par dvi2702 » Jeu Sep 05, 2013 9:53 pm
par dranx » Jeu Sep 05, 2013 10:47 pm
par vic vega » Ven Sep 06, 2013 11:04 am
par dranx » Ven Sep 06, 2013 11:29 am
vic vega a écrit :"interviews with the band which were done by 4 different persons, mainly Judd Apatow" ?????
par thefrenchconnection » Ven Sep 06, 2013 11:43 am
As Brendan said, Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are like two bookends for
him, they belong together. There are some moments on LB that feel like
Backspacer. For me, I can recognize how they follow up, but both of them
have their own best and worse (*cough* Sleeping By Myself *cough*)
Frank
par dranx » Ven Sep 06, 2013 12:34 pm
par XWayne » Ven Sep 06, 2013 12:48 pm
dranx a écrit :vic vega a écrit :"interviews with the band which were done by 4 different persons, mainly Judd Apatow" ?????
Source please ??
It started off with a 10 min video promo in which we were
shown bits and pieces of the songs and interviews with the band which
were done by 4 different persons, mainly Judd Apatow, Carrie
Brownstein, Mark Richards and Steve Gleason.
par dranx » Ven Sep 06, 2013 1:25 pm
XWayne a écrit :dranx a écrit :vic vega a écrit :"interviews with the band which were done by 4 different persons, mainly Judd Apatow" ?????
Source please ??
Post de Yeni sur une review à Amsterdam, page 1.It started off with a 10 min video promo in which we were
shown bits and pieces of the songs and interviews with the band which
were done by 4 different persons, mainly Judd Apatow, Carrie
Brownstein, Mark Richards and Steve Gleason.
par thefrenchconnection » Ven Sep 06, 2013 1:28 pm
dranx a écrit :Mind your Manners ressemble à un truc de Backspacer ??? Je trouve vraiment pas moi ! Ok pour LB et Future days ya des similitudes dans l'esprit mais bon, ça veut pas dire que ce sera du copié collé ! Putain essayer d'être un peu positif quoi, merde !!
par dranx » Ven Sep 06, 2013 1:37 pm
par dvi2702 » Ven Sep 06, 2013 5:59 pm
dranx a écrit :XWayne a écrit :dranx a écrit :
Source please ??
Post de Yeni sur une review à Amsterdam, page 1.It started off with a 10 min video promo in which we were
shown bits and pieces of the songs and interviews with the band which
were done by 4 different persons, mainly Judd Apatow, Carrie
Brownstein, Mark Richards and Steve Gleason.
Je sens qu'on va avoir droit à cette vidéo promo dans pas longtemps, ce serait une suite logique à la promotion de l'album. Le problème c'est qu'il y a des extraits audio, pas envie d'écouter !
10C a écrit :Exclusive digital video content delivered on album release date.
par XWayne » Sam Sep 07, 2013 4:40 pm
par thefrenchconnection » Sam Sep 07, 2013 5:42 pm
par thefrenchconnection » Sam Sep 07, 2013 6:00 pm
XWayne a écrit :SPOILER (non confirmé)! Le riff de Getaway repris par quelqu'un ayant participé à une session d'écoute de Lightning Bolt.
http://richapps.de/files/getaway_guitar.mp3
Ca me fait penser aux Black Keys.
par BEN.HYPE » Sam Sep 07, 2013 7:06 pm
thefrenchconnection a écrit :XWayne a écrit :SPOILER (non confirmé)! Le riff de Getaway repris par quelqu'un ayant participé à une session d'écoute de Lightning Bolt.
http://richapps.de/files/getaway_guitar.mp3
Ca me fait penser aux Black Keys.
Ah!? ... ci dessous un extrait du mix final par Brendan O'Brien !!!
http://richapps.de/files/getaway.mp3
par dranx » Dim Sep 08, 2013 11:44 am
par PJB » Lun Sep 09, 2013 4:02 pm
par thefrenchconnection » Mar Sep 10, 2013 10:13 am
I finally wrote something as well. I hope it will still look a bit structured after copy and paste:
What happened first, or where I come from, or how we got there (you can skip this part; I only wrote it for those who asked)
Where to start? Well, I love Pearl Jam but I do not listen to their albums much. I prefer to see them live, and the songs are in my head anyway, with occasionally my own version of their lyrics . That is why any 'production' issues do not really affect me. Of course, when I hear Ten now, or any other album, I notice things. And when others start talking about fade outs or overproduction, I start to hear those. But other than that, I have loved every single album, played it to death when it came out and then not many times in the years after. Unlike some friends I also loved the most recent albums. Vs. used to be my favourite album for years.
