that things could have been different had I applied myself. The moments that really hurt were the times where I tried my hardest and came up short. Did the narrator’s dreams not come true because he didn’t believe in them? Or did they simply not happen for other reasons? What are those reasons? What does that mean? This is biblical stuff.

that sends me
Down to the river

Its these kinds of questions that send him searching – for things he can’t have and moments he can’t relive.

though I know the river is dry
Down to the river, my baby and I
Oh down to the river we ride

The first performance of this song:

Getting Back Into It

Aight, I’m gonna try to make a go of this blog again. I think the epic fail that were my playoff predictions are what did me in this time. I’m not even going to comment on both sets of Conference Finals except to say that so far they’ve been pretty amazing.

So soon I’ll be back to weekly posts of things that are on my mind. Tonight: a brief reflection on the one year anniversary of a very eventful week in my life. On 5/20 nearly all of my predictions for Oregon’s May primary ended up happening and the things that happened that I didn’t predict ended up being better than I expected. A year later, nearly every candidate I wanted to win in May has either been a complete disappointment (Sam Adams, and not because of the scandal necessarily – although that story seems to get uglier and uglier each day) or has underwhelmed…..mostly because even though I knew the economy had the potential to get dicey last May I had no clue it would get to the point where local governments would have to undertake the deep cuts in basic services that look all but inevitable at this point. Its time for this state to take a good hard look at not only at its tax structure but at its basic identity.

And theres no f’ing way an Major League Soccer franchise is the answer to anything at this point.

The day after the Oregon Primary my Grandpa was taken in the hospital and the day after that he was handed a cancer diagnosis, less than five months later he was dead. This Saturday the family will be taking a trip to the cemetery to scatter some of his ashes at his grave. I haven’t been the same since all this has happened – and thats not necessarily a bad thing.

But Life remains awesome for me. I have the perfect marriage. Professionally things have never been better in terms of the money and recognition that I’m receiving – although this economic crisis may put a wrench in both of our career paths – but thats the risk you take when you choose your career based on how much you’ll be able to serve the community. If my only complaint is a lack of summer concerts on the itinerary (Patterson Hood in July will be sweet, but I need to see Bruce, Ted and my five favorite guys from Seattle before the year is over) then I’m doing pretty well.

Go Nuggets! Go Magic!

Blake