The first thing i noticed was Eddie sounding like a younger version of himself on a lot of these tracks. You can tell Watt really pushed Ed to dig deep. I honestly thought Ed had lost that part of his range to age, smoking and wine. This is the best Cameron has sounded on a PJ record. Stone brought the riffs on this one! So nice to hear Stone bringing the thunder again. Mike finally got a chance to shine on a record and totally delivered.
I know I keep commenting but things are coming to me as I listen. Absolutely Won't Tell sounds like The Cure - Pictures of You. That's probably why I love it so much. Also someone else pointed out elsewhere that the intro to Upper Hand is like Born Slippy. Play them over each other and see
You're so right. After so many years, this has really made me 'feel' things. And as a 38 year old I too have cried and fist smashed the air in equal measure listening to songs like waiting for Stevie etc etc. It is unquestionably a beautiful album
I think the measure for how good these songs really are is you can just foresee how magnificent some of them will sound live. And listening to Mike rip his solos with so much freedom is a joy in itself!
@@AlbumOfRecordperfectly said, also perfect calling it something special. I really can’t believe after all these years they can still surprise me and make me feel more emotions than any music, film, or book has ever.
I'm 43 and you stole the words out of my mouth with that opening soliloquy. Every album since Yield has "had its moments" and I thought that Gigaton was criminally underrated, but this one hit different. It hit me the way Yield did too. I remember being 17-18 and listening to that thinking hmmm, that was different, but then I went back and listened again and fell in love with it. This one is similar. If the "old school" fans want their Vitalogy moment, listen to React, Respond. I love this band, and I'm very greatfull to have grown up and evolved with them.
The more you listen to it the better it gets… every day I wake up with a tune stuck in my head, and each day it’s a different track! Best band for me always..
I had pretty much given up on PJ. After Yield, I felt they never quite lived up to their previous work. I tried to like their later albums and thought Pearl Jam (Avacado) was “okay,” but didn’t expect much from them anymore. So, I was totally blown away when Dark Matter was released. Fantastic mix of new and old, a perfect trip of nostalgia and experimentation for an OG PJ fan. Even got me listening to some of their older stuff again.
This new album has really brought me back to PJ. I have started to listen to old albums and I am hearing them differently now. Albums I didn't like are growing on me
I teared up at that moment in Wreckage as well. Brilliant track. It is absolutely THE song on this album. Ed and Andrew should sit together with acoustic guitars and come up with more greatness like that
Loved watching your guys’ take on the album as someone who is in the same age range as you both. And when you guys mentioned Cloud Nothings, another band I really enjoy and we got both a Pearl Jam and Cloud Nothings new albums on the same day. I wish you guys would do a RUclips video on the Cloud Nothings latest album or even all their albums for that matter.
Completely agree with so much of what you've said. With regards the production, it's not 1995 anymore. The competition is pop music. The 1975 and Taylor Swift, I thought it sounded amazing, particularly as a headphones album.
The production is what is grabbing me. Each song sounds fired up, lively, the emotion is sky high. The viteriol of Vitalogy and Vs' abrasive punked up fury is presented in a modern rush with "Running". Waiting for Stevie and Gotta Give have SOARING melodies that ascend higer than AM Airwaves. And- Wow, "Scared of Fear". The final chorus is a rush. One of the highlights for me. 👍 Hello and Slàinte from Ireland. Huge PJ fan since '93. This was a great discussion, lads!👍
I was really conflicted on Upper Hand for being too close to the song Time but I remembered how Ed plays Brain Damage before Corduroy. it kinda felt like they gave a studio song a pseudo Pink Floyd intro like they do live and that’s pretty cool to me
Ive been a fan since they released Ten back in the day (I was 16 then!) I felt after the first 4 the albums become quite patchy. I found the albums to have some great, some good and some really dull songs. For me, Dark Matter is their most consistent album in years and I'm not skipping any tracks. Really like them all. Its a great album.
I waited until today to hear entire album. Looking forward to May to see the boys again. I think, because of time, I like to pick pieces from the album that means something to me.
