Riot Act-What are the positives?

mcameronrocks

What is it with Riot Act that causes it to fall behind all of their albums? I am not saying that I don't agree, I listen to their other efforts much more then Riot Act. Here are a few highlights, for me, that cause me to give a few more "shout outs"

-Save You...as good of a rocker as they have on any album
-Love Boat Captain...Great emotions...especially with Rokslide
-Cropduster...Love the outro on this one.
-You Are...yet another reason why Matt Cameron was such a great addition to the squad.
-All or None...vintage PJ

IMO, 5 great songs on ANY album justifies it being a great album. That being said, let's change the "tone" that RA gets from most people....

What do you LIKE about this album? Remember...stay positive.

GS163319

You need to be in a Soundgarden state of mind to get Riot Act...

It's brilliant - but not always something to listen to. Following Uncle Neil's discography, not everything has to be the most listenable or accessible. Some works hit at very specific psychological times. Riot Act is like this. It's music for a very distinct mood.

mcameronrocks

GS163319 wrote:

You need to be in a Soundgarden state of mind to get Riot Act...

It's brilliant - but not always something to listen to. Following Uncle Neil's discography, not everything has to be the most listenable or accessible. Some works hit at very specific psychological times. Riot Act is like this. It's music for a very distinct mood.

I completely understand what you are saying. Most of the songs sneak up on me. I listen to their boots a lot and whan a Riot Act song comes on, it's often one I didn't appeciate on the album. I usually immediatly swith to the studio album to remind me.

red mos

Riot Act is a brilliant record. I honestly do not get the the hate for this record around here.

It has great songs and great melodies.

Sure the album has some somber lyrics but it was witten around events that unfolded like Roskilde, and 9/11 but it has some beautiful songs. I am mine, thumbing my way. LBC, cropduster, ghost, Arc, you are, ect.

I adore the lyric: "I know I was born, and I know that I'll die, the in between is mine" - Eddie Vedder. absolutely brilliant.

I really like Riot act, so no bashing here.

It may be one of those "got to be in the mood" kind of albums for people, but once the mood hits, they really adore and, appreciate it's greatness. I'm that way with Binaural.

gecko

I skip first three (don't like album version of Can't Keep), and I am good to go. Love Riot Act.

electronblue

i hold the Riot Act album very dear to my heart, and the cd is never far from my reach ~

Back_Pedal

I dislike it because it sounds so phoned in. Eddie doesn't sound somber, he just sounds like he doesn't even want to be in the studio because he has something better to do. There's a few decent songs, like Save You, You Are, etc but it's PJ's most uninspired sounding album, in my opinion.

gecko

Back_Pedal wrote:

I dislike it because it sounds so phoned in. Eddie doesn't sound somber, he just sounds like he doesn't even want to be in the studio because he has something better to do. There's a few decent songs, like Save You, You Are, etc but it's PJ's most uninspired sounding album, in my opinion.

I wanted to say it's sad that you like just few songs from a PJ album, then I remembered that's me & BS.

starmap3333

I like the whole album, especially Green Disease and Save You. LBC and You Are are great. Cropduster is amazing. Bushleaguer is the only song remotely "not up my alley" but I still enjoy and accept the track. Overall, Riot Act is the same as the rest: another offering of where Pearl Jam was at the time they wrote those tracks as they continued to change and evolve as the greatest rock band of all time.

Rbengle

I enjoy the less popular of the PJ albums. Riot Act and No Code, I believe, are their best albums. Riot Act is the one album I can listen to start to finish without feeling the need to skip a track.

