Pearl Jam Says It All On Eighth Album

Pearl Jam will release its eighth studio album, a self-titled effort, May 2 via J Records. The set will be preceded by the Eddie Vedder-penned single "World Wide Suicide," which will be delivered March 8 to U.S. rock radio outlets. Beginning at 6 a.m. ET that morning, the track will be available for free download for two days from the band's official Web site. It will arrive March 14 at leading digital retailers.

"Pearl Jam," the track list for which is still being finalized, was produced by the band with Adam Kasper, the same combination that worked on Pearl Jam's 2002 Epic swan song "Riot Act." More time passed -- three-and-a-half-years -- between the release of that album and the new set than with any other project in the Pearl Jam discography.

In another first, the band took two breaks from the studio to tour, first in the fall of 2004 on the Vote for Change trek and again last fall when it embarked on extended visits to Canada and South America.

"It's been a difficult record and it's like sometimes the harder something is, then the more valuable it becomes," Vedder said in a Brazilian radio interview last November. "It's easily the best stuff we've done but also some of the hardest stuff. It's very aggressive, because again, it's kind of a product of what it's like to be an American these days. It's pretty aggressive, especially when you turn it loud."

Recording in a series of concentrated chunks allowed the group to revisit and add to songs, guitarist Mike McCready told Billboard.com last April. "I've woken up a few times and had a riff going in my head that I really liked, say, of [bassist] Jeff [Ament]'s or something," he said. "It's like, OK, cool. That one is sticking in my head. I want to keep doing that. Let's do that. Whereas before, you'd just do it and it'd be done."

Pearl Jam will tour extensively this year, but dates have yet to be announced. Since its 2003 "Riot Act" tour, the group has grossed nearly $36 million from 68 shows reported to Billboard Boxscore, 23 of them sellouts.

BILLBOARD.com

It would be great if PJ could somehow (although not likely) recapture that magic they had with Vitalogy.

Is that your fav PJ album? It's far from mine.

I am looking forward to this record. I did not like Binaural at all, and was hesitant about Riot Act, but that was a great record. I'm hoping they continue down the Riot Act path.

I'm not a big Vitalogy fan either... of their later records, No Code and Yield are my favourites...not a big fan of Binaural and thought Riot Act was OK...I hope this will be a step forward for the band, but also am hoping for a slight step backwards in sound... Really looking forward to hearing the single.

MATT

not my fav pj record, but

My thoughts exactly.

Vitalogy, for me anyhow, had some really great moments (Corduroy, Immortality, etc), but also contained the one Pearl Jam track that I absolutely dislike - Hey Foxymophandlemama.

I was very much into Pearl Jam through Binaural, but strayed before Riot Act (which I've never even listened to entirely).

Regardless, the news of a new album and tour is welcomed!!

give it 20 more years, and it'll be a "classic" just like revelation #9 (worst 'song' ever)

More politics? Can't we get back to TEN?

No Code and Yield are my favorites also, but I almost like every album equally as well with the exception of Riot Act. I don't know what it was about Riot Act, I just haven't been able to get into it. Hoping that this new album will be a step in a better direction.

From www.theskyiscrape.com

Various sources have uncovered the tracklisting for the new self-titled Pearl Jam album. The tracklist is as follows:

01 Life Wasted
02 World Wide Suicide
03 Comatose
04 Severed Hand
05 Marker In The Sand
06 Parachutes
07 Unemployable
08 Big Wave
09 Gone
10 Wasted Reprise
11 Army Reserve
12 Come Back
13 Inside Job


Please note that since no official statement has been made yet about the tracklist, that this information is subject to change.

I like those titles!

Above track list has been confirmed. See www.pearljam.com

For me PJ hasnt released a bad record so i cant wait for this new one.

Pearl Jam Takes Out Its Aggression On New Album

Pearl Jam wears its emotions on its sleeve on its self-titled eighth album, which, as previously reported, will be released May 2 via J Records. Material for the 13-track set took shape in the wake of President George W. Bush's re-election as well as the United States' invasion of Iraq, the third anniversary of which is quickly approaching.

"It's understandable why someone would like their entertainment to provide an escape from modern day worries and the reality of war," Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder tells Billboard.com. "We feel this record creates a healthy opportunity to process some of these emotions rather than deny them."

"It's like we took our aggressions and shaped something positive from them in a very direct manner," Vedder adds in a message on Pearl Jam's Web site, noting that after more than 15 years together, Pearl Jam feels re-energized by the new album. "Our band is like an old car, and this record is our new engine."