I have to listen to it more to make my mind where I would rank it. But one thing I can say is that Wreckage gave me goose bumps. I have not felt that for a PJ song in a long time. I also liked Scared of Fear, Running, Waiting for Stevie, Setting Sun and even Upper Hand. Did not like React Respond, Got Give, Something Special, Won’t Tell.
The guitar solo at the end of Won't Tell is very reminiscent of the solo at the end of U2's All I want is you. And to make things more interesting (as you pointed out) the next song, Upper Hand does have that U2esque intro.
“Holdin’ on the light of night, on my knees to rise and fix my broken soul” is probably the worst lyric they have ever written. The only one that comes close is that “gems and rhinestones” line from Unthought Known lol
And for context I've been a huge fan of pearl jam since VS .... Yes I missed 10 at the time but went back to it of course but for me my favourite all time PJ album is VS ❤
Wreckage and Won't Tell are incredible.........after multiple listens, I'm actually getting the feels a bit more from Won't Tell, but both are perfect. There's a boatload of great material on this record.
Im 47, huge PJ fan, have a tatoo, my sons name is Jeremy, went to countless shows including countless Bridge School Benefit shows, have all their albums, singles, b sides, etc...i love this band to death and they have made such a mark on the every fiber of my teenage upbringing. I must say so far im a little bit underwhelmed with Dark Matter. I was hoping for a more gritty album that maybe would have explored more with things we havent heard. I feel this album wasnt as strong as Gigaton and felt like a predecessor to Lightning Bolt, which i wasnt to keen on and is actually one of my least liked albums from the boys. This one felt way too produced and i wasnt a fan of the track mixing or the over-all flow. I think i really enjoyed 5, maybe 6 songs. Of course there's plenty to like, but i feel PJ have hit that extreme comfort zone with their sound and as result keeps them musically boxed in with sometimes sounding too redundant. Still love their stuff and will always be my band, but just a little disappointed so far with this release. I say this now, but im hoping it will soon grow on me...
I don't like writing long comments, but I relate to you. I'm a few years younger and they are my favorite band of all time. Gigaton is a better album. The songs on Dark Matter are fantastic, but the production is not good. The live performances will do the songs more justice. Watch the Howard Stern live performances from a few days ago. Running and Scared Of Fear sound fantastic.
I agree. 48 here, been a fan since Ten...this album sounds more like an EV solo record with a sprinkle of the band on top. Shame they had to resort to bringing in A. Watt. Seeing his name on each songs writing credits speaks volumes. Pearl Jam and the Watts.
So I have given this album a few days rest because I don't want to over listen to it. Come back to it today and it's grown on me even more. Tracks that I wasn't particularly loving such as Upper Hand and Got to Give now sound better. The album is just ridiculously good and that song Wreckage man is just mind blowing. An absolute masterpiece and I would even go as far as saying it could be the best song they've ever done. From start to finish it's mesmerising.
That’s such a conflicting album to me. You have some of the best songs they’ve ever written on there but you also have some of the worst. I know taste is subjective but I’ll never understand how someone can listen to 1/2 Full, Green Disease or Cropduster and think they’re good.
Nice. I did the Airpods MAX listening experience last night. I'm enjoying listening to this one in different places and with different headphones. Tonight I load the bluray into my home theater system!
Had this album on repeat for about 12 hours now. By listen 3 I had gone from feeling disappointed to damn this is really good. After about 12 hours I’m like, damn this is REALLY REALLY GOOD! Love the album, love your takes my buddy and I have been having an almost exact same convo throughout the day. Upper tier… Wreckage Setting Sun Waiting for Stevie Got to Give Upper Hand Lower tier… Running React Respond Dark Matter I actually like something special probably because I have 3 girls growing up way too fast so I dig the girl-dad vibes
Hated the Dark Matter single release but now I've quickly fallen in love with this record! After the first week with it I'd say it might be the best (or my favorite) 21st century Pearl Jam yet. You talked about Eddie's vocal performance and how great he sounds on the new songs. Well, I think he managed to adjust his style now better to the altered qualities of his aged voice. He developed some mannerisms over the years that annoy many old 90s fans (like me) and all the vocal changes must also have an impact on song writing. Ever since Avocado there has been a certain Springsteenishness Eddie's sound and at the same time he seems to have lost the "relaxed but edgy" sound that I think came from their collaboration with Neil Young back in the mid-nineties. I miss that sound but hey, nobody can turn back the clocks, so it is what it is... Anyways, that's one thing that curbs my enthusiasm slightly as I'm hearing those mannerisms on DM and I'm detecting that Springsteenishness on DM. Add the compressed and anything but raw and gritty sound of the production... well, it makes me miss the Neil Young inspired sound even more. In less abstract terms it means that every song just falls slightly short of being perfect because there's always something small that ruins it for me. And no, you don't have to tell me that this is perfectionist quibbles or a spoiled fan's nitpicking. I know. And as I said, I like the record a lot! As you put it, this is so much more than I actually expected or even hoped for. And it feels even more intense now because of my initial disappointment.
