Pearl Jam's most challenging album?

LikeAnOcean

My love of Backspacer and its accessability has got my turning back the clock a little.. looking at the other albums, remembering Pearl Jams revolution from popularity starting with No Code, warning signs starting in Vitalogy.. Even Yield, with its uplifting spirit has it's challenging tracks..

What is the most challenging, least catchy, Pearl Jam album?

It's gotta be either Binaural or Riot Act.. or No Code.

loopjd

I've always thought either Vitalogy or No Code, though both have their poppier songs

SOLAT319

LikeAnOcean wrote:

My love of Backspacer and its accessability has got my turning back the clock a little.. looking at the other albums, remembering Pearl Jams revolution from popularity starting with No Code, warning signs starting in Vitalogy.. Even Yield, with its uplifting spirit has it's challenging tracks..

What is the most challenging, least catchy, Pearl Jam album?

It's gotta be either Binaural or Riot Act.

Riot Act! I wasted 5 years before coming to my senses and realizing how gorgeous that album is! But there is nothing wrong with admitting that it is not one for a casual fan which makes it even hotter in my eye.

LikeAnOcean

loopjd wrote:

I've always thought either Vitalogy or No Code, though both have their poppier songs

Vitalogy has some out there songs, but also some of Pearl Jams poppiest songs, so thats why I didn't consider it.. No Code is viable.

Niko80

At the time it came out it was definately no code. I remember listening once and threw the cd away. Didnt like what pj had become one bit. Took 4-5 years before I picked it up again.

SpinTheBlackCircle74

Binaural, It took me 7 years to like it.

South of Seattle

Binaural.

dimitrispearljam

no code

Spiritual_Chaos

Riot Act, No Code and Binaural.

Claireack

No code

Jezza44

The most challenging for me was Vitalogy,what with with its first single STBC - all out punk.But this album was all part of Pearl Jams maturity and development. A mixture of catchy tunes,some darn right classics and one or two fill ins. The album that made me stand up in absolute awe though was No Code - the aggression and feeling in some of those songs(Habit,Present Tense to name only a couple). The musicianship,songwriting and vocals on this album are beyond description from me.Words do escape me. Sadly it wont go down in music history as a classic,like Ten,but who cares,that is not really important. Yes the album was a challenge when first played and i can perfectly undersdtand why some fans didnt like it upon its release,but listen to it now - a timeless classic.
:x :x :x :x

CopTheRiotAct

Riot act got me into PJ. i love the dreary earthy rock sound.

Vitalogy from VS was a big change and might have been hard to get if you werent expecting it. but really the songs on it are a pretty straight forward rock/punk sound.

No code was a little weird but there was tracks that stood out straight away like hail hail and red mosquito, to keep you going back until the rest of the albums greatness hits you

Binaural took the longest to digest. the sound just doesnt work with your ears straight away. There isnt any clear single or easy to get into tunes.. except maybe breakerfall?

Cant wait for another album like these ones.. hopefully the next one will be.

theoceansmademe

You hit the nail on the head with No Code.

They were pulling back, challenging ticketmaster and popular radio.

But with that said I loved it from the beginning.

It was my first tour, I type this wearing my 10/2/96 Hartford No Code T-shirt, and the band had a real organic feel to it.

MrMerkinball

Binaural for Sure.

CrookedTom

Binaural I think.

It's so different to Yield. dense, dark, claustophobic. Not an easy album to digest, but one that rewards repeated listening.

I mean they had never done something like Sleight of Hand before. That song takes quite a few listens to appreciate. Not many people (unless already PJ fans) would give it that long.

I find No Code quite accessible. Yes its a massive U-Turn from Ten & VS, but I think it has fairly good hooks thoroughout the songs (Smile, Hail Hail, Off He Goes, Around The Bend, Red Mosquito)

Gmoney

This is a really tough question... Im wondering if I'm looking for the most different album or the one it's been hardest for me to appreciate...

If I say the most musically challenging artistic album I lean towards No Code. Really the only straight up PJ rock songs on that album are hail, hail and habit (imo) everything else is totally unique to anything that had previously done. THe other albums that would fall in here would be Binaural and Riot Act, but heres the thing- I loved all 3 of these upon first listen and only loved them more over time.

For me the most challenging albums to get into or to appreciate would be the last two. I surly enjoy and respect both ST and Backspacer, but there is something different about these two albums. To me they feel like a collection of good songs, where as the middle albums seemed to revolve around some sort of central theme, emotion, or state of mind. Whatever it is that is lacking from the past two albums is what has made them challenging for me to appreciate like I did the album Vitalogy-Riot Act...

BALLBOY

Has to be No Code as it was the begining of the end of their massive following. It challenged people to hear something from left field & only the die hards of today were up to it. No Code isn't known as the real fans album for nothing.

FenwayFaithful

Isnt the band on record for saying Binaural was the most challenging due to the way it was recorded? At least some of the songs I remember hearing took forever to get right.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

well im still challenged to like Avocado so i guess thats the most challenging one for me.

mikepegg44

I would agree with most that No Code is probably the most challenging for non-hardcore PJ fans, although it has some easy tracks to like . . .
but i would say that the hardest one for me to like has got to be Binaural and it isn't for lack of trying. I still listen to it a few times a month, but I just don't get any feeings inside from that album like I do the others. Every album has songs that are good, but that is the only one I have not been able get something out of as a whole. I am very interested in the technical aspects of it though. I do like listening to it with my headphones on because of the way it was recorded, but the songs themselves just dont "do it" for me

red mos

to me, it's Binaural. It's mainly because the album is a concept album. I think "Binaural" is actually a recording technique that made the album what it is. It has some great songs ( NIAS, thin air, of the girl, light years, rival, and Parting ways) are my favorite. I think I even remember an article where Tchad Blake even said making the album was a challenge with producing and mixing.
It took 5 years for me to like Binaural, and really appreciate it for what it is.

Also, Binaural is a headphones album from what people have indicated on here.

rival.

CrookedTom wrote:

Binaural I think.

It's so different to Yield. dense, dark, claustophobic. Not an easy album to digest, but one that rewards repeated listening.

I mean they had never done something like Sleight of Hand before. That song takes quite a few listens to appreciate. Not many people (unless already PJ fans) would give it that long.

I find No Code quite accessible. Yes its a massive U-Turn from Ten & VS, but I think it has fairly good hooks thoroughout the songs (Smile, Hail Hail, Off He Goes, Around The Bend, Red Mosquito)

you nailed it!

RiotAct10

yeah, this is a tough question. i became a fan when i was 13 when Yield came out, and I have I have liked every album that came out since then as soon as I heard it. however, I dont really listen to Binaural, Riot Act or Pearl Jam very often. In all honesty, the Self-Titled record might be the one I would go with right now, but its hard to say, because I could say any album, and then I would go listen to it, and remember how much it rocks.

Loveboatkaren

I absolutely LOVE Riot Act...the songs and Ed's voice are top notch on that album...I have to agree about Vitology, except I LOVE Slight of Hand!

pj8

I still find ST challenging to listen to still.