I feel like Help Help would be much more loved if he had sung it with a full voice rather than the restrained falsetto he uses. I'd like to hear it sung an octave lower, I think it would really be elevated.
Agreee 110%. And sing the chorus like he does when it's played live.
I feel like Help Help would be much more loved if he had sung it with a full voice rather than the restrained falsetto he uses. I'd like to hear it sung an octave lower, I think it would really be elevated.
Agreee 110%. And sing the chorus like he does when it's played live.
Agreed here too. As much as it has an interesting arrangement, overall Help Help is a low spot on a mostly excellent album.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Chicago; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
Bushleaguer is a weird song still for me and maybe a bit out of place on the album. Still without it there would be no Eddie Vedder with the shiny suit in Denver.
Las Cruces, NM Pan Am Center September 14, 1995
Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum July 7, 1998
New York City, NY MSG May 20, 2010
Eddie Vedder Solo Albuquerque, NM November 9, 2012
Wrigley Field July 19, 2013
LA Nov. 23: 24, 2013
Denver 10-22-14
I feel like Help Help would be much more loved if he had sung it with a full voice rather than the restrained falsetto he uses. I'd like to hear it sung an octave lower, I think it would really be elevated.
Agreee 110%. And sing the chorus like he does when it's played live.
Agreed here too. As much as it has an interesting arrangement, overall Help Help is a low spot on a mostly excellent album.
I like it with the odd time signature and sound, but agree on Ed's voice. One of my favorites, but I think it's the lyrics that elevate it for me. Much better live. Those few '03 performances are great.
I quite like Riot Act. I still do. I should listen to it more often. Standouts for me are Cropduster, Save You, Can't Keep, I am Mine, Green Disease, Thumbing my Way and Bushleaguer. I love Bushleaguer live... lol...
This album came out while I was university and I remember playing it quite alot driving to campus every day....
unappreciated by most then but not me. it was classic then and still is now. wish they would have played this album in its entirety on the last tour. at least i got to see them do binaural in toronto. riot act to close the tour would have been off the charts with 2 full albums done back to back.
Was easily my least favorite until about 5 years ago, it may be my favorite post Yield album now. It has grown while some of the others got weaker to me over time.
This is a "loaded gun" question for me. I never really liked the album in totality (too many songs), but that doesn't mean I dislike the "songs" themselves if that makes any sense? Some of my most favorite songs are on Riot Act: Love Boat Captain, I Am Mine, Save You, Down (outtake), Half Full, Cropduster, All or None, etc. To me, if the album was paired down to just 10 tracks sequenced in a different order, it may have clicked more for me. It's just not one of my favorite PJ albums. Still better than 95% of the crap out today though.
Riot Act Redux: 1. Love Boat Captain 2. I Am Mine 3. Down (not on original album) 4. Half Full 5. Cropduster 6. Save You 7. Get Right 8. Green Disease 9. Can't Keep 10. All Or None
Hmmmm. I'm not sold on that version of Riot Act. I think Thumbing My Way is THE song from these sessions. Ed's lyrics, music, and melody are possibly one of his best from any album.
I might have to piece one together though for me. I have a feeling that all of the bsides will be on it.
This is a "loaded gun" question for me. I never really liked the album in totality (too many songs), but that doesn't mean I dislike the "songs" themselves if that makes any sense? Some of my most favorite songs are on Riot Act: Love Boat Captain, I Am Mine, Save You, Down (outtake), Half Full, Cropduster, All or None, etc. To me, if the album was paired down to just 10 tracks sequenced in a different order, it may have clicked more for me. It's just not one of my favorite PJ albums. Still better than 95% of the crap out today though.
Riot Act Redux: 1. Love Boat Captain 2. I Am Mine 3. Down (not on original album) 4. Half Full 5. Cropduster 6. Save You 7. Get Right 8. Green Disease 9. Can't Keep 10. All Or None
So the "lost dogs" from Riot Act for me would have been: Ghost, Thumbing My Way, You Are, Help Help, Bushleaguer, Arc with Undone and Other Side actually being on Lost Dogs. I'm sure many here could discuss the merits of these songs I'm calling the "lost dogs" from Riot Act. However, if you look at them down the line they might be compelling on deeper listening, but do not benefit the album IMO. I think that's why I never fully got into Riot Act...probably my loss.
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,683
Definitely a fan and have always liked it.
I can see where it would be tempting to envision an album differently- almost any album really. But then think- would you change any lines on a Monet or Van Gogh? Would you tear off a wall in one place and add another to a Frank Lloyd Wright home? Would you rearrange the chapter in Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea?
Well, OK, that last example is unfair. It is, after all, perhaps the one perfect book in all of literature!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Least favorite then and now by miles, although dislike it slightly less than now than I did then. Still better than a lot of non PJ music. Interestingly, Riot Act was the new album when I got into Pearl Jam.
