I have 60 some PJ Cd's and I never reach for that one. It just does not do it for me sad to say. I like hearing the songs on a bootleg but other then that....not really.
Watching Imagine In Cornice for first time....I'll be reaching more often. Did enjoy the tunes live more than studio...
I'll have to reconsider and pull RA off the rack....
good call. cropduster/ghost/can't keep are worth having the disc alone.
It's strange being a fan who likes the last three albums (maybe not ra) more than all thier other stuff. i'm in good company with binaural fans i know, but here it seems people expect something i can't figure out.
Its not like vs or vit were filled with genuis songs compared to avocado and ten is great in terms of energy but its not superior to even ra in my opinion. I think if the band were to release more records they could be considered in a prime that never died in my eyes.
good call. cropduster/ghost/can't keep are worth having the disc alone.
It's strange being a fan who likes the last three albums (maybe not ra) more than all thier other stuff. i'm in good company with binaural fans i know, but here it seems people expect something i can't figure out.
Its not like vs or vit were filled with genuis songs compared to avocado and ten is great in terms of energy but its not superior to even ra in my opinion. I think if the band were to release more records they could be considered in a prime that never died in my eyes.
You forgot their BEST album and perhaps the GREATEST rock Album of all time No Code. Followed VERY closely by Yield. To date those 2 albums could arguably be called Pearl Jam's "peak"
"So forget the other boys because my love is real.
Come off your battlefield."
You forgot their BEST album and perhaps the GREATEST rock Album of all time No Code. Followed VERY closely by Yield. To date those 2 albums could arguably be called Pearl Jam's "peak"
What, no Vitalogy?
Good evening San Diego, I'm Ron Burgundy
And I'm Veronica Corningstone, Tits McGee is off tonight...
well From day 1 they were great only building. so Yes vitalogy was a masterpiece too. Fuck they pulled it out for us there. How do you record albums when you can't play together for any extended period of time, not all together anyways
"So forget the other boys because my love is real.
Come off your battlefield."
i'm so amazed how so many Pearl Jam fans don't rate this album.
it still blows me away, all the songs are fucking amazing. such a good album...and a sign of better things to come with future releases from them. !!!!
But, I really disagree with regard to Riot Act. This record pushed a lot of boundaries. I mean the album sounds nothing like any of the other records. Songs like Can't Keep, LBC, Cropduster, You Are, Get Right, Green Disease, Bushleaguer and Half Full are not conventional Pearl Jam songs...in other words they are not really predictable...
That's why people dislike Riot Act...because it's not "generic" enough like Avocado is.
beacause it is a beautiful cohesive album with thought provoking songs. my fav album. and its dark.
Don't get me wrong, I like some songs on Binaural. I just think it's their least listenable album to me at least. My fav album is VS so I guess Binaural is just so different than all the others. It's like the songs are just different than what I'm used to hearing. Light Years is probably the only song I actually love on Binaural. The rest are okay, just not great to me.
Don't get me wrong, I like some songs on Binaural. I just think it's their least listenable album to me at least. My fav album is VS so I guess Binaural is just so different than all the others. It's like the songs are just different than what I'm used to hearing. Light Years is probably the only song I actually love on Binaural. The rest are okay, just not great to me.
Nothing As It Seems, Insignificance, Of The Girl, Grievance, Parting Ways?
I've been thinking about this recently, wondering why I reach for Avocado much less than the other albums; it's got some great songs I think (albeit some weak songs also), but so does Riot Act, which I listen to often. So what is the problem with Avocado?
I think part of it has to do with the production on the album, specifically the clipping and almost "glossy" sound of the album. For such a loud, raw rock album it sounds like it has an awful amount of gloss over it. It sounds like it was made for rock radio circa 2008, and while I don't think PJ should ever sacrifice the quality of a song to make it less popular, I also don't think they should sacrifice the quality of a song to make it sound like everything else. Riot Act, Binaural, Yield on back all have very evocative, warm production; even on Vitalogy and No Code, when they engage a bit more heavily in studio experimentation, it never loses it's warm feeling. On Avocado, they just push it all into the red.
In regards to the songwriting, I think my main problem with most of the songs on the album are not that they're bad, but that it feels like the whole thing is treading water most of the time. Riot Act didn't have this problem; there were definitely weaknesses in the songwriting on that album, but most of the time you could hear the band pushing and pulling at their sound, tearing it apart, putting it back together, making something fresh. Avocado, for the most part, sounds like they sat down and said "let's make a loud rock album" I definitely gravitated towards it at first "Yeah, Pearl Jam's got an awesome rock album again!" but the songs didn't stay with me. They sounded forced; PJ didn't make the songs they made in the early 90s to fit into a sound, but they were expressing themselves through their music. Similarly the sound of Binaural and Riot Act was created as an expression of their musical muses. Avocado sounds, to my ears, a bit more calculated and spit-shined; "let's go make a rip-roaring rock album like we used to", except the thing is that they're not the band they used to be. This is why I think the finest moments of Avocado are the ones that sound most natural, that to me sound like they took what they had embarked upon on their last few albums and expanded what it could mean. For me, I'm thinking of WWS, Parachutes, and Unemployable. They're not perfect songs, but I think they're emblematic of the adventerous and crowd-pleasing direction I wish PJ had gone with the album.
