Re-discovering Binaural

Olivavu

Still not sure how Fatal didn’t make it on to this album 

eboweddie

It's such a binaural song. Very lucky to hear it in London last week. 

Olivavu

eboweddie said:

It's such a binaural song. Very lucky to hear it in London last week. 

Was the second time for me. They played it in Leeds in 2014. Great song.

KICK7071

Gained a much greater appreciation after hearing it live in Toronto 16,  Nothing As It Seems takes you to another solar system...and Of The Girl.... that low rumbling bass line just takes hold of you.

TJ25487

eboweddie said:

Several songs were rejected from the album that eventually found their way on to the 2003 Lost Dogs collection of rarities. These include "Sad", "Hitchhiker", "In the Moonlight", "Education", "Fatal", and "Sweet Lew".[14] "Sad", originally called "Letter to the Dead", was called "a great pop song" by Ament, but he said the song did not fit the album because the band does not "really [write] very many pop records."[15] "Sweet Lew", about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[14] was cut from Binaural because it did not fit the album according to Ament.[15] "Fatal" was producer Tchad Blake's favorite song to come out of the recording sessions.[14] "Strangest Tribe" and "Drifting" were also recorded around the time of the album's recording sessions, and both songs were released on the band's 1999 fan club Christmas single as well as Lost Dogs.[14][16]

I agree that Sad didn't quite fit the narrative of the album similar to Down not fitting on Riot Act. Fatal is a no brainer as it should have made the album in place of Soon Forget. I would also like to have seen Strangest Tribe on there as well but not sure where it would fit? Binaural feels very much like No Code as it is a musical masterpiece rather than a commercial hit. Just like No Code it took me years to appreciate Binaural. 

tbergs

This thread finally inspired me to throw together a deluxe edition of Binaural on my Google Playlist. I am trying out this re-tracking order first to see how I like it. My thought with Sweet Lew is that it becomes the new hidden track, but I don't know. It's such a goofy song that I'd prefer to just cut it and leave writer's block on there.

tbergs

TJ25487 said:

eboweddie said:

Several songs were rejected from the album that eventually found their way on to the 2003 Lost Dogs collection of rarities. These include "Sad", "Hitchhiker", "In the Moonlight", "Education", "Fatal", and "Sweet Lew".[14] "Sad", originally called "Letter to the Dead", was called "a great pop song" by Ament, but he said the song did not fit the album because the band does not "really [write] very many pop records."[15] "Sweet Lew", about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[14] was cut from Binaural because it did not fit the album according to Ament.[15] "Fatal" was producer Tchad Blake's favorite song to come out of the recording sessions.[14] "Strangest Tribe" and "Drifting" were also recorded around the time of the album's recording sessions, and both songs were released on the band's 1999 fan club Christmas single as well as Lost Dogs.[14][16]

I agree that Sad didn't quite fit the narrative of the album similar to Down not fitting on Riot Act. Fatal is a no brainer as it should have made the album in place of Soon Forget. I would also like to have seen Strangest Tribe on there as well but not sure where it would fit? Binaural feels very much like No Code as it is a musical masterpiece rather than a commercial hit. Just like No Code it took me years to appreciate Binaural. 

I 100% agree with this. No Code and Binaural are art. Never meant to appeal to the masses, but creative and musical masterpieces. For me, Binaural, along with the outtakes, is Pearl Jam at their peak. 

bobby dazzlers

https://youtu.be/ajLV-fZzo_w

nicknyr15

PeArLgOoNeR said:

It's a fantastic album! One that I never get tired of.
Wish the band liked it more

Really? I think they like it a lot actually. It did get the live in full treatment also which says a lot 

jdizzle8291

hrd2imgn said:

I know they had reasons,  but omitting sad is their biggest error on album choices.  

I totally agree. I think about that every time I hear it.

jdizzle8291

Binaural grows on me more and more every day. I was at the Toronto show in which they played it in full. I was kind of blah at first, at the time had hoped for one of the earlier records. But looking back, I couldn't be more stoked that this was the album played at my show. Each song is so unique (not to say all of their songs aren't) but it just has a certain flavor about it. In my opinion, the way I've heard them over the years, PJ has evolved through each generation of sound. In terms of sound, I group together Ten/Vs/Vitalogy, No Code/Yield, Binaural/Riot Act, and then I feel like the 3 most recent albums are to each their own. Not to ramble here, but I think you're 100% right, Binaural really is a kickass album. I hope they crank some of its tracks at the upcoming shows.

