Yeah, but for S/T, he wrote like 17 sets of lyrics for every song... which destroyed most of the songs. So I get where he's coming from. Seems to me that Pearl Jam are better when they don't overwork everything. If this is what an album 'brushed off quickly' sounds like, I'll take another one or two.

I like Backspacer alot. The music is pretty lackluster though.

It certainly doesn't really 'push the boat out'. I don't mind, this time; seems to me that they've taken all that's good, recognisable and catchy about Pearl Jam, and condensed it into an instantly likeable album. That's a good aim, even if not perfectly executed. I'm sure they've got more experimentation left in them, but we'll see.

I don't get there philosophy that a "catchy" radio song needs bland music and a super "hook" to it. If they took the time to write some well thought out riffs again to go with the good melodies then they would be "Radio Pearl Jam" again.

I don't get why they think they need to sacrifice one or the other.

I hope they do a Fixer II. 'I'm still wanting to put a little 'citing on it..'

I don't either.

My only answer (and it's not a very good one) is that today's musical landscape is different. In the beautiful early 90's, they could make great, complex, alternative rock, and the stations and the general public would lap it up as if it was Pop music. It WAS pop music, because it's what everyone wanted to listen to. These days it just don't happen. At best, decent rock bands become popular festival bands.... I think. That might seem an obvious and shallow answer. It sort of is. But my instinct says that R&B and Hiphop floods the charts these days, where it used to be PJ, Nirvana, Lemonheads, Soul Asylum, Spin Doctors.. Whatever you think of those bands, they were 'pop' then. None of them would get a sniff now.

The Ep will be a remix album

Timbaland?

One can only pray.

Back to your point: If Pearl Jam came out with an album that had the musical consideration of a Ten,Vs. or Yield with Ed's "hooky" melodies they would dominate.
Pearl Jam is on another plane then the bands you mentioned. They could have came out and put all the copy cat bands of the late 90's/early 00's in there place along time ago doing "Pearl Jam" and not trying to gimmick themselves success again.

Ed was a god damn fool to shoot the band in the foot. If they would have led the charge for a few more albums after Vs. they would have given themselves much more leniency in what they released to radio to have it successful. I think thats what Stones point was.

Well yeah, hard to disagree with that. Their attempts lately DO seem to be some kind of salvage mission..

Ah well, I love their music either way. But yeah, I sometimes think 'What if...'

Paul Oakenfold is what I heard, with 5 different remixes of The Fixer

Unce unce unce unce....

Shit where did my glo stix go?

You know that depression you get when you digest a new record and realize it'll be years before you hear new music? It obviously sucks, but it is kinda cool to think that b-side material could be just around the corner. I'd like to think that because things have changed for the band, something like this has a greater chance of happening these days, but like the rest of you, I'll believe it when I see it.

It'd be cool if they threw the original Fixer demo/idea on there.

One question: I loved, loved, loved the anticipation leading up to Backspacer. It lasted months before the thing came out. Will there be anywhere NEAR this kind of anticipation for the EP? Do people generally 'leak' stuff for EP's? I dunno, I've never waited for one.

People leak everything and their mother.

That makes me happy. I'm just thinkin' here, like.. If we get an EP in a year, I want that to mean that the excitement starts in 6 months. Ya know??

If you ask me it's about time for PJ to work with Butch Vig...

So long as its better than 21st Century Breakdown.

Only hope for a quick turnaround is Brendan O'brien. He seems to work quick and push people to do so. Going at it alone, I wouldn't have hope for the band to do this, but BoB gives me some optimism.