Put PJ albums in order of greatness

leewhenderson

I. no code... i just think it's when they really came into their own as recording artists. hail hail.

II./III. tie: riot act/ten... it's hard for me to say which is better, and i hate to even qualify it that way. riot act is such a great record, with perhaps their best songs to date give or take a few. cant keep, save you, lbc, i am mine, and cropduster-- all classic recordings. but then there is ten, of course, where it all started and for me personally such a pivotal record.

IV. binaural... light years, grievance, and sleight of hand. gods dice.

V. vitalogy... nothingman, immortality, corduroy. another record which meant a ton to me personally. kind of a right place/ right time thing. but lacking an overall cohesion. probably a hard record for them to make at the time, with ticketmaster and cobain's death.

VI. vs... man i was 16 and i would rewind rearviewmirror on my tape deck in my first car over and over and over...

VII. yield... the one i listen to least, but, interestingly contains what i think might be their strongest track, given to fly. the song has every i come to expect-- power, hope, guitars, majesty, anthem, passion. pearl jam has missed occasionally in the song department but lands squarely on amazing with this one.

on a different note, pavement's crooked rain crooked rain sounds real good to me right now.

dragedd

1- Ten
2- Vs
3- Yield
4- Vitalogy
5- Binaural
6- Riot Act
7- No Code

Arabesque

I've been listening since 1998, but I've been obsessed ever since...

1. No Code - This CD is brilliant. It's subtle (which is why the mainstream never got into it) and the more you listen to it, the better it is. It contains three of the best songs in the PJ catalog: In My Tree, Off He Goes, and Present Tense. And even it's "worst" songs are interesting or funny like Lukin and Mankind. They cap it off with what I think is one of the best last songs to end a CD, Around the Bend. It's beautiful in a Harvest Moon kind of way. I could keep going all day but I'll move on...

2. Vitalogy - This CD is so jagged. It's powerful, diverse, and just in your face. I mean it begins with raging songs like Last Exit, Black Circle, and Not For You (one of my faves). It also has what is in my opinion, Pearl Jam's best song, Immortality. Then there are the curveballs like Bugs which is a great twist in the middle of the CD and it makes songs like Better Man sound so much better (due to contrast) when they come along.

3. Riot Act - I LOVE this CD, it captivates me every time I listen to it. The great songs start coming and they don't stop for a long time. It's weakest song is probably 1/2 full, but that's still not a bad song. Pearl Jam seems to keep getting better at making sound, completely good albums. Thumbing My Way and All or None are two breathtaking songs. You Are is my favorite on the album. I think the major strength of this album is the order the songs are in, they transition with each other so well.

4. Yield - This CD is one hell of a rush. After the subltety of No Code, Brain of J. was like a shock to the skull. It gets my adrenaline flowing every time I listen to it. As does Do the Evolution. It's such a raw and powerful song. Then there are the pop gems like Wishlist and In Hiding, which are both catchy and amazing at the same time. It was such a departure in styles from No Code, it was shocking and wonderful.

5. Binaural - The atomsphere of this album is so awesome. There are so many quality songs and the production is top-notch. The only problem I have with Binaural is that there are no GREAT songs, in my opinion on this CD. There are a lot of really good ones, but there's no captivating ones.

6. Vs. - When this CD came out it showed that Pearl Jam wasn't just going to fall into "Ten" mode and try to repeat it with every CD. VS. was so different and yet still a great CD. Indifference is such a powerful song, and Elderly Woman...is a classic. It just seems that over time this CD's effect has kind of worn off on me and that's why it's so far down on the list. Other CD's in PJ's catalogue are just so much deeper.

7. Ten - Okay. This is PJ's "classic" album. And I'll admit, the writing and the song quality is amazing, at first. But after so many years of hearing the songs being played out on the radio when I hear the opening notes to Even Flow or Alive I just get bored. And there aren't any songs that are hidden gems on the CD, everything's just so blatant and out in the open. It's an attribute to PJ that as they get older their CD's get more complete and deeper.

silverbull271

If you would have been a FAN back in 95 you would have been a little dissapointed with the release of NO Code....

OVERWHELMED with the release of Yield

Yield is what No Code should have been!

cltaylor12

1)Yield
2)Vitalogy
3)No Code
4)VS.
5)Ten
6)Binaural
7)Riot Act

I prefer the LIVE version of the songs on Ten. Actually, I prefer the live version of most of Pearl Jam's songs, with exceptions of course. I don't like when albums are "over-produced" when the sound of the band is clean and tight enough in "raw" form. The studio LP of Ten seldom get's played because there is extra production on it (extra sounds) that I prefer not be there, so when I want to hear those tracks I pull out any one of the live bootlegs.


That said, am I the only one who actually didn't care for "Live on Two Legs"? I think the 2000 and 2003 bootlegs, all of them, sound "better" than "Live on Two Legs". Whoever mixed it "tried too hard", methinks. Perhaps I'm alone in this opinion, however.

c-

Will

Hmm. I never always keep the same order. Some days it could be completely the other way around. But right now:

1 - Ten
2 - Yield
3 - No Code
4 - Vitalogy
5 - Vs.
6 - Binaural
7 - Riot Act

silverbull271

cltaylor12 wrote:

1)Yield
2)Vitalogy
3)No Code
4)VS.
5)Ten
6)Binaural
7)Riot Act

I prefer the LIVE version of the songs on Ten. Actually, I prefer the live version of most of Pearl Jam's songs, with exceptions of course. I don't like when albums are "over-produced" when the sound of the band is clean and tight enough in "raw" form. The studio LP of Ten seldom get's played because there is extra production on it (extra sounds) that I prefer not be there, so when I want to hear those tracks I pull out any one of the live bootlegs.


