Options
Why Pearl Jam’s Yield is One of the Best Fucking Albums Ever
kenny olav
Posts: 3,323
A little something I wrote last night in honor of Yield's 14th birthday:
Why Pearl Jam’s Yield is One of the Best Fucking Albums Ever Made
http://kennyolav.com/articles/why-yield ... -made.html
Pearl Jam’s fifth studio album Yield was released on February 3, 1998. In a few more years, babies born on that date will be old enough to drive and hopefully know what a yield sign is for. I was 21 when the album was new. I had been a fan of Pearl Jam ever since MTV imposed them upon my generation early in 1992, and after the hype subsided, Yield was there to take music to a level no marketing department could ever fucking dream of.
Like any great album, Yield is an ideal road trip album. It’s even got a picture of a road on the cover, and not just any fucking road, but an open highway. And yet, there’s a yield sign on the side of this highway. Open the cover, and you’ll see the yield sign in the middle of an ocean. What the fuck, Pearl Jam? I suppose the message is that no matter how clear the road (or water way) is ahead, something can still fuck up your day. Always be prepared to yield.
The album begins with Brain of J, which blazes a trail of fiery discontent with scorching guitars and its mocking chorus: “the whole world will be different soon, the whole world will be relieved”. Faithfull, intentionally misspelled with two l’s, is full of everything that makes this album great (details to come). No Way is so fucking good, I don’t want to say anything more about it. Given to Fly is where the album... how do I make this not sound fucking cheesy? takes flight... no... gets its wings... no... it just fucking tickles your eardrum with a prickly little guitar lick and then grabs you by the throat with each huge chorus. You really feel like a human being that’s given to fly by the time it’s done, especially if you hear it live in concert, trust me. Next is Wishlist, which is just fucking beautiful, no matter what any fucker says. Pilate? It fucking jams. Do the Evolution? Holy fuck. It’s played slower on the album than how it’s played live, but Eddie sounds fucking possessed on the album version. It’s one of their absolute best songs. There’s nothing else like it. Perhaps the most heartfelt sarcasm ever recorded. I fucking mean that, okay? The next track, represented on the back cover as a red dot, is a weird little jam with simple, true lyrics: “We’re all crazy, we’re all crazy at war.” MFC (‘mini fast car’) is about getting the fuck out of Dodge and has one of my favorite lyrics ever: “There’s a lot to be said for nowhere”. Low Light is another one of Pearl Jam’s most beautiful moments. In Hiding is the album’s majestic high point, and by the way that is one fucking difficult song to sing. Push Me, Pull Me is lyrically at odds with the nature of reality and sonically at odds with all the trends of the 90’s or any decade before that - pretty fucking cool. Finally we have All Those Yesterdays reminding us to let each day wash away and that it’s no crime to escape. Except it’s not done yet because there’s the hidden track, which is a middle-eastern flavored tune about hummus. What the fuck, Pearl Jam? Oh, right... something can always appear out of the blue. Be ready to fucking yield.
Yield is Pearl Jam’s best work in the studio and producer Brendan O’Brien deserves all due credit. The guitars are layered together dynamically, and everything from raw crunch, fiery wail, funky twang and simple fucking beautifulness is delivered with sonic excellence. The bass sound is a warm undercurrent and Jack Irons’ drumming gels with the band even better than it did on his first album with them, No Code, creating hypnotic rhythms with just the right amount of spazziness. Above it all is Eddie’s voice, still full of youthful pride and still unashamed to unleash rage, but with newfound maturity and a healthy dose of humility. For the first time on a Pearl Jam album, Vedder sang lyrics that were not his own (four of the songs’ lyrics were penned by either Ament or Gossard) but you would never question that he believed in them.
It’s not as haunting as Vitalogy, not as emotional as Ten and not as contemplative as their later albums, but Yield is an equal blend of everything that has made Pearl Jam great over the years. I don’t know what else to say. The album fucking rocks. If you didn’t already know that, I recommend that you find out for yourself. Take a long fucking drive with it if you can.
Why Pearl Jam’s Yield is One of the Best Fucking Albums Ever Made
http://kennyolav.com/articles/why-yield ... -made.html
Pearl Jam’s fifth studio album Yield was released on February 3, 1998. In a few more years, babies born on that date will be old enough to drive and hopefully know what a yield sign is for. I was 21 when the album was new. I had been a fan of Pearl Jam ever since MTV imposed them upon my generation early in 1992, and after the hype subsided, Yield was there to take music to a level no marketing department could ever fucking dream of.
