Last week, Pearl Jam released their latest studio album. It is the band's 11th album release, and it was supposed to have been supported by a tour here in North America. In fact, I had gotten tickets for the second show that was scheduled, in Ottawa, but for obvious reasons, that was postponed, and hopefully not outright cancelled. There was also supposed to be a movie release of the album, with visuals to accompany the music, two days before the official release of the album on the 27th. I got tickets to that, too, but it was outright cancelled.
Yet, the album was released, and is now available.
And so, to take a break from the coronavirus crisis that has been dominating the headlines for quite a few weeks now, it is time to give my review of the album. Just a note, however: the record store that I usually get new rock albums from - a little mom and pop music store located in Wayne, New Jersey - has been closed, obviously. I decided that it might be nice to get the album anyway, but Target did not have it, either. It clearly would not qualify as an essential item, so that is not entirely surprising. Long story short, I do not physically possess the album, and this review is a revlew of the listed tracks on the album that are available right now (for free) on Youtube. So if you want to hear it for yourself, go ahead and type in the name of the band and the album, and you will get all of the tracks. You can even play the full album in order, as the band has organized it that way, although be forewarned that there are some advertisements. Some of the individual songs are available with lyrics, though other video releases, and there are no advertisements. Choose whichever way you prefer, but this is an album that is worth considering.
So now, let's get on with the review:
Okay, so I have been a big Pearl Jam fan since the early nineties. It is kind of strange, because everyone felt that I was a bit obsessed by the band. At first, they were extremely popular. Phenomenally popular, in fact. Quite frankly, I am not entirely sure that I have seen a band that was quite as uniquely popular as they were at their peak. It seemed that they enjoyed a unique status, and perhaps it was a combination of things. Firstly, they were from Seattle, at a time when Seattle was the capital of the rock world (albeit briefly). They also had sex appeal, apparently, particularly Eddie Vedder, which played well with the female audience, obviously. Vedder also was similarly brooding and mysterious, at once poetic while also conscientious, a trend that was common for Seattle bands, but which broke a seeming “party all the time” mentality from heavier bands prior to that. They had a more serious side, and they addressed teenage angst, and did that with an intensity that ordered on electric during their live shows, which became the band’s specialty. Perhaps you could argue that they were lucky with their timing, as a Seattle band that emerged just as Nirvana was about to break really huge and alter the music landscape, then benefiting from the Lollapalooza tour, which they helped immortalize. They had ties with other bands that helped them out in the early days, particularly the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Soundgarden. And the band just did some unique things, such as limiting their touring following endless tours their first couple of years, refusing the do videos to promote their new music, releasing albums first on vinyl before CD and tape (at a time when vinyl was considered dead), and battling Ticketmaster. They kept trying to maintain relatively low ticket prices well into the 21st century (it seemed to more or less go away maybe somewhere between either 2010 or 2013). And in 2000, the band released official bootlegs that allowed them to be the first band to have several albums among the bestselling albums on Billboard in one week, which also gave them quite a distinction.
Yet, the album was released, and is now available.
And so, to take a break from the coronavirus crisis that has been dominating the headlines for quite a few weeks now, it is time to give my review of the album. Just a note, however: the record store that I usually get new rock albums from - a little mom and pop music store located in Wayne, New Jersey - has been closed, obviously. I decided that it might be nice to get the album anyway, but Target did not have it, either. It clearly would not qualify as an essential item, so that is not entirely surprising. Long story short, I do not physically possess the album, and this review is a revlew of the listed tracks on the album that are available right now (for free) on Youtube. So if you want to hear it for yourself, go ahead and type in the name of the band and the album, and you will get all of the tracks. You can even play the full album in order, as the band has organized it that way, although be forewarned that there are some advertisements. Some of the individual songs are available with lyrics, though other video releases, and there are no advertisements. Choose whichever way you prefer, but this is an album that is worth considering.
