7 My Review of Pearl Jam's Backspacer

Ok, so I totally caved Monday and “illegally” downloaded the new record from my all-time favorite band Pearl Jam. Backspacer too is a victim of the internet leak phenomenon that has been plaguing/plugging, (depends on how you look at it) bands for some time now.

Last Friday, while I was in route to Boise, Idaho for a wedding without my trusty laptop, word got out that it leaked. Many folks on various social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were buzzing about how good of a record it was…blah…blah…blah. All weekend I could only think about sitting down with a pair of headphones and indulging. And even though I had pre-ordered a vinyl copy and will be attending both coming Seattle shows, the excitement and urge to get home ASAP was unbearable because there was no chance in hell that I could just sit back and wait until whenever the record found its way to my doorstep; all the while knowing that there were other people out there giving in to a sneak preview before the official release date of September 20th. (The expected arrival date of my vinyl copy is the 18th, I pre-ordered through the Ten Club months ago and they are usually good about early delivery.) I rationalized my actions, by feeling good about still paying for the record and 2 concerts. It’s just an early preview, that’s all.

I have now listened to “Backspacer” at least 20 times back-to-back since Monday morning, and it is nothing less than an excellent Pearl Jam record. At this time I am tempted to say it is their best record since 1998’s Yield. But it’s hard to say that because I initially loved the last two records Riot Act, and Pearl Jam (Avocado) at release, too, and of course still do. It’s easy to rate a brand new record high because the idea has been building in my mind for months now of how great it was going to be.

Backspacer marks the return of Vs., Vitalogy, No Code, Mirror Ball, and Yield producer Brendan O’Brien to the fold. He has done a superb job of keeping the songs crisp and short, and in typical punk rock fashion Backspacer which clocks in at only 36 minutes 33 seconds goes by in a flash. How do you think I’ve listened to it so many times already? The length has no bearing on the quality of the record, as many naysayers might lead you to believe on the PJ forum.

The record opens with a bang and a 4 song rock explosion consisting of “Gonna See My Friend,” which starts with an X-influenced guitar lick and quickly hits its stride as an energetic opener.“Get Some,” which was our first real taste of Backspacer when the band debuted it back in June on Conan O’Brien, is also a solid rocker, and has already proven strong live as well. The first single from the record, “The Fixer,” is getting plenty of play time on the Seattle soft rock radio station the Mountain 103.7, but that doesn’t take away from the anthem’s positive message and instant pop gratification; the yeah…yeah…yeahs are infectious and have certainly added to the crowd participation so far live. Then we come to “Johnny Guitar,” which is probably the most interesting and fresh song on the record. With lyrics inspired by a Johnny “Guitar” Watson album cover, PJ ventures into almost 80s new-wave territory with a Cars-like guitar part a minute into the song, and a very cool Eddie vocal bridge. It’s easily the most experimental track on the album, and in my mind is reminiscent of “Unemployable”.

The elegant “Just Breathe” sounds like it could have been front and center on the Into the Wild Soundtrack. It is a beautiful track with Eddie’s strong vocals and “Guaranteed”-like finger picking guitar work. In my mind, Pearl Jam has finally written the perfect wedding love song. “Thin Air” could soon become second fiddle to this one; damn just missed it (I got married in July). It also adds a nice twist to an old formula by including a gorgeous string arrangement, and flute.

Next is “Amongst the Waves.” If this song doesn’t invoke full crowd participation in concert then all hope is lost. It’s a soaring, uplifting song much in the vain of “Given to Fly” and “In Hiding,” sparking some of my early Yield comparisons. With a classic rock vibe, killer Mike McCready solo and strong vocals by Ed, I’ll go out on a limb and say it may have the potential of becoming the next big sing-a-long next to “Alive” and “Evenflow” in concert.

Next is my personal favorite new song from Backspacer, “Unthought Known.” It may be the most realized track on the record and even includes some nice keyboard work by Brendan O'Brien not PJ’s unofficial 6th member Boom Gaspar, who doesn't appear on the record. The band definitely hits their stride on this track. The song was written backstage and then performed for the first time by Eddie during one of his New Jersey solo gigs from his “Into the Wild” tour last year. Ed’s increasingly emotional performance on this song is what makes it so powerful, and I surely can relate with the lyrical theme of not allowing all of life’s mind games to stand in the way of really living.

“Supersonic,” is pure pop-punk bliss and, in my opinion, if not one of the best songs on the record, at least the most fun. It’s a real jump around the room punk rocker, with a muscle flexing bridge guitar part by Mike and Stone. It has gotten some slack, while being compared to the odd-ball “Mankind” off No Code. Though I definitely hear the similarities, it reminds me much more of one of my favorite in concert PJ punk covers, The Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer,” and will surely be fun to hear live.

“Speed of Sound” was released by the band in demo form a month ago and has been in constant rotation since I first heard it. It’s another touching Eddie ballad, and is another track that benefits from Eddie’s go- as-solo artist and Into the Wild. It’s a heartbreaker, and was written in the perspective of a very lonely man. It is bleak in comparison to the rest of the record, but that doesn’t take anything away from the tracks sentiment.

Force of Nature is the only song on the record that I am still unsure of, maybe because it comes at the end of a roller coaster ride of soon to be classic Pearl Jam tracks. Though it rivals both “Amongst the Waves” and “Unthought Known,” it doesn’t quite live up their sheer emotional power. I do really like the guitar sounds in this track, and Brendan, once again, adds some timely keyboard work. It has potential and this wouldn’t be the only PJ song/record that took some time to grow on me. Binaural for instance is one of my favorite Pearl Jam records, but it didn't start out that way.

A great ending to a great record The End just about says it all as Eddie croons on this gut-wrenching love ballad. Wow two PJ love songs on one album—this is unprecedented. The Into the Wild-esque closer does not fall short and may be one of Pearl Jam’s best album closers since VS’s Indifference.

I absolutely love this record. It is not only my front runner for album of the year, but even in its infancy it may be the best Pearl Jam record since Yield. There are great moments on Binaural, Riot Act, and Pearl Jam, but none of these records are as fluent, tight, and fully realized as Backspacer. With George W out of office, Eddie is seemingly more enthusiastic and clear headed. His anger has subsided, and he is speaking more from the heart about life and love rather than from politically charged rage, which has been the focal point of the last 3 records. The band sounds absolutely amazing. Mike and Stone are of course a powerful unit. Jeff’s bass is full and upfront in the mix on many of the tracks, and of course Matt “fucking” Cameron’s thunderous drumming is the tie that binds. It sounds much more like a cohesive band effort, unlike their previous effort Pearl Jam (Avocado) where Stone and Jeff were, in my opinion, sometimes over shadowed by Mike’s excellent lead guitar work, and Matt’s outstanding drumming and continual musical influence on the band’s new songs. Mike’s guitar solos are minimal but powerful this go-around (It’s ok; Mike’s a punk rocker at heart). From what I have read the album’s music writing was spread throughout the entire group with each member giving strong contributions, and of course, Eddie penning much of the lyrics. I have to give Brendon O’Brien props for undoubtedly having some influence on the direction of the record and its crispness. He has played a large part in helping channel the best qualities of the band and has fine tuned them into a record that not only early on has received positive accolades by fans and critics alike, but Backspacer should rank high amongst the other 8 albums in the Pearl Jam catalog, going down as one of their best efforts to date. Now the real test… how will these songs stand up live? I know Get Some, The Fixer, and Supersonic sound great, and hopefully the rest will be too. I’ll have the privilege of hearing them in person on September 21st and 22nd at the Key. The anticipation is killing me…..