Like any great album, Yield is an ideal road trip album. It’s even got a picture of a road on the cover, and not just any fucking road, but an open highway. And yet, there’s a yield sign on the side of this highway. Open the cover, and you’ll see the yield sign in the middle of an ocean. What the fuck, Pearl Jam? I suppose the message is that no matter how clear the road (or water way) is ahead, something can still fuck up your day. Always be prepared to yield.
The album begins with Brain of J, which blazes a trail of fiery discontent with scorching guitars and its mocking chorus: “the whole world will be different soon, the whole world will be relieved”. Faithfull, intentionally misspelled with two l’s, is full of everything that makes this album great (details to come). No Way is so fucking good, I don’t want to say anything more about it. Given to Fly is where the album... how do I make this not sound fucking cheesy? takes flight... no... gets its wings... no... it just fucking tickles your eardrum with a prickly little guitar lick and then grabs you by the throat with each huge chorus. You really feel like a human being that’s given to fly by the time it’s done, especially if you hear it live in concert, trust me. Next is Wishlist, which is just fucking beautiful, no matter what any fucker says. Pilate? It fucking jams. Do the Evolution? Holy fuck. It’s played slower on the album than how it’s played live, but Eddie sounds fucking possessed on the album version. It’s one of their absolute best songs. There’s nothing else like it. Perhaps the most heartfelt sarcasm ever recorded. I fucking mean that, okay? The next track, represented on the back cover as a red dot, is a weird little jam with simple, true lyrics: “We’re all crazy, we’re all crazy at war.” MFC (‘mini fast car’) is about getting the fuck out of Dodge and has one of my favorite lyrics ever: “There’s a lot to be said for nowhere”. Low Light is another one of Pearl Jam’s most beautiful moments. In Hiding is the album’s majestic high point, and by the way that is one fucking difficult song to sing. Push Me, Pull Me is lyrically at odds with the nature of reality and sonically at odds with all the trends of the 90’s or any decade before that - pretty fucking cool. Finally we have All Those Yesterdays reminding us to let each day wash away and that it’s no crime to escape. Except it’s not done yet because there’s the hidden track, which is a middle-eastern flavored tune about hummus. What the fuck, Pearl Jam? Oh, right... something can always appear out of the blue. Be ready to fucking yield.
Yield is Pearl Jam’s best work in the studio and producer Brendan O’Brien deserves all due credit. The guitars are layered together dynamically, and everything from raw crunch, fiery wail, funky twang and simple fucking beautifulness is delivered with sonic excellence. The bass sound is a warm undercurrent and Jack Irons’ drumming gels with the band even better than it did on his first album with them, No Code, creating hypnotic rhythms with just the right amount of spazziness. Above it all is Eddie’s voice, still full of youthful pride and still unashamed to unleash rage, but with newfound maturity and a healthy dose of humility. For the first time on a Pearl Jam album, Vedder sang lyrics that were not his own (four of the songs’ lyrics were penned by either Ament or Gossard) but you would never question that he believed in them.
It’s not as haunting as Vitalogy, not as emotional as Ten and not as contemplative as their later albums, but Yield is an equal blend of everything that has made Pearl Jam great over the years. I don’t know what else to say. The album fucking rocks. If you didn’t already know that, I recommend that you find out for yourself. Take a long fucking drive with it if you can.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
Best opening line of any album.....ever..
Who's got the brain of JFK what's it mean to us now!?
★ 2009 - Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Christchurch ★
★ 2011 - EV Newcastle, Melbourne 1, Melbourne 2 ★
Including the thread title - 23.
