 For the first time since 1993 's Vs . , the band members did not go into the recording sessions with any completed songs , only guitar riffs . Vedder admitted that the band " really went in with nothing . " The band sat around playing music together and discussed the song arrangements , and in just one week had completed ten songs . Ament described it as a " real collaborative effort , " and Vedder described it as " absolute democracy . " Guitarist Mike McCready stated that the band members were feeling " fresh and energetic " and " were communicating better than ever . " Toward the end of the sessions it came down to Vedder to finish up the material , with Ament observing that " the way the record started and the way that it finished is probably two different things . " Regarding his lyric writing process , Vedder said that he wrote at least four different sets of lyrics for each song , with many going as high as eight . Vedder described as a process that demands " the patience of like a National Geographic photographer sitting underneath the bush in a tent " , adding he would at times " figure out after eight , nine or eleven drafts that the first one was actually the one " . A total of 25 songs were written before coming down to the 13 on the final track listing . Outtakes include " The Forest " , later featured on Ament 's 2008 solo album Tone , and " Of the Earth " , which started being played live in 2010 . 
