Big Brain
11-15-2003, 01:41 PM
Hello,
Welcome to my first-listen-through review of Les Chiens Perdus. Now I have not listened to these fuckers over and over again, actually some I haven’t listened all the way through. But believe me, first impressions are always best, so here’s what I thought the first time around.
Disc One
All Night: Dang this song rocks. It’s straight-forward rock n’ roll. I can see why they didn’t throw it on No Code, however there’s an unquestionable feel-goodness to this tune. Great opener.
Sad: Well, I downloaded this earlier as Letter to the Dead, and it’s by far the best Pearl Jam tune I’ve heard in a long time, including Riot Act. The riffs, the vocals, it all comes together well. And somehow that homogeneity has been lacking as of late. For example, take any tune on Riot Act, and you can feel each member’s influence so distinctly, like Matt’s You Are, Stone’s All or None, Jeff’s Other Side B-side, Vedder’s Cant Keep; it just doesn’t sound Pearl Jam, it sounds Vedder, or Ament, or Gossard, etc… Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but listen to Alone, listen to Brother, and now listen to Sad. Those tunes sound like they were written by the whole fuckin band (even though Jeff loved Stone’s Brother riffs and Stone eventually wrote it off, the idiot). So in conclusion, Sad is my song of the hour, and not since Yield and DTE has something grabbed me so instantly.
Down: Nice little tune, very happy-go-lucky, again catchy, yet not memorable. I expect a little more guitar artistry from Mike to be quite honest with you; it just doesn’t move me.
In The Moonlight: I’ll be honest with you; haven’t heard this song all the way through, but Jesus does it say Soundgarden all over it. It has that slow thumping percussion which is readily recognizable in some SG tunes; I mean it’s fucking uncanny. Sort of how I felt about Evacuation’s riffs, where I thought Matt was trying to mimic Cornell’s mad chord changes, a la Bleed Together. Still have to listen to this more times around.
Hitchhiker: Had potential, Vedder goes off with his mad backing vocals, drive me nuts. Not a memorable chorus, less memorable verses, I can see why it was left off. I’ll be hitting skip on this fucker pretty soon.
Don't Gimme No Lip: Ok, it’s hard to take this one seriously, but because it’s Stone, and he’s really trying to sound all angry and shit, I sorta like it. The lyrics are god-awful, the riffs are alright but I’ve heard better, but it’s….Stone. And I like Stone, and I like Mankind, so there!
Alone: This is by far one of my favorite B-sides. I mean this song is so tight, so well-structured, so original, it should have been a single in its own right. That said, I prefer my Go single version better. The lack of oooohyeahs at the beginning and the ‘cant help myself don’t talk to me’ parts in the middle left me a little sad, and Eddie’s vocals I thought were richer in the single. Still this song kicks ass, no matter what version.
Education: Really couldn’t give a rat’s ass about this song. Downloaded it a while back, and it just seems so ‘blah’. So much so that even if the lyrics are any good, they get lost in the repetitive melody. Fuck what a disappointment.
"U": I like this song. Again happy shit from Vedder, nice to see something sung about a chick.
Black, Red, Yellow: Never thought Vedder was a great songwriter riff-wise, and this applies here. It’s a nice tune, funny with the Rodman references; however it makes poor use of the other bandmates’ talents. Hopefully Rodman feels special.
Leaving Here: This song is pure adrenalin. I bought Home Alive back in the Fnac in Madrid near Callao Metro station (if that means anything) and it cost me about 40$, ouch. But well worth it, the track explodes and doesn’t give up till the end. Glad to see it here.
Gremmie Out Of Control: Nice surf song, glad to see the boys having fun. Really feel like I’m swimming into the ocean to catch a wave. Cowabunga, motherfuckers!
Whale Song: Christ Jack, what were you thinking? This is awful… I like the whale sound effects, but that’s where it ends. I feel like I should be reading a National Geographic when I hear this. I bet Keiko could’ve written a better song.
Undone: The best Riot Act B-Side there is. Fast, simple, Vedder got it right this time around. And the lyrics are really well thought out. Very accessible.
Hold On: This has early 90’s written all over it, and you can hear it. I think it’s fantastic, albeit the backing vocals got on my nerves once in a while. But still this drags you way back to Ten and Vs.. Nice little surprise, thanks guys.
