Gigaton Explained

Gigaton
Type:studio
Artist:Pearl Jam
Cover:Pearl Jam - Gigaton.png
Recorded:2017–2020
Genre:
Length:57:03
Producer:Josh Evans[2]
Prev Title:MTV Unplugged
Prev Year:2019
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Next Year:2023

Gigaton is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released March 27, 2020.[3] [4] It was preceded by the singles "Dance of the Clairvoyants", "Superblood Wolfmoon" and "Quick Escape".[5] [6] It is the band's first studio album in six and half years, and their first album since 2006's eponymous album to feature more collaboration for the lyrics, rather than them being written solely by the frontman Eddie Vedder.[7] The cover artwork was produced by photographer Paul Nicklen.[8] Its release was scheduled to coincide with a tour of North America.[9] However, the North American leg was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually rescheduled for 2022.[10] [11]

Background and recording

Producer Josh Evans told Varietys Jonathan Cohen[12] that "Seven O'Clock" was pieced together from different portions of a jam early in the recording sessions, and then layered with new elements later on. Eddie Vedder's vocal on the solo acoustic "Comes Then Goes" was captured on the first take, while the 1850s-era pump organ Vedder played on the 2015 demo of "River Cross" was retained for the studio version.[13]

Critical reception

[14] AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, noting that its three highlights were "Who Ever Said", "Dance of the Clairvoyants" and "Never Destination". Rolling Stone writer Kory Grow also gave the album a positive review, also rating it 4 out of 5 stars. Grow wrote that Gigaton is "an admirable, inspiring example of grown-up grunge". Spin writer John Paul Bullock was also positive toward the album, writing, "Gigaton has a little something for everyone. It's a complex, dynamic album full of earnest emotion and subtle humor". Mojo, in yet another positive review, wrote, "Strong and loose, political and personal, Pearl Jam get the balance absolutely right".

Kerrang! writer George Garner gave the album a perfect score, and wrote: "it's Pearl Jam's most incensed album since 2006. It's their most musically inventive since 1998. And, by virtue of its themes, it is their most gravely needed of their entire career. It is, in short, a triumph". Garner also noted that Gigaton "often zips along so quickly that on first listen it's easy to miss the details that make it so special".

Writing for The A.V. Club, Alex McLevy gave the album a B, criticizing it for being uneven, but praising the band for musical experimentation and writing that it "stands out in comparison to several more recent Pearl Jam albums due to the improved ratio of hits to misses on the back half".[15] Consequence of Sound critic Matt Melis graded the album a B+, noting that the three best songs from Gigaton were "Superblood Wolfmoon", "Quick Escape" and "Retrograde".

Steve Lampiris of The Line of Best Fit considered Gigaton the band's most experimental album, and gave it a score of 8 out of 10.[16] Tom Hull was less impressed, giving it a B grade and saying that it is "not bad, nor especially interesting, and by the end I was reminded of how tedious Eddie Vedder's voice is."[17]

Accolades

Accolades for Gigaton
PublicationAccoladeRank
MojoTop 75 Albums of 202044[18]
Consequence of SoundTop 50 Albums of 202010[19]
InsiderThe 10 best rock albums of 20205[20]
SpinSpins 30 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year

Commercial performance

On the US Billboard 200, Gigaton debuted at number 5 with 63,000 album-equivalent units, marking the band's twelfth top 10 album. Of that sum, it sold 14,000 vinyl copies, the second-largest weekly vinyl sales for a 2020 release.

As of March 2024 the album has earned 172,000 equivalent album units in the US.[21]

Personnel

Pearl Jam

Additional personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Gigaton
Chart (2020)Peak
position
Greek Albums (IFPI)[22] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[23] 1
US Billboard 200[24] 5

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Gigaton
Chart (2020)Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 95
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] 159
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 81
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[28] 60

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alex. McLevy . Pearl Jam does the evolution on the ambitious, if uneven, Gigaton. Music. March 9, 2020. March 29, 2020.
  2. Web site: Pearl Jam announce new studio album Gigaton . . Lavin . Will . January 13, 2020 . January 13, 2020.
  3. Web site: Pearl Jam Announces First Album in Seven Years, Along With North American Tour . . Willman . Chris . January 13, 2020 . January 13, 2020.
  4. Web site: Pearl Jam Announce Tour and New Album Gigaton . . Bloom . Madison . January 13, 2020 . January 13, 2020.
  5. Web site: Listen to a preview of Pearl Jam's new single Superblood Wolfmoon by pointing your phone at the moon . Damian. Jones. February 13, 2020 . NME . February 14, 2020.
  6. Pearl Jam Plot 'Quick Escape' From Environmental Doom on New Song . Jon . Blistein . March 25, 2020 . Rolling Stone . March 25, 2020.
  7. Pearl Jam Announce New Album Gigaton, North American Tour Dates . . Green . Andy . January 13, 2020 . January 13, 2020.
  8. Web site: Pearl Jam Scavenger Hunt Teasing 'Gigaton' Title + Artwork. Childers. Chad. Loudwire. January 12, 2020 . en. February 27, 2020.
  9. Web site: Pearl Jam Announce New Gigaton Album and Tour . . Lifton . Dave . January 13, 2020 . January 14, 2020.
  10. Web site: Spring Tour Postponed . Pearl Jam . March 10, 2020.
  11. News: Pearl Jam, Miley Cyrus and Madonna scrap gigs over coronavirus fears . BBC News . March 10, 2020 . March 10, 2020.
  12. Web site: Eddie Vedder Unveils Pearl Jam's New Album, 'Gigaton,' at Intimate Listening Session. Jonathan. Cohen. January 25, 2020.
  13. Web site: Pearl Jam Producer Josh Evans Unpacks The Iconic Band's New Album, 'Gigaton' . Grammy . Will . Hodge . March 30, 2020 . April 6, 2020.
  14. Web site: Critic Reviews for Gigaton . April 9, 2020 . Metacritic.
  15. Web site: Pearl Jam Does the Evolution on the Ambitious, If Uneven, Gigaton. McLevy . Alex . . March 8, 2020 . March 8, 2020 .
  16. Steve. Lampiris. Pearl Jam mark their return with the solid and experimental Gigaton . The Line of Best Fit . March 25, 2020.
  17. Web site: Hull. Tom. Tom Hull (critic). 13 July 2020. Music Week. Tom Hull – on the Web. 15 July 2020.
  18. Web site: November 17, 2020. Bill. Pearis. MOJO's Top 75 Albums of 2020. 2020-12-02. BrooklynVegan. en.
  19. Web site: December 1, 2020. Top 50 Albums of 2020. December 10, 2020. Consequence of Sound.
  20. Web site: December 22, 2020. The 10 best rock albums of 2020, ranked. December 23, 2020. Insider.
  21. News: Pearl Jam Lands Atop Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart With ‘Dark Matter’ . Billboard . March 1, 2024 . March 5, 2024.
  22. Web site: Album – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) Week 16/2020. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece. el. April 27, 2020.
  23. Web site: Gigaton - Pearl Jam - EPDM . El Portal de Música . . August 2, 2020 . es.
  24. The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. April 5, 2020. April 6, 2020.
  25. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2020. Ultratop. December 18, 2020.
  26. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2020. Ultratop. December 18, 2020.
  27. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2020. hitparade.ch. December 28, 2020.
  28. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. December 20, 2020.