Red Mosquito
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Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
http://archive.theskyiscrape.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95911		 Page 1 of 10
Author:  theplatypus [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:21 am ]
Post subject:  Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
Is Stone happy in this band at all?

I feel an increasing frustration, exasperation and annoyance from this dude. By most accounts, he wasn't very involved in the PJ20 Destination Weekend, seeming kind of bored on stage during the PJ set, the whole PIL/"No Way" thing and not participating in any other sets (while Mike, Ed and Jeff were all over the place).

So is his heart still into it? Am I totally off base here?
Author:  Spike [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
hasn't stone always kinda been a prick?
Author:  spenno [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
It's hard to know, I've noted before that he seems more animated and excited when playing in Brad and his solo projects but perhaps he just prefers to hang back these days in Pearl Jam. I'll be really interested to see what new material he brought to the new record after a relatively lacklustre contribution to Backspacer.

Stone's guitar is still the glue that holds everything together in the band for me. If he ever left, I don't think I'd bother with them anymore. If they continued, that is - and I can't imagine that they would.
Author:  spenno [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
Spike wrote:
hasn't stone always kinda been a prick?

I think he just seems confused by (and quite scared of) their hardcore fans. I find that endearing.

When the band breaks up, I bet Stone will have the best stories.
Author:  Tuolumne [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
Can't tell you how much I've wondered this and I hope the film sheds light on this. I firmly believe there are longstanding issues. If you read "Grunge is Dead" Regan Hagar sheds a little light about when Brad tried to get a deal back in the old days and there was conflict when it got nixed when it felt like maybe they were just spongin off of PJ.

I really don't feel like Stone's been on the ride we've been on this whole time with the hardcore fans from Vitalogy on. I think he was engaged with Yield, but he just doesn't seem a part of the community the way say, Mike and Ed are. He puts down the band's work after the mid-90s and I think he resents they're not U2 big. I think the fans feel it too. Can't just chalk him up to being the John Entwiste staid one. When he wants to he can get it into it, instead he's got his back turned to us most of the time. Fuck him, he's been missing out.

Damn it if seeing the Stardog Champion vid didn't remind me of what an awesome riffmeister he can be. I think if we had just 3-4 Ed/Stone collaborations, no Stone lyrics, just Stone riff and Ed vocals, updated to 2011, it would be a happening thing.

Great thread, I think it's a topic that deserves alot of discussion.
Author:  ScottZeagle [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
Stone is still pissed that:

A. This is no longer his band, and hasn't been for a long time.

B. That he was the one who had to fire Dave...and that it was spoofed on YouTube.
Author:  digster [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
I mean, unless when he was 23, or however old he was when the band started, I don't really feel like he's ever really been jumping around onstage much. He looked pretty happy onstage this weekend; he's just not a showman like Mike and never has been.
Author:  digster [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
theplatypus wrote:
Is Stone happy in this band at all?

I feel an increasing frustration, exasperation and annoyance from this dude. By most accounts, he wasn't very involved in the PJ20 Destination Weekend, seeming kind of bored on stage during the PJ set, the whole PIL/"No Way" thing and not participating in any other sets (while Mike, Ed and Jeff were all over the place).

So is his heart still into it? Am I totally off base here?


Wait, that's actually considered a thing, as in something serious? I mean, I don't think he was joking about thinking PiL is a better song, but that didn't exactly strike me as a scene of high tension.
Author:  inglishteecher [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
i was in row 3 directly in front of him on night 1. he was into it. his faces look like he's eating sour candy and blowing his load at the same time. what i really noticed this time, though, is that stone is old. he's always been the old mother hen of this band, but now his age is starting to show a bit. his lack of participation in the side stages was noticeable, but of all the people on stage during the temple sets, he seemed to be enjoying himself more than anyone else.

i've always thought of stone like a writer/director who is jealous of the lead actor. he's got eddie envy. i think brad, at least for a little while, was his attempt to prove he could find huge success without eddie. he might be still irrationally chasing that dream, but i doubt it; he probably just genuinely enjoys making music with them.

people will always follow eddie in any of his endeavors. when he showed up on the side stages, there were mad rushes. when mike, matt, and jeff were on one together, people didn't give up their places in line for a $13 beer to get a closer look. but pearl is and always will be jeff, mike, stone, and eddie. if one of those guys leaves, the band will not go on. nor should it.
Author:  bmacsmith [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
its his song right? he should take it as a compliment.