It's funny, because R.E.M.'s Accelerate came out this year, and the two albums are almost parallel; they were marketed in a similar manner (Pearl Jam/R.E.M. rocks again!) and even have similar problems with production (i.e. digital clipping). But I think Accelerate's stronger, and I wonder why. I think it may be because I think the songs are stronger, but I think it's also that REM didn't simply look backwards for inspiration. They wanted to make a loud album but didn't set out to concisiously (or unconciously) reiterate their earlier work. I think that's the way that PJ can still make a great rock record this far into their careers.
Nothing As It Seems, Insignificance, Of The Girl, Grievance, Parting Ways?
I would call all of those great.
Someone said it on here before and I agree. Ed's voice doesn't seem to have much passion on Binaural like on other albums. It almost sounds like he's phoning it in on this album. Like he's being forced to be there. He's almost mumbling the words to some songs where as he hits pitch in many others. (In Hiding, Alive, Release, Dissident, etc) That's my only bitch. Not a lot of emotion.
I've been thinking about this recently, wondering why I reach for Avocado much less than the other albums; it's got some great songs I think (albeit some weak songs also), but so does Riot Act, which I listen to often. So what is the problem with Avocado?
I think part of it has to do with the production on the album, specifically the clipping and almost "glossy" sound of the album. For such a loud, raw rock album it sounds like it has an awful amount of gloss over it. It sounds like it was made for rock radio circa 2008, and while I don't think PJ should ever sacrifice the quality of a song to make it less popular, I also don't think they should sacrifice the quality of a song to make it sound like everything else. Riot Act, Binaural, Yield on back all have very evocative, warm production; even on Vitalogy and No Code, when they engage a bit more heavily in studio experimentation, it never loses it's warm feeling. On Avocado, they just push it all into the red.
In regards to the songwriting, I think my main problem with most of the songs on the album are not that they're bad, but that it feels like the whole thing is treading water most of the time. Riot Act didn't have this problem; there were definitely weaknesses in the songwriting on that album, but most of the time you could hear the band pushing and pulling at their sound, tearing it apart, putting it back together, making something fresh. Avocado, for the most part, sounds like they sat down and said "let's make a loud rock album" I definitely gravitated towards it at first "Yeah, Pearl Jam's got an awesome rock album again!" but the songs didn't stay with me. They sounded forced; PJ didn't make the songs they made in the early 90s to fit into a sound, but they were expressing themselves through their music. Similarly the sound of Binaural and Riot Act was created as an expression of their musical muses. Avocado sounds, to my ears, a bit more calculated and spit-shined; "let's go make a rip-roaring rock album like we used to", except the thing is that they're not the band they used to be. This is why I think the finest moments of Avocado are the ones that sound most natural, that to me sound like they took what they had embarked upon on their last few albums and expanded what it could mean. For me, I'm thinking of WWS, Parachutes, and Unemployable. They're not perfect songs, but I think they're emblematic of the adventerous and crowd-pleasing direction I wish PJ had gone with the album.
It's funny, because R.E.M.'s Accelerate came out this year, and the two albums are almost parallel; they were marketed in a similar manner (Pearl Jam/R.E.M. rocks again!) and even have similar problems with production (i.e. digital clipping). But I think Accelerate's stronger, and I wonder why. I think it may be because I think the songs are stronger, but I think it's also that REM didn't simply look backwards for inspiration. They wanted to make a loud album but didn't set out to concisiously (or unconciously) reiterate their earlier work. I think that's the way that PJ can still make a great rock record this far into their careers.
Well said. I agree 100%.
Further back and forth a wave will break on me, today...
Comments
Watching Imagine In Cornice for first time....I'll be reaching more often. Did enjoy the tunes live more than studio...
good call. cropduster/ghost/can't keep are worth having the disc alone.
It's strange being a fan who likes the last three albums (maybe not ra) more than all thier other stuff. i'm in good company with binaural fans i know, but here it seems people expect something i can't figure out.
Its not like vs or vit were filled with genuis songs compared to avocado and ten is great in terms of energy but its not superior to even ra in my opinion. I think if the band were to release more records they could be considered in a prime that never died in my eyes.
Come off your battlefield."
Gone
Parachutes
Severed Hand
Unemployable
Come Back
There is some great music here.
And I'm Veronica Corningstone, Tits McGee is off tonight...
And I'm Veronica Corningstone, Tits McGee is off tonight...