Highlights:

Can't Keep
Save You
Love Boat Caption
Thumbing My Way
Green Disease
Bu$hleaguer
1/2 Full
All or None

...and on No Code (For the Record)

Sometimes
Hail Hail
In My Tree
Present Tense
Habit
Lukin
Off He Goes
Around the Bend

smarchee

the bass line that Jeff comes up with on Save You is a HUGE positive

InMyOrangeTree

Myself, I saw 4 shows on that tour (2003). Those songs will always take me to that time and place. I financed my trip by winning on "Jeopardy!" My first listen was on the way to NYC to see David Letterman. We tried to get tix for the shows that PJ were going to be on, but no dice. The first impression was of many classic rock riffs, KISS especially. Didn't love it at first. The shows however, they opened my eyes. I put Riot Act between Ten and Backspacer, so #4!

free2beme

starmap3333 wrote:

I like the whole album, especially Green Disease and Save You. LBC and You Are are great. Cropduster is amazing. Bushleaguer is the only song remotely "not up my alley" but I still enjoy and accept the track. Overall, Riot Act is the same as the rest: another offering of where Pearl Jam was at the time they wrote those tracks as they continued to change and evolve as the greatest rock band of all time.

Very well put, im with you

hopethatuchoke

Back_Pedal wrote:

I dislike it because it sounds so phoned in. Eddie doesn't sound somber, he just sounds like he doesn't even want to be in the studio because he has something better to do. There's a few decent songs, like Save You, You Are, etc but it's PJ's most uninspired sounding album, in my opinion.

Bingo. I think LBC and Help, Help are two of their absolute worst and cheesiest songs and Green Disease has become uber hypocritical with the way they are conducting their business these days. Bushleaguer is terrible from a song perspective but a funny subject matter. I love You Are and I dig 1/2 Full. Save You is a great tune but I would like to see it retired from selists for a tour or two. Cropduster sucked the life out of the Spectrum Night 3.

Overall BP said it best....it does sound rather phoned in.

Pearl James

The lyrics on this album are fantastic, unfortunately the music is very weak in my opinion for what I expect out of PJ.

Kilgore_Trout

its a great winter album IMO

i agree with whoever said you have to be in the right state of mind for it to work

i can also see how some might say it sounds "phoned in"... there is something missing for sure... but i blame that on the producer... if ed sounds bored than someone should've pushed him harder... and the levels could definitely use some tinkering in general

in any case... its not for lack of trying IMO... all the makings of a good album are there... all or none is one of my all time favorites... maybe one more classic rocker on there and it could've been top 3

Red_Dot

I really like Riot Act and some of my fav all time songs are on it:
All or None
You Are
Save You
Also love ½ full, help, help & Can’t keep

I understand that hate, I was never really a fan, but all of a sudden I started listening to it more and more and really connecting with it.
I like it a lot more than some of their other albums now, particularly Backspacer.

UpSideDown

All or none........

12345AGNST1

GS163319 wrote:

You need to be in a Soundgarden state of mind to get Riot Act...

I never thought of it like that but that's totally true. Riot Act definitely has the most soundgarden/ Matt Cameron style to it than any other Matt record. I like riot act, althought I like every PJ album.

Personally, I always thought Save You was DTE round 2. If they won't play DTE at a show they could easily play save you. I live that song. You Are is also amazing and is honestly probably my FAVORITE song to hear live. The guitar effects and drum groove is amazingggg.

DangDang

Eraserhead

My second fave album behind No Code.

All or None FTW!

Bird889

UpSideDown wrote:

All or none........

Agree. Never gave that song enough props until they opened the Vic show with it. Its been one of my all time favorites ever since.

I think RA is more easily appreciated by the die hard fan base than the casual fan. I don't think it got much airplay and would no tbe "that album" to convert a casual fan.

As a side note, Get Right is the only remaining studio song I have not seen the band perform live (exlude LD). Not holding my breath for this one, but would like to hear it live in person some day.

Thanks to the OP for reminding me how much I love RA. Its in my car stereo right now.

Pry To

I love RA. "I Am Mine" is in my top five PJ songs of all time. Can't believe how little love this amazing song gets! "Save You" is 100% classic -- never get tired of hearing it live. "You Are" and "Thumbing My Way" are both amazing songs that I adore.

And let's not forget "Down," one of the all time best B-sides.

That lineup of songs is enough for me to call this one of my favorite PJ albums. Love love love it! Wish the band loved it as much as I do!

Plankton

I love the way Eddie sings on this album. Has a real moody feel to it. LBC .