Easy 8/10. I’m so happy. PJ my favorite band of all time and I didn’t like gigaton at all. Probably at the bottom so getting this album means so much to me
I’m disappointed with it. I hate comparisons when reviewing but it feels like a less interesting version of Gigaton. I know they’re pushing 60 and I shouldn’t expect a Kid A-type defining album but I was still hoping for something more. Oh well. Glad others are enjoying it though.
Are you guys in Cleveland? I'm in Lake County. First time coming across your channel. I am really impressed with this album. My 2 favorites are Wrecksge and Upper Hand. Upper Hand gives me a little War on Drugs vibes. I love it.
@@AlbumOfRecord awesome, when you name dropped 106.5 and 104.1, I'm like what!? I'm in University Hts. Great review and show. We need PJ back in CLE. Been 2 long....2010
React/Respond is one I have mixed opinion on... I think it seems lyrically weaker than others on the record. I agree on your opinion with Eddie's vocal delivery on the chorus. Love what Mike is doing with the solo at the end. The laugh at the end threw me off... never heard Eddie do something like that. Wreckage, Upper Hand, and Got To Give are personal favorites for me.
Riot Act is a much better album than so many fans think it is... but that's the only pushback I'll have on your opening statements, Andrew. I feel the same way. I'm a little younger than many fans. I was only 5 when Ten came out. I also grew up in the Christian music bubble. At 14, I started playing guitar and learning classic rock... then I started filling myself in on things I'd missed out on. I found Pearl Jam at age 18... and there was never any looking back from there.
You are correct. There are Badtake Merchants among us... which is fine. We'll have 'em. I get sick of the Matt Cameron hate/mourning the loss of Dave A though...
Hey guys. I'm part of a sports podcast that is expanding into a network. I just mentioned you guys to the owner, Matt. He might be reaching out to you on Twitter. Love this episode, I'll be watching more!
Longtime PJ fan, from the very beginning, but started to lose interest after Binaural. Dark Matter has pulled me back in, their best album since the 1990s, in the conversation for Top 3 overall.
Not bad, but anyone who places this ahead of any of of their first seven records(Ten to Riot act) needs to check his or her brain. Eddie does sound great on this album for a change and Upper hand is an unexpected gem. Just my opinion of course.😂
One great song on it - Setting Sun is a keeper. But overall, disappointing. The added compression is CRAZY... In fact it's so compressed it almost sounds autotuned in spots.
Yep what the hell is up with the compression!? I like "Waiting For Stevie" but the production is awful. Sad because I wanted it to live up to the hype!
@@AlbumOfRecord must be my fault then sorry. But yeah, I'm not a fan of this album after 3 listens (and I really wanted to be) The compressed production is terrible too.
Pearl jam albums have been so hit and miss over the last year that since somehow sounds ok but it’s really not that good. A few good songs and then a lot of amblers, that’s it
Good album. Terrible drum sound and the overall mix is too compressed and saturated. Eddie saying that this is their best album is delusional. Even though I like it, to me, it's another let down. Pearl Jam magic and prime is long gone.
Been a PJ fan since Mother love bone. Seen them live many times and imo they're not a great live band. Hurts me to say but imo they haven't made anything decent since 2002. This album is awful, i don't even know what this band is anymore
The boys deserve to make any kind of album they want They earned it
Absolutely true.
YES! But, please no country.😅
New album is absolutely brilliant. So many fantastic songs.. some of the guitar work is incredible. What a band.
