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List Price: $18.98 | | Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION
Salesrank: 6001
Released: September 26, 2009 |
| Our Price: $13.37 |
| Used Price: $15.44 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Backspacer (Limited Edition Gatefold Sleeve) Track Listing:
1. Gonna See My Friend
2. Got Some
3. The Fixer
4. Johnny Guitar
5. Just Breathe
6. Amongst The Wave
7. Unthought Known
8. Supersonic
9. Speed Of Sound
10. Force Of Nature
11. The End
Editorial Review:
Limited edition gatefold, die cut, luminous sleeve. 2009 release from Eddie Vedder and the boys, their ninth album overall. For Backspacer, the lasting Grunge rockers decided to do it big. They left label J Records and decided to release to album themselves, since the certainly have enough money to do that. They also hooked up with '90s Alternative Rock producer du jour Brendan O'Brien (Korn, Bruce Springsteen), the first time that the band has worked with O'Brien since 1998's Yield. The music on the record features a sound influenced by pop and New Wave.
Backspacer (Limited Edition Gatefold Sleeve) Reviews:
Definitely the most commercial album yet... 
2009-12-26 - This is my first review on Amazon and, although I appreciate reading comments by others, I never thought I'd contribute. However, after reading some of the incredibly misguided reviews left by others, I feel compelled to add my opinion. I've been a huge fan of Eddie and the boys since day one; I've seen them live over two dozen times, including four times this year -- Outside Lands, ACL and a couple of local shows. One of the things I've always loved about Pearl Jam is their focus on the integrity of the journey with the music as soundtrack. But this album is just that -- music. This is easily their most uninspiring and commercial record ever.
Don't get me wrong: it's a decent album. But PJ has been releasing such high quality work for so many years that I think us die-hard fans are spoiled rotten and my suspicion is that even the band would admit this isn't their best work. Speed of Sound, Johnny Guitar, The Fixer and Force of Nature should have been saved for More Lost Dogs or ditched all together. Amongst the Waves is vintage Pearl Jam, a song that builds in tempo and crashes with inspiring vocals. Got Some and Supersonic are quality rock songs and Just Breathe (a leftover from the Into the Wild soundtrack) is difficult to not appreciate.
If you are new to Pearl Jam nation and want to hear their best work, I recommend almost all of their previous albums before this one. Ten, self-titled, Yield, Vitalogy and Vs to name a few. If you've been a fan for a while, be prepared for a let down.
They're finally releasing good albums again, 2 in a row 
2009-12-26 - I've been a fan of Pearl Jam for a long time. They'll never reach what they did with Ten. There was just something about those songs, and most of the b-sides and soundtrack songs from those sessions. The sound, the guitar solos, Eddie's passionate vocals. They'll just never top that. Fortunately for me, they don't have to. I really liked VS, and the actual songs on Vitology were great as well. Unfortunately then came No Code, and they just weren't the same. Sure the next few albums had some great songs, but overall Eddie sounded bores, especially on Riot Act, and there were WAY too many filler songs. Then came their self titled album, and Pearl Jam seems to be back on track.
Which brings me to this one. One of my favorite things about this band, is that you can't completely know what to expect with each new album. This is the second in a row I've really enjoyed. Eddie's passion seems to be back. Sure he doesn't have the voice he did on Ten, but that's ok. He still gets points for effort.
There aren't a whole lot of songs I love, but there are quite a few I really like, and the songs together work as a whole, if that makes sense. This album has a very different fell to it, from any past PJ album. It sounds lighter.
Gonna See My Friend - 9/10 - This one's a faster paced song, for them. It's probably the heaviest song on here, or at least one of them. Definately one of my favorites on here. Nice guitars, nice vocals.
Got Some - 8/10 - Another up-tempo song. The chorus is a little better than the last song. Still a good song though.
The Fixer - 8/10 - Similar pace to the previous songs. I like the vocals in the verses. The chorus doesn't do a whole lot for me, but it serves its purpose.
Johnny Guitar - 6/10 - This pace is starting to get redundant now. That's probably part of the reduced rating for this song. Overall it's ok, just not my favorite. There's a cool guitar part in there somewhere.
