Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 2:59 pm
Supersonic
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:55 pm Posts: 11320 Location: Brooklyn Gender: Male
Great write-up, Stip.
For me this song is flawless. It's not only my hands-down, far and away, obvious favorite on Backspacer, but this song is easily in my top 5 PJ tunes ever. This song just destroys me. Everytime I get a new PJ album, I listen to it all the way through without stoping once (except Binaural, I had to stop after Evacuation and pick it up again later). When Just Breathe hit my ears, I had to stop and listen to it again just after it finished. Once I was done with Backspacer, my wife asked, "what do you think?" Then I said, "did you hear this one? oh my god," and played JB again.
I love this song. I'd give it 10 stars if I could. I can't. So I gave it 5.
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:26 pm
Got Some
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 6:23 pm Posts: 1144 Location: Richmond, VA Gender: Male
i ended up listening to Just Breathe twice before finishing the rest of the album also
I was on a short 15 minute drive to somewhere listening to the album for the first time. When Just Breathe hit i was blown away by it, and stayed in the parking lot when I arrived at my destination to let the song finish. After i was done with my shopping or whatever I just had to listen to that song again
just beautiful...and it's quite annoying to play on guitar for me because I can't get the finger picking pattern down right
_________________ Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders.
-Nietzche
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:32 am
Unthought Known
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:55 am Posts: 9080 Location: Londres
5 star.
When they started playing this at Seattle 1 for the first time, I got an immediate reaction. I didn't listen to the album until the Easy Street release party, and with only 2 days between that and the show I barely had any time to get into the song, much as the touring mates left the album on repeat throughout that time.
Those of you who've seen me at shows know the mullet doesn't come off, with 1 exception before this surfaced, being Light Years.
When this came on, taking the silly wig and flag off was an automatic reaction, as was pulling the phone out to pick out the photo of the loved one. I barely looked at the stage then, for the rest of the song. The sentiment, so pure in Ed's delivery, just hit home, and it's been the same in the following 6 times live.
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:07 pm
Banned from the Pit
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:35 pm Posts: 73 Location: Germany Gender: Male
I often have to skip this song even though I usually NEVER skip songs on albums and just sit through songs I don't like that much. I like the music but Eddie annoys the fuck out of me on this song.
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:49 am
Former PJ Drummer
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:00 am Posts: 16093 Location: dublin Gender: Male
The placement of this on the record steals a lot of the love I would have ordinarily had for it.
Im a big fan of Ed's quieter songs, he's got wonderful range and this one definitely is new territory, it being a pure love song. I think The End beats it into the hapenny place, and really overshadows it. But on a record with odd sequencing this definitely is one of the stranger placements.
It's a little too cheesy for me to really get into, not being used to this kind of song on a pearl jam record maybe down the road i'll get into it.
3 out of 5 is a reach but it's better than a 2 star.
_________________ At the end of the day, it's night.
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:18 pm
Global Moderator
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
the chorus is still over the top but the verses are so gorgeous I don't care. They keep it from being a 5 star song, but this is still so good.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:19 pm
Global Moderator
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love is one of my favorite Eddie lyrics in years
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:31 pm
Global Moderator
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
theplatypus wrote:
I really like the song. I like the chorus a lot too. It makes me think of Cat Stevens.
i don't dislike the chorus--but there's such a huge volume change and I think the contrast is a little too stark with the meditative confessional verses
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:19 pm
Got Some
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:12 pm Posts: 1237
I didn't really love this song until I was in a real bad place and this song clicked with me, not in a very good way either, it would make me think of something I wouldn't have with someone I wanted. But it really made me feel something. Its hard for me to really rate this song because of that but I'll give it a 4 for making me feel.
Post subject: Re: SOTM # 152: I'm a lucky man to count on both hands...
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:29 pm
Force of Nature
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:48 pm Posts: 820
I kind of wish they would just commit to making a whole acoustic or laid back album of this style. Like ITW but with the full band there to add their part. I love this band as a rock band and all but they are getting up there and when Ed does songs like this and The End it seems really sincere and appropriate. Maybe its a contextual thing, this song doesn't sound like it should follow Johnny Guitar or even be on the same album.
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