Yellow Ledbetter: Do I really have to comment on one of the most beautiful songs in their catalogue? Ok I guess I do. YL is simply put, PJ at its best. Emotive, creative, melodic, melancholic, nostalgic, all at once, and I still can’t make a single word out of it besides a porch, box and a bag. And I think that’s why it works; the musical magic simply takes control, and Eddie’s mumbling actually blends in as another instrument, adding to it all. Kudos to Mike, the Hendrix-ness shines through on this one.
Disc Two
Fatal: ‘The answers are fatal!!!’ Awesome tune. I think this should have definitely been on Binaural, it could have lifted the LP so much, and it didn’t sound so out of place. Easily could replace most songs off Binaural with this one, as with Sad. Man, what the fuck were they smoking when they did the cuts? I love the segmentation of some of PJ’s songs, like the whole verse at the beginning, and then the never ending riff with the ‘answers are fatal!!!’ (love it) part, and then back to the original verse at the end; so simple yet so touching. Vedder’s voice shines, as does Stone’s acoustics.
Other Side: This is an ok song, but Jeff can do better than that. And as with other Jeff songs I think Vedder’s singing is unnatural with these lyrics, and his voice seems to be almost indifferent. Don’t like it, Jeff should know better.
Hard to Imagine: Again sort of in the same vein as ‘Fatal’ with the weird song structure, yet it also works, and yet again it’s Eddie’s voice that transports it. Beautiful song, I can see why it didn’t fit anywhere, and I had to buy Chicago Cab. The ‘somehow’ fade at the end is really great.
Footsteps: Come on Eddie get rid of the fucking harmonica, this song was fine, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it idiot. The harmonica makes the song lose its emotional intensity, sort of like putting it on the same plane as a Driftin or a Smile, and that’s not right. Still, if you ignore that small detail, this song hits home as usual. Nonetheless, Vedder you idiot.
Wash: Can you say ‘raw’? Wow, the guitars really take a lead on this version. I must say, it’s different, not better or worse, just different. And that’s ok. I still like my Alive single version better, to be honest with you. I could so fuck to this song, it’s too sexy. In fact, I playfully grabbed my girlfriend’s ass last night when it came on – she slapped me.
Dead Man: My favorite part of this song is the little cool riff in the intro; and that’s about it. I mean, it’s ok, but it’s a little too dry, and Vedder needs to speak up, can barely hear him. Nice touch with the strings though, adds a little more color to an otherwise one-dimensional song.
Strangest Tribe: This is an absolute gem. Stone really did a good job here, and I think it’s the guitar player in me, the chord changes are magnificent, and the chorus ends on such a ‘Last Emperor’ cymbal trust, ooh I love it. Vedder’s soft tone suits it to a tee.
Drifting: Drifting. Fuck I’ve heard that word one too many times from Eddie. Everything ‘drifts away’, doesn’t it (see Parting Ways) ? I mean, it’s a campfire song, nothing more, and it deservedly became our X-mas single.
Let Me Sleep: Christmas never felt so warm and cozy; makes me picture kids around an x-mas tree anxiously waiting to open their presents on a snowy day somewhere in Idaho. Brings that magic Christmas feel to my heart (gag). Honestly though, it’s a very solid tune.
Last Kiss:I love this song because it’s the only one my girlfriend can actually sing along to, in Spanish! So it’s one of those ‘yeah it’s Pearl Jam and you actually like it’ songs you show off to older generations or pop-loving females.
Sweet Lew: I love basketball. But I hate this song. The lyrics are shit, Jeff sings like a wigger, and most disappointingly, the melody is awful, but I’m talking atrocious. Jeff, stick to the bass.
Dirty Frank: Yes, yes Chili Peppers were in this. Great song, Vedder’s lyrics are really fun, and it’s so funky. This version is fine, but as usual, I love my Even Flow single, wouldn’t trade it for nothing.
Brother Instrumental: This song aches in my heart. Nice guitar filler by Mike, but still this is such a great song, and Vedder sings so well on it. Easily could’ve made Ten… Just wish we had a clean copy with vocals on it, however this will do for now.
Bee Girl: Bee Girl you’re gonna die!!! Yes, you will one day, and this song will not live on forever either. It’s cute, but it sucks.
4202002420589548: Ok what’s the big deal besides it was written for Layne on his d-day? Musically speaking, it’s crap. Lyrically, it’s Vedder blasting out and opening his heart, that’s what makes this song memorable, no more. You can really feel the anger of the moment, the disbelief, the pain, and that’s touching. But the song stinks otherwise.
That’s it folks. Thoughts welcome. Once I have a chance to get these tunes to really sink in then we’ll speak again. For now, that’s it and I bow out.