Somehow, Pearl Jam always manages to make the right album for me at the right time. Musically, but also lyrically. When I was angry, they made angry albums, and when I was confused or sad, they matched that. Right now, I am pretty happy in life, and still concerned about many things at the same time. Songs like Unthought Known are perfect for that.
Last year we (as in Europe) did not only get Pearl Jam with some of their best concerts ever, but also Eddie Vedder on his very first European tour. I still need to write about that one day. On top of that, last February we finally got a Brad tour. Add Jeff Ament's RNDM and the new Stone Gossard album, Mike McCready being active in sharing what he does on the social media, and Matt Cameron touring with Soundgarden, and it should be easy to understand I feel very spoilt as a fan J.
With all this in mind, I had pretty high expectations for the new album. Loving what the band members do apart from each other already, the combination has a lot of potential. I wondered if any part of their own other work would influence Pearl Jam. The build-up so far has been great. First we got Mind Your Manners, and I had lots of fun trying to decipher the lyrics. I am still not sure about those. Then they played two more new songs live, and I was one of the many people from all around the world who listened to that live through a street cam (!) outside Wrigley Field. We got Lightning Bolt and Future Days. And there were promo videos for the North American tour and the album, and the artwork for each song, and people taped a sound check of some unknown song in London, ON.
There were track lists in circulation that might or might not be false. Curious as I am, I asked my record company contacts if they knew anything more. They did not, but I was glad to be in touch with them again like I used to when I still made a fanzine. The real track list got published with the song artwork, so that became clear soon enough.
Then, later, there was going to be a listening session in Berlin, at the Ramones museum. Ten lucky fans could be there, and my boyfriend Dennis joined the contest and seriously planned to go there by train if he would win. I wrote that it would be nice if we could get a listening session in the Netherlands as well, and to my surprise I did not only get a reply that there would be one, but also an invitation for myself and two more. So, that is how I, Dennis, and one of the two Joosts from the Dutch Ramblings Forum ended up on the list for Amsterdam. The next days I found out that two more friends, who happen to be writers and publishers, were on the list as well, and the day before it would happen, another writing friend also got on the list.
Berlin was the day before, and very soon after, we got the most detailed reviews from the lucky fans who won and attended. Christian and Franzi made a combined review, that I loved for it had a lot of information from different points of view, and even some lyrics. Other than that I just tried to memorize the track list so it might be easier during the listening session. And we took little notebooks and pens. And Dennis brought his watch so he could catch the song lengths.
Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 4th of September
In the afternoon we went to the venue and after getting special laminates for the occasion we could wait in the tea room upstairs until everybody was there. Around 50 people, some of them speaking other languages. Then we went to the cinema room, leaving our cell phones at the entrance, of course. In front of us there were two empty stools, two boxes, and a screen. In a short introduction we were welcomed to this special event, and told we would get some video first, then the album, and then a Q&A with Brendan O'Brien, who produced the new album and most of Pearl Jam's previous albums.
Video
The short film was part of a project, so we can expect more. It showed 4 people interviewing Pearl Jam; Judd Apatow, Carrie Brownstein, Mark Richards, and Steve Gleason. Gleason asked a question about why it took them so long to come with a new album, and he concluded his question with What The Fuck? That was funny. Jeff Ament explained how it was mainly waiting until they had something to say. He had been writing more in the last 4-5 years than ever before. He told about when Sirens was written, in LA, and that they heard the sirens. Eddie also explained some more, and I wrote down: 'takes your hand, once you are on your way it is pretty easy'. He also talked about being happy when an album was finished, looking forward to starting something new. And about that every time you think you have answers, new questions arise. There was a funny part with Eddie Vedder and a man (I was told that was Danny Clinch) in an old car, playing the record loud. And in the end credits I saw many names, but only managed to write down the name Andy Smetanka, who also made the animation for the MYM video. All in all I think this video took 10-15 minutes.
Lightning Bolt, the album
* Getaway
Good opener. Not with a boom but a pretty happy song. Maybe as fast as MYM, hard to tell after just one listen. Lyric snippets I think I heard: 'everybody naked in this town', 'all right', 'smiles' 'making love like the lizard', 'I got my own way to relate (?)', 'I got my own way to live', 'Hey hey it's okay', 'faith', 'mine is mine and yours'. And I noted: singing guitars.