Just Breathe - 9/10 - Very folky sounding acoustic song. I love this oen. The vocals are amazing. I can't quite give this a perfect rating, but in time that may change.
Amongst The Waves - 7/10 - Another slower one. It's a pretty good song, but I can't think of anything special to say about it.
Unthought Known - 6/10 - The intro reminds me of Wishlist. The vocals are good, but this song just doesn't do that much for me. Hopefully it'll grow on me.
Supersonic - 8/10 - This one's a faster song. It rocks as hard as anything on here, and I enjoy it.
Speed Of Sound - 8/10 - This one's a slower song, and different from anything I can think of Pearl Jam doing. I think this one's going to grow on me more in time.
Force Of Nature - 8/10 - This one's faster than the last song, still more of a mid-tempo song. It's pretty good, just nothing special.
The End - 7/10 - This one's another acoustic song. It's not quite as good as the other one, but it's still got its moments. I like the main riff.
Overall I find this to be a very enjoyable album, albeit a little too short. There's not a song, in the same category as Once, or Footsteps, or Inside Job, but still there's plenty to enjoy. If you're a PJ fan, then what are you waiting for? Get this album.
Definitely the best Pearl Jam album of the decade - and one of their best ever 
2009-12-20 - When I first heard BACKSPACER, I thought it was all about drugs. Lines like "Gonna see my best friend - make it go away" and "Got some if you need it" seem very suggestive, especially to drug addict. After closer inspection and repeated listening, I realized Eddie Vedder was merely toying with the language. While his metaphors do allude to getting high, he throws in a positive, life-affirming twist. More often, they're not really about getting high on drugs but getting high on life - and having a good death.
I would recommend to anyone that they sit through this album several times and let it sink in. On first listen, I thought the first three songs were just typical balls-to-the-wall Pearl Jam, but since then they've become more distinct in my mind and taken on more character. They're really good. But I immediately sensed many of the "second side" songs were sophisticated and worth repeated listening. And finally, the last song floored me as soon as I heard it.
Some of this album is pretty heavy rock n' roll, close to the heaviest they've ever gotten. On the other hand, the guitars are often quite restrained, heavy but doing little more than outlining chord changes. But every now in then we get blasted with some killer soloing and runaway riffage.
Breakdown:
"Gonna See My Friend" - Straight up rock n' roll bashed out with a detectable taste of the Sex Pistols as guitar notes get bent and Vedder sings at the top of his lungs. May actually be about QUITTING drugs - talking to the friend may actually help (the singer) get rid of his cravings(?) ***3/4
"Got Some" - love the sustained drum rolls at the intro. This is a driving song that finds Vedder still in punk mode, squealing some of his words like Johnny Rotten. Got (rock n' roll?) if you need it. ****
"The Fixer" - The bass carries the melody on the third hard rocker in a row. Cool song. ****
"Johnny Guitar" - a bunch of people find this the least impressive track on the album but it was the first one that stood out for me. It's much more distinctive than the first three, especially Eddie's vocal melody. Supposedly he got the idea from looking at J "G" Watson's album cover for WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? which is full of girls. Who doesn't like songs about girls? ****1/2
"Just Breathe" - About this song, Vedder said, "As close to a love song as we've ever gotten." No need to shout over a wall of noise on this one, Vedder sings in a low register over some sweet acoustic guitar picking, soon accompanied by swelling strings and gentle keyboards. It's not as good as a song like "Black," but it's up there. "Hold me til I die/ Meet you on the other side." ****3/4
"Amongst The Waves" - this one's majestic with a killer rhythm at the chorus. Finally, a guitar cuts loose with a solo! And it keeps building in a beautiful way . . . uplifting. *****
"Unthought Known" - a cool song if a bit tired sounding, it's an earnest song that slowly builds. Love the Stooges-style piano (one repeating note). This one seems to explore the subconscious realm in our minds, the blueprint that guides our lives. ****
"Supersonic" - "I wanna live my life with the volume full" this is probably the most hyper kinetic, pumped up song on the album. At the "middle 8," the tempo slows down for some killer guitar riffage before blasting off again for the finale. Like U.K., this one also mentions dreams. *****
"Speed of Sound" - this one's different from any other Pearl Jam song I can think of. "It's hard to remember anything/ Moving at the speed of sound." Some interesting sound textures, a rockin beat that's kinda laid back, mandolin, piano . . . this is a sophisticated, well constructed song. *****
"Force of Nature" - the very beginning sounds like a typical cheesy rock song before a minor guitar chord is hit and it becomes a really cool song with an engaging rhythm. Full of sea and siren metaphors, this is a song about a woman, presumably with a strong personality. ****1/2
"The End" - Those who've complained about Vedder's voice need to hear this track again. The acoustic guitar and orchestral accompaniment is beautiful. It's a song about death, but a really sweet one. *****+
Best Yet...From THE No. 1 Fan
2009-12-18 - Each album is not any better or worse than the last one, THEY ARE ALL 100% GREAT, and each are different in their own ways. BACKSPACER is great from start to finish, and the lyrics are just incredible, music too as always, sounds AWESOME on 180 gram vinyl on my turntable cranked up as LOUD as my stereo can handle. I personally recommend, heck, any of the tracks here. I got to see them twice in Seattle in September 2009 (10th and 11th shows for me), and they were having just as much fun playing this new, and their earlier stuff. Great live show, they always play like they're never going to play again, great to be a part of.
