Backspacer by Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam has always been a band that firmly looks forward, while walking backward.  This is a good thing, really.  Let me explain.  See, they are forward thinking with their current business model, and the way they want to make albums that are distinct from their previous output, while remaining true to their established ethic.  But they walk backward in the sense that they aren't afraid to acknowledge the music from the past that has made the biggest impact on the individual members.

Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard have some punk roots from playing in Green River, Matt Cameron cut his teeth in Soundgarden.  Mike McCready has a metal and blues background, and Eddie Vedder brings loads of classic rock and pop sensibilities to the table.  Together, they openly pluck bits from their influences, and make a sound that is distinctly Pearl Jam.  You can easily point out the influence on any part of a song without that song sounding like a pastiche.  Again, this is a good thing.

With eight albums under their collective belts, several concert recordings, a greatest hits comp, and a B-Sides anthology, They could very well start their version of the classic rock retread.  However, they hit us with their ninth revolution - a lean, mean, rock and roll snapshot called Backspacer.

For me, listening to a Pearl Jam record (or any record, for that matter) is like unpacking a large box.  My ears pass over each song multiple times, combing for the little details, hoping to catch a glint of something shiny.  When I find those details and shiny bits, I go over the song again and again.  The best part of this approach is that, years later, I'll still find some little lick, snare drum hit, or bass note, or guitar effect that I hadn't noticed before, and it sparks an emotional reaction.  Maybe that's just me.  I'd like to take this space and opportunity to share what I've picked up from unpacking Backspacer, so far.

1. Gonna See My Friend
Opening with much the same kind of energy as "Breakerfall" from Pearl Jam's Binaural, this song is the first of the three gut-punches that open this record.  The rhythm of the song is reminiscent of Iggy and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy" in spots, and it plows straight ahead with a punk rock fury.  Cool little ear moment: the spots where it sounds like the bass line is being doubled by a six-string bass (or a baritone guitar).

2. Got Some
The second gut-punch.  Jeff Ament plays some bass licks that would make Sting salivate while Mike McCready channels Andy Summers.  Do I need to state obvious regarding who is bringing in a bit of Mr. Copeland?  This track is more Outlandos d'Amour than Synchronicity.  Ear moment(s): The small rack tom taking the place of the high-hat during the intro.  The fact there is only one verse, and the rest of the song is a cycle of the "B" and "C" sections of the song.  The little "Ahh's" that come in just after the 1 minute mark.

3. The Fixer
The third gut-punch, and another song with a detectable Police edge to it.  This could very well be Pearl Jam's first decidedly pop offering.  Vedder dishes out his lyrics with an accessible melody, while the rest of the band chigs it out behind him.  Ear moments: The intro is in 5/4 time, the verses are in 6/4.  You can't tell until you try to dance to it.  The guitar in the right channel is treated with a distorted effect that makes it sound synth-like.  Jeff ament's bass line during the bridge. 

4. Johnny Guitar
The song opens with a subdued version of The Who's bombastic style.  Eddie fires off lines clogged with more words than most would try to sing, a la Elvis Costello.  This is Pearl Jam having fun with a song about sexuality in the form of a young man falling in love with a girl on an album cover.  Gone is the gravitas of songs like Betterman, leaving the once dour Vedder no choice but to sing with a smile.  Ear moments: I swear Matt Cameron is singing some back up vocals during the end.  The odd-time break in the middle of the song.

5. Just Breathe
A finger picked beauty that would have been at home on The Who By Numbers or Who Are You.  Pearl Jam damn near goes country here, and still makes it sound good.  Ear moments: The string section throughout.  Jeff Ament's bass playing, and the little country double-stops after the bridge.

6. Amongst The Waves
This song could be the hidden gem of this record.  Contemplative verses and anthemic choruses give way to a soaring solo.  I almost feel the stamp of Neil Finn on this track with Vedder's vocal melodies.  Ear moments: The half time feel of the drums during the choruses.  The aforementioned solo. 

7. Unthought Known
Dynamically, this song is a spiritual successor to Riot Act's "Love Boat Captain", but it smacks of U2 as well.  The intro, and the build up, the climbing vocals.  All that's missing is some delay, and Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.  Ear moments: Every time Eddie hits those notes at the top of his range.  The guitar melody that weaves in and out near the end.

8. Supersonic
To sum this song up the simplest way possible - The Ramones with a piano.  The song bounces along with a "Cretin Hop" kind of vibe.  It's another fun track.  Ear moments: The funky breakdown, and the slide guitar during the intro.

9. Speed of Sound
A 12/8 shuffle groove propels this song forward while Eddie sings a melody that would be right at home in the mid-80's.  The music itself has the feeling of a Pete Townshend-ish ballad, while the lyrics have a storyteller quality to them.  From an instrumental standpoint, this is possibly one of the most layered tunes they've ever put out, which brings me to the ear moments: the here-and-there synthesizers, the vocal harmonies, and Marxophone.