DC '03 - Reading '04 - Philly '05 - Camden 1 '06 - DC '06 - E. Rutherford '06 - The Vic '07 - Lollapalooza '07 - DC '08 - EV DC 1 & 2 '08 (Met Ed!!) - EV Baltimore 1 & 2 '09 - EV NYC 1 '11 (Met Ed!) - Hartford '13 - GCF '15 - MSG 2 '16 - TOTD MSG '16 - Boston 1 & 2 '18 - SHN '21 - EV NYC 1 & 2 '22 - MSG '22
Hmmmm. I'm not sold on that version of Riot Act. I think Thumbing My Way is THE song from these sessions. Ed's lyrics, music, and melody are possibly one of his best from any album.
I might have to piece one together though for me. I have a feeling that all of the bsides will be on it.
Agreed, Thumbing My Way is one of those masterpiece acoustic singer songwriter tracks that really gets at the heart of writing music. A person with an instrument and their voice, making sweet rhythm and melody to near perfection.
Hmmmm. I'm not sold on that version of Riot Act. I think Thumbing My Way is THE song from these sessions. Ed's lyrics, music, and melody are possibly one of his best from any album.
I might have to piece one together though for me. I have a feeling that all of the bsides will be on it.
Agreed, Thumbing My Way is one of those masterpiece acoustic singer songwriter tracks that really gets at the heart of writing music. A person with an instrument and their voice, making sweet rhythm and melody to near perfection.
I don't disagree. It's a very Neil Young (Harvest/Harvest Moon) moment and Ed is one of the best on the tender ballads for sure. I guess most of the time I'm a "heavy music" person, so I usually listen to PJ for the rocking tunes or mid tempo tunes (love: Release, Elderly Woman, Nothingman, etc.) I like Thumbing My Way too, just not as much as you do.
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,683
Definitely a fan and have always liked it.
Having finally secured a vinyl copy of Riot Act (thank you ten to the billionth time for this re-issue!), I sat down let it spin. Oh, MY GOD!
I have always thought of Riot Act was one of Pearl Jam's very best records. It's complex yet easy to fall into a grove with. It's great rock music peppered with touches of jazz, smoothed with folk influences, sprinkled with little sonic trips, flavored with bits of exotica. The songs run from the urgent ("Save You", "Ghost") to the barely reigned-in dramatic ("Love Boat Captain") to the social/political ("Green Disease", "Bu$hleaguer" . It rocks hard at just the right times. And it has "I am Mine". Perfection. And the level at which the band plays here... damn!
It's such a great album. And the record! I was dumbfounded listening to this vinyl reissue of this amazing LP. What sound! Talk about "Be still my heart!". Man, this record SOUNDS AMAZING! It blows my mind. I don't mean to sound like some vinyl expert (I'm not!) but after all these years of listening to thousands of records, CDs, tapes of various sizes and ips, I dare say, this might be the best sounding record I've ever heard.
Combining the craftsmanship of the band and the quality of the LP, I was literally in tears at a few points, shattered by the sheer joy of such rich, fine sounds. This is one of their records which, for me, makes Pearl Jam such an enormously fine band.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Nowadays I see it sort of as their dark Avocado or dark No Code. It's the perfect balance of fuck the elite ruling class with existential trippy love stuff. I love what Matt Cameron brought to the studio around 1999-2002. He added a totally different dimension to the band. Arguably even more diverse of a record than No Code? The songs are all criminally underplayed live. There's nothing like a show that begins with "Can't Keep". And Arc is great tribute to our fallen comrades. It brings me peace any time I hear it. Easily coulda seen them back in 03, but didn't and i'll never get over it.
Could definitely see them playing the album live in Italy, Poland, Czech Republic or Germany. It's a fantastic album and deserves to be played in front of an audience. Italy would really appreciate it I think! Wonder if they'd change Bushleaguer to Trumpleaguer, ha!
Post edited by SmallestOceans on
Worcester1 13, Worcester2 13, Hartford 13, San Diego 13, Los Angeles1 13, Los Angeles2 13 Trieste 14, Vienna 14, Gdynia 14, Leeds 14, Milton Keynes 14, Denver 14 Central Park 15 Fort Lauderdale 16, Miami 16, Tampa 16, Jacksonville 16, Greenville 16, Hampton 16, Columbia 16, Lexington 16, Philly1 16, Philly2 16, NYC1 16, NYC2 16, Quebec City 16, Ottawa 16, Toronto1 16, Toronto2 16, Fenway1 16, Fenway2 16, Wrigley1 16, Wrigley2 16
I'd add nuance to my answer. It is a very good record, but it is the most period piece of their records, even more so than S/T. It is not a go to studio record the way Vitalogy, No Code and Binaural are to me, but it is still one I like to spin several tracks on.
My favorite PJ record for 15 years now. This was also the year we got married. Love the "King & Queen" artwork. The album very much captured my headspace around this time. Especially living in the D.C area, post 9/11. Before the album was released, I had to get the I Am Mine Australian single to get Down and Undone. The production and soundscapes on this album is pretty much perfect to me. Last record that had b-sides on the singles.. I found this pic looking at Riot Act images on Google.
