I hear hope. Freedom. New life. Opportunity. Perspective. Resilience. Love. And a band that is still fully loaded and charged after 19 long years. They're still writing bad-ass, inventive and unique rock songs -- songs that don't sound like anything else in the genre but will still fit in perfectly in a new PJ setlists. They still sound like PJ. But they also sound like a band that's made it through the fire and come out shining.

Binaural and Riot Act were fine, interesting records. But all of the darkness and death and despair is gone. Self-titled was clearly an in-between point for the band. They were lifting off, but still tied to the past. (See: "Life Wasted.") (And, believe you me, that record is going to age very well and still sounds new and rocking and fresh more than three years after its release.) But the PJ that we've heard from Backspacer thus far sounds like a completely refreshed and recharged band. I think it's hard not to crank "The Fixer" and think great thoughts. Ed sounds confident and inspired and the band sounds like a tightly wound, expert rock machine.

Oh, and for the record, these are f'n brilliant rock lyrics, comparable with "In a race that can't be won" and some of the other best lines from "Hail, Hail":

I'll find us a way to make light
I'll dig your grave
We'll dance and sing
What's saved could be
One last lifetime

And those lyrics say it all about where this band is going.

Stay on board if you want. Jump ship if you don't. But it's clear from the last LP and the new songs the band has no intention of running backwards.

McCready: "We certainly get angry about certain things still. But you can only have anger for so long until you do something positive with it. Or you just stay angry and be miserable."

http://www.examiner.com/x-16134-Pearl-J ... rock-radio

Premiering on their Myspace page at midnight last night and officially hitting rock radio today, Pearl Jam’s “The Fixer” has the clean production, catchy hook and pop sensibilities you don’t expect to hear from the veteran band.

Sounding a lot closer to Cheap Trick than anything from the grunge era, “The Fixer” is only 1/11th of the upcoming album, Backspacer, so jumping to conclusions would be premature. But between the new single and “Got Some,” the other new track they debuted on Conan O’Brien, it seems this could be PJ’s pop record – a stark contrast to 2006’s war-laden Pearl Jam or 02’s dark/borderline psychedelic Riot Act.

Bringing long time producer Brendan O’Brien back into the fold seems to be the most obvious reason for the brighter sound. O’Brien produced all of PJ’s 90’s releases but Ten, their 1991 debut. Yield, their last collaboration, would be the closest production-wise to describing the bright, loose, clean vibe of “The Fixer.”

Having been together nearly two decades, a period typically reserved for bands to start writing terrible adult contemporary pieces, it’s hard to deny Pearl Jam the credit to keep it fresh and not going back to the well.

Can I use this for my stand-up?

To me this sounds like a sugary snack , just like s/t, you get hooked for a while but you soon get sick of it.

is it okay if i recuse myself from this fanboi wankfest thread?

I'm not as critical of the lyrics of the Fixer as some people are on this board. It is a light hearted/fun tune that seems to grow on you and the lyrics are not all that bad.

If some people want to be critical of lyrics, check out Wishlist:

"The christmas tree, I wish I was the star that went on top" - say what?

"I wish I was the full moon shining off a comaro's hood" - huh?

Not to say I don't like Wishlist...I do, but it seems that there are a lot of people that are critical of the new lyrics while in the same breathe, praising songs like Wishlist. Like, come on, give me a break.

The lyrics in the Fixer are meant to send a message to the user about optimism and I think they do a good job of that.

context FAIL.

I agree with 100pacer's sentiment here. It remains to be seen if the songs end up holding up, but I like the direction thus far, and I like that it is something new for them.

Get over yourself and don't post in the thread if you don't like it. This is a Pearl Jam message board and that was a good post from someone excited about the band. It wasn't an OMG PERL JAM ROXERS!!!!!!! If you want to actually have a conversation, even if you disagree, that's one thing, but basically you're just trolling here trying to ruin someone else's good time, and that's kind of pathetic.


Just to be even handed, 100pacer--I tend to agree with a lot of your posts, but they invariably have the one line at the end that says 'if you disagree with me you're wrong or stupid or not a fan and should find a new band, and that's almost as obnoxious

Hmmm....Here's an idea Mr Bob Ross.

Instead of jumping in threads and being such a negative little beech, you should do something a little more constructive with your time .

Perhaps you could even invent a time machine and travel back to the year 1995 along with everyone else who is struggling to like modern Pearl Jam.

That way all of you could be happy, angry, and grungey again.

Don't forget your devil sticks and hackey sacks

when i read the lyrics on the front page of tsis i was kinda reminded of dave matthews lyrics of hope and love. admittedly i dont think lyrics are daves strong points, but its a new turn for eddie vedder to write like this. i guess we'll see if its a theme on the new record

Anyways...now to get back on track.

Anyone else digging the way Eddie sings "Another Lifetime" in the bridge?

That little vocal thing he does is cool, it's full of fire and just comes out of nowhere....I just love it.

It's my favorite part of the song.

I like that whole part, from I’ll say your prayers till another lifetime.

It's cool if they're going to do hopeful/happy lyrics, to be honest I rarely pay attention to lyrics anymore and I didn't when I heard The Fixer. Then I saw the transcription someone made, and I think they suck, but my opinion of the song was already bad anyway. My main problem is not with the lyrics but with the music itself. I guess I'm just sick of short pop punk-ish rockers and I'd take songs with more atmosphere and subtleties over that. Now again, they do whatever they want to do, I'm not expecting them to do anything, more power to them if they want to be the Ramones.

so you're saying it is okay if i recuse myself?

I definitely think I'd get board of an entire album of The Fixers

well played. Now please stop trolling.

PJ albums always have a diversity of songs on it. Always had and probably always will. Something for everyone. It's not like they are suddenly making albums with only Big Waves on it or one with only Come Backs.

FTR, i wasn't trolling. i'm just a lighthearted internetter, and sometimes i forget how seriously PJ fandom is taken in these parts.

*leaves thread*

I hear nothing bad-ass, inventive, nor unique about what I've heard from the band recently (by recently I mean Avocado up until The Fixer). For related bands, see U2, Foo Fighters, and any rock music that gets played during a montage of sports highlights.

You are also fixated on the idea that fans who don't like the new stuff want the "angry" PJ of the past. That's not true. It's not about old vs. new nor angry vs. happy, it's about good music, and the new stuff just isn't doing it for me. It doesn't change my opinion of their older stuff, except for maybe appreciating it just a little more, so I'm not going to "jump ship" as it were.