Post subject: What is each albums major flaw? Part 8: PEARL JAM (avocado)
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 4:13 pm
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Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 7:44 pm Posts: 8910 Location: Santa Cruz Gender: Male
This is a multi-part series for each album. We'll move on to the next album when it seems like it's been discussed enough. I'd like to reiterate that the aim of these discussions is to hear opinions on what you think is the single most significant flaw for the album being discussed. We're not looking for general album bashing, but rather a critical look at the single biggest weakness for each record.
Example of a poor post:
There are so many things that suck on this album. Track 4, 8 and 9 are terrible and the lyrics for such and such a song a really bad. Not only that, but the cover is stupid.
Like I said, we're not looking for general album bashing. What I suggest is to go give a listen to the album being discussed. For some of us, it's been a while listening to these older albums all the way through, and it helps you think and take that critical view before you post. Try and be insightful and give good reasons why you believe the flaw you're pointing out is the biggest flaw of the album.
You can also still participate in the previous album discussions.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 7:44 pm Posts: 8910 Location: Santa Cruz Gender: Male
It seems like enough time has gone by where the album has pretty much sunk in from all angles, so I thought we could get the "flaw" discussion going on Pearl Jam (aka avocado, aka self-titled, aka studio album #8 ).
This album is a huge step up from their previous album, Riot Act. The music has some urgency and punch, and Ed's vocals are in great form with vibrant energy. A lot of which was seriously lacking in Riot Act.
There is a good mix of rockers, mid-tempo and slower tunes. The flow of the album progresses rather well, especially when you consider their last few album sequences, which seemed to suffer from poor flow. The songs themselves are solid, and you wont find much in the line of "studio wankery". Not only that, but the band limits themselves to 13 tracks, instead of going overboard with too much material that maybe shouldnt have made the album (again, I note Riot Act). However, the album isnt without flaw.
Although I have grown to accept the cover art and "conceptual" inside art, I still feel a little disappointed. My feeling is that the band looked for "simple", and what I felt like I got was "We wern't inspired". The rest of the artwork, while somewhat interesting, and a major change from the bands norm, doesnt really seems to have anything to do with the album. The artwork doesnt connect you to the songs. You could have put 13 different new Pearl Jam songs on the record and used the exact same artwork. It's just a little disappointing, especially because the band has had some great creative album artwork concepts in the past.
I'm happy to say that is the biggest flaw I find with the album. While it doesnt crack my top 3 favorite PJ albums, it is still a very solid album. There are certainly some smaller, nit-picky things I could mention about the album, such as the awful fade at the end of "Life Wasted", or the clipping at the beginning of "World Wide Suicide", or the lack of B sides, etc. But simply looking at it as a batch of songs, the band has come out with something solid. Something I feel I can listen to without having to skip any tracks. I feel better about the band now, than I did after Riot Act sunk in after it's release.
My final thought is that while I do find this a solid album, I don't really find anything new from the band. To some degree, it's kind of just...more of the same. But it's more of the same good stuff. I still find myself hoping that one of these albums, they might really try something daring, like an 8 minute epic written on piano, or a real concept album where each song it part of a larger picture, or doing a stripped down mellow/acoustic album.
Just for something different. But maybe that just isnt them. Maybe that's just not in the cards. Who knows? But I do find myself hoping.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:09 pm Posts: 13868 Location: Norn Iron
Good points, Buggy. I agree in that it does seem more of the same (very good) stuff. The main problem I have with it is the placing of Parachutes. Great song of course, but it kills the flow of the album stone dead in my opinion.
Still, that's just nitpicking. Overall, it is a massive step up from RA.
I disagree about the artwork. Although it is quite bizarre, I think several of the pictures match up pretty well with it's track companion. On that note, I think it's a step in the right direction from the dull stuiod shots of Riot Act and the science book rip offs of Binaural. Yield is #1 in the artwork department.