* Mind Your Manners
Sounds right in its place after the first song. I did not take notes during this song since we already know it, and just enjoyed it for the good song I think it is.
* My Father's Son
I had been looking forward to this one in advance because of the title, but it was nothing like I could have imagined. The voice is different from any other song, and all the instruments sound slightly 'off' to me. Hard to explain. I noticed one single guitar at some point, and also a funky rolling bass. There was a soft part and some nice tempo changes. Some of the lyrics sounded negative to me at first listen, So I really need to hear it again to decide if I like it or not, and that the 'finally free to believe' is all about.
* Sirens
Starts with 'hear the sirens' a couple of times, the second time ending higher than the first. Later the word 'circles' is used, or maybe 'circus'. Then there is an absolutely beautiful 'ah'.
'more and more in this here town', 'let me get my breath', 'just to know we're safe' 'I'm a grateful man', 'take your hand', 'nothing lasts forever' are some lyrics I heard
The singing gets higher, which I really like, and there is a nice and quiet part in between.
'every choice/mistake I made is not my plan to see you in the arms of another man'
And then right when I thought it was getting a bit cheesy, it turns out to be a beautiful song. 'want you to know .. always loved you' Higher singing and very fine guitars. There is a short part that reminds me of TV commercials or something, but it all ends well. Multiple voices.
* Lightning Bolt
Very clear. Sounds just like the live version but more cheerful and I actually liked this better on the record than live, so far. Just when I thought the song was a bit too long, there were these nice screamy lines bellowed out. Very catchy. And the song fades out.
* Infallible
This one fades in. To me this sounded a bit eighties British, in a good way. Not the music, but the way it is sung. There is a very distinctive part of the music I tried to write down, but 'tudududu' will not really help to get this across, unfortunately. I really want to hear this again. There is a lot of drama in the lyrics, with disasters and sinking ships, and one of the lines is 'pay no more than a glance'. Another one: 'you think you've been here before, you are mistaken'. Some stadium rock like music and some more bellowing, and then the part we heard in that Toronto sound check, but much clearer. 'for everything is possible in the thoughts and minds of men'. The singing in the end is rather sensual, for lack of a better word.
* Pendulum
Starts with piano and bass, lyrics, and then drums. More lyrics, including 'my shadow left me long ago', and silence. This one has a beautiful haunting rhythm, and I think I also heard a tambourine. 'easy come and easy go, easy left me a long time ago'. With the last 'o' being stretched. Beautiful guitar part, reminded me a bit of Snowy White. 'I'm in the fire but I'm still cold, nothing works for me anymore' 'ah ah ah ah ah' sounding as recorded with a voice box. I later heard this is the song you can hear parts of in the tour announcement video.
* Swallowed Whole
Starts like it could have been on the Singles soundtrack. At first glance this sounds a bit pretentious but it is still beautiful. Lots of nature references. Finally a good guitar part again. 'where's the songs inside the wind'.
* Let the Records Play
I loved this one! Pretty standard rock, pretty standard structure, but exactly why pretty standard rock can rule. Good sing-along, bit of rhyming, 'when the kingdom comes', and somehow a part even reminded me of 'in the summertime', however weird that may sound. 'Down' is sung low, Mike has a great part in this one, and it also ends with a fade out.
* Sleeping By Myself
We know the song from Eddie solo, but this is a real band version. More flashy, TV show like, maybe even cabaret, guitar singing along, very full. Background singing, lots of bass. Really strange if you keep the version we know in your mind. I wonder what this sounds like if it is the first version you hear. A part is acoustic, but then the whole band joins again. Frank, one of the writers who sat next to me, had a face that showed exactly what he wrote down: WTF. I am still thinking I want to like this song. Really not something to decide after just one listen.
* Yellow Moon
This song is very easy to immediately like. It starts out in a way I recognized from another song, but I could not pin down which one. 'here far away one could feel the earth, moon changing shade and shin'. Long sung words, 'roooouund we go where we .. stopping no one knows'. Nice image painting lyrics, sudden end. The song was not short, but it felt like it was much too short.
* Future Days
And the last one was also played live already. Starting with piano it sounds very much like a Eddie solo song, church-like, strings and more, mandolin (?). Lyrics about human relationships and the elements, like most of this album and the one before. And not cheesy at all, while I thought it was a bit too sentimental when played live. Piano at the end as well. Good positive song to end with.
