New Pearl Jam album "Tides" due October 8th

[Jammyshill]

The REAL track listing:

1. Getaway
2. Mind Your Manners
3. My Father's Son
4. Sirens
5. Lightning Bolt
6. Infallible
7. Pendulum
8. Swallowed Whole
9. Let The Records Play
10. Sleeping By Myself
11. Yellow Moon
12. Future Days

Judging an album by it's song names is obviously a dangerous game, but having seen some of those I'm dreading this release more and more.

[Tyler Durden]

The REAL track listing:

1. Getaway
2. Mind Your Manners
3. My Father's Son
4. Sirens
5. Lightning Bolt
6. Infallible
7. Pendulum
8. Swallowed Whole
9. Let The Records Play
10. Sleeping By Myself
11. Yellow Moon
12. Future Days

Judging an album by it's song names is obviously a dangerous game, but having seen some of those I'm dreading this release more and more.

Yeah...part of me thinks judging a forthcoming album based on song titles is preposterous...but sometimes I can't help but do it (such is the case here). That being said, there are some great albums with crap song titles and vice versa.

For me, the biggest issues of concern right now are:

1) the album artwork (yuck!)
2) the inclusion of a new version of "Sleeping By Myself" (I hated Ukulele Songs)
3) the live versions of "Future Days" and "Lightning Bolt". FD says really schmaltzy and LB sounds like a Backspacer reject. Of course, my opinion might change upon hearing the studio versions within the context of the album.

We'll just have to wait and see.

[Jammyshill]

There are live versions of Future Days and Lightening Bolt? I'm gonna try and avoid these. Let me guess; "Dad Rock?"

[Tyler Durden]

There are live versions of Future Days and Lightening Bolt? I'm gonna try and avoid these. Let me guess; "Dad Rock?"

I would say "Future Days" is their first full on love song. I mean, they had songs relating to love...like "Black" (breaking up), "Johnny Guitar" (unrequited love), "Elderly Woman" (the one that got away?) etc. But this one is like a full on wedding song, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you" type of thing. It could be argued that they first did that with "Thin Air"...but this is way cheesier.

"Lightning Bolt" is like a bad version of "Unthought Known" or "Amongst The Waves".

[Jammyshill]

Just listened to them both (couldn't resist).

Pass me "Another Soulmate."

[Tyler Durden]

I'm trying to give them (the band) the benefit of the doubt until the album comes out. But yeah, I'm not feeling where this may be going.

[JOEinPHX]

I don't like the way they write now. They schedule their damn writing sessions.

They don't spend time experimenting anymore. It's just "where do the riffs and lyrics go?"

I want another No Code, but instead I have a feeling we're going to get 4-5 albums of punchy power-pop with a few acoustic numbers thrown in.

and some of those power pop songs translate well live. I am only mildy ok with The Fixer, but it's fun in a concert environment. But still... be more creative! Spend some more time on it!

[NYRexall]

Their new album’s artwork leaves a lot to be desired, imo.

Pearl Jam’s first five albums were absolutely terrific though; I was a big fan up until around Binaural. No Code is my least favorite of that initial run, and I still think it’s a great record. Release, Elderly Woman, Wishlist, Alive, Last Exit, Once, Present Tense, Immortality, Happy When I’m Crying, Rearviewmirror, Faithfull, Jeremy, Garden, Animal, In Hiding…those songs and many others from that period are still as great now as the first time I heard them.

Binaural is when I lost interest. The song Light Years is an absolute gem, though. Riot Act was decent; Avocado was passable. But I can’t even remember what the songs on Backspacer sounded like.

[intertwoven]

Can somebody post this new album cover you're talking about?

I love "The Fixer", even if it's just a catchy pop song. I also really like "You Are" from Riot Act. Oh, and love "Unemployable". It seems they always deliver with a song or two per album I can really get into.

[JOEinPHX]

It's not terrible. They have designed similar art for all their songs as well.

They are slowly releasing individual track art on their instagram:











I think it's just the direction they are going for this one album.

I don't see an issue with the simplicity, to be honest. They didn't just half-ass the album cover, it's part of a stylistic approach to everything.

[Tyler Durden]

They are slowly releasing individual track art on their instagram:

All of the individual artwork for each song has already been released elsewhere.

I think it's just the direction they are going for this one album.

I don't see an issue with the simplicity, to be honest. They didn't just half-ass the album cover, it's part of a stylistic approach to everything.

I realize that. I just don't like the style/direction. Wasn't really a fan of Backspacer's art direction either (but this one is even less appealing, imo).

That being said, it's not bloody awful like Strays or something...just not my thing.