GS163319

Erlewine's AMG review sums this album up very well:

In some ways, Riot Act is the album that Pearl Jam has been wanting to make since Vitalogy — a muscular art rock record, one that still hits hard but that is filled with ragged edges and odd detours. Vitalogy found the band sketching out their ideas for their brand of artsy rock, separating bracing hard rock and experimentalism throughout that fascinating album, and since then they bounced between those two extremes: indulging themselves on No Code, over-compensating with the streamlined Yield. Here, they manage to seamlessly blend the two impulses together in a restless, passionate record that delivers musically and emotionally. If it doesn't announce itself as a comeback or a great step forward, it's because the changes are subtle — it's a process of their post-Vitalogy sound finally gelling, not making an artistic breakthrough. Given the appealing but haphazard nature of their late-'90s work, it's quite satisfying to have a Pearl Jam album play as strongly as Riot Act, and again some credit must be given to drummer Matt Cameron. He enlivened 2000's Binaural, but his forceful drumming gives the weirder songs and ambitions support and urgency. Also, the production is the best in nearly a decade — a warm, burnished sound filled with details that enhance the basic song instead of overwhelming them (in other words, it's not No Code, nor is it the Spartan Yield). Again, these are subtle shifts in sound, but they are notable and, given several plays, this does indeed seem like the richest record Pearl Jam has made in a long time.

Pry To

That's a great review. That said, I think every album that came before it was essentially perfect, so RA might seem like a step down to some people. It's the first PJ album that didn't have back-to-back-to-back classic songs, IMO.

i_lov_it

Definately my ***FAVOURITE*** out of the Last 3...:)

CrookedTom

I don’t think this was a particularly good period for Pearl Jam, coming after Roskilde and 9/11, the band seemed somber and Riot Act has a feel of them just bashing out a few mid tempo songs.
I remember the press for the launch of the album, when they all said the album was recorded quickly, in a few takes etc. It sounds like it. Most of the songs feel half baked, and pretty unmemorable. You just have to look at any setlist since 2006 to see that Riot Act gets very little love, with perhaps the exception of Save You, Half Full and You Are.

It’s not a bad album though, just disappointing, coming off the back of a virtually perfect back catalogue up to that point.

Unlike many, I don’t like Save You at all, and have never understood the love for Can’t Keep either. Love Boat Captain is horribly cheesy and Half Full is a poorer version of Red Mosquito
The highlights: well I Am Mine is a fine song, I love the riff and atmosphere on You Are. All Or None is a lovely ballad, and Green Disease is good fun

I do believe it’s their worst album though, and I think you’d find most of the band agree

TB Rival

Eddie's vocals were lazy on most of Riot Act and Binaural. That said they are still both great PJ albums and essential pieces to the catalog.

To me, the most underrated song on Riot Act is Help, Help. I think it is a brilliant song.

Dark Star

Back_Pedal wrote:

I dislike it because it sounds so phoned in. Eddie doesn't sound somber, he just sounds like he doesn't even want to be in the studio because he has something better to do. There's a few decent songs, like Save You, You Are, etc but it's PJ's most uninspired sounding album, in my opinion.

I heard this before, I don't know, I don't think he phoned it in or wasn't into it, I just think that was the style he was going for... that smooth delivery w/ hardly any screaming. Kinda like a more somber Yield-era Eddie. (2002 wasn't the happiest of times, especially if you just went through a divorce a year or two earlier.)

I just don't think this album was ready to be put to wax yet, they needed to write a few more good songs. But Sony was probably pressuring them to meet deadlines and I'm sure PJ was excited to get their last album of the contract done and get the fuck out. (But then to have a four year album break after their weakest effort, ughh, not a wise career move, but I digress. )

But back to the thread, many fans think Riot Act has the best production of any PJ record, meaning the sound quality and mix is top notch. It was also referred to by Matt as their 'anti pro-tools' record.

StoneAment

No love for Ghost?

Other positives Save You, Thumbing My Way, Get Right, All or None, You Are.

Actually I do like most of this album, the songs mentioned are just particular highlights.