So now, let's get on with the review:
Okay, so I have been a big Pearl Jam fan since the early nineties. It is kind of strange, because everyone felt that I was a bit obsessed by the band. At first, they were extremely popular. Phenomenally popular, in fact. Quite frankly, I am not entirely sure that I have seen a band that was quite as uniquely popular as they were at their peak. It seemed that they enjoyed a unique status, and perhaps it was a combination of things. Firstly, they were from Seattle, at a time when Seattle was the capital of the rock world (albeit briefly). They also had sex appeal, apparently, particularly Eddie Vedder, which played well with the female audience, obviously. Vedder also was similarly brooding and mysterious, at once poetic while also conscientious, a trend that was common for Seattle bands, but which broke a seeming “party all the time” mentality from heavier bands prior to that. They had a more serious side, and they addressed teenage angst, and did that with an intensity that ordered on electric during their live shows, which became the band’s specialty. Perhaps you could argue that they were lucky with their timing, as a Seattle band that emerged just as Nirvana was about to break really huge and alter the music landscape, then benefiting from the Lollapalooza tour, which they helped immortalize. They had ties with other bands that helped them out in the early days, particularly the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Soundgarden. And the band just did some unique things, such as limiting their touring following endless tours their first couple of years, refusing the do videos to promote their new music, releasing albums first on vinyl before CD and tape (at a time when vinyl was considered dead), and battling Ticketmaster. They kept trying to maintain relatively low ticket prices well into the 21st century (it seemed to more or less go away maybe somewhere between either 2010 or 2013). And in 2000, the band released official bootlegs that allowed them to be the first band to have several albums among the bestselling albums on Billboard in one week, which also gave them quite a distinction.
So, they have an interesting and unique history. They could have bragged about some of that stuff, if they were so inclined, although they generally do not brag.
For me, the main appeal were the lyrics. I was going through a bit of teenage angst myself at the time, and also depression issues, which is why I became a fan of the band virtually overnight, after being introduced to the lyrics to “Jeremy.” I ran out and got the album, and really got to enjoy it, obviously. Before long, they were the band that I was listening to far more than any other, and looking forward to their next albums. I remember getting Versus, and again, getting used to it, enjoying it. They had a phenomenal show that was broadcast on national radio in early April of 1994, and that was also the time that I tried to get tickets to their show at the Paramount, spent a night on a New York City curbside hoping to get Standby tickets for their appearance on Saturday Night Live (I got the Standby ticket, but still did not get in), and finally, almost went up to Boston for a show there, but that fell through in the last minute. So, I was really, really hungry to finally see them, once and for all.
That finally happened in 1996, slightly more than a month after I got their fourth album, “No Code,” during a trip to Chicago. They played a pair of shows on Randall’s Island late in September of 1996, and my friend managed to get tickets to the second show. It wound up being a legendary show, at the time their longest show ever. What a thrill it was to finally see the band! I would see them again two years later, once through the fan club, with second row center seats to pay that guy back who got the tickets to the first show. In fact, I have now seen Pearl Jam more than any other single band, by far. And I had tickets to take my son to see them in Ottawa in late March, but obviously, the whole Covid-19 thing kind of rained on that parade. But they are one of the bands that my son and I bonded over, as well as Chris Cornell and Soundgarden.
Yet, here’s the thing: I have kind of also been an on again, off again fan. Yes, I was really deeply into them throughout the nineties, but it kind of lulled just a tiny bit after I had finally seen them. I looked forward to their next album, and I really enjoyed “No Code,” which I still feel was a very underrated album, probably the band’s most underrated album, frankly. But I got back into them in a big way with “Yield,” going into the city to buy the album as soon as it was released, and getting one of the famous lithographs of the band’s new album that Virgin Megastore (remember that?) was offering with every purchase of that album. I still sometimes kick myself for not getting a second one for my girlfriend, just for that lithograph, which was awesome, and which has turned out to be valuable.
Then, it seemed to taper off just a bit. I liked “Binaural,” but not nearly as much as any of the previous albums. I saw them again that year, but only for one show at Jones Beach. But then came the George W. Bush administration, then September 11th, and then the unjustifiable war against Iraq, and I was longing for people to speak out against the war machine. And Pearl Jam did, and so I got more into them with the release of “Riot Act,” another underrated album. I saw them a whole bunch of times in 2003, including many states and two Canadian provinces. Hell, I was at the show at Nassau Coliseum when they were booed off the stage, which still remains one of my weirdest concert experiences ever.
