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

I always though live one sounded great. Wasn't this mastered by bob ludwid? I know most of phish's CDs were mastered by him junta through hoist or maybe even a few after.

 

Never been to a PJ concert, but EVERY concert I go to is too loud. I've got nice ear plugs that lower the volume without muddying the sound too much. It's painful to go without them.

 

I have been to one Pearl Jam concert, in '98 on the Yield tour. I wasn't that big of a fan, but I walked away one. It was loud, it did not bother me (I wear ear plugs) because they rocked. I'll pick up this new one.

 

I concur.

 

When was the last time you listened to Ten?

 

Steely Dan 12/7, Dire Straits 12/7.

 

Well, I heard of a mastering engineer who will drop the client rather than bring himself to doing a subpar job. What's that guy's name again, I think it's Steve something...

 

Oh c'mon. Different business, different goals. Steve almost exclusively 'remasters' for tiny reissue labels. He's niche player.

Is it really fair to think all veteran mastering engineers are simply gonna take an 80% cut in business just to make a few audiophiles happy?

Welcome to the real world.

dan c

 

People get way too excited about these wave forms...

Its like they forget the songs! I mean isn't the more important thing whether the songs are good?

If Abbey ROad came out today and was brickwalled people on this board would be focused on the wave form and not the music!

 

Given that Pearl Jam is sans label, I'd say any and all decisions fall firmly at their feet. BTW, I've got the lp on hold, is it any better?

 

It's too bad, but I agree. Guys have gotta eat and pay for those expensive tools. One thing I have wondered though, is if they ever ask to not have their name included in the credits of what they'd consider a really bad smash-mastering job. An Alan Smithee sort of thing. Inclusion of mastering credits is kind of hit-and-miss anyway, so I'm not sure if that'd be a big deal or not.

 

You're exaggerating. I still enjoy this album, but I knew it was quite compressed and the waveform confirmed it. I highly, highly doubt that anyone makes their listening decisions solely based on a waveform. Waveforms are probably a little esoteric to some people, which may lead them to believe we're giving them more importance than they're due, but they're really just another way to analyze the quality of a mastering.

 

I think that they are a great tool to see just how compressed something is (or isn't.)

 

Is this The End...

{Playing the vinyl again today, side two first, and I don't think the problem is this album being too loud, the problem is most of it is too boring, same old PJ rock shtick... they just are not that good of a band, and I think Vedder would be more interesting and better as a solo artist, Into The Wild was much more intersting and vital than this album, or any of theirs since Vitalogy, whence they lost the plot, seemingly forever... sadly...

 

Ahh, go back to your Tori records...

 

Uh, what?

They, like Oasis, stuck to their own plot, not your plot, not the general public's plot.

On the other hand, there are plenty of young female artists you seem much happier with. Perhaps you should stick to that.

 

Ten Long Years... (Blood Roses...)

Sorry guys, I calls it like I sees it... If they followed their own plot up their own backside, I still wouldn't be fawning over their every word and record, move etc... Facts is, they lost their plot, drive, creative mojo, juices, youthful energies, etc a long time ago... Sad, as I too was once one of the loyal fans--I still havelittle stick figure promo stickers from the first album's release... but, they lost it...The truth will out... Sorry to say, but Vedder is the talent here, his solo offering being twice as interesting as post Vitology PJ albums, all of which I bought, mostly on vinyl, and all of which bored me from the start... One should not have to work hard to love a new record by a beloved band... One did not have to do so with: Ten, Vs, and Vitalogy...

As for liking chick singers and bands, not sure what y'alls beef is with that, lots of talent out there, femmes got you flustered? Hell Jenny Lewis's rock record of last year, Acid Tongue, lays waste to anthing Pearl Jam have done in the past ten....

So, I'll gladly 'go back' to my chick singers (Tori's new abum is tons better than Backspacer as well, sinfully no contest..) and I'll still like my male rock bands and dig or not dig them as I damn well please...


My original thought, herein, was not that this album has been ruined by the loudness wars, but that the band ruined it by not stepping up/out of the box, and getting in touch with sum former, youthful, guts glory and energy alltogthernow... I guess I havent matured and they have... so be it...

 

The words "in my opinion" should have been inserted somewhere in there (IMO)

 

Oasis?

Another band, like PJ, who started out young and hungry, and delivered the goods with their first few albums, then got rich and famous and lost the plot and their Muse as they got older and richer... That's the standard plot, has happened for ever and eons, youthful hunger turned into mature stagnation... (or as Waters' put it... "this creeping malaise...")


Its been nigh on 15 years since either band had releases anything of superior musical importance and passion...(IMNSHO)...

Vitology and What's The Story Morning Glory...


Few bands do not suffer such a fate, if we be real and honest...

 

I've always prefered IMNSHO...


Tis a given, know? nespa?



If not, I assumed the first sentence conveyed this fact: "Sorry guys, I calls it like I sees it..."

 

Anyone?

 

This thread is about the sound quality of the new Pearl Jam record, not your opinion of their musical merit. Oasis R.I.P.

 

Good point, that could very well be the case. However, whether it happened during mixing or mastering, the end result is too compressed IMO.

This is my understanding too.

 

I was just teasing you about Tori--I don't think anyone here likes female artists more than I do. I think you're wrong about PJ, though. Yield was a great album, and Backspacer is their best since that one.

Anyway, back to the topic...

 

Old bands, old fans...what a drag it is getting old...

Love Neko Case! She doesn't rock, though.