Pearl Jam - Backspacer: Another Release Ruined By The Loudness War!

Yes we should accept it because we have no other alternative. I can boohoo and cry about the mastering (even though I think it's fine) or I can try and enjoy the music.

Your thread title claims the album is *ruined* by the loudness, but that's just ridiculous. Don't be such a drama queen. The 2006 album is a different story - if you want to start a thread complaining about the production on that one, I might agree with you.

Also, i haven't heard the Vinyl yet, but perhaps it sounds better? Can anybody chime in? RadioClash would appreciate it.

 

My thoughts exactly. Also rather sad that people couldn't identify the obviously compressed sound without the aid of some waveforms. I suppose, since everything new sounds that way, it's the "new normal" to people.

 

What's your plan exactly? Storm the Pearl Jam World Headquarters and demand a remaster? Jail time for the offenders?

There's always the possibility that they were OK with the sound, even if they didn't run it by you first.

 

Not bad. You know, rock by it's nature is 'compressed', right? Lots of crunchy guitars and bass.

Squishing is obviously bad, but compression can be good. Have we reached compression paranoia here?

Anyway, I'll be picking this up on vinyl. Skipped the last couple of Pear Jam albums, but I might give this one a try because of some positive reviews.

dan c

 

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Before we start to storm the compound, we must first admit to ourselves that this CD sounds like crap. So unless your ears have been pounded to dust as a result of an endless supply of crappy CD masterings, you must at least admit that. Right?

 

i am curious, are you referring to compression, clipping, or bad tonality? my ears MUST be destroyed, because I don't hear anything that sounds too bad. It's a big in your-your-face rock record, but I'm listening for distortion caused by mastering or processing, or painful tones and I don't hear it. Just so you know, I have no agenda here, I just don't hear it as a "crappy" modern CD. I always listen critically and follow along on the board here, but i'm having a disconnect on this one. any specific spots I should listen for?

 

Once again, I'll say this CD sounds fine. Is it a little loud? Yes. But I don't expect audiophile-quality sound from a Pearl Jam CD, and all in all I have no issues with the sonics. There's no way this CD sounds like crap, nor is it worthy of the over-the-top thread title. I've heard way worse.

 

No. Blame CD changers a good 10-years before the iPod. iPod bashing is so overrated.

dan c

 

Hell, no. Not like that! Rock rocks the rockiest if mastered like this:


The Cult, "Fire Woman"

 

Ipods were never the cause. It was the CD changer that started the trend, especially in bars. When one CD was "louder" then the others, it obviously made more of an impact, and executives noticed that trend.

 

Hehe umm nice post Dan.

 

If the pic is not showing (damn you Imageshack), check THIS to see how you master rock the rockiest.

 

I'll tell you what my plan is. To not buy it.

I like Pearl Jam. I'd like to hear new music from them, but I there are so many other things I can listen to. So this is one new release I can just write off. I bought the 2006 release and that was enough. This looks like it might be slightly better, not "lightyears" better.

 

How about, you know... writing them, and saying you thought the mastering was quite bad?

 

Lemme get this straight--you like Pearl Jam and would like to hear new stuff from them, but you're not going to give the album a chance even though many (most?) of us in the thread have said that the CD sounds pretty good? That's sad. Trust your own ears--not a stupid waveform.

 

The new Foreginer album is the same way. The remixed disc is incredibly loud as is the new album itself (which is part of the same set) although it doesn't sound as badly compressed as many other ones.

 

You radical!

The pictures do not lie, it is not the music that matters.

I will leave mine sealed and hopefully someone will post waveforms of all the tracks so I can look at the whole album in one sitting.

I can't wait to watch the whole thing, please help me out someone.

 

Hail! Hail!

 

It seems to me that some people let their enjoyment of the album improperly influence the criticisms of the sound quality. Keep them separate. Waveforms don't lie - this album is compressed and should sound better. Is it terrible? No. But should it be shrugged off? Also no.

 

Should this CD sound better? Perhaps. Should the compression be shrugged off? What would you like us to do? Write letters? Stock up on torches and pitchforks? There's many worse-sounding CDs to complain about instead.

 

:

We should write a letter to Bob Ludwig complaining about his mastering techniques and urge him to retire (again).

I just finished listening to the disc and I am happy with the 1) music 2) sound

Where is the hiding under the chair emoticon? Phew, found it.

 

A friend picked up the vinyl of Backspacer a few days ago and I got to hear the first few tracks. Even though his system is quite flat sounding dynamic wise (not set up right, and doesn't care to listen to me) this album had some good dynamics. Looked at the mastering credits, vinyl mastered by John Golden at Golden mastering. I then thought to myself "AHHH, that's why it sounds good!"

So I'll be picking up the vinyl when I get a chance. When I saw in the liner notes of the LP that the CD was mastered by Bob Ludwig, I'm not surprised that the you guys report that the dynamics are squashed. Has he done anything recently that wasn't? Serious question.

Jake

 

Guns n' Roses latest..

 

Wow.

So the music itself doesn't matter, you just want stuff that will sound pretty on your Awesome Stereo.

 

Ceddy, the main culprit here is compression. The dynamic range, or the difference between the softest and loudest sounds we can hear, is destroyed when the volume is jacked up like this. There is no "life" to the music. No room for it to breathe. Can hear this?

I'm not expecting an audiophile pressing from Pearl Jam, just don't brick wall the F'n thing. When the dynamics are ruined, the album is ruined. In that sense, I do not believe this thread title is "over the top" as some have suggested.

It does not matter to me that the compression is "not as bad" as a lot of other CDs or that there are "many worse-sounding CDs to complain about instead". The point is that when the dynamic range is ruined, the music is ruined. That is how I see it.

I stopped into Amoeba SF this morning and picked up the vinyl. Going to spin it later this evening. Mastered by John Golden, so I have high hopes.