[Jammyshill]

6767 I was hoping by the time I'd got to the bottom of that you'd put a smiley and admitted to it being a photoshop job.

Oh dear.

[guysmiley]

Can somebody post this new album cover you're talking about?

I love "The Fixer", even if it's just a catchy pop song. I also really like "You Are" from Riot Act. Oh, and love "Unemployable". It seems they always deliver with a song or two per album I can really get into.

I agree, I like all those songs. And really? some of you want to complain about album artwork? This is a million times better that anything in Perry's, Dave's or Perk's head. I see you're all art critics all of a sudden.

[Jammyshill]

Pearl Jam used to have some of the most amazing artwork, I just think the new stuff is a little tacky and a huge step down.

And I'm comparing Pearl Jam to a band with much more creditability than Jane's; Pearl Jam. They care about what they do, unfortunately I just don't seem to like it any more. Tis a shame, they were the band that more than any got me into 'alternative' music.

[Tyler Durden]

And I'm comparing Pearl Jam to a band with much more creditability than Jane's; Pearl Jam.

[Tyler Durden]

Okay, after writing "Future Days" off upon first hearing it in early July, I stayed away from listening to it. I figured I would wait to listen to it within the context of the album in October...

However, I've given it a few more listens over the past day and I like it a lot more now; especially when you consider that it is the last track on the album. It makes sense as a coda to an album...and it hints at the things to come (for the characters in the song). It kind of reminds me that No Code closed with a lullaby ("Around The Bend").

[Jammyshill]

I'm not going near those songs again until the album. Whilst Pearl Jam are in the top three live bands I've ever seen due to energy/ performance etc, I think a lot of their stuff can be sloppy/ raw live. This is cool when you know/ love the songs, but I wouldn't ever encourage anybody to try and get into Pearl Jam via live performances post 2003.

[NYRexall]

Can somebody post this new album cover you're talking about?

I love "The Fixer", even if it's just a catchy pop song. I also really like "You Are" from Riot Act. Oh, and love "Unemployable". It seems they always deliver with a song or two per album I can really get into.

I agree, I like all those songs. And really? some of you want to complain about album artwork? This is a million times better that anything in Perry's, Dave's or Perk's head. I see you're all art critics all of a sudden.

I'm just not feeling the 'Lightening Bolt' artwork in general. Some of the single song artwork is even more ridiculous than the album cover proper, I think.

It's got nothing to do with being an art critic though. As a fan of music -- and the physical medium of it -- album art is a very important piece of the listening experience to me, in that I generally equate the music inside the package to how much thought/creativity was put into the artwork. It's the first thing I'm seeing when I pick up an album, after all. I've very rarely found an album that had shit artwork and mind-blowing music inside.

If Jane's had a new album coming out and this was their new album art, the majority of us would be having a laugh about it. But since it's Pearl Jam -- a band who still cares about what they do -- it gets a passing "meh" comment. I'll still give the album a few listens before I make my final assessment on the whole thing.

[Artemis]

Fan made video....very good!

Done by some Chilenos(Larry's people)

Today’s lesson: There’s always room for improvement. Take for example the latest video from Chilean animation house Mosquito Studios. They’ve gone ahead and released their own music video for Pearl Jam’s “Mind Your Manners” and it’s pretty damn impressive. The animators have extrapolated on the album artwork for Lightning Bolt, turning the Seattle veterans into some posh drawn rockers. If anything, it sure as hell beats the hundreds of guitar covers that are sure to litter YouTube in the coming months. Catch it below and the original for comparison shortly after.

[Tyler Durden]

Fan made video....very good!

KInd of cheesy but technically, it is VERY well done.

[Matov]

reminded me of this

[Tyler Durden]

Love it or hate it, it sounds like nothing they've ever done before...

[Hokahey]

I said it before and I say itagain, Mind your Manners is a damn good tune. It would've sounded right at home on Vitalogy, and that's my favorite PJ album.

And the video is absolutely stellar. This is the first time I've heard new PJ and been excited since No Code.

I also think Sirens fits in with their older work as it reminds me a bit of an Edlerly Woman type tune. Clearly it stands out as song written by the modern day band, but had you played me that in 1994 and told me it was a Vs. B-side I don't think I wouldve thought twice.

Pretty promising so far.

[Tyler Durden]

I like "Sirens"...but I don't think it sounds like anything they've done before.

[Matz]

Fan made video....very good!

KInd of cheesy but technically, it is VERY well done.

pretty impressive song. Jane's should have gone for a similar dirty raw vibe on TGEA, but that's old news of course. I agree that it would fit right in on Vitalogy. Nice video as well, reminds me of Chili Peppers' Love Rollercoaster video

Don't like Sirens much though, pretty boring tune