The only flaw that I can come up with for Avocado is its closing track. I know a lot of people love the song, but I think the Mike and the band went for anthem and got a subpar Pearl Jam song. I like the opening music. I like the way it fades in with Jeff's bass chiminging in etc... After that, it's boring. I find Ed's vocals rather corny sounding, especially the way he emphasizes certain words. I find the words themselves rather subpar, at times cliche and uninspired. The song doesn't kick into high gear very well. When the drums kick in from the spacey intro, it's super awkward. It was a good try, but I pay extra attention to the way band's close out their weeks/months/years of hard work and I think this one bombed. Which was a surprise after many albums of classic closers from PJ.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 7:44 pm Posts: 8910 Location: Santa Cruz Gender: Male
YessCode wrote:
I disagree about the artwork. Although it is quite bizarre, I think several of the pictures match up pretty well with it's track companion.
I'll grant you that. I suppose they may have tried to get some stills that somewhat went with the lyric/song. But just the overall artwork in general, especially from front to back, really seems rather disconnected from the songs themselves. I cant even recall how many threads that were started asking about what an avocado had to do with anything.
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:53 am Posts: 1435 Location: in fashion, the soft drinks, expansion Gender: Male
A very good album but the major, general flaw would be: Side Two. If they would have kept the tempo up (more akin to Side One) while dropping in a few ballads, a la Side Two of Vitalogy, the album would have been a more consistently intense listen.
To be specific, I'd relegate Wasted Reprise, Gone & Inside Job to B-side status, leaving a tighter, more focused second half of the record. End the record with the natural closer, "Come Back."
_________________ I like rhythmic things that butt up against each other in a cool kind of way.
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:08 pm Posts: 15892 Location: a wee green island Gender: Male
I was so uplifted when I first listened to Pearl Jam. A completely different album in so many ways to the disappointing Riot Act. I've grown, over the last few months, to love all, except one, of the songs on it. The one major flaw, Big Wave. I can't quite put my finger on it. Is it the lyrics or the melody. I don't know. Either way it would have been more suited on RA. The one major plus on the album is Come back. It hit me straight away. I've elevated it to my favourite ever PJ song. It tugged the heart strings like no other PJ song has. The only song to come close to it is Present tense.
In conclusion, it would have been better if Big Wave wasn't on there.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 7:44 pm Posts: 8910 Location: Santa Cruz Gender: Male
brainofpea wrote:
In conclusion, it would have been better if Big Wave wasn't on there.
I might have agreed with you had I not heard the song several times live. It is actually a really fun song live. It changed my perception of the song, and now I dont really mind it on the album.
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:08 pm Posts: 15892 Location: a wee green island Gender: Male
Buggy wrote:
brainofpea wrote:
In conclusion, it would have been better if Big Wave wasn't on there.
I might have agreed with you had I not heard the song several times live. It is actually a really fun song live. It changed my perception of the song, and now I dont really mind it on the album.
Well, big man, I'll have that pleasure next Wednesday. I'll maybe change my mind as well.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
it lacks atmosphere if you ask me. yield, binaural and riot act were chock full of atmosphere. you could 'feel' the album. i can't really 'feel' pearl jam. and that's why i'm not going back and listening to it often. and when i do, i skip half the album.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
I've been a fan and follower of everything musically Pearl Jam since the days of Ten, and have found myself in a similar place as probably a lot of people on here. That place being that Pearl Jam can do no wrong. Then Riot Act came out. Immediately following the newness of RA wearing off I found myself a bit depressed at the realization that PJ was capable of putting out a disappointing album.
Then came Pearl Jam (avacado). My faith and belief that this band still has a lot of great music in them has been restored. Gone are the tired musings of RA, and to some extent, Binaural, and back are the quick hits of the guitars and the passionate vocals that we've all loved for so long.
All that being said, I would say that the biggest flaw of this album is the brevity of it. Four years of waiting only brought us 50 minutes of music. Granted it's 50 spectacular minutes of music, but it leaves me wondering if there's more great music they left on the shelf.
If 13 tracks of great music is all they had and track 14 would have been subpar, then kudos for them having the discipline to leave it off.
It's hard for me to find too much wrong with an album that restored my faith in my favorite band.
I can't really find much wrong with it. Like others have said, it feels like a rebirth for me. In my opinion, it's the best album since Vitalogy. I've been with the band since Ten and kinda thought Binaural was ok and probably haven't listened to Riot Act more than 10 times all the way through but they brought me back full swing with this one. That said, I don't like Come Back and can barely tolerate Parachutes. Favorite tracks, WWS, Severed Hand and the favorite, Unemployable.
