Backspacer is the ninth studio album by Pearl Jam, released on September 20, 2009. The band members started writing instrumental and demo tracks in 2007, and got together the following year to work on an album.
It was recorded from February through April 2009 with producer Brendan O’Brien, who had worked on every Pearl Jam album except their 1991 debut Ten and 2006’s self-titled record, although this was his first production credit since 1998’s Yield. Material was recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, and O’Brien‘s own Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta, Georgia.
The album is the shortest of the band’s career, features lyrics with a more optimistic look than the politically infused predecessors Riot Act and Pearl Jam, something frontman Eddie Vedder attributed to the election of Barack Obama. This is also the first album since 1996’s No Code for which all lyrics for the album were written solely by Vedder.
The band released the album through its own label Monkeywrench Records with worldwide distribution by Universal Music Group via a licensing agreement with Island Records. Physical copies of the record were sold through Target in North America, and promotion included a deal with Verizon, a world tour, and moderately successful singles “The Fixer” and “Got Some”/”Just Breathe“.
Reviews for Backspacer were largely positive, praising the sound and composition, and the album became Pearl Jam‘s first chart topper in the U.S. Billboard 200 since No Code, while also topping the charts in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. At the 53rd Grammy Awards, Backspacer was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, losing to Muse‘s The Resistance.
Several year-end lists included the album amongst the best releases of 2009. AllMusic listed it on their Favorite Rock Albums of 2009, Billboard ranked it eighth on their Top 10 Albums of 2009.
Tracklist:
SIDE A
- Gonna See My Friend
- Got Some
- The Fixer
- Johnny Guitar
- Just Breathe
- Amongst The Waves
SIDE B
- Unthought Known
- Supersonic
- Speed Of Sound
- Force Of Nature
- The End
Pearl Jam
Eddie Vedder: vocals, guitar, layout design; credited as “Jerome Turner” for album concept
Jeff Ament: bass guitar, layout design
Matt Cameron: drums, percussion
Stone Gossard: guitar
Mike McCready: guitar
Additional musicians
Bruce Andrus: horn
Justin Bruns: violin
Richard Deane: horn
Danny Laufer: cello
Cathy Lynn: viola
Brendan O’Brien: backing vocals, piano
Christopher Pulgram: violin
Susan Welty: horn
Production
Billy Bowers: additional engineering
John Burton: additional engineering
Tom Tapley: additional engineering
Nick DiDia: recording
Andy Fischer: layout design
Eddie Horst: string and horn arrangements
Patti Horst: copyist and contractor
Neil Hundt: drum technician
Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering: mastering
Steve Morrison: assistance
Tom Syrowski: assistance
Brendan O’Brien: production, mixing
Jackie O’Brien: production coordination
Mala Sharma: production coordination
Tom Tomorrow: album concept, album art, layout design
George Webb: guitar technician