For a few years, I was more intensely into Pearl Jam than I had been, and it began in 2003, when I was perhaps more obsessed with the band than ever before. I read several books about them, saw them a whole bunch of times, had an account and was fairly regularly conversing on their chat page, buying all sorts of souvenirs, including posters of the shows that I would go to as much as I possibly could, and so on and so forth. For the most part, it was cool, although a lot of people felt it was obsessive. I was still a huge fan, even if it was not quite with the intensity of 2003. But I saw them three times still in 2004 (for the Vote for Change tour, including the finale at Washington), and then twice each in 2005 and again in 2006, after the release of their self-titled album. That was a great album, where the band seemed to return to a punkier style again, a kind of return of edginess.
Then, my fandom became normal again. I was not quite so obsessed with them. I did see them twice in 2010 and twice in 2013, but neither of the albums that they were supporting (“Backspacer and Lightning Bolt,” respectively) were anywhere near as impactful for me as some of their earlier albums were. Also, I was starting to get a bit annoyed with how much the tickets were, and how bad the seats tended to be. In particular, I got tickets for a show in Hartford, and paid the same price for nosebleeds that the people right up front and center had paid and that kind of got on my nerves. Let’s face it: the experience is not anywhere near the same. Trust me, I have seen Pearl Jam u close and personal a few times, and I have seen them few in what could be described as the nosebleeds a few times, as well. It’s not the same experience. It’s just not. And to charge the same, for a band that once prided themselves on the affordability of their tickets, just did not sit well with me. And let me tell you, the ticket prices certainly have not gotten cheaper, either. Living in the New York area, they always seem to charge more here than anywhere else, and the tickets are harder to come by, as well. At least charge people in nosebleeds less than people in the front rows. Am I crazy to suggest that?
Maybe it was the less than great seats that were available through the fan club, or maybe it was losing my original fan membership number (I still remember it: 144053) and getting something with an extra digit, which means a higher number and this more fans that are in front of me in terms of priority seating for their concerts. Or maybe, admittedly, their last two albums just had not resonated with me as much as many of their earlier albums had. Or maybe I just kind of got Pearl Jammed out for a little while, if you will. Whatever it was, I was suddenly not listening to Pearl Jam nearly as much for the past few years or so. I got into each album a bit after their were released, and of course, when I went to their shows. But after that, it just kind of went away and, truth be told, my memory cannot pinpoint the last time that either of those albums were taken out and played.
However, this new album was a welcome release for me. After all, it is the band's first effort in well over six years, and it was almost beginning to feel like maybe they might not put out another album. They were still playing live shows, sure. But a lot of bands do that, without really releasing any new material. For the most part, those bands are living off the past, and whatever you want to say about Pearl Jam, I always felt that they were the kind of a band that looked forward to making new, fresh music, and giving it their best. So, it was a little alarming to see how long it had been since the last album was released, even though, admittedly, six years and change does not feel nearly as long for me these days as it used to. But it is good that they finally released another album, at long last.
So, how does the new album actually sound?
Well, I can say this much: this is the best Pearl Jam album in nearly a decade and a half, at least.
Tracklist for Pearl Jam's "Gigaton":
1. “Who Ever Said”
2. “Superblood Wolfmoon”
3. “Dance Of The Clairvoyants”
4. “Quick Escape”
5. “Alright”
6. “Seven O’Clock”
7. “Never Destination”
8. “Take The Long Way”
9. “Buckle Up”
10. “Comes Then Goes”
11. “Retrograde”
12. “River Cross”
Here is a review of each song on the album:
1. “Who Ever Said” – A dark, almost brooding tone to start, before it opens to a more up beat tone, yet with lyrics that reflect that earlier somberness. Yet, the lyrics have meaning, which is not surprising from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, of course. I felt I could relate to the lyrics, “Living forwards in a backwards town.” Yeah, definitely can relate to that, and it feels symbolic, for that matter, of what is going on in the country as a whole, as many (surely including the members of Pearl Jam) are looking forward towards a better world, with the United States embracing it’s role within that world, while officially, politically, the country’s political tires are still stuck in the mud and spreading the mess around, while those we placed in the driver’s seat keep looking back instead of forward. Or how about these lyrics, from the bridge of the song:
Home is where
The broken heart is
Home is where
Every scar is
Pretty solid stuff. A good track to open up the new album with.