Coincidence...? :shock:
Tampa 00'
West Palm Beach 03'
House of Blues 03'
Tampa 03'
Kissimmee 04'
West Palm Beach 08'
Tampa 08'
Eddie Vedder Clearwater both nights 2012
East Troy, WI - 9.3.11
East Troy, WI - 9.4.11
Atlanta, GA - 9.22.12
Las Vegas, NV - 10.31.12 (EV)
Las Vegas, NV - 11.1.12 (EV)
Chicago, IL - 7.19.13
Dallas, TX - 11.15.13
Oklahoma City, OK - 11.16.13
Seattle, WA - 12.6.13
Lincoln, NE - 10.9.14
Moline, IL - 10.17.14
St. Paul, MN - 10.19.14
Milwaukee, WI - 10.20.14
New York, NY - 5.1.16
New York, NY - 5.2.16
Boston, MA - 8.5.16
Boston, MA - 8.7.16
Chicago, IL - 8.20.16
If there is any coincidence, I am not aware of it or I haven't realised about it yer, could you explain it to me, please? I ghess you may have a piece of info I don't... something PJ or Yield related...
I joined the Air Force right after I graduated high school. When Yield came out I was still a new trainee stationed at Lackland AFB. I remember the huge Yield poster at the music store. If only I would've bought a copy on vinyl and just saved it...
It's between this and No Code for my favorite album not named Ten. Brain of J is such a great opener. I sometimes wish Faithfull was more like the live versions, AND ECHOES! DTE, like the op said, is so sarcastic, so tongue-in cheek, so fucking awesome. Given to Fly is the closest to a gospel song they play, its so fucking powerful. I won't go into each song but All Those Yesterdays is one of my favorite songs, wish I could here it live.
I even found a small Yield sign piece of jewelry at Montgomery Wards, I put it on a necklace and hung it on my Rearviewmirror. My ex-girlfriend stole it. Good times. Here's hoping they re-release No Code thru Avocado on vinyl. Thanks to the op for this fucking thread!
Haha, totally agree on that one.
'10- MSG 1-2 '11- PJ20
'12- MIA; DeLuna '13- Wrigley; Pitt; Brooklyn 1-2; Philly 1-2; Baltimore; Seattle
'14- Denver '16- Philly 1-2; MSG 2
'17- Pilgrimage Music Fest (Eddie)
'18- Fenway
And I second whoever said In Hiding is a bitch to sing.
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
Yield was my first Pearl Jam album, and the one that made me that fan whom I am today. Is it their best? Hells yes it is.
It's funny... I'm not sure what inspired me to write it (other than the album itself, which I was listening to at the time I wrote it) but I sometimes I can't stop myself from writing... it's fun. The first draft was quick, but then I re-wrote it over and over again... it took 3 or 4 hours maybe... I'm not sure... I lost track of time... I was pretty fucking high at the time
Anyway, what the fuck am I still doing up? It's 4am!
One more thing.... I got this review/article/whatever you may call it published.... click on it and I may earn a few pennies... http://musicouch.com/music-making/why-p ... -ever-made
PJ Manchester MEN - 21.06.12
EV Manchester O2 Apollo - 28.07.12
PJ Leeds Arena - 08.07.14
Well, I was mostly just referring to the conspiracy theories and "23 enigma" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_enigma, but if you want a PJ connection, here ya go!
I thought that you were referring to 23 as in the release date of 2-3...another coincidence?
Awesome fucking album- has always been one of my faves!!
And really enjoyed reading the review article-- well done
No, I wasn't awarre of that, I am not keen on Numerology, Metaphysics, Jedi tricks, Witchcrafts or any kind of Hoccus Poccus, though I watched and enjoyed all Harry Potter movies, and I do think that the girl who play the role of Ginny Weasley was hot...
I'm lucky to have heard All Those Yesterdays live. In fact, after they played it, Ed said to the crowd, "Ya know, we're paying attention up here. Is that what you guys are into tonight...the weird shit? This next one you've heard (as they went on to play Black) before, but we'll start fucking it up after that I think."
East Troy, WI - 9.3.11
East Troy, WI - 9.4.11
Atlanta, GA - 9.22.12
Las Vegas, NV - 10.31.12 (EV)
Las Vegas, NV - 11.1.12 (EV)
Chicago, IL - 7.19.13
Dallas, TX - 11.15.13
Oklahoma City, OK - 11.16.13
Seattle, WA - 12.6.13
Lincoln, NE - 10.9.14
Moline, IL - 10.17.14
St. Paul, MN - 10.19.14
Milwaukee, WI - 10.20.14
New York, NY - 5.1.16
New York, NY - 5.2.16
Boston, MA - 8.5.16
Boston, MA - 8.7.16
Chicago, IL - 8.20.16