album referred album eponymous eighth studio album american alternative rock band released records release album issued band length studio release years following performances tour band commenced work november seattle washington finished february music record proclaimed return band roots emphasis tempo songs aggressive sound song lyrics told point view characters deal socio political issues united_states period war terror critically received commercial success debuting number billboard chart eventually band previous release album produced singles world wide suicide life wasted gone moderately successful band supported album scale world tour recording recorded seattle washington band began work album following vote change tour november employed producer worked predecessor recording sessions started february worked year sessions interrupted end year band toured north_america south_america album completed early bassist attributed length time recording lead vocalist having child band touring middle recording album mixed time band members recording sessions completed songs guitar riffs admitted band went band sat playing music discussed song arrangements week completed songs described real collaborative effort described absolute democracy guitarist stated band members feeling fresh energetic communicating better end sessions came finish material observing way record started way finished probably different things lyric writing process said wrote different sets lyrics song going high described process demands patience like photographer sitting underneath bush tent adding times figure drafts actually total songs written coming final track listing include forest later featured solo album tone earth started played live contract ended band ready release album label backing independent label considered band wanted company guarantee wide release manager signed record deal records ironically production like epic subsidiary said company merged parent company approached early experiments band issuing live album live hall said picked searched somebody allow respects things contributed getting music added label input time creative constraints band didn play music basically pleased weren expecting unnatural music lyrics number critics cited album return band roots stephen_thomas_erlewine allmusic said nearly years finally returned strengths debut sharply focused set hard rock said easily best stuff hardest stuff aggressive kind product like american days pretty aggressive especially turn loud added experimental albums like coming terms accepting natural strengths incorporating best experiments album begins number tempo songs expanding variety second half attributed faster aggressive songs band writing lot material kept getting band leaving mid tempo songs suggested band balancing recording touring resulted road band attempted create environment drummer play live said lot guitars vocals middle end resulted album sounding polished overall feeling album said band playing room came kind record going current socio political issues united_states addressed album claiming record deals real content moral issues time inspiration frustration reelected birth daughter daughter planet angry said feel living tumultuous frightening times ranges iraq war hurricane katrina bad political decisions feel americans frustrated lot feelings come songs added dark themes hope going guitar solos guitars drums going going lift dark abyss painted iraq war addressed songs world wide suicide marker sand army reserve lyrics world wide suicide depict anger war themes addressed album include alcohol use severed hand religion marker sand poverty leaving seek fresh start gone loneliness come songs written point view protagonist emerged early idea turning record concept album guitarist explained consider narration thematically unify album ultimately conceptual structure felt right added characters tracks helped themes stories transmit emotion feeling observation modern reality seen plenty days added songs inspired death fellow musician described best friend planet lyrics life wasted particular written attending funeral said gone man needing find new life past possessions looking possessions members west memphis wrote lyrics army reserve time contributed lyrics album writing lyrics closing track inside job said wrote lyrics touring want song happen despite having lyrics added lyrical inspiration realization inside open outside ideas packaging versions album cover art photographed depicts cut half seed place said kind end process said care right good job record kind tired let throw cover think happened art director goes hey bad idea think watching super bowl album self titled fans refer album cover named pitchfork_media worst album covers liner notes art features footage music video directed artist photographs involve band members skin decaying animals crawling felt songs life wasted particular fit interpretation fragile life album issued double vinyl choice self titled album explained end thought title songs title album actually making album considered title owned play album explained owned want remain owned copies album available pre order official website different art packaging retail version bonus disk featuring band december new_york_city pre order campaigns set itunes retailer receiving exclusive scenes rehearsal clip shot photographer release promotion album released sony merger lead problems international distribution band took consideration release self published years later normally press promote album performed album songs sessions aol went television shows including saturday night live late david_letterman said exposition happened like critical time participate democracy band decided shoot conceptual music videos years world wide suicide life wasted singles released lead single world wide suicide available online music stores backed issued free download band website world wide suicide entered billboard hot number reached number charts spent total weeks number charts album commercially released singles life wasted gone charted hot placed charts placed chart big wave featured soundtrack movie surf tour promoted album tour north_america europe australia tour originally concerts expanded hawaii opening honolulu leg north american tour focused band moved midwest west_coast tour second leg went tour europe time years band played small secret london headlined reading august despite having vowed play festival interview advance band return festival circuit commented like era trust aware bigger shows heightened awareness needs happen night people safe possibly started concerts emotional plea crowd look commented leeds set band decision play festival time trust audience september italy played entirety order mid way set europe band headed australia finished year shows hawaii official tour available digital form formats band shows gorge released live gorge box set dvd documenting band shows italy entitled released reception commercial performance entered charts number band highest position reached number selling copies week held spot tool album days july album sold copies united_states according nielsen soundscan considered comeback hit copies opposed ranking billboard list best selling albums certified gold riaa critical response according metacritic assigns normalized rating reviews mainstream critics album received average score based reviews indicating generally favorable reviews album named rolling_stone albums year number rolling_stone staff writer gave stars calling band best album years said overtly partisan hopeful record lives adding big backbone presence allmusic staff writer stephen_thomas_erlewine gave album half stars saying embraced hard rock heart sleeve entertainment_weekly gave album saying passionate valuable pitted landscape went world boys sent man job rocking pull jon new_york_times said takes seriously delivers seriousness self importance rock craft hunger band proving spot popmatters writer gave album rating viewed progression melody band previous work writing consistently rage beauty pursued entirety slant_magazine gave album half stars stated album best good step great state return true group best album ranked album considering album decade describing album comeback filled straight riff rock songs mojo gave album stars review said titled good reason sound vital spin gave album stars said rage time machine having fun taking seriously fits like shirt guardian gave album stars review stated absolute conviction writing singing lyrics male teenage angst snow observed numbers drama tracks band draw style play like men mission pitchfork_media called consistent effort group released second album added gets pretty boring pretty quick track listing lyrics written noted inside job contains brief instrumental hidden track wasted reprise contains reprise life wasted personnel
Pearl Jam (album)