"It's best to live in grace before you're forced to." EV- 10/09/2014
0
Options
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,683
Nowadays I see it sort of as their dark Avocado or dark No Code. It's the perfect balance of fuck the elite ruling class with existential trippy love stuff. I love what Matt Cameron brought to the studio around 1999-2002. He added a totally different dimension to the band. Arguably even more diverse of a record than No Code? The songs are all criminally underplayed live. There's nothing like a show that begins with "Can't Keep". And Arc is great tribute to our fallen comrades. It brings me peace any time I hear it. Easily coulda seen them back in 03, but didn't and i'll never get over it.
Could definitely see them playing the album live in Italy, Poland, Czech Republic or Germany. It's a fantastic album and deserves to be played in front of an audience. Italy would really appreciate it I think! Wonder if they'd change Bushleaguer to Trumpleaguer, ha!
Nice summation, SO. Yes, Matt really brought it on this record! I was very much noticing that last night.
I was thrilled to have the pleasure of hearing "Ghost" live in Missoula. That was both a surprise and a highlight for me.
My favorite PJ record for 15 years now. This was also the year we got married. Love the "King & Queen" artwork. The album very much captured my headspace around this time. Especially living in the D.C area, post 9/11. Before the album was released, I had to get the I Am Mine Australian single to get Down and Undone. The production and soundscapes on this album is pretty much perfect to me. Last record that had b-sides on the singles.. I found this pic looking at Riot Act images on Google.
Great illustration- I love it!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
It's not so much that I like it more now because I didn't like it as much before. It's just that I wasn't paying attention when it came out because my life was crazy at the time, so I never really considered it one way or the other until a few years after its release. I was well aware of I Am Mine because it was a radio hit of sorts, and I loved it, but besides that, I really didn't know the difference either way. Once I did consider it, though, I fell in love with it immediately. I think it's one their very best albums.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Comments
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
Undone and Otherside shouldve been on the album too. Shit i like those three Bsides better than anything on Riot Act
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Chicago; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum July 7, 1998
New York City, NY MSG May 20, 2010
Eddie Vedder Solo Albuquerque, NM November 9, 2012
Wrigley Field July 19, 2013
LA Nov. 23: 24, 2013
Denver 10-22-14
This album came out while I was university and I remember playing it quite alot driving to campus every day....
Riot Act Redux:
1. Love Boat Captain
2. I Am Mine
3. Down (not on original album)
4. Half Full
5. Cropduster
6. Save You
7. Get Right
8. Green Disease
9. Can't Keep
10. All Or None
I might have to piece one together though for me. I have a feeling that all of the bsides will be on it.
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
Well, OK, that last example is unfair. It is, after all, perhaps the one perfect book in all of literature!
A person with an instrument and their voice, making sweet rhythm and melody to near perfection.
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
Oh,
MY
GOD!
I have always thought of Riot Act was one of Pearl Jam's very best records. It's complex yet easy to fall into a grove with. It's great rock music peppered with touches of jazz, smoothed with folk influences, sprinkled with little sonic trips, flavored with bits of exotica. The songs run from the urgent ("Save You", "Ghost") to the barely reigned-in dramatic ("Love Boat Captain") to the social/political ("Green Disease", "Bu$hleaguer" . It rocks hard at just the right times. And it has "I am Mine". Perfection. And the level at which the band plays here... damn!
It's such a great album. And the record! I was dumbfounded listening to this vinyl reissue of this amazing LP. What sound! Talk about "Be still my heart!". Man, this record SOUNDS AMAZING! It blows my mind. I don't mean to sound like some vinyl expert (I'm not!) but after all these years of listening to thousands of records, CDs, tapes of various sizes and ips, I dare say, this might be the best sounding record I've ever heard.
Combining the craftsmanship of the band and the quality of the LP, I was literally in tears at a few points, shattered by the sheer joy of such rich, fine sounds. This is one of their records which, for me, makes Pearl Jam such an enormously fine band.
Could definitely see them playing the album live in Italy, Poland, Czech Republic or Germany. It's a fantastic album and deserves to be played in front of an audience. Italy would really appreciate it I think! Wonder if they'd change Bushleaguer to Trumpleaguer, ha!
Trieste 14, Vienna 14, Gdynia 14, Leeds 14, Milton Keynes 14, Denver 14
Central Park 15
Fort Lauderdale 16, Miami 16, Tampa 16, Jacksonville 16, Greenville 16, Hampton 16, Columbia 16, Lexington 16, Philly1 16, Philly2 16, NYC1 16, NYC2 16, Quebec City 16, Ottawa 16, Toronto1 16, Toronto2 16, Fenway1 16, Fenway2 16, Wrigley1 16, Wrigley2 16
Loved it then. Love it now.
I AM MINE being in heavy rotation on a swedish music video channel (due to it being picked "hit of the week") was great.
It is not a go to studio record the way Vitalogy, No Code and Binaural are to me, but it is still one I like to spin several tracks on.
http://www.hi5sports.org/ (Sports Program for Kids with Disabilities)
http://www.livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=3652
I was thrilled to have the pleasure of hearing "Ghost" live in Missoula. That was both a surprise and a highlight for me.
Great illustration- I love it!