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What, are you listening to?

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Tschumi

Member
I've unconciously avoided Pearl Jam entirely for my entire life, until Rick Beato went over Black... So I've listened to Black three or four times in the last day~
 


Interesting album as it features 4 tracks with Andrew Hill and 2 tracks with Herbie Hancock. Both play it very traditionally and it's a horn heavy affair so it's hard to compare them, but the piano intro in this track is the highlight of the set for me. Hill was just such a phenomenal musician.
 

Tschumi

Member
I've unconciously avoided Pearl Jam entirely for my entire life, until Rick Beato went over Black... So I've listened to Black three or four times in the last day~
Regrettably I've gotta follow this up with some dreary news.

I listened to Black a bunch, and i appreciated it a bunch, but something about the production, Vedder's voice in the mix, the tone of the guitarist on the Les Paul (that's Stone, i think?) robbed the song of really being a colossal, anthemic masterpiece. I've heard the Unplugged version and that was really good~ but anyway, i bought Ten just to delve a bit deeper and, well, sadly at this admittedly early point it's just not doing it for me.

The vocals remain hidden somewhat by the mix, guitars are washed out, drums just don't sound great.. the riffs aren't as creative as Sonic Youth, for instance, or as hard hitting as Soundgarden... I just really feel that the mix of the album is a bit off - which Pearl Jam apparently also thought - and I'm really having trouble liking it.

To be honest, and this final point should underline my first impressions, I'm no longer replaying parts of Black over and over in my head, but rather the underwhelming vocal performance of Even Flow.

Look, these guys have legions of fans and i an definitely not trying to say there's anything wrong with those fans, or with this group... But what i can say is that, at this point, I'm not digging their early sound.

I'm thinking I'd like to see if Tool could cover Black and give it a real growl.. don't think that'd happen though.

I'm now going to listen to "Foxtrot" by Genesis.

1) David Bowie - Soul Love
2) Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number
3) Fleetwood Mac - No Questions Asked
>time to crank up the pace<
4) Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
5) Smashing Pumpkins - Geek USA
>downhill portion<
6) Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne
>Final stretch, warmdown<
7) Rolling Stones - Moonlight Mile
 
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