That said, am I the only one who actually didn't care for "Live on Two Legs"? I think the 2000 and 2003 bootlegs, all of them, sound "better" than "Live on Two Legs". Whoever mixed it "tried too hard", methinks. Perhaps I'm alone in this opinion, however.

c-

Not just you......
After i listened to it once i put it to rest in my collection!

Sad&Alone

1. Vitalogy
2. Yield
3. Vs
4. No Code
5. Ten
6. Binaural
7. Riot Act

I am mine

1. Ten
2. Riot Act
3. Binaural
4. Yield
5. Vitalogy
6. No Code
7. VS.

mookeywrench

no code is the best

powderjam

It can't be done!!.. they are all so great in their own way..
my theory is that my fav album changes with the seasons..
eg. binaural is probably my fav in winter
but at the moment (summer in Australia) it's 40 something degrees celcius
so i actually can't listen to a full pj at a time.. it gets your heart going too much and i'd probably hyperventilate

dudo

my favourite is vitalogy. it has that strange dark mood, the last true grunge album ever.

Clounts

1) Yield
2) Vs.
3) Ten
4) No Code
5) Vitalogy
6) Riot Act
7) Binaural

Yield tour is where my now-husband & I fell in love, so I'm a bit partial to it. I've been a fan since I was 12, but have only listened to them on CDs. And I can't even tell you what the names of most the songs are. I can only tell you what number it is on the disc. I'm a weird fan, I know.

chomp

KCPJFan wrote:

An observation, I see people either have Binaural real high or real low. I was wondering what anyone else thought about this. I was wondering do people like Riot Act and Binaural more as younger PJ fans because they were listening to them when those recent albums came out and they feel more of a sense of bond with them than they do the older albums, before these fans became fans? I am an older fan who started to follow them when Ten came out and first saw them in 92 at Lollapalooza 2 with RHCP,Soundgarden,Ministry,Jesus and Mary Chain....etc. I respect all of their albums musically but think that Vitalogy and No Code show the bands versatility and creative experimentation the best and from an album's standpoint I feel are their very best. I think Riot Act has a few good songs on it like Save You,Thumbing My Way, and I Am Mine but overall is not as good of an album as earlier ones. I think Binaural has a few good songs as well like Nothing As It Seems,Light Years,Soon Forget but it also lacks the overall quality of earlier albums. Anyway just my opinion, but I was really wondering if younger fans like Binaural and Riot Act because that is when they first became PJ fans of a younger generation?

In responce to KCPJFan's question...I only got into pearl jam in 2001 when i was 16 and i have the exact same opinion as you on both riot act and binaural, they are brilliant albums but the are lacking in quality compared to the earlier albums! Maybe its because i heard the earlier albums first or maybe its just difference of opinion..lol...just wanted to give my 2 pennyworths :P

Hendrix83

this list often changes but at the moment:

1.yeild
2.no code
3.vitalogy
4.vs
5.ten
6.riot act
7.binaural

DPrecisionist05

Riot Act-****Outstanding quality throughout...many b+ songs-still think Ten is better.

Ten-*****Let's admit it-The whole damn album-even though it may be played out to some of us-give it the respect it deserves.

Vs.-**** because beyond RVM, Animal, EWBTCST,...it drops off

Yield-**** Lowlight, MRC, In Hiding, hm-AllthoseYEst(High quality, not quantity)

No Code-*****Sometimes,Who you are,Hailhail,InmyTree,Smile,PresentTense,
QUALITY AND QUANTITY!!!!!!!!!

Vitalogy****Nothingman, Courdoroy, Spintbc, Betterman, That's it for me,
the only songs i Really listen to on this, i know some people will say tremorchrist, notfor you, they are not for me.,
...so again high quality-not quantity

Binaural-** Alot of decent stuff. Nothing on this album is as good as the best songs on any other albums


I'd say NO CODE, best PJ Album beacuse i discovered it's greatness later in
life..and it is a beautiful album!

decency_of_a_madman

Hmmm...I think my faves are...

1a) No Code
1b) Vitalogy
1c) Vs.
2) Binaural
3) Ten
4) Yeild
5) Riot Act


I feel bad about putting Riot Act at the end...because it's REALLY good...I think the only ones that really mean anything are those first three...the rest changes all the time...and I consider all there work to be pretty much equal...so putting Riot Act at the end isn't fair at all...damn numbers.

Fetus Jr.

1a. Vitalogy
1b. Vs
1c. Ten
2. Yield
3. No Code
4. Riot Act
5. Binaural

To be honest I actually thinkg the top 3 are in the right order, it just doesn't look right at all to have Yield at 4 and No Code at 5 and etc. hah...

whoYOUare

1 No Code
2 Binaural
2a Ten
2b Yield
2c Vs
2d Riot Act
2e Vitology
2f Lost Dogs

corduroy12

1. Ten
2. Yield
3. Vitalogy
4. Vs
5. Riot Act
6. Binaural
7. No Code

It's evolution baby!!!