Peace, BB.
Welcome to my first-listen-through review of Les Chiens Perdus. Now I have not listened to these fuckers over and over again, actually some I haven’t listened all the way through. But believe me, first impressions are always best, so here’s what I thought the first time around.
Disc One
All Night: Dang this song rocks. It’s straight-forward rock n’ roll. I can see why they didn’t throw it on No Code, however there’s an unquestionable feel-goodness to this tune. Great opener.
Sad: Well, I downloaded this earlier as Letter to the Dead, and it’s by far the best Pearl Jam tune I’ve heard in a long time, including Riot Act. The riffs, the vocals, it all comes together well. And somehow that homogeneity has been lacking as of late. For example, take any tune on Riot Act, and you can feel each member’s influence so distinctly, like Matt’s You Are, Stone’s All or None, Jeff’s Other Side B-side, Vedder’s Cant Keep; it just doesn’t sound Pearl Jam, it sounds Vedder, or Ament, or Gossard, etc… Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but listen to Alone, listen to Brother, and now listen to Sad. Those tunes sound like they were written by the whole fuckin band (even though Jeff loved Stone’s Brother riffs and Stone eventually wrote it off, the idiot). So in conclusion, Sad is my song of the hour, and not since Yield and DTE has something grabbed me so instantly.
Down: Nice little tune, very happy-go-lucky, again catchy, yet not memorable. I expect a little more guitar artistry from Mike to be quite honest with you; it just doesn’t move me.
In The Moonlight: I’ll be honest with you; haven’t heard this song all the way through, but Jesus does it say Soundgarden all over it. It has that slow thumping percussion which is readily recognizable in some SG tunes; I mean it’s fucking uncanny. Sort of how I felt about Evacuation’s riffs, where I thought Matt was trying to mimic Cornell’s mad chord changes, a la Bleed Together. Still have to listen to this more times around.
Hitchhiker: Had potential, Vedder goes off with his mad backing vocals, drive me nuts. Not a memorable chorus, less memorable verses, I can see why it was left off. I’ll be hitting skip on this fucker pretty soon.
Don't Gimme No Lip: Ok, it’s hard to take this one seriously, but because it’s Stone, and he’s really trying to sound all angry and shit, I sorta like it. The lyrics are god-awful, the riffs are alright but I’ve heard better, but it’s….Stone. And I like Stone, and I like Mankind, so there!
Alone: This is by far one of my favorite B-sides. I mean this song is so tight, so well-structured, so original, it should have been a single in its own right. That said, I prefer my Go single version better. The lack of oooohyeahs at the beginning and the ‘cant help myself don’t talk to me’ parts in the middle left me a little sad, and Eddie’s vocals I thought were richer in the single. Still this song kicks ass, no matter what version.
Education: Really couldn’t give a rat’s ass about this song. Downloaded it a while back, and it just seems so ‘blah’. So much so that even if the lyrics are any good, they get lost in the repetitive melody. Fuck what a disappointment.
"U": I like this song. Again happy shit from Vedder, nice to see something sung about a chick.
Black, Red, Yellow: Never thought Vedder was a great songwriter riff-wise, and this applies here. It’s a nice tune, funny with the Rodman references; however it makes poor use of the other bandmates’ talents. Hopefully Rodman feels special.
Leaving Here: This song is pure adrenalin. I bought Home Alive back in the Fnac in Madrid near Callao Metro station (if that means anything) and it cost me about 40$, ouch. But well worth it, the track explodes and doesn’t give up till the end. Glad to see it here.
Gremmie Out Of Control: Nice surf song, glad to see the boys having fun. Really feel like I’m swimming into the ocean to catch a wave. Cowabunga, motherfuckers!
Whale Song: Christ Jack, what were you thinking? This is awful… I like the whale sound effects, but that’s where it ends. I feel like I should be reading a National Geographic when I hear this. I bet Keiko could’ve written a better song.
Undone: The best Riot Act B-Side there is. Fast, simple, Vedder got it right this time around. And the lyrics are really well thought out. Very accessible.
Hold On: This has early 90’s written all over it, and you can hear it. I think it’s fantastic, albeit the backing vocals got on my nerves once in a while. But still this drags you way back to Ten and Vs.. Nice little surprise, thanks guys.