The first thing i noticed was Eddie sounding like a younger version of himself on a lot of these tracks. You can tell Watt really pushed Ed to dig deep. I honestly thought Ed had lost that part of his range to age, smoking and wine. This is the best Cameron has sounded on a PJ record. Stone brought the riffs on this one! So nice to hear Stone bringing the thunder again. Mike finally got a chance to shine on a record and totally delivered.
How can you NOT like the chorus on Won't Tell?? It's beautiful
I know I keep commenting but things are coming to me as I listen. Absolutely Won't Tell sounds like The Cure - Pictures of You. That's probably why I love it so much.
Also someone else pointed out elsewhere that the intro to Upper Hand is like Born Slippy. Play them over each other and see
You're so right. After so many years, this has really made me 'feel' things. And as a 38 year old I too have cried and fist smashed the air in equal measure listening to songs like waiting for Stevie etc etc. It is unquestionably a beautiful album
Thanks so much for listening. You only get so many records from your favorite bands in this life. And this one is special.
I think the measure for how good these songs really are is you can just foresee how magnificent some of them will sound live. And listening to Mike rip his solos with so much freedom is a joy in itself!
@@mobeenzahid I'm going to both Fenway shows and I don't want to fast forward the summer, but I can't wait...
@@AlbumOfRecord I shall be there in spirit! Wish I could travel to the USA just for these shows...sigh
@@AlbumOfRecordperfectly said, also perfect calling it something special. I really can’t believe after all these years they can still surprise me and make me feel more emotions than any music, film, or book has ever.
yes to everything you said! All the feels. My favorite album in nearly 20 years. Its a masterpiece
I'm 43 and you stole the words out of my mouth with that opening soliloquy. Every album since Yield has "had its moments" and I thought that Gigaton was criminally underrated, but this one hit different. It hit me the way Yield did too. I remember being 17-18 and listening to that thinking hmmm, that was different, but then I went back and listened again and fell in love with it. This one is similar. If the "old school" fans want their Vitalogy moment, listen to React, Respond.
I love this band, and I'm very greatfull to have grown up and evolved with them.
Thanks for commenting. Agreed about Gigaton.
Wreckage hits hard for me,,,, Just as did parting ways years ago…. It’s complicated. Music for my life
That's my favorite song too!
Agree on Wreckage. The best song they have done since Vitalogy. It's outstanding.
The more you listen to it the better it gets… every day I wake up with a tune stuck in my head, and each day it’s a different track! Best band for me always..
Same. Waking up every morning singing one of these songs
Dark Matter is the best album of the year so far!! Best PJ album since backspacer!!! Imo
You have put into words all my thoughts about this new PJ album
Thanks so much for listening AND commenting! :-)
I had pretty much given up on PJ. After Yield, I felt they never quite lived up to their previous work. I tried to like their later albums and thought Pearl Jam (Avacado) was “okay,” but didn’t expect much from them anymore. So, I was totally blown away when Dark Matter was released. Fantastic mix of new and old, a perfect trip of nostalgia and experimentation for an OG PJ fan. Even got me listening to some of their older stuff again.
This new album has really brought me back to PJ. I have started to listen to old albums and I am hearing them differently now. Albums I didn't like are growing on me
I teared up at that moment in Wreckage as well. Brilliant track. It is absolutely THE song on this album. Ed and Andrew should sit together with acoustic guitars and come up with more greatness like that
Loved watching your guys’ take on the album as someone who is in the same age range as you both. And when you guys mentioned Cloud Nothings, another band I really enjoy and we got both a Pearl Jam and Cloud Nothings new albums on the same day.
I wish you guys would do a RUclips video on the Cloud Nothings latest album or even all their albums for that matter.
We will talk about it this week!
Completely agree with so much of what you've said. With regards the production, it's not 1995 anymore. The competition is pop music. The 1975 and Taylor Swift, I thought it sounded amazing, particularly as a headphones album.
The production is what is grabbing me. Each song sounds fired up, lively, the emotion is sky high. The viteriol of Vitalogy and Vs' abrasive punked up fury is presented in a modern rush with "Running". Waiting for Stevie and Gotta Give have SOARING melodies that ascend higer than AM Airwaves.