2. “Superblood Wolfmoon” – Already a familiar tune to anyone who has been following Pearl Jam, and listening to the new stuff as it has been released. This was the second track to be released to the public by the band, and it has a very up-tempo kind of feel to it. It feels reminiscent to me of some of the B-sides from the Riot Act days, and I do not mean that in a bad way. With a bit of a punk bent to it, and lyrics that seem to speak of the promise of something beautiful which was taken away from us way too soon. A solid and enjoyable track overall. Chances are, if you are a fan of Pearl Jam and don’t like this one, you might not be into this album, period. But for me, that’s not a problem. A gem.
3. “Dance of the Clairvoyants” – The most familiar song from this album already, as it has been playing on the radio for some time, having been the first track released from this album. Yet in some ways, this felt like the least familiar song of the album, because it has a very different sound than anything that I have ever heard before from Pearl Jam. The opening in particular always sounded a bit unusual to me, not sounding much like anything that this band has done before at all. And this has a strange feel to it (to me), as well. Yet, it is a catchy tune, and I like it. Plus, there is nothing wrong with a band trying out new things, going in new directions. Yet, the lyrics are as thoughtful as what we have come to expect from Vedder, and they hint at a political perspective, without overwhelming you with a sledgehammer about their political beliefs. Here is a sample of the chorus:
Expecting perfection
Leaves a lot to ignore
When the past is the present
And the future's no more
When every tomorrow
Is the same as before
4. “Quick Escape” – One of my friends – a mutual Pearl Jam fan and admirer – said that this was his favorite track from the new album. At points, it feels reminiscent to me of some of the stuff from the band’s past, although there are the political lyrics that should probably be to no one’s surprise, given that this is the age of Trump. Traveling is big in the lyrics, and the swipe at Trump is hardly subtle:
The lengths we had to go to then
To find a place Trump hadn't fucked up yet
Sad, but true. Yet, the lyrics are not merely direct hits at Trump, but take on an almost poetic reflection of modern lives, and the directions that we, collectively, have decided to go, while we long for what we lost along the way:
And here we are, the red planet
Craters across the skyline
A sleep sack in a bivouac
And a Kerouac sense of time
Oh, and we think about the old days
Of green grass, sky and red wine
Should've known, so fragile
And avoided this one-way flight
I can see why my friend likes this one so much!
5. “Alright” – An introspective tune. There is one point when it really reminds me of “Amethyst Realm” from last year’s Claypool Lennon Delirium album. This song feels like it is talking about isolation (timely, given this whole coronavirus thing), and developing yourself, believing in what you can do. Being able to find that take off point, having that level of confidence in yourself. A slower song, and not necessarily what comes to mind as a typical Pearl Jam tune, but pretty decent.
6. “Seven O’Clock” – One of the slower tunes of the album. Another one that feels timely for the Covid-19 crisis, . Look at these lyrics:
For this is no time for depression or self-indulgent hesitance
This fucked up situation calls for all hands, hands on deck
Freedom is as freedom does and freedom is a verb
They giveth and they taketh and you fight to keep that what you've earned
We saw the destination, got so close before it turned
Swim sideways from this undertow and do not be deterred
The lyrics fluctuate from rather philosophical and poetic, to comical political swipes at the trademark narcissism of the man currently in the Oval Office:
Caught the butterfly, broke its wings then put it on display
Stripped of all its beauty once it could not fly high away
Oh, still alive like a passerby overdosed on gamma rays
Another god's creation destined to be thrown away
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, they forged the north and west
Then you got Sitting Bullshit as our sitting president
Oh, talking to his mirror, what's he say, what's it say back?
A tragedy of errors, who'll be the last to have a laugh?
A good question. And a good song, one that I had heard a couple of times without noticing anything particularly special, until I listened while reading to and paying attention to the lyrics, which give this a whole other dimension of meaning. I recommend listening to this, and reading along with the lyrics!
7. “Never Destination” – Another song that, to me, sounds like it could have been a Riot Act B-side (again, in a good way, because those tracks were some really cool songs, and were better in my opinion than some of the songs that actually made the cut for that album). This one has a fairly fast tempo, and is just a straight up solid rock song. He makes a reference to his friendship with Sean Penn by using the character name of Bob Honey of Sean Penn’s recent fictional books. This one has a classic rock ‘n roll feel to it, and is enjoyable to listen to, with clever lyrical content.