Q&A with producer Brendan O'Brien
Right after the listening session the stools were taken by Brendan O'Brien (B) and a host, and she started out with some questions. After that people in the audience could ask their questions.
B told us how he preferred to work with bands with a low drama situation, because that works best if everybody can get straight to the music. There were times when he got a pool ball thrown at him. And now that everybody has grown up, it gets easier. After all these years he also is trusted more. When he worked on Vs. that was one of his first records, with only a Stone Temple Pilots record as his experience. The singer is the most important to make it all work, in his opinion. Eddie has gotten more extravert now and also listens more. He tries to please everybody.
Sleeping By Myself was the toughest track for this album, because it sounded too much like a commercial single at first.
Someone asked about Boom, and B answered that he is there for touring. If any keys are needed in the studio, B can play those himself. For the album there was one guest violinist for one track, and they played all other instruments themselves.
Hey still likes the old fashioned cutting tape, and was one of the last to still do that.
When asked about how many songs were not on the album, he said there were not many. They started out with 10 to 15 demo's and only 2 or 3 did not make it to the album. Total studio time was 7 or less weeks, but spread over 3 years, and they work very fast, with the band in one studio and Eddie in another room with his own team. With everybody having children wanting to stay closer to home, it can be difficult. A longer time or a different studio might be good in the future.
He did not have to be asked about Off the Earth, since everybody had already asked about that before, so he mentioned it during this conversation. He really likes the song but it was not recorded properly yet.
When asked about his opinion of the albums so far, he said he does not have an objective opinion. And the albums he did not produce, simple do not exist for him. (I thought this was funny, another friend thought it was pretty arrogant.)
He hopes Lightning Bolt, the album, will remind people how good Pearl Jam is, and that they still like them. For B, Lightning Bolt and Backspacer feel like one big record.
working on this one was all better than before, and more fun.
During his questions Dennis managed to mention that he should let Eddie Vedder stop smoking, and B said he tried .
B was glad to answer more questions, but the Q&A stopped rather suddenly, since people had some one on one interviews and time was short.
I could not think of any more questions, so that was okay. Now let us see what will appear in the press from this, later.
What happened since, so far (also only for those who want some kind of epilogue)
After the listening session we stayed until everybody had gone, and then we went to grab some dinner with the group of six friends who were there. That was a lot of fun, mostly catching up on life stories and reliving shared Pearl Jam tour memories until our plates were empty we all went our separate ways again, by car or train. It's an hour by car for us from Amsterdam.
Back at home around eleven, other reviews were already there. Frank had posted his notes, which looked great with drawings and all, and Joost had written a review that was very detailed and well written, if you ask me. I needed to go to bed but Dennis started writing his review right away. He finished it around 2 am and published it. In the meantime, people were 'jokingly' pushing me to hurry up and write as well, but I could not. First of all I was too tired, and secondly, I needed to pack for a weekend festival (Into the Great Wide Open, on a Dutch island called Vlieland) and be fit to drive us there the next morning.
I brought my notes and the iPad, but did not get to sit down and write for the next four days. Had a wonderful long festival weekend, and I woke up with either Future Days or Lightning Bolt in my mind every day. And I thought a lot about what to write down and how. I mean, could anyone write a review after just one listen? Besides, my scribbles were almost illegible. I am amazed about how far into detail our German friends got, and how much they managed to catch and share. Christian even succeeded at reproducing a part of Sirens on YouTube! And I love the reports we got from my Dutch friends so far, including my own boyfriend. Was there anything I could still add? I did not think so, so I decided to just go ahead and write what I would have done already. Trying to tell you what I heard and what I thought about that. It may or may not add anything, but at least I have tried.
And for what it's worth: I like the album a lot after this one listen. It is Pearl Jam as we know them, and still it is new. Same quality, same diversity, and 12 songs is never enough. I hope they will make a double album a next time J. It is hard to tell if the band members 'other jobs' have influenced them as Pearl Jam. There is a development but that is nothing new; they have always changed. Let us wait and see what the songs will do live, and what the album after this one will be like.
Last thing I read was a rumor that Sirens would be the new single and that it would come out this week. I hope that is true.
Groetjes,
Mirella
par Denis » Mar Sep 10, 2013 11:30 am
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