Two tracks have already been debuted live: "Comatose," which was previously known as "Crapshoot Rapture," is a fast, punkish rocker in the vein of "Spin the Black Circle," while Vedder's "Gone" was unveiled last fall during a show in Atlantic City, N.J. His solo demo of the song was recently included on Pearl Jam's annual holiday single for members of its Ten Club fan organization.

In a move that is unprecedented for a band of its stature, Pearl Jam is giving away a free MP3 of first single "World Wide Suicide" via its Web site, simultaneous with its Tuesday (March 8) release to U.S. rock radio outlets. Also expected in the next week is an announcement about Pearl Jam's 2006 touring plans.


Here is the track list for "Pearl Jam":

"Life Wasted"
"World Wide Suicide"
"Comatose"
"Severed Hand"
"Marker in the Sand"
"Parachutes"
"Unemployable"
"Big Wave"
"Gone"
"Wasted Reprise"
"Army Reserve"
"Come Back"
"Inside Job"

BILLBOARD.com

Heard all of World Wide Suicide and I must say it sounds great. Radio station The End in Seattle is playing it every 107 minutes. There should be a link to it somewhere.

http://www.1077theend.com/

Amen brother.

First, I use to be a huge Pearl Jam fan (even my username for this site is named after a song off their Binauarl album) that is until I discovered the White Stripes and say what you will about the Stripes but there is no denying that Jack White can play the guitar - dare I say he's one of the best? Yes, he is. Anyway, I keep hearing "This album is our most agressive" well, the last I remember, Pearl Jam doesn't sound too good when their "aggressive" i.e. Habit, Spin the Black Circle, and a couple songs off of VS.

I honestly believe that the band feels like their slipping, now let's get something known here right away - they are definitely not losing any money or following, this has got to be one of the weirdest bands ever, they pull in about 1000 new fans a day and for whatever reason.....people love them more than life itself - I just can't figure it out but hey, whatever you like ya know? I personally think they know it's time to do something different and turn things up a notch.....for better or worse.

But uh, I don't need a song called "Army Reserve" I really don't. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for letting a band do what they want and If I'm a fan I'll support it but what I don't need is someone singing things to me that I already know and don't care to hear in my music in the first place.

On the flipside of things, I may just end up really enjoying this album, who knows but I sure hope they also drop "that same style in almost every song they make" (i.e. the guitars).

I think Pearl Jam is at their best on their more "agressive" songs. Porch, Go, Animal, Blood, Rearviewmirror and Spin the Black Circle are all some of my favorite songs by them.

Interesting to hear that complaint from a White Stripes fan.

I see where you're coming from but I was mainly referring to the style they use, basically, I wish they would go back to their Ten days - it seems to be the style their best at.

Sorry, should've been more clear on that.

Just heard World Wide Suicide and i'm digging it. Can't wait for the new album.

World Wide Suicide is available for free download at http://www.pearljam.com

It's not the easiest thing in the world to do. The link on the frontpage takes you to their bootleg site. You have to login (or register). Then you have to rename the download to an mp3 extension, because it's an html file.

WWS is a pretty good song,gonna take me a few more listens for it to sink in but its not bad at all,Im one of the few that think's they should stick with there slower tunes,there all in there 40's and it's a little to late to get all aggressive on us,but I will listen to it before makeing judements,cant wait for there tour also.

5/2?Same day as Tool's new album,wow what a day that's going to be,my 2 favorite bands of all time and there releasing it on the same day,sweet(in my Cartman voice).

In the wake of its leak over the weekend, the new Pearl Jam single, "World Wide Suicide," will be available for free download without digital rights management restrictions at 5 p.m. ET today (March 6) from the band's Web site, as opposed to 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The track was not intended to impact U.S. rock radio outlets until March 14 but was spun nearly 30 times since Friday by KNDD, the modern rock outpost in Pearl Jam's Seattle home base. As previously reported, the self-titled album from which it is drawn is due May 2 via J Records. An announcement about Pearl Jam's summer tour plans is expected imminently.

Fans who download "World Wide Suicide" from the band's site will also find a surprise: the first authorized download in a long-discussed series of special performances from the Pearl Jam's vault. The Nov. 30, 1993, gig in Las Vegas featured a mini-reunion of Green River, the pre-Pearl Jam Seattle band that featured bassist Jeff Ament, guitarist Stone Gossard and future Mudhoney vocalist Mark Arm.

BILLBOARD.com

Well....color me impressed. Best Pearl Jam song I've heard in a long time and yes......those gutiars sound nice very tight song.