8. “Take The Long Way” – Every time I see the title of this track, I cannot help but think of Supertramp. However, this sounds nothing like “Take the Long Way Home” by that band. This is a track that might have been done by this band many years ago, in some of the faster, harder stuff. Perhaps the self-titled album, or “No Code,” perhaps. Even "Vitalogy,” although Vedder’s vocal delivery sounds different in this song than it did in those earlier albums, and so you can hear it in this one more. Just a straightforward, hard-rocking song, kind of like the old days. There is a McCready guitar solo that even feels reminiscent of older days. A cool song, really.
9. “Buckle Up” – You might think, due to the name of this track, that this might be one of the fastest or most intense tracks on the album. Yet, it is more of an acoustic track, with an almost peaceful vocal delivery by Vedder. That is not to say that it is a bad track. Not at all. In fact, this is perhaps my favorite track from this new album. The lyrics are a bit on the dark side, mysterious and brooding, and feel like a puzzle that you want to put together to get the whole picture of what he is singing about. That said, Vedder also does something interesting and unique with his vocals on this one.
10. “Comes Then Goes” – The title of this track feels reminiscent of “Off He Goes” from the “No Code” album, which was one of my favorite. That said, this does not sound like that song at all. Yet, it is another acoustic piece, and it is a great track from this album, arguably my favorite, the one that perhaps grabbed me with the most immediacy. There is an allusion to a song originally by the Who, “The Kids are Alright,” which Pearl Jam has covered at times, as well. Yet, this song is a tribute to another musician that played a role several times in this band's past. Yes, this is a tribute to the late, great Chris Cornell, and it kind of has his style of acoustic guitar.
11. “Retrograde” – When I first saw what the album cover was going to be, and what the title of the album symbolized, this was the kind of song that I expected to hear. The lyrics really feel about the enormity of the climate change crisis, and just how enormous a task it is that we have if we are going to try and seriously address it. Here is a sample of the lyrics:
Stars align they say when
Things are better than right now
Feel the retrograde spin us round, round
Seven seas are raising
Forever futures fading out
Feel the retrograde all around, round
Yet, Vedder reminds us that despite this, we have no choice, really, but to make the effort to try to do something, even if it will take an effort like we have never shown or proven we have in order to do it:
The more mistakes, the more resolve
It's gonna take much more than ordinary love
To lift this up
A decent song, albeit another slow-paced one. Very reflective.
12. “River Cross” – The opening of this one reminded me quite a bit of “Love Boat Captain,” for some reason, mostly because of Boom Gospar's organ. The lyrics feel reminiscent of that song, also, for reasons that I cannot quite pinpoint yet. A somber song, reflective and rather philosophical. Alludes to that sense of youth at points, when things feel straightforward and the worlds direction predictable, before surprising turns of the river that cause us to lose our bearings. The sunshine of the springtime of our youth adds to this sense of having lost our once seemingly clear course. Yet Vedder urges us to remember that nothing can hold us down. I like this song, and it makes me think. But this one feels a bit depressing to me, as well, admittedly.
Maybe it was the less than great seats that were available through the fan club, or maybe it was losing my original fan membership number (I still remember it: 144053) and getting something with an extra digit, which means a higher number and this more fans that are in front of me in terms of priority seating for their concerts. Or maybe, admittedly, their last two albums just had not resonated with me as much as many of their earlier albums had. Or maybe I just kind of got Pearl Jammed out for a little while, if you will. Whatever it was, I was suddenly not listening to Pearl Jam nearly as much for the past few years or so. I got into each album a bit after their were released, and of course, when I went to their shows. But after that, it just kind of went away and, truth be told, my memory cannot pinpoint the last time that either of those albums were taken out and played.
However, this new album was a welcome release for me. After all, it is the band's first effort in well over six years, and it was almost beginning to feel like maybe they might not put out another album. They were still playing live shows, sure. But a lot of bands do that, without really releasing any new material. For the most part, those bands are living off the past, and whatever you want to say about Pearl Jam, I always felt that they were the kind of a band that looked forward to making new, fresh music, and giving it their best. So, it was a little alarming to see how long it had been since the last album was released, even though, admittedly, six years and change does not feel nearly as long for me these days as it used to. But it is good that they finally released another album, at long last.
So, how does the new album actually sound?
Well, I can say this much: this is the best Pearl Jam album in nearly a decade and a half, at least.
