Hey all. Like many in this thread, the mastering job limits (ha ha) my enjoyment of this record considerably… So I’ve been ripping the Atmos mixes and folding the stems down to a more dynamic stereo mix. I’ll wrap this project soon and will share, but here’s a taste: Waiting For Stevie.wav
£100?? Wow. I had no idea thats how much it costs these days. I saw them twice at Wembley Arena in 1996 for £15 each night. Amazing shows.
Sinatra sounded better with age. Vedders vocals are totally different now. I dislike the way he sings now, he kind of over sings every word.
Pearl Jam did "Scared of Fear" and "Running" on Stern today (along with "Daughter" and "Yellow Ledbetter") and both sounded fantastic. Eddie sounded great despite it being early for them on an early AM radio show to go full throttle Re: Eddie, personally I still am a fan of Eddie's vocals - there was that brief period in the later half of 2022 where I got a bit worried because they started drop tuning more songs and he seemed to be struggling however that was due to breathing in air related to the Paris fires and by 2023 things seemed back up and running Eddie doesn't have that low gutteral type of delivery like he used to, but that "it" quality about his voice I still find intact, be it on record or live. I remember seeing them last, when Eddie hit the long notes to "Release" the sound boomed through the entire arena - instant chills
Listened to this in my car and the drums were overpowering. I’ve removed access, will update with a share link once this is wrapped.
This is a solid set of songs that ended up sounding like crap. Wish they had gone with almost any other producer/mixer.
It's a kinda solid set of songs that sound terrible. The mix hurts my ears with Eddie's vocals soooo low and the guitars muddled together. I think they'd benefit from one of Neil Young's guys like John Hanlon or Niko Bolas producing.
Got my vinyl today. Spun the black circle. Then I played an original US Vs. With all due respect, anyone who thinks that DM vinyl SQ is acceptable is on denial.
Like everything Pearl Jam has recorded this century. So bland and forgettable. Why do they still do it? I doubt they record an album and think to themselves "this is really good". It is like they don't have an option to knock it on the head, similar to U2. The first three albums were good. The next couple have their moments. And that's it for me.
Honestly, the sooner Watt heads back to pop the better. I totally get that he's a huge rock fan, more so than pop, that he has performed in rock bands and that he is an authentically massive fan of bands like The Rolling Stones and Pearl Jam. So he has the stripes, in that sense. So, he's of course completely entitled to be involved with artists who are looking for his "input" ... ... BUT somehow, (1) his sonic sensibility to render these bands in "the modern way" doesn't suit their style of music, in my opinion. And it may be irrational, but (2) his extensive co-songwriting credits make me wonder what focus grouped "pop hook alchemy" he's sprinkled on, verses what my favorite bands might have created themselves (I get that "nothing" is a possible reply). Dare I say it, but his input feels even worse for a grunge band, with their associated sensibilities ... I mean putting Cornell's Timbaland "moment" to one side, could we see Soundgarden do this, or Nirvana, if either band was still around? No way. Anyways, rant over. ================ Back to the album - its taken me 4 listens, and I am now "getting into" the album some more. Yipee ... I've persevered mainly due to all the positive comments here and also the relatively glowing critical reaction. Feels like a generally good, not amazing, set of songs, and a handful of crackers. I generally dislike albums where the vocals are mixed too forward and guitars pushed back (actually a good few latter Stones albums suffer from this) and here we have the opposite, but it doesn't really work, for reasons I cannot explain. And somehow, even the harder rocking songs don't come alive they way they should compared to PJ's past. "Dark Matter" is a cool track, reminiscent of "Blood", but the way the guitars are tracked, they feel, dunno, less "guitary" and more like wedges of noise. Again, I can't quite figure it out!
Because they cant give it up. They think they still hold some influence on the general public and in some part they do with the sychophant sheep. Why do you think their ticket prices are so high? Because they pretty much hate what the modern working class stand for. They don't want fans in the arena opposing what they stand for and calling out their hypocrisy. And what do they stand for now? Elitism. They have become what they fought against in the early part of the 90's. Extreamly sad.
Dark Matter Top: Atmos > Stereo Bottom: 24/48 lossless download (Apple) The Atmos mix is really good, lots of energy, adventurous surround without being gimmicky, everything breathes and finds it place in the mix and it really delivers. Also, gorgeous deep low end, the lowest registers of the bass guitar and kick drum are full of aplomb.
Will sound the same as the download, Pearl Jam don't master vinyl separately. The 45rpm of Vs is the 2017 digital master, etc.
