The Aging of Avocado

Dr.Teeth and the Electric Mayh

Phenomenal album. Definitely in my top 3 with Vs and Yield. Standouts are the first 6 and come back.

I wonder if the album was totally finished and sequenced without Gone and then rearranged after they decided to add it. Probably my least favorite song in there. It just doesn't sound like the rest to me.

If you're looking for great live versions of these, the shows in 2006 where they opened for Petty has some amazing versions.

And yes to whoever said that the end of marker in the sand is some of the finest pearl jam ever. The whole song really.

droptheleash9

Probably my 2nd favorite album after Vs. Avocado came out when I was a sophomore in high school and was what really got me into Pearl Jam in the first place. Here I am 9 years and 18 shows later (don't get me started on the money spent on merch...)

PJ_Soul

mcgruff10 said:

PJ_Soul said:

mcgruff10 said:

Good album that was very much needed after the two previous flops. I wish they d play marker more live; on the flip side inside job might be one of their most boring songs live after what seems like a two hour intro. The 06 tour was great imo, I wish I could have caught more shows that year.

Now you're just trying to piss me off.

Is that hard to do? Lol. I actually like avocado but you know my feelings on the riot act and binaural.

Lol, it actually is pretty hard to do, but I was just kidding!

rylan

Awesome album! Can't beat albums 1 through 5 IMO but my favourite since yield for sure.

october22

PJ_Soul said:

I absolutely love this album. I don't like it as much as Binaural or Riot Act, but it's PJ's last great album IMO. I spin it all the time. I love every single song on this album (I LOVE parchutes, FTR ), except for Big Wave. That song does nothing for me. I don't hate it. It's just a total blank. But the rest of S/T is awesome.

My feelings exactly except I have a hard time with Unemployable. Doesn't sit right with me. And Gone never reaches the heights it did the first time Ed played it at Borgata. The full band version is a bit of a drag.

Binaural rules.

october22

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

ckravitz said:

Great album and one that I definitely feel has really taken its place among the greats by this band. The more I have spun it, the better it has gotten.

As an aside, the last 1:25 of Marker is the best jamming, steering wheel slamming outro of any song in the catalog

I agree with you sir!
I have listened to that part hundreds of time really loud in the car, rewind listen, rewind listen.
It feels like the song just breaks away into a feel good untouchable rhythm.
It gives me the same feeling as the outro on LB. after the "problems they won't die with you, yeah, yeah."

Wow. You guys nailed it. Love Marker and the end gets me going every time. Especially in the car!

23scidoo

It took some time to love it, but now i thing its a great album..
Severed hand and Inside job are my gems..and also was my first tour..

mcgruff10

PJ_Soul said:

mcgruff10 said:

PJ_Soul said:

mcgruff10 said:

Good album that was very much needed after the two previous flops. I wish they d play marker more live; on the flip side inside job might be one of their most boring songs live after what seems like a two hour intro. The 06 tour was great imo, I wish I could have caught more shows that year.

Now you're just trying to piss me off.

Is that hard to do? Lol. I actually like avocado but you know my feelings on the riot act and binaural.

Lol, it actually is pretty hard to do, but I was just kidding!

Oh I know you were kidding!!!!!

URthekey

My copy has aged beautifully.Looks and sounds as amazing as ever.

23scidoo

my2hands said:

Avocado... has balls

big

RiddledWithMetaphors

IMO, every album post Yield is kind of 50/50 for me. I love half, and would rather discard of the other half.

Life Wasted- the hook annoys me. Ruins the whole song. That chorus is exactly what Eddie was trying to avoid during Vs. and makes me cringe.

Worldwide Suicide- Why was this the first single? Who are they trying to appeal to? This, like the Fixer and Mind Your Manners are what make me embarrassed to say that I am obsessed with PJ to someone who only hears them on the radio. Hey guys, your no longer in your angst-filled 20s and your mid- to slow tempo stuff doesn't feel as forced as your over-the-top fast/hard stuff.

Comatose- See above for WWS. Trying to hard to rock. Other tracks (like Marker) feel more natural to me.

Severed Hand- Decent music, but some of the lyrics make me cringe: "Tried to walk found a severed hand/ recognized it from the wedding band." TF???

Marker in the Sand- Amazing track. Great overall, especially the uplifting finish. This is a gem.

Parachutes- Amazing track. Beautiful.

Unemployable- Decent song. Really unique chorus with backing vocals. Like it.

Big Wave- What is with that chorus?!!! Please no!!!!!

Gone- After the first boring 50 seconds, it picks up and I like it.

Wasted Reprise- Confuses me... Meh.

