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Pearl Jam made peace with their hard rock past on their eponymous eighth album, but its 2009 sequel, Backspacer, is where the group really gets back to basics, bringing in old cohort Brendan O'Brien to produce for the first time since 1998's Yield. To a certain extent, the band has reached the point in its career where every move, every cranked amp, every short tough song is heralded as a return to form -- call it the Stones syndrome -- and so it is with Backspacer, whose meaty riffs have no less vigor than those of Pearl Jam; they're just channeled into a brighter, cheerier package. Despite this lighter spirit, Pearl Jam remain the antithesis of lighthearted good-time rock & roll -- they're convinced rock & roll is a calling, not a diversion -- but there's a tonal shift from the clenched anger that's marked their music of the new millennium, a transition from the global toward the personal. Ironically, by looking within the music opens up, as the group isn't fighting against the dying light but embracing how this most classicist of alt-rock bands is an anachronism in 2009. Of course, Pearl Jam were an anachronism even back in 1992, worshiping the Who instead of the Stooges, but this odd out-of-phase devotion to the ideals of post-hippie, pre-punk rock is better suited to bandmembers in their forties than in their twenties; fashion has passed them by several times over, leaving Pearl Jam just to be who they are, comfortable in their weathering skin. Pearl Jam battled their success for so long, intent on whittling their audience down to the devout, that it often felt like a chore to keep pace with the band because no matter the merit of the records, they always felt like heavy lifting, but that's no longer the case: here, as on the self-titled 2006 album, it sounds as if they enjoy being in a band, intoxicated by the noise they make. This means, all things considered, Backspacer is a party record for Pearl Jam -- a party that might consist of nothing but philosophical debates till the wee hours, but a party nonetheless -- and if 18 years is a long, long wait for a band to finally throw a party, it's also true that, prior to Backspacer, Pearl Jam wouldn't or couldn't have made music this unfettered, unapologetically assured, casual, and, yes, fun. [A Deluxe Edition was also released.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
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- Ten
- Released 1991
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- Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits, 1991-2003
- Released 2004
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- Vs.
- Released 1993
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- Vitalogy
- Released 1994
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listener reviews
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One of their best
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- By MaceQuantex
- 10/21/2009 22:26:30
- The lyrics on this album are some of the best they've ever done. Unthought Known, lyrically, being my favorite. I highly recommend this album.
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Heavy rotation of BACKSPACER
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- By Coolambindang
- 9/24/2009 06:53:19
- This album rocks! PJ has evolved( it's evolution baby) into one of the greatest rock bands of all time. This album really shows how much the band has grown, Stone's guitar licks, Mike's solos coupled with Jeff Ament's bass and Matt Cameron's drums has really come together like no album(IMHO) since Vs. I know most will say Vitolagy is the best album but I am Vs. fan for all time. And we cannot forget Boom tickling the ivorys. And of course Eddie has really out done himself this time. Really makes me wonder what Jim Morrison would have become had he not died. Eddie really brings that folksy feeling here and it works so well. I can't wait to see them on Sept 30 in Los Angeles!!!
- 3 out of 3 people
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Not Available?
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- By StevoLuvsKel
- 9/22/2009 14:12:55
- Why is this "Not Available" ???
- 4 out of 5 people
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