I would actually argue that Backspacer is one of their best if not their best effort. And I'm not a come lately fan who just likes the newer stuff. I cut my teeth on Ten, first show was Toledo in '96. I just think musically and cohesively Backspacer is on point from start to finish.
Backspacer didn't do it for me. I didn't think the writing was as sharp as Eddie's previous efforts, and I think Mike and Stone have gotten a little stale in their guitar playing, which is not an unusual thing. All guitarists tend to get into these ruts in their playing and start to get a touch repetitive. The problem is Pearl Jam just don't have any competition left anymore, so there's no one driving them to better themselves and explore the fretboard more.
Plus, Obama is the president, so Eddie has less stuff to bi*ch about
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