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 12:03 am Posts: 18376 Location: outta space Gender: Male
albums flaws:
not enough contrast... i like the ups and downs of pearl jam, this album didn't have as much... i think its just the fact that the rockers are all in a row
inside job piano cue really cheezy, same with matt's drumming on that song...
lyrically weak album, some of the songs sound very elementary for eddie... comatose is prolly the best, but the bridge's lyrics seemed outta high school
most songs are better live, i though big wave was crap after seeing it live it became one of my favorites
i like it, its not as half baked as riot act, but i question the choice of ingredients
_________________
thodoks wrote:
Man, they really will give anyone an internet connection these days.
After digesting the album for a few months now, Severed Hand has emerged as my favorite from the album, closely followed by Marker in the Sand. Also really like WWS, Life Wasted + reprise, Gone, Inside Job, Comeback.
Parachutes, Unemployable and Army Reserve don't do a whole lot for me.
As for Big Wave, I've always thought it would have a been a better song if shorter. Maybe a one minute song, ala Lukin
Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with the artwork. I have tired to "get it" and I do like some of the images created a lot like the Severed Hand pic but still don't see how it relates to the overall positve, uplifting record. Too much faith was put in the hand of the Life Wasted director (can't remember his name) to create images to support this record. The video is decent and has it's moments but does not tramsmit what I think Avacado is about, and is disapointing as it's thier first video in some eight years.
I don't get the Avacado and remeber when it was possible it was a joke put on by the band and Tenclub when it first permiered. It still is a bit of a joke, though. It doesnt' make sense and any attempt to explain it is just a PJ fan putting too much thought into it.
And I don't even want to comment on the zombie pyramid.
But if an albums worst flaw it's it's album artwork, that's got say something positve.
I disagree about the artwork. Although it is quite bizarre, I think several of the pictures match up pretty well with it's track companion.
I'll grant you that. I suppose they may have tried to get some stills that somewhat went with the lyric/song. But just the overall artwork in general, especially from front to back, really seems rather disconnected from the songs themselves. I cant even recall how many threads that were started asking about what an avocado had to do with anything.
I agree. I just wanted to note that some of the artwork does relate a little bit. I agree that the cover arts and zombie pyramid is strange and could easily be Canibal Corpse or Dry Kill Rot's album art.
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2004 6:28 pm Posts: 5361 Location: St. Paul Gender: Male
Hmm, I entered this thread expecting 15 replies about how Big Wave sucks. I am right surprised.
For me the biggest flaw is the sequencing. I love that the first five tracks are pretty much balls to the wall. But with the rest of the album failing to get that momentum again, the record falters. I'd rather the slower tracks have been more spread out to get a more 'even' record, if that makes sense.
I haven't really given this much thought, but something like this may have been a bit better, IMO:
Severed Hand
WWS
Unemployable
Parachutes
Marker
Big Wave
Inside Job
Life Wasted
Gone
Wasted Reprise
Army Reserve
Comatose
Come Back
Hmm, I entered this thread expecting 15 replies about how Big Wave sucks. I am right surprised.
For me the biggest flaw is the sequencing. I love that the first five tracks are pretty much balls to the wall. But with the rest of the album failing to get that momentum again, the record falters. I'd rather the slower tracks have been more spread out to get a more 'even' record, if that makes sense.
I haven't really given this much thought, but something like this may have been a bit better, IMO:
Severed Hand WWS Unemployable Parachutes Marker Big Wave Inside Job Life Wasted Gone Wasted Reprise Army Reserve Comatose Come Back
I think this sequencing approach of needing to stretcho out the fast and slow songs got really played out on the last few albums and became too "standard" and predticable. I think Avacado flows near perfect aside from the Unemplyable/Big Wave/Gone area. And maybe it gets too slow at the end with Come Back fading right into the very slow Inside Job intro. But overall, I think it is one of the best sequenced albums.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
it's nothing different.
severed hand steals parts of porch. life wasted replays riffs they've used before and uses similar effects (last exit, hail hail). wws uses similar beats (undone). hell, some of the songs sound similar in their main chord progression (comatose, big wave) or drums (unemployable, big wave).
to me, it's not a departure for pearl jam like their last albums were. it's a return.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Last edited by corduroy_blazer on Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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