And- Wow, "Scared of Fear". The final chorus is a rush. One of the highlights for me. 👍
Hello and Slàinte from Ireland. Huge PJ fan since '93. This was a great discussion, lads!👍
Won't Tell is my favorite song on the album, I can see it being one of the ones from the album they play in the live concerts.
I was really conflicted on Upper Hand for being too close to the song Time but I remembered how Ed plays Brain Damage before Corduroy. it kinda felt like they gave a studio song a pseudo Pink Floyd intro like they do live and that’s pretty cool to me
Ive been a fan since they released Ten back in the day (I was 16 then!) I felt after the first 4 the albums become quite patchy. I found the albums to have some great, some good and some really dull songs. For me, Dark Matter is their most consistent album in years and I'm not skipping any tracks. Really like them all. Its a great album.
I waited until today to hear entire album. Looking forward to May to see the boys again. I think, because of time, I like to pick pieces from the album that means something to me.
These songs are going to slay live.
I have to listen to it more to make my mind where I would rank it. But one thing I can say is that Wreckage gave me goose bumps. I have not felt that for a PJ song in a long time. I also liked Scared of Fear, Running, Waiting for Stevie, Setting Sun and even Upper Hand. Did not like React Respond, Got Give, Something Special, Won’t Tell.
I know not everyone agrees with me, but Sirens gave me those goosebumps too. It's just the best when a band can do that for you.
The guitar solo at the end of Won't Tell is very reminiscent of the solo at the end of U2's All I want is you. And to make things more interesting (as you pointed out) the next song, Upper Hand does have that U2esque intro.
I thought inside job was a great closer and you can't say future days wasn't a great closer!
Yep, it’s their second or 3rd best closer. Feels like setting sun is trying to copy that instrumental close out
“Holdin’ on the light of night, on my knees to rise and fix my broken soul” is probably the worst lyric they have ever written. The only one that comes close is that “gems and rhinestones” line from Unthought Known lol
And for context I've been a huge fan of pearl jam since VS .... Yes I missed 10 at the time but went back to it of course but for me my favourite all time PJ album is VS ❤
Wreckage and Won't Tell are incredible.........after multiple listens, I'm actually getting the feels a bit more from Won't Tell, but both are perfect. There's a boatload of great material on this record.
I'm grateful to be among the very few that can say EVERY album has hit the way the dude on the left describes Dark Matter.
Im 47, huge PJ fan, have a tatoo, my sons name is Jeremy, went to countless shows including countless Bridge School Benefit shows, have all their albums, singles, b sides, etc...i love this band to death and they have made such a mark on the every fiber of my teenage upbringing. I must say so far im a little bit underwhelmed with Dark Matter. I was hoping for a more gritty album that maybe would have explored more with things we havent heard. I feel this album wasnt as strong as Gigaton and felt like a predecessor to Lightning Bolt, which i wasnt to keen on and is actually one of my least liked albums from the boys. This one felt way too produced and i wasnt a fan of the track mixing or the over-all flow. I think i really enjoyed 5, maybe 6 songs. Of course there's plenty to like, but i feel PJ have hit that extreme comfort zone with their sound and as result keeps them musically boxed in with sometimes sounding too redundant. Still love their stuff and will always be my band, but just a little disappointed so far with this release. I say this now, but im hoping it will soon grow on me...
I don't like writing long comments, but I relate to you. I'm a few years younger and they are my favorite band of all time. Gigaton is a better album. The songs on Dark Matter are fantastic, but the production is not good. The live performances will do the songs more justice. Watch the Howard Stern live performances from a few days ago. Running and Scared Of Fear sound fantastic.
I agree. 48 here, been a fan since Ten...this album sounds more like an EV solo record with a sprinkle of the band on top. Shame they had to resort to bringing in A. Watt. Seeing his name on each songs writing credits speaks volumes. Pearl Jam and the Watts.
So I have given this album a few days rest because I don't want to over listen to it. Come back to it today and it's grown on me even more. Tracks that I wasn't particularly loving such as Upper Hand and Got to Give now sound better. The album is just ridiculously good and that song Wreckage man is just mind blowing. An absolute masterpiece and I would even go as far as saying it could be the best song they've ever done. From start to finish it's mesmerising.