Come off your battlefield."
same here.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
it still blows me away, all the songs are fucking amazing. such a good album...and a sign of better things to come with future releases from them. !!!!
That's why people dislike Riot Act...because it's not "generic" enough like Avocado is.
9/29/04 Boston, 6/28/08 Mansfield, 8/23/09 Chicago, 5/15/10 Hartford
5/17/10 Boston, 10/15/13 Worcester, 10/16/13 Worcester, 10/25/13 Hartford
8/5/16 Fenway, 8/7/16 Fenway
EV Solo: 6/16/11 Boston, 6/18/11 Hartford,
beacause it is a beautiful cohesive album with thought provoking songs. my fav album. and its dark.
agreed
8/25/92, 10/4/96, 10/5/96, 9/1/98, 9/4/98, 8/4/00, 8/6/00, 4/15/03, 4/16/03, 10/6/04, 6/16/08
"Vinyl or not, you will need to pay someone to take RA of your hands" - Smile05
424, xxx
Don't get me wrong, I like some songs on Binaural. I just think it's their least listenable album to me at least. My fav album is VS so I guess Binaural is just so different than all the others. It's like the songs are just different than what I'm used to hearing. Light Years is probably the only song I actually love on Binaural. The rest are okay, just not great to me.
9/29/04 Boston, 6/28/08 Mansfield, 8/23/09 Chicago, 5/15/10 Hartford
5/17/10 Boston, 10/15/13 Worcester, 10/16/13 Worcester, 10/25/13 Hartford
8/5/16 Fenway, 8/7/16 Fenway
EV Solo: 6/16/11 Boston, 6/18/11 Hartford,
Nothing As It Seems, Insignificance, Of The Girl, Grievance, Parting Ways?
I would call all of those great.
I think part of it has to do with the production on the album, specifically the clipping and almost "glossy" sound of the album. For such a loud, raw rock album it sounds like it has an awful amount of gloss over it. It sounds like it was made for rock radio circa 2008, and while I don't think PJ should ever sacrifice the quality of a song to make it less popular, I also don't think they should sacrifice the quality of a song to make it sound like everything else. Riot Act, Binaural, Yield on back all have very evocative, warm production; even on Vitalogy and No Code, when they engage a bit more heavily in studio experimentation, it never loses it's warm feeling. On Avocado, they just push it all into the red.
In regards to the songwriting, I think my main problem with most of the songs on the album are not that they're bad, but that it feels like the whole thing is treading water most of the time. Riot Act didn't have this problem; there were definitely weaknesses in the songwriting on that album, but most of the time you could hear the band pushing and pulling at their sound, tearing it apart, putting it back together, making something fresh. Avocado, for the most part, sounds like they sat down and said "let's make a loud rock album" I definitely gravitated towards it at first "Yeah, Pearl Jam's got an awesome rock album again!" but the songs didn't stay with me. They sounded forced; PJ didn't make the songs they made in the early 90s to fit into a sound, but they were expressing themselves through their music. Similarly the sound of Binaural and Riot Act was created as an expression of their musical muses. Avocado sounds, to my ears, a bit more calculated and spit-shined; "let's go make a rip-roaring rock album like we used to", except the thing is that they're not the band they used to be. This is why I think the finest moments of Avocado are the ones that sound most natural, that to me sound like they took what they had embarked upon on their last few albums and expanded what it could mean. For me, I'm thinking of WWS, Parachutes, and Unemployable. They're not perfect songs, but I think they're emblematic of the adventerous and crowd-pleasing direction I wish PJ had gone with the album.
It's funny, because R.E.M.'s Accelerate came out this year, and the two albums are almost parallel; they were marketed in a similar manner (Pearl Jam/R.E.M. rocks again!) and even have similar problems with production (i.e. digital clipping). But I think Accelerate's stronger, and I wonder why. I think it may be because I think the songs are stronger, but I think it's also that REM didn't simply look backwards for inspiration. They wanted to make a loud album but didn't set out to concisiously (or unconciously) reiterate their earlier work. I think that's the way that PJ can still make a great rock record this far into their careers.
Someone said it on here before and I agree. Ed's voice doesn't seem to have much passion on Binaural like on other albums. It almost sounds like he's phoning it in on this album. Like he's being forced to be there. He's almost mumbling the words to some songs where as he hits pitch in many others. (In Hiding, Alive, Release, Dissident, etc) That's my only bitch. Not a lot of emotion.
9/29/04 Boston, 6/28/08 Mansfield, 8/23/09 Chicago, 5/15/10 Hartford
5/17/10 Boston, 10/15/13 Worcester, 10/16/13 Worcester, 10/25/13 Hartford
8/5/16 Fenway, 8/7/16 Fenway
EV Solo: 6/16/11 Boston, 6/18/11 Hartford,
Well said. I agree 100%.