Avocado is my least favorite PJ album. It is still good, but it just too straightforward for my tastes.
There are songs on there I really dig.........Life wasted, comatose, severed hand, parachutes,come back, inside job.
Its still a good rock album, but needed more depth and different angles. Production was not the best either.
I am glad to have it as part of the PJ catalogue though, although it ranks low compared to the other albums.
Take Big Wave, Army Reserve & Come Back off this record and you've got a great one! I would definately love to hear some of the songs left off this record that would have likely made it a great record. (Of The Earth, Cold Confession, 2x4) I really believe that Ed sometimes sabatoges albums. He is the one that decides the final tracklisting. Xzibit A. Binaural-Seriously how can you leave Sad & Fatal off this record and put Evacuation on it????????????????? Xzibit B. Riot Act-Help,Help & Get Right and he shelves Down & Otherside?????? Don't tell me these songs don't fit with the others Ed!
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Take Big Wave, Army Reserve & Come Back off this record and you've got a great one! I would definately love to hear some of the songs left off this record that would have likely made it a great record. (Of The Earth, Cold Confession, 2x4) I really believe that Ed sometimes sabatoges albums. He is the one that decides the final tracklisting. Xzibit A. Binaural-Seriously how can you leave Sad & Fatal off this record and put Evacuation on it????????????????? Xzibit B. Riot Act-Help,Help & Get Right and he shelves Down & Otherside?????? Don't tell me these songs don't fit with the others Ed!
Take Big Wave, Army Reserve & Come Back off this record and you've got a great one! I would definately love to hear some of the songs left off this record that would have likely made it a great record. (Of The Earth, Cold Confession, 2x4) I really believe that Ed sometimes sabatoges albums. He is the one that decides the final tracklisting. Xzibit A. Binaural-Seriously how can you leave Sad & Fatal off this record and put Evacuation on it????????????????? Xzibit B. Riot Act-Help,Help & Get Right and he shelves Down & Otherside?????? Don't tell me these songs don't fit with the others Ed!
I definitely agree. I think people that defend those decisions and try to "kiss ass" by saying those songs wouldn't fit are full of shit. First of all, Riot Act has no flow whatsoever. Second of all, you only think it should play that way because that's how they released it. If Down and Other Side were on it and Get Right was left off, the same people would be saying the same thing... "oh, Get Right didn't fit and Down does!" It's a bullshit cop out. Their song choices over the last few years have been questionable at best.
That said, what the heck are the songs you're talking about... I never heard of any of the 3 you listed.
But I think we all can agree that hopefully O'Brien know the band well enough to keep them in line and keep them from sabotaging their greatness.
I like it. I really liked "gone" on the Christmas vinyl... maybe a little disappointed with the album version. But overall, it's a pretty straight-forward, good rock record.
The album feels a lot more clean and rockin'... compared to Binaural and Riot Act that felt muddied and bogged down at times. I think it compares to Yied as far as sound and feeling goes.
i still really like S/T. there are a couple of songs that i tend to skip over....but for the most part, i think it's a solid record. i absolutely love "Marker In The Sand". it's in my top 10 of PJ songs easily. the drumming is insane & i love the back and forth riffs of Stone & Mike. and that chorus is just beautiful.
- Love Boat Captain - The reason why Boom should not be in the band.
Probably in my top ten favorite PJ tracks.......
yep..
i love how just talking about self titled gets people upset about riot act and boom bein in the band..i love me some boom and every record.
although i am completely biased and refuse to look at pearl jam through a critics eye.
these guys can sing about a good deuce and id buy it
It reminds me a lot of the vs. and yield days. They got back to their aggressive kick ass straight forward rock. On top of a great record, the Avocado bootlegs(2006) are the best on a variety of fronts. First off, the sound is funominal. Finally, the set-lists are the most complete and all encompassing of their catalogue.