Yellow Ledbetter: Do I really have to comment on one of the most beautiful songs in their catalogue? Ok I guess I do. YL is simply put, PJ at its best. Emotive, creative, melodic, melancholic, nostalgic, all at once, and I still can’t make a single word out of it besides a porch, box and a bag. And I think that’s why it works; the musical magic simply takes control, and Eddie’s mumbling actually blends in as another instrument, adding to it all. Kudos to Mike, the Hendrix-ness shines through on this one.
Disc Two
Fatal: ‘The answers are fatal!!!’ Awesome tune. I think this should have definitely been on Binaural, it could have lifted the LP so much, and it didn’t sound so out of place. Easily could replace most songs off Binaural with this one, as with Sad. Man, what the fuck were they smoking when they did the cuts? I love the segmentation of some of PJ’s songs, like the whole verse at the beginning, and then the never ending riff with the ‘answers are fatal!!!’ (love it) part, and then back to the original verse at the end; so simple yet so touching. Vedder’s voice shines, as does Stone’s acoustics.
Other Side: This is an ok song, but Jeff can do better than that. And as with other Jeff songs I think Vedder’s singing is unnatural with these lyrics, and his voice seems to be almost indifferent. Don’t like it, Jeff should know better.
Hard to Imagine: Again sort of in the same vein as ‘Fatal’ with the weird song structure, yet it also works, and yet again it’s Eddie’s voice that transports it. Beautiful song, I can see why it didn’t fit anywhere, and I had to buy Chicago Cab. The ‘somehow’ fade at the end is really great.
Footsteps: Come on Eddie get rid of the fucking harmonica, this song was fine, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it idiot. The harmonica makes the song lose its emotional intensity, sort of like putting it on the same plane as a Driftin or a Smile, and that’s not right. Still, if you ignore that small detail, this song hits home as usual. Nonetheless, Vedder you idiot.
Wash: Can you say ‘raw’? Wow, the guitars really take a lead on this version. I must say, it’s different, not better or worse, just different. And that’s ok. I still like my Alive single version better, to be honest with you. I could so fuck to this song, it’s too sexy. In fact, I playfully grabbed my girlfriend’s ass last night when it came on – she slapped me.
Dead Man: My favorite part of this song is the little cool riff in the intro; and that’s about it. I mean, it’s ok, but it’s a little too dry, and Vedder needs to speak up, can barely hear him. Nice touch with the strings though, adds a little more color to an otherwise one-dimensional song.
Strangest Tribe: This is an absolute gem. Stone really did a good job here, and I think it’s the guitar player in me, the chord changes are magnificent, and the chorus ends on such a ‘Last Emperor’ cymbal trust, ooh I love it. Vedder’s soft tone suits it to a tee.
Drifting: Drifting. Fuck I’ve heard that word one too many times from Eddie. Everything ‘drifts away’, doesn’t it (see Parting Ways) ? I mean, it’s a campfire song, nothing more, and it deservedly became our X-mas single.
Let Me Sleep: Christmas never felt so warm and cozy; makes me picture kids around an x-mas tree anxiously waiting to open their presents on a snowy day somewhere in Idaho. Brings that magic Christmas feel to my heart (gag). Honestly though, it’s a very solid tune.
Last Kiss:I love this song because it’s the only one my girlfriend can actually sing along to, in Spanish! So it’s one of those ‘yeah it’s Pearl Jam and you actually like it’ songs you show off to older generations or pop-loving females.
Sweet Lew: I love basketball. But I hate this song. The lyrics are shit, Jeff sings like a wigger, and most disappointingly, the melody is awful, but I’m talking atrocious. Jeff, stick to the bass.
Dirty Frank: Yes, yes Chili Peppers were in this. Great song, Vedder’s lyrics are really fun, and it’s so funky. This version is fine, but as usual, I love my Even Flow single, wouldn’t trade it for nothing.
Brother Instrumental: This song aches in my heart. Nice guitar filler by Mike, but still this is such a great song, and Vedder sings so well on it. Easily could’ve made Ten… Just wish we had a clean copy with vocals on it, however this will do for now.
Bee Girl: Bee Girl you’re gonna die!!! Yes, you will one day, and this song will not live on forever either. It’s cute, but it sucks.
4202002420589548: Ok what’s the big deal besides it was written for Layne on his d-day? Musically speaking, it’s crap. Lyrically, it’s Vedder blasting out and opening his heart, that’s what makes this song memorable, no more. You can really feel the anger of the moment, the disbelief, the pain, and that’s touching. But the song stinks otherwise.
That’s it folks. Thoughts welcome. Once I have a chance to get these tunes to really sink in then we’ll speak again. For now, that’s it and I bow out.
Peace, BB.