release00

PeArLgOoNeR said:

It's a fantastic album! One that I never get tired of.
Wish the band liked it more

Really is a bummer they seem to distance themselves a little from these songs. 

release00

nicknyr15 said:

PeArLgOoNeR said:

It's a fantastic album! One that I never get tired of.
Wish the band liked it more

Really? I think they like it a lot actually. It did get the live in full treatment also which says a lot 

Everything I’ve read from interviews and stuff going on in their personal lives, I got the vibe they weren’t having the greatest time during recording. They also had to sub out Tchad Blake and bring in Brendan during it, i believe

tbergs

I feel like the Binaural songs overall have always sounded the best live. Besides Ed's struggle with Evacuation's vocals, the songs are all great live and really come to life.

tbergs

release00 said:

nicknyr15 said:

PeArLgOoNeR said:

It's a fantastic album! One that I never get tired of.
Wish the band liked it more

Really? I think they like it a lot actually. It did get the live in full treatment also which says a lot 

Everything I’ve read from interviews and stuff going on in their personal lives, I got the vibe they weren’t having the greatest time during recording. They also had to sub out Tchad Blake and bring in Brendan during it, i believe

That's the same vibe I got to. The emotion the songs carry, was really indicative of how they were all doing at that time, which is why I think they don't play some of those songs live very often. Maybe I'm way off base, but I believe that's why Parting Ways has rarely been played - too personal to Ed.

Gern Blansten

great album....followed up with another great album in Riot Act

smithnic

I'm by no means an expert but I'm thinking that the majority of the songs on Binaural are difficult to play live.  They brought in Tchad Blake for production and even the title suggests a sound they were looking for which is difficult to produce live.  In the interviews for Lightning Bolt they talked about wanting to play all of the songs live which was a challenge for Brendan O'Brien.

Also putting ( ) around Soon Forget is a travesty.  Soon Forget is Ed's beginning to find the uke and directly influenced by Blue Red & Grey by the Who.   In addition the Uke playing influences future songs as there is a different way to write when you're using a uke rather than a guitar.   I also think they were still pulling back which left off the more catchy songs of Lost Dogs.  I remember U2 talking to them and wanting PJ to join in taking back rock music and PJ saying thanks, but no thanks.  

thispureamericanriot

tbergs said:

This thread finally inspired me to throw together a deluxe edition of Binaural on my Google Playlist. I am trying out this re-tracking order first to see how I like it. My thought with Sweet Lew is that it becomes the new hidden track, but I don't know. It's such a goofy song that I'd prefer to just cut it and leave writer's block on there.

That's a great track listing! You even maybe Soon Forget fit in nicely. I wasn't aware that Strangest Tribe and Drifting came from Binaural sessions. Makes perfect sense now. That's 21 songs! PJ's most fruitful recording sessions I'd have to say. 

mschostok

tbergs said:

release00 said:

nicknyr15 said:

PeArLgOoNeR said:

It's a fantastic album! One that I never get tired of.
Wish the band liked it more

Really? I think they like it a lot actually. It did get the live in full treatment also which says a lot 

Everything I’ve read from interviews and stuff going on in their personal lives, I got the vibe they weren’t having the greatest time during recording. They also had to sub out Tchad Blake and bring in Brendan during it, i believe

That's the same vibe I got to. The emotion the songs carry, was really indicative of how they were all doing at that time, which is why I think they don't play some of those songs live very often. Maybe I'm way off base, but I believe that's why Parting Ways has rarely been played - too personal to Ed.

I think you're spot on. I was at the first London show and before they played it, Ed something like it doesn't hurt as bad anymore, implying that it hurt him when he wrote it and still hurts a little today. Definitely very personal for him and probably hard to play for that reason. 

tbergs

thispureamericanriot said:

tbergs said:

This thread finally inspired me to throw together a deluxe edition of Binaural on my Google Playlist. I am trying out this re-tracking order first to see how I like it. My thought with Sweet Lew is that it becomes the new hidden track, but I don't know. It's such a goofy song that I'd prefer to just cut it and leave writer's block on there.

That's a great track listing! You even maybe Soon Forget fit in nicely. I wasn't aware that Strangest Tribe and Drifting came from Binaural sessions. Makes perfect sense now. That's 21 songs! PJ's most fruitful recording sessions I'd have to say. 

Thanks! Technically those 2 songs weren't an out take from the Binaural session, but were written during that same timeframe in 1999 so that's why I included them.