Agree on the soldier concept actually for the most part and I think the theme is more about the difficulties of living in 2006 with two wars going on, etc. This is the closest to a theme album as they have ever gotten. It is not overly political as captainwisejam mentioned. And Ed really went back to telling people's stories this time instead of just ranting and letting other people write nonsense lyrics like the last record.
Ed is on record as saying Life Wasted was direcly influenced by Johnny Ramone's funeral. On VH1 he said the got the idea on the way home.
But Come Back fits with the soldier's story and is a perfect complement to Army Reserve. Yes, I know Ed has said Johnny inspired Come Back, but unless they were a whole lot closer than we all think, the lyrics feel more like the Army wife from Army Reserve wife wishing her husband would come back. There was intention in putting those two tracks back to back. Army Reserve is about not wanting the unthinkable to happen to your spouse while you are at home with the kids. Come Back is after the unthinkable happened. So maybe it was originally inspired by him but he decided to change it up to fit with AR better.
I agree that the lyrical change back to telling stories instead of ham-handed philosophical crap (LBC) was a definite improvement.
Ed and Johnny Ramone were VERY close. They hung out a lot. Haven't you heard of the stories of Johnny's disciples? Ed and Rob Zombie and a bunch of other guys all used to hang out and talk music and politics. Ed's spoken openly about it.
Oh yeah, I completely understand that and have heard all of that. I just don't think Eddie Vedder is singing Come Back directly to Johnny Ramone. I think he was the inspiration but the lyrics, to me anyway, sound more like the outcome of Army Reserve. Unless Eddie dreams of waking up with Johnny in bed next to him in the morning.
Help Help - It’s actually not as bad as I thought it was but still not impressed by it.
Try listening to a live version of it. I cant see why they wouldn't play it more live. It's really good.
And avocado sounds souless to me. It's kind of boring to listen to. WWS and Life Wasted are kind of cool but all songs are so dry and cold. There is no melody too hook you. The songs are stale and just like a 3min punch.
I'm a big fan of Riot Act and Binaural though, so my opinions doesn't matter I guess
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
Hmmm, like Binaural and Riot Act, i think it is just OK.
Some songs are good, but others are pretty dissapointing and really not at the Level that PJ hooked me on. I have to be honest and say sometimes i really think they are running out of ideas. lyrically and musically.
Also - Their songs sometimes seem a bit obvious these days where as before they were left a little more open to interpretation.
ie, Last Exit, Sometimes, RVM, In Hiding etc.
However, i dont think the album is complete wreck.
Life Wasted - Ok - nothing great though. Vanishes compared to other openers such as Sometimes, Last Exit and BofJ, WWS - Average. Ok when i first heard it but now bores me a bit. Comatose - Ok to good. Maybe tries a bit to hard. Severed hand - Great song. Prob album highlight. Marker - Good, not great. Good rif. Parachutes - Almost really great but something is missing. Dont know what but dont love it. Wish i did though. Unemployable - Really like it. Good grove, good lyrics. Suprised to see people dont like it. Big Wave - No Gone - Terrible. So boring. bad lyrics. Wasted Reprise - Nice, simple, but good. Army Reserve - Great Song. Highligh along with S/H. Come Back - Like Parachutes in the sense that i feel like i should like it and do like parts but leaves me a bit flat when it is all said and done. Inside Job - Really good way to finish. Intro not the best but once it kicks in i really like it. Alot in fact.
Hmmm, like Binaural and Riot Act, i think it is just OK.
Some songs are good, but others are pretty dissapointing and really not at the Level that PJ hooked me on. I have to be honest and say sometimes i really think they are running out of ideas. lyrically and musically.
Also - Their songs sometimes seem a bit obvious these days where as before they were left a little more open to interpretation.
ie, Last Exit, Sometimes, RVM, In Hiding etc.
However, i dont think the album is complete wreck.