Won't tell have great chorus, making this song strongest on the whole album
Riot Act is so under appreciated. Love the new album.
😊pyu@@The_Venerate
Y 0:08 😅y
That’s such a conflicting album to me. You have some of the best songs they’ve ever written on there but you also have some of the worst. I know taste is subjective but I’ll never understand how someone can listen to 1/2 Full, Green Disease or Cropduster and think they’re good.
@07foxmulder love all those songs. In my opinion start to finish, their 2006 album pales by comparison to Riot act...but it's just personal preference
@07foxmulder loved the x files btw 👍
Loved this review by two knowledgeable fans who know what to listen for. Just subbed.
I'm saving the album until I go on vacation on Monday! Downloading in ultra high quality and gonna enjoy it for 10 days straight!
Nice. I did the Airpods MAX listening experience last night. I'm enjoying listening to this one in different places and with different headphones. Tonight I load the bluray into my home theater system!
Best Pearl Jam joint since avocado. Better even. waiting for stevie . wow.
Gr8 album as from someboby 19 in the year 1991. What age are these guys - they didn't experience Ten/Nevermind on their release
I was 12 when Ten came out. It broke me out of my Guns N Roses, Poison, Bon Jovi obsession. 😉 -Craig
you guys are huge pearl jam nerds. and I love it. and I also love this great new album. best since Binaural. subscribed.
Welcome aboard!
Had this album on repeat for about 12 hours now. By listen 3 I had gone from feeling disappointed to damn this is really good. After about 12 hours I’m like, damn this is REALLY REALLY GOOD!
Love the album, love your takes my buddy and I have been having an almost exact same convo throughout the day.
Upper tier…
Wreckage
Setting Sun
Waiting for Stevie
Got to Give
Upper Hand
Lower tier…
Running
React Respond
Dark Matter
I actually like something special probably because I have 3 girls growing up way too fast so I dig the girl-dad vibes
Great review!
Btw: React respond is one of my favorites - very cool instrumentation. 😅
Hated the Dark Matter single release but now I've quickly fallen in love with this record! After the first week with it I'd say it might be the best (or my favorite) 21st century Pearl Jam yet. You talked about Eddie's vocal performance and how great he sounds on the new songs. Well, I think he managed to adjust his style now better to the altered qualities of his aged voice. He developed some mannerisms over the years that annoy many old 90s fans (like me) and all the vocal changes must also have an impact on song writing. Ever since Avocado there has been a certain Springsteenishness Eddie's sound and at the same time he seems to have lost the "relaxed but edgy" sound that I think came from their collaboration with Neil Young back in the mid-nineties. I miss that sound but hey, nobody can turn back the clocks, so it is what it is... Anyways, that's one thing that curbs my enthusiasm slightly as I'm hearing those mannerisms on DM and I'm detecting that Springsteenishness on DM. Add the compressed and anything but raw and gritty sound of the production... well, it makes me miss the Neil Young inspired sound even more. In less abstract terms it means that every song just falls slightly short of being perfect because there's always something small that ruins it for me. And no, you don't have to tell me that this is perfectionist quibbles or a spoiled fan's nitpicking. I know. And as I said, I like the record a lot! As you put it, this is so much more than I actually expected or even hoped for. And it feels even more intense now because of my initial disappointment.
Easy 8/10. I’m so happy. PJ my favorite band of all time and I didn’t like gigaton at all. Probably at the bottom so getting this album means so much to me
I’m disappointed with it. I hate comparisons when reviewing but it feels like a less interesting version of Gigaton. I know they’re pushing 60 and I shouldn’t expect a Kid A-type defining album but I was still hoping for something more. Oh well. Glad others are enjoying it though.
Probably my fav album since Yield.
Are you guys in Cleveland? I'm in Lake County. First time coming across your channel. I am really impressed with this album. My 2 favorites are Wrecksge and Upper Hand. Upper Hand gives me a little War on Drugs vibes. I love it.
This is Craig. I'm in Cleveland on the east side just into Geauga County. Andrew lives in C-bus.
@@AlbumOfRecord awesome, when you name dropped 106.5 and 104.1, I'm like what!? I'm in University Hts. Great review and show. We need PJ back in CLE. Been 2 long....2010
Wreckage , , the good song on album . .