Army Reserve- Like it. Don't love it, don't hate it. Disappointed that they add jams to all of their old songs but none of their new songs. Why can't this outro get some middle of RVM-esque treatment?

Come Back- Beautiful. Sounds like it could've been written, recorded and released as an oldie.

Inside Job- Great parts, but overall lacks continuity. Just a bit too long. Trying to do too much? I like it, it's grown on me. But Eddie really sings some of the lines really odd on the studio version like after "all my hopes and anger" the way he says "everything." Just goofy. I don't get that.

tempo_n_groove

Lots of love for this album. It's very blah to me. Maybe I'm still not in the "right place" yet to enjoy this?

Eraserhead

I love this album, but Parachutes ranks as one of my least fave PJ tracks.

hankholetsgo

Least favorite record by a mile. I hate Gone and Inside Job more than any other song by the band.

lexicondevil

Eraserhead said:

I love this album, but Parachutes ranks as one of my least fave PJ tracks.

This. It's like a hazy day at the circus.

Gern Blansten

walkunafraid said:

I was spinning self-titled this morning (as I do a few times a month) and reflecting on how well this album has stood the test of time with me.

It's the only post-2000 studio album that I listen to from start-to-finish on a regular basis (Backspacer comes in a distant second), and it seems like just as the satisfaction of the rediscovery of a particular track begins to wane, another soon rises up to take its place.

I still have a lot of love for the uptempo rockers - Life Wasted, Severed Hand, and Marker in the Sand, in particular - but the real treasures (in my opinion) are Parachutes (why this doesn't get more love, I'll never know), Army Reserve (ditto), Come Back (I understand it's a love it or hate it song, but I love it), and especially Inside Job, which I've always considered to be one of the band's greatest achievements. It still feels as epic and powerful and meaningful to me as it did the first time I heard it.

The only track I ever have the urge to skip is Big Wave, mostly because it feels out of place.

Just curious to know how this album resonates to other fans, 9+ years after its release, as it resides as a top 5 PJ album (maybe top 3) to me.

great album....my top 5 in no order

Severed Hand
Marker
Inside Job
Gone
Army Reserve

avenathus

Severed Hand was the first PJ song I heard live in-person, and I had this album on heavy rotation after a very rough post-high school breakup, so it holds a VERY special place in my heart. I love every song... even Big Wave, partly because it's one of my little sister's favorites so that just makes me happy. Worldwide Suicide, Inside Job and Life Wasted are a few of my all-time favorite tracks. This album and the tour just came at the right time for me and I'll always love it!

pjsteelerfan

Still really enjoy this album today- and agree with a lot of posts- wish Marker and Inside Job were played more.

William Wallace

RiddledWithMetaphors said:

IMO, every album post Yield is kind of 50/50 for me. I love half, and would rather discard of the other half.

Life Wasted- the hook annoys me. Ruins the whole song. That chorus is exactly what Eddie was trying to avoid during Vs. and makes me cringe.

Worldwide Suicide- Why was this the first single? Who are they trying to appeal to? This, like the Fixer and Mind Your Manners are what make me embarrassed to say that I am obsessed with PJ to someone who only hears them on the radio. Hey guys, your no longer in your angst-filled 20s and your mid- to slow tempo stuff doesn't feel as forced as your over-the-top fast/hard stuff.

Comatose- See above for WWS. Trying to hard to rock. Other tracks (like Marker) feel more natural to me.

Severed Hand- Decent music, but some of the lyrics make me cringe: "Tried to walk found a severed hand/ recognized it from the wedding band." TF???

Marker in the Sand- Amazing track. Great overall, especially the uplifting finish. This is a gem.

Parachutes- Amazing track. Beautiful.

Unemployable- Decent song. Really unique chorus with backing vocals. Like it.

Big Wave- What is with that chorus?!!! Please no!!!!!

Gone- After the first boring 50 seconds, it picks up and I like it.

Wasted Reprise- Confuses me... Meh.

Army Reserve- Like it. Don't love it, don't hate it. Disappointed that they add jams to all of their old songs but none of their new songs. Why can't this outro get some middle of RVM-esque treatment?

Come Back- Beautiful. Sounds like it could've been written, recorded and released as an oldie.

Inside Job- Great parts, but overall lacks continuity. Just a bit too long. Trying to do too much? I like it, it's grown on me. But Eddie really sings some of the lines really odd on the studio version like after "all my hopes and anger" the way he says "everything." Just goofy. I don't get that.

Sums it up pretty good!

opsopcopolis

I love this album. Army Reserve is my PJ white wale. Would LOVE to see it