Tracklist for Pearl Jam's "Gigaton":
1. “Who Ever Said”
2. “Superblood Wolfmoon”
3. “Dance Of The Clairvoyants”
4. “Quick Escape”
5. “Alright”
6. “Seven O’Clock”
7. “Never Destination”
8. “Take The Long Way”
9. “Buckle Up”
10. “Comes Then Goes”
11. “Retrograde”
12. “River Cross”
Here is a review of each song on the album:
1. “Who Ever Said” – A dark, almost brooding tone to start, before it opens to a more up beat tone, yet with lyrics that reflect that earlier somberness. Yet, the lyrics have meaning, which is not surprising from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, of course. I felt I could relate to the lyrics, “Living forwards in a backwards town.” Yeah, definitely can relate to that, and it feels symbolic, for that matter, of what is going on in the country as a whole, as many (surely including the members of Pearl Jam) are looking forward towards a better world, with the United States embracing it’s role within that world, while officially, politically, the country’s political tires are still stuck in the mud and spreading the mess around, while those we placed in the driver’s seat keep looking back instead of forward. Or how about these lyrics, from the bridge of the song:
Home is where
The broken heart is
Home is where
Every scar is
Pretty solid stuff. A good track to open up the new album with.
2. “Superblood Wolfmoon” – Already a familiar tune to anyone who has been following Pearl Jam, and listening to the new stuff as it has been released. This was the second track to be released to the public by the band, and it has a very up-tempo kind of feel to it. It feels reminiscent to me of some of the B-sides from the Riot Act days, and I do not mean that in a bad way. With a bit of a punk bent to it, and lyrics that seem to speak of the promise of something beautiful which was taken away from us way too soon. A solid and enjoyable track overall. Chances are, if you are a fan of Pearl Jam and don’t like this one, you might not be into this album, period. But for me, that’s not a problem. A gem.
3. “Dance of the Clairvoyants” – The most familiar song from this album already, as it has been playing on the radio for some time, having been the first track released from this album. Yet in some ways, this felt like the least familiar song of the album, because it has a very different sound than anything that I have ever heard before from Pearl Jam. The opening in particular always sounded a bit unusual to me, not sounding much like anything that this band has done before at all. And this has a strange feel to it (to me), as well. Yet, it is a catchy tune, and I like it. Plus, there is nothing wrong with a band trying out new things, going in new directions. Yet, the lyrics are as thoughtful as what we have come to expect from Vedder, and they hint at a political perspective, without overwhelming you with a sledgehammer about their political beliefs. Here is a sample of the chorus:
Expecting perfection
Leaves a lot to ignore
When the past is the present
And the future's no more
When every tomorrow
Is the same as before
4. “Quick Escape” – One of my friends – a mutual Pearl Jam fan and admirer – said that this was his favorite track from the new album. At points, it feels reminiscent to me of some of the stuff from the band’s past, although there are the political lyrics that should probably be to no one’s surprise, given that this is the age of Trump. Traveling is big in the lyrics, and the swipe at Trump is hardly subtle:
The lengths we had to go to then
To find a place Trump hadn't fucked up yet
Sad, but true. Yet, the lyrics are not merely direct hits at Trump, but take on an almost poetic reflection of modern lives, and the directions that we, collectively, have decided to go, while we long for what we lost along the way:
And here we are, the red planet
Craters across the skyline
A sleep sack in a bivouac
And a Kerouac sense of time
Oh, and we think about the old days
Of green grass, sky and red wine
Should've known, so fragile
And avoided this one-way flight
I can see why my friend likes this one so much!
5. “Alright” – An introspective tune. There is one point when it really reminds me of “Amethyst Realm” from last year’s Claypool Lennon Delirium album. This song feels like it is talking about isolation (timely, given this whole coronavirus thing), and developing yourself, believing in what you can do. Being able to find that take off point, having that level of confidence in yourself. A slower song, and not necessarily what comes to mind as a typical Pearl Jam tune, but pretty decent.