anyway, he seemed really into it in a couple of shows i saw them last year. bouncing around like crazy.
Author:  tooch [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
What is the PiL/No Way thing?
Author:  digster [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
inglishteecher wrote:
i was in row 3 directly in front of him on night 1. he was into it. his faces look like he's eating sour candy and blowing his load at the same time. what i really noticed this time, though, is that stone is old. he's always been the old mother hen of this band, but now his age is starting to show a bit. his lack of participation in the side stages was noticeable, but of all the people on stage during the temple sets, he seemed to be enjoying himself more than anyone else.


I feel like there are plenty of people that don't take place in these kinds of things. Some musicians just prefer hanging back. Hell, Matt only played with one artist the whole weekend.

I think the trouble here is that it's difficult to find a connecting thread to all this stuff; it's a band, a 20-year relationship (longer with Jeff and Stone) and there are ebbs and flows like anything. Trying to read some of this stuff from the fact that Stone doesn't move around on stage or whatever seems like it might lead down some blind alleys. I just don't think there's this magic solution that explains why these people are the way they are. It's too complex and we don't know too many of the pieces.
Author:  Spike [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
stone still likes making pearl jam records, he's just getting over the live performance aspect of being in a band.
Author:  cutuphalfdead [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
During the shows I saw on the 2010 US tour Stone was stuck out to me more than any other band member. He was more animated and into than I've seen him in years, and sounded great.
Author:  Spike [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
Image
Author:  cutuphalfdead [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
Spike wrote:
stone still likes making pearl jam records, he's just getting over the live performance aspect of being in a band.

I kind of wish they'd all have this attitude.
Author:  digster [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
tooch wrote:
What is the PiL/No Way thing?


Eddie and Matt wanted to play No Way, and Stone wanted to play PiL. There was a funny back-and-forth about it (where Stone said instead of doing No Way, they should do a PiL song that was much better and everyone booed) then they played both.
Author:  Tuolumne [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
inglishteecher wrote:
but of all the people on stage during the temple sets, he seemed to be enjoying himself more than anyone else.


That, right there, is the issue, I think. He loved Temple, no doubt, cause it reminded him of when things were his way.

Personally, I'm not just basing it off of stage movements. I've read tons of interviews. The "Grunge is Dead" book provides a few clues, and then there's other interviews where he'll talk about being dissatisfied with some records, or a Binaural-era interview (somewhere on youtube where he'll say some nights he's not as into it and he kind of has to find a sweet spot and sort of pretend he is while on stage, or the Twofeetthick interview where he blatantly says he wasn't appreciative of their success with hardcore fans at times and that he 'gets it' now. I think there's definitel ebbs and flows, but I don't sense the full committment, he's the 'doubter' of the band. That can be good for the push and pull dynamic any good band needs but sometimes he's just a little off, and you can sense it. Couple all of this with the fact that he's not collaborating on PJ20 or really picking any of the bands (Star Anna was Mike's, Joseph Arthur and Lytle were Jeff's, Liam Finn and Glen Hansard Ed's, etc. '91-93 Stone fricken dictated every move almost, it's so ridiculously different now. I think us fans are not overreading, we have a unique perspective, and I believe we're onto something, hell it's almost blatantly admitted by the band from time to time. Ed and Stone just need a vacation together and just talk, chill, drink, whatever, and work this stuff out.
Author:  VinylGuy [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
digster wrote:
tooch wrote:
What is the PiL/No Way thing?


Eddie and Matt wanted to play No Way, and Stone wanted to play PiL. There was a funny back-and-forth about it (where Stone said instead of doing No Way, they should do a PiL song that was much better and everyone booed) then they played both.


yeah there wasnt any incident really....i wa surprised on how he rocked in 2009 when i saw them....he was crazy , rocking out to red mosquito, mountain song, alive, even flor....it was nuts.

the same goes for this weekend , he seemed very happy, second night especially, with habit, ritfw, red mosquito again, smile..
Author:  bodysnatcher [ Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Romancing the Stone (Gossard)
Stone's definitely more stoic on stage. A nice contrast to Mike's ridiculous cheesiness. If they were both like Mike, it'd be awful.
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