10. Force of Nature
Another rocker with a steady rhythm, and another anthemic chorus.  Yet again, I feel a touch of Neil Finn in the vocal performance.  As always, Vedder is not afraid to wear his influences on his sleeves.  The choruses lift, contrasting the downward cast of the verses.  The middle-eight sustain the lift, only to drop back into the verse groove.  Ear moments: Cowbell.  Mike's solo at the end of the track. 


11. The End
Could this be Pearl Jam's "Good Night"?  After the high energy riffage of most of this record, Vedder tucks you in at the end with a lullaby in the form of "The End".  This is another song that makes tasteful use of orchestration, and fingerpicked guitar lines.  Ear moment: The way Vedder's voice cracks in spots.  Full of emotion.

So after 18 years together and 9 albums, we finally have, on a studio album, the sound of Pearl Jam having fun.  And with that, I'm packing the album back up, and setting it aside to listen to it again tomorrow.  Who knows - I may even detect more ear moments.

Farewell citizens.

So, the new Pearl Jam album...

Absolutely rocks.  Period.  I will be posting a full report soon, but for now, I just want to share a quote from Pearl Jam front-man Eddie Vedder.

“There's something about this infusion of energy. It's a tangible thing that gives you as much energy as a drug. It can change the shape of your mood. I think [rock music] is the greatest art form there is, because there's so many elements to it, volume being one of them. But momentum, and rhythm, and the literary side of a good lyric, it can really transport you.”

This is true about "Backspacer",  and it's true about any good music.  I read this quote today, and I felt it.  I knew exactly what Eddie meant when he said it.  That's all I have for now, but I hope to be able to provide my full opinion of "Backspacer" later this week. 

Farewell, citizens.

Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart

I just listened to the Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band album "Trout Mask Replica" earlier today.  My final verdict on "Trout Mask Replica" is that it is a sonic sculpture, fashioned from jagged rock, dynamited into shape, with the edges further sharpened. From a distance, it's pleasing to the eyes [ears], but the closer you get the more you realize how dangerous it would be to touch the sculpture.  I dug it.  It's way the hell out there. 

"Eulogy" by Ben Kenney

Ben Kenney is one talented dude, having been a member of The Roots (as a touring guitarist), and Time Lapse Consortium with future band-mates Mike Einziger and Jose Pasillas, he currently occupies the bass player slot in Incubus. Since joining Incubus, he's brought with him an element of influence from the seminal 80's power trio The Police, as evidenced by Incubus working "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" into live performances their own hit "Stellar", as well as Kenney's Sting-like bass playing.

Beyond that, the multi-instrumentalist has also released 3 solo records: "26", "Maduro", and most recently, "Distance and Comfort". "Eulogy" is from that album. For the last three or four days, I have been listening to this song on repeat, in my car, on my way to and from work. Can't get enough of the song.

My initial impression of the song was "This is what some of The Police's later output could have felt like had Sting not insisted on sharing writing credit with his ego". I mean, Kenney is dropping in some Stewart Copeland inspired drum parts, as well as a very Andy Summers-ish guitar solo! But at the same time, he's leaving his stamp all over the influence by not resorting to writing lyrics in simple couplets, or trying to be faux intellectual by paraphrasing Carl Jung. OK, maybe I'm being too hard on the Stinger. To be honest, I'm a huge fan of the Police, but let's face it, by Synchronicity, it seemed like Sting wasn't even trying to be witty and clever any more.

But, I digress. The "Eulogy" lyrics are a contemplative piece, presented with simplicity, and woven around a soaring melody. Lines like If I die from/something so much less than smart/know you've always held my heart/even if we're torn apart ooze a bit of sincerity without oozing sap. And, OK he did sneak in some couplets, didn't he?

That aside, the riff is catchy as hell, and the solo made as much of the sustained notes and guitar harmonies as it does the spaces between those notes, kicking the level of atmosphere up a few notches. But what has been really getting into my head lately is the beat. There's a pervasive groove that makes its strongest statements when he lays off the bass drum, filling the space with the doubled high-hat and snare drum. But that's just the first verse. One of my favorite moments comes in the second half of the second verse, when Ben starts tagging that ride cymbal, and hitting the high-hat AND hitting the snare steadily on the 2 and 4. Needless to say, this is not an easy song for me to play on air-drums.

Maybe my words don't do the song justice. Check out this awesome video of the man playing the song himself. And prepare to be dazzled.




In a word: badass. If you dig this, make it a point to check out the rest of Ben Kenney's output, including his work on the most recent Incubus releases (starting with "A Crow Left of the Murder").

That's all I got. Keep checking this space for more musings on music.

Farewell citizens.

Justin

Edited to make the video fit better.