Life Wasted - Ok - nothing great though. Vanishes compared to other openers such as Sometimes, Last Exit and BofJ, WWS - Average. Ok when i first heard it but now bores me a bit. Comatose - Ok to good. Maybe tries a bit to hard. Severed hand - Great song. Prob album highlight. Marker - Good, not great. Good rif. Parachutes - Almost really great but something is missing. Dont know what but dont love it. Wish i did though. Unemployable - Really like it. Good grove, good lyrics. Suprised to see people dont like it. Big Wave - No Gone - Terrible. So boring. bad lyrics. Wasted Reprise - Nice, simple, but good. Army Reserve - Great Song. Highligh along with S/H. Come Back - Like Parachutes in the sense that i feel like i should like it and do like parts but leaves me a bit flat when it is all said and done. Inside Job - Really good way to finish. Intro not the best but once it kicks in i really like it. Alot in fact.
It definitely had me almost as excited as Yield. I don't agree with this person much except for Big Wave. Market In The Sand and Come Back both blew me away and still do now. I think WWS would have been a different song if they would have just opened the flood gates and let it loose. Open the hi-hat, turn up the distortion, and go with it like you were 22 years old.
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this thread inspired me to slap it in the car's cd player this morning on the way to work... 3 songs in it is holdin gup nicely... i haven't listened to it in about 6 months... i personally love Life Wasted..
Its been at least a year since I've listened to it. I'd rate it as an average PJ album. When it first came out, I really liked it. I thought it really captured what a good concert experience would be - a nice buildup of songs, a breather, then a nice finish. However, over time, the problem I have with the album is how straightforward it is, bordering on a classic rock feel - which bores me. I don't get rewarded with multiple listens.
Some of the songs that I like the most from it: Parachutes, Army Reserve, Marker In The Sand, and Inside Job. They stand out for me because they have hints of digging a little deeper. The rest of the album is decent, just nothing that excites me. I actually find the chorus to WWS a bit grating on the ears.
I'm hoping they go for a more artsy feel on their next album, employing some different instruments, and not constraining themselves to short, punchy songs which seem to be Ed's favorite. I thought Ed had a great thing going with Into The Wild - very strong songwriting, lyrically & musically in my opinion. I hope he can keep up the momentum.
I think Avocado is awesome... MITS is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs... Gone is awesome and Unemployable is way underrated... I love that song, I actually liked it more than WWS, and Unemployable was the B-Side. Come Back is bone chilling and Inside Job is hauntingly beautiful. Comatose is so in your face that it boggles me that not everyone loves this song-
However, I am not a fan of Big Wave and wish they would have either left that off the album or replaced it with another song-- It's the only song I skip on the album. But it was cool to hear it in that Kid's movie, a nice unexpected surprise--
I think it's their best "all around" album since Yield. i read an interview where they discussed with the band how they really work almost every song on the album into the live shows on the tour. However, I feel like it doesnt have that one or two huge standout gems that No Code, Yeild, and Binaural have.
this thread inspired me to slap it in the car's cd player this morning on the way to work... 3 songs in it is holdin gup nicely... i haven't listened to it in about 6 months... i personally love Life Wasted..
3 songs in on the car cd player? You're posting on the message pit from your car? :shock:
It reminds me a lot of the vs. and yield days. They got back to their aggressive kick ass straight forward rock. On top of a great record, the Avocado bootlegs(2006) are the best on a variety of fronts. First off, the sound is funominal. Finally, the set-lists are the most complete and all encompassing of their catalogue.
Those bootlegs were awesome. They sounded better than any boots they released. What I don't understand is how my bootleg of Cleveland 06, which was touched up and turned around to go online in 2 days, can sound VASTLY superior to the expensive, high profile Gorge box set that was released... the sound on that box set is so terrible. Was Jeff even at those shows? You sure as hell can't hear him!
I think that some of the songs on the album are some of the most boring songs in the catalog. Parachutes and Big Wave are right up there with Evacuation for me. Someone mentioned that they don't stand the test of time and I agree. They seem tired and slow to me.
