Pearl Jam - Backspacer - 2009 (Go to the store and buy it. Why? Answer at the end of the review.)
I recently was asked to list my top 50 albums of the decade for a "best of" the 00s list. I was the one who suggested that this website do this list and I am honored that they included me and my dumbass choices.
Why dumbass?
Because one of the albums that I included on my list was Backspacer by Pearl Jam. Is it their best? Not by far. Is it one of the best of the decade? I'm not sure. I bet there would be plenty of people who would argue with that.
But I love it. And I'll tell you why.
This is a good rock record made by musicians who have been around a while, worn their anxieties and gloomy worldviews for the better part of 2 decades and they've decided to move some units. Have some fun. Bring the rock.
And on Backspacer they do just that.
The opening "Gonna See my Friend" is what we've grown accustomed to on a PJ record: Fast, energetic, rock by the pound. (And boy does Cameron pound!). From there the band doesn't let up. On their catchiest single in years, "Got Some" had me cranking the headphones and humming the chorus long after I turned the record off.
That's the other thing that I love about this record, melodies. These are songs you can sing along to. Especially the weirdo melody of "The Fixer", a song I can relate to being a bit of a "fixer" myself.
The real clunker comes 4 songs in. Johnny Guitar. A track, as best as I gather, about a dude who wonders why an attractive girl would rather be part of the rocker's harem than his one and only. But, it's not a very good song. That's okay, I can delete it.
The album rights itself with the lovely and precious "Just Breathe", a melody as pretty as Vedder's ever sung.
The album is more full of hope and optimism than anything PJ has given us. They must be really happy to be rid of George.
Take for example a track like Supersonic. It could just as easily be a Ramones song. It's insipid but actually makes me want to hit the dance floor. Grab a girl and hit the boards and shake it to a PEARL JAM TRACK? What the??
The album is breakneck. It clocks in at under 37 minutes. Those of you who read the Listening Posts know that I believe less is almost always more when it comes to albums. This record would fit perfectly on vinyl. And we all know what classicists Vedder and the boys are.
Will Backspacer be in heavy rotation forever? Nah. Will it take over the top spots of Ten and Vs? No. But it's a contender for their 3rd best.
And it's exactly what the doctor ordered. A rock record.
I am so tired of people who love rock but love to slam rockers who bring good albums out because they don't live up to the expectations from 18 years ago. Or, even worse, I am disgusted that the current arbiters of taste are Pitchfork. They wouldn't know good rock music if it came to their house and fucked them while doing blow off their sisters breasts. (And that would be very rock)
So. Backspacer. I dig it.
Oh, yeah. One more thing. If you buy the CD it comes with two free live concert downloads. And the two I chose, Santiago and New Jersey are fan-fucking-tastic.
Not a bad deal at all. Give the people what they want. What we want is music. Good music.
Backspacer brings it.
Grade A
A Side: Gonna See My Friend, Got Some, The Fixer, Just Breathe
BlindSide: Amongst the Waves, Supersonic, Force of Nature
DownSide: Johnny Guitar
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