6. “Seven O’Clock” – One of the slower tunes of the album. Another one that feels timely for the Covid-19 crisis, . Look at these lyrics:
For this is no time for depression or self-indulgent hesitance
This fucked up situation calls for all hands, hands on deck
Freedom is as freedom does and freedom is a verb
They giveth and they taketh and you fight to keep that what you've earned
We saw the destination, got so close before it turned
Swim sideways from this undertow and do not be deterred
The lyrics fluctuate from rather philosophical and poetic, to comical political swipes at the trademark narcissism of the man currently in the Oval Office:
Caught the butterfly, broke its wings then put it on display
Stripped of all its beauty once it could not fly high away
Oh, still alive like a passerby overdosed on gamma rays
Another god's creation destined to be thrown away
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, they forged the north and west
Then you got Sitting Bullshit as our sitting president
Oh, talking to his mirror, what's he say, what's it say back?
A tragedy of errors, who'll be the last to have a laugh?
A good question. And a good song, one that I had heard a couple of times without noticing anything particularly special, until I listened while reading to and paying attention to the lyrics, which give this a whole other dimension of meaning. I recommend listening to this, and reading along with the lyrics!
7. “Never Destination” – Another song that, to me, sounds like it could have been a Riot Act B-side (again, in a good way, because those tracks were some really cool songs, and were better in my opinion than some of the songs that actually made the cut for that album). This one has a fairly fast tempo, and is just a straight up solid rock song. He makes a reference to his friendship with Sean Penn by using the character name of Bob Honey of Sean Penn’s recent fictional books. This one has a classic rock ‘n roll feel to it, and is enjoyable to listen to, with clever lyrical content.
8. “Take The Long Way” – Every time I see the title of this track, I cannot help but think of Supertramp. However, this sounds nothing like “Take the Long Way Home” by that band. This is a track that might have been done by this band many years ago, in some of the faster, harder stuff. Perhaps the self-titled album, or “No Code,” perhaps. Even "Vitalogy,” although Vedder’s vocal delivery sounds different in this song than it did in those earlier albums, and so you can hear it in this one more. Just a straightforward, hard-rocking song, kind of like the old days. There is a McCready guitar solo that even feels reminiscent of older days. A cool song, really.
9. “Buckle Up” – You might think, due to the name of this track, that this might be one of the fastest or most intense tracks on the album. Yet, it is more of an acoustic track, with an almost peaceful vocal delivery by Vedder. That is not to say that it is a bad track. Not at all. In fact, this is perhaps my favorite track from this new album. The lyrics are a bit on the dark side, mysterious and brooding, and feel like a puzzle that you want to put together to get the whole picture of what he is singing about. That said, Vedder also does something interesting and unique with his vocals on this one.
10. “Comes Then Goes” – The title of this track feels reminiscent of “Off He Goes” from the “No Code” album, which was one of my favorite. That said, this does not sound like that song at all. Yet, it is another acoustic piece, and it is a great track from this album, arguably my favorite, the one that perhaps grabbed me with the most immediacy. There is an allusion to a song originally by the Who, “The Kids are Alright,” which Pearl Jam has covered at times, as well. Yet, this song is a tribute to another musician that played a role several times in this band's past. Yes, this is a tribute to the late, great Chris Cornell, and it kind of has his style of acoustic guitar.
11. “Retrograde” – When I first saw what the album cover was going to be, and what the title of the album symbolized, this was the kind of song that I expected to hear. The lyrics really feel about the enormity of the climate change crisis, and just how enormous a task it is that we have if we are going to try and seriously address it. Here is a sample of the lyrics:
Stars align they say when
Things are better than right now
Feel the retrograde spin us round, round
Seven seas are raising
Forever futures fading out
Feel the retrograde all around, round
Yet, Vedder reminds us that despite this, we have no choice, really, but to make the effort to try to do something, even if it will take an effort like we have never shown or proven we have in order to do it:
The more mistakes, the more resolve
It's gonna take much more than ordinary love
To lift this up
A decent song, albeit another slow-paced one. Very reflective.
12. “River Cross” – The opening of this one reminded me quite a bit of “Love Boat Captain,” for some reason, mostly because of Boom Gospar's organ. The lyrics feel reminiscent of that song, also, for reasons that I cannot quite pinpoint yet. A somber song, reflective and rather philosophical. Alludes to that sense of youth at points, when things feel straightforward and the worlds direction predictable, before surprising turns of the river that cause us to lose our bearings. The sunshine of the springtime of our youth adds to this sense of having lost our once seemingly clear course. Yet Vedder urges us to remember that nothing can hold us down. I like this song, and it makes me think. But this one feels a bit depressing to me, as well, admittedly.
No comments:
Post a Comment