Wonderfully constructed and a real grower
2009-12-07 - After seeing Pearl Jam put on a wonderful show in Perth, I went back and listened to Backspacer and must say it is a definate grower. The following Monday, Unthought Known opened up Flashforward and I was sold on this album. As far as consistancy goes this must rate highly amongst Ten, Vs and Yield.
(1) Gonna See My Friend
Powerful opener but a little one paced and one of the weakest on the album. Sounds great live though.
(2) Got Some
You can imagine someone screaming down the face of a massive wave when this song opens with its surf safari feel. Nicely constructed, powerful and catchy and likely to become a crowd favourite. Vocals and guitar are brilliant throughout
(3) The Fixer
Brilliant single and one of the most upbeat Pearl Jam songs of all time. Very catchy, and a certain mosh pit favourite. Catchy, and "Yeah Yeah Yeah" works brilliantly. A song likely to generate a new legion of fans. My 19 month old son goes off to this!
(4) Johnny Guitar
Guitar driven and gives Mike a chance to cut loose a little. Pretty good song overall but not quite as catchy as some of the others. Powerful vocal performance from Ed.
(5) Just Breathe
Nice vocals, music and a likely crowd pleaser after a frenetic concert opening. When I first heard this it sounded like something from Into The Wild. A little one paced so they should be careful about playing this song to death.
(6) Amongst The Waves
A great song and one that has grown on me. A surf song but without the Got Some surf safari twang. Is this to Backspacer what Given To Fly was to Yield?. One of the most complete and satisfying songs on the album
(7) Unthought Unknown
This is set to become a Pearl Jam classic. What a brilliant and beautiful song that builds and reaches a wonderful crescendo. Only early days but this song is to Backspacer what Better Man was to Vitalogy. Enough said
(8) Supersonic
A fast paced grower and another potential crowd favourite. Mike's guitar on this is quite heavy in parts but is much cleaner than Spin the Black Circle or Do The Evolution.
(9) Speed of Sound
For one of the weakest songs on the album this can creep up on you but unlikely to have any serious longetivity.
(10) Force of Nature
The Wah pedal gets a work out and this is a pretty good song and consistant with the rest of the album.
(11) The End
Great song to wrap up proceedings. Heartfelt vocals and a song that will go down well live once Vedder needs a rest. A song likely to be played in the middle as opposed to the end that is reserved for Pearl Jam classics.
This is an album that you can play from start to finish without skipping any songs. It is far more commercial sounding than other Pearl Jam albums but that isn't a bad thing at all. This is not selling out, but who wants Pearl Jam to produce 11 versions of Bugs. Hard core fans want to see obscure music, however with their back catalogue this just adds to Pearl Jams appeal to a new generation. The songs sound brilliant live, and with Unthought Known we have a future classic that will be sung with gusto until they finally give touring away. Kids these days are right into Green Day (as witnessed at their recent Perth concert) but why not lash out and buy them this wonderful album?