& that's it !👈
I disagree, but at this stage of a band's career, if they're giving you just one more great song per record, that's ok too. Wreckage is a great tune.
React/Respond is one I have mixed opinion on... I think it seems lyrically weaker than others on the record. I agree on your opinion with Eddie's vocal delivery on the chorus. Love what Mike is doing with the solo at the end. The laugh at the end threw me off... never heard Eddie do something like that. Wreckage, Upper Hand, and Got To Give are personal favorites for me.
Riot Act is a much better album than so many fans think it is... but that's the only pushback I'll have on your opening statements, Andrew. I feel the same way. I'm a little younger than many fans. I was only 5 when Ten came out. I also grew up in the Christian music bubble. At 14, I started playing guitar and learning classic rock... then I started filling myself in on things I'd missed out on. I found Pearl Jam at age 18... and there was never any looking back from there.
You are correct. There are Badtake Merchants among us... which is fine. We'll have 'em. I get sick of the Matt Cameron hate/mourning the loss of Dave A though...
When I first heard React, Respond I thought he was saying "Juliet, Respond" 😆
I think it’s the best since No Code
I hope your channel takes off. Work on not talking over each other.
Hey guys. I'm part of a sports podcast that is expanding into a network. I just mentioned you guys to the owner, Matt. He might be reaching out to you on Twitter. Love this episode, I'll be watching more!
Thanks!
react, respond is vintage police. i'm a fan
Interesting that you also hear some 80s vibes like me. Thanks for checking out the pod!
Longtime PJ fan, from the very beginning, but started to lose interest after Binaural. Dark Matter has pulled me back in, their best album since the 1990s, in the conversation for Top 3 overall.
Something Special is a pretty great track too!
why do we have subtitles? Can clearly hear what is being said.
RUclips prefers them. Our software generates them. I never considered it a bad thing? Sorry if it bugs you.
@@AlbumOfRecord its only mildly annoying and seemingly unnecessary. Still enjoying listening to your takes on this album.
Pearl Jam went from having John Bonham (Dave A) to having Charlie Watts (Matt C)...such a shame
Not bad, but anyone who places this ahead of any of of their first seven records(Ten to Riot act) needs to check his or her brain.
Eddie does sound great on this album for a change and Upper hand is an unexpected gem.
Just my opinion of course.😂
Loved this review. But had to bail out 2/3 of the way in when ya both started talking over each other.
It was a tech glitch with our recording software. It only happened on our most important episode to date! Apologies.
Maybe some recency bias however this is a top 3 PJ album for me.
❤
I don't get the fascination with the new record. Like the last two decades' worth of music, there are a few good songs, but most are really average.
One great song on it - Setting Sun is a keeper. But overall, disappointing. The added compression is CRAZY...
In fact it's so compressed it almost sounds autotuned in spots.
Yep what the hell is up with the compression!? I like "Waiting For Stevie" but the production is awful. Sad because I wanted it to live up to the hype!
Deleting comments that dont love it? Why?
lol. Nope. Haven’t deleted any comments.
@@AlbumOfRecord must be my fault then sorry. But yeah, I'm not a fan of this album after 3 listens (and I really wanted to be) The compressed production is terrible too.
Pearl jam albums have been so hit and miss over the last year that since somehow sounds ok but it’s really not that good. A few good songs and then a lot of amblers, that’s it
❤تحياتى
Good album. Terrible drum sound and the overall mix is too compressed and saturated. Eddie saying that this is their best album is delusional. Even though I like it, to me, it's another let down. Pearl Jam magic and prime is long gone.
Can you possibly contradict yourself any more in this post????
Upper Hand, nice song, but about a minute too long
New music sounds better live. I just don't like their new lead singer.
Spiritual succesor to YIELD????? Can I please have some of that magic dust you're smoking?????? WTAF??? So done with this band now!
Been a PJ fan since Mother love bone.
Seen them live many times and imo they're not a great live band.
Hurts me to say but imo they haven't made anything decent since 2002.
This album is awful, i don't even know what this band is anymore
PJ are a bunch of wussies now. With the exception of GIGATON, the band has been soft since "Backspacer".
This album is forgettable i can make a 3 song ep with this