I don't need a bunch of 40+ men trying to make a killer rock album.....So the "return to the rock" thing is not good to me. Some of the best PJ songs are slow and build (see Lowlight, Of a girl, Immortality)
Honestly, the only studio album I listen to is Vitalogy. To me it's the only album that really shows the punk influences of the band the most.
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There are songs on there I really dig.........Life wasted, comatose, severed hand, parachutes,come back, inside job.
Its still a good rock album, but needed more depth and different angles. Production was not the best either.
I am glad to have it as part of the PJ catalogue though, although it ranks low compared to the other albums.
Probably in my top ten favorite PJ tracks.......
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Alpine Valley 6/21/03
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Chicago 5/16 & 17/06
Grand Rapids 5/19/06
Summerfest 6/29/06 & 6/30/06
Tampa 6/12/08
Chicago 8/23/09
Indy 5/7/10
Alpine Valley x2 2011
Wrigley 2013
Milwaukee 14
Telluride 16
Glad too see you posting over here.
I definitely agree. I think people that defend those decisions and try to "kiss ass" by saying those songs wouldn't fit are full of shit. First of all, Riot Act has no flow whatsoever. Second of all, you only think it should play that way because that's how they released it. If Down and Other Side were on it and Get Right was left off, the same people would be saying the same thing... "oh, Get Right didn't fit and Down does!" It's a bullshit cop out. Their song choices over the last few years have been questionable at best.
That said, what the heck are the songs you're talking about... I never heard of any of the 3 you listed.
But I think we all can agree that hopefully O'Brien know the band well enough to keep them in line and keep them from sabotaging their greatness.
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The album feels a lot more clean and rockin'... compared to Binaural and Riot Act that felt muddied and bogged down at times. I think it compares to Yied as far as sound and feeling goes.
2000: 8/15, 8/18, 10/9, 10/11, 10/12
2003: 6/18, 6/21, 6/22
2005: 9/9, 9/28
2006: 5/16, 5/17, 6/26, 6/27
2007: 8/5
2009: 8/23, 8/24
2010: 5/3, 5/4, 5/21
2011: 9/3, 9/4, 9/11, 9/12
2013: 7/19, 11/16
2014: 10/3, 10/9, 10/12, 10/17
2016: 4/16, 8/20, 8/22
2018: 8/18, 8/20, 9/2
2022: 9/18
2023: 8/31, 9/2, 9/5
2024: 5/18, 6/29
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i love how just talking about self titled gets people upset about riot act and boom bein in the band..i love me some boom and every record.
although i am completely biased and refuse to look at pearl jam through a critics eye.
these guys can sing about a good deuce and id buy it
good album!
For me it's the boring verses, cheesy chorus, and terrible lyrics.
I'm cool with the organ, esp when Boom's jamming it out on Crazy Mary.
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follow this link to the "molo sessions"
Oh yeah, I completely understand that and have heard all of that. I just don't think Eddie Vedder is singing Come Back directly to Johnny Ramone. I think he was the inspiration but the lyrics, to me anyway, sound more like the outcome of Army Reserve. Unless Eddie dreams of waking up with Johnny in bed next to him in the morning.
BOS-9/28/04,9/29/04,6/28/08,6/30/08, 9/5/16, 9/7/16, 9/2/18
MTL-9/15/05, OTT-9/16/05
PHL-5/27/06,5/28/06,10/30/09,10/31/09
CHI-8/2/07,8/5/07,8/23/09,8/24/09
HTFD-6/27/08
ATX-10/4/09, 10/12/14
KC-5/3/2010,STL-5/4/2010
Bridge School-10/23/2010,10/24/2010
PJ20-9/3/2011,9/4/2011
OKC-11/16/13
SEA-12/6/13
TUL-10/8/14
i dont think that's saying a whole hell of a lot though but i agree.
At the moment it´s my favorite album....
Dream the dreams of others then,... You will be no ones rival,...
Try listening to a live version of it. I cant see why they wouldn't play it more live. It's really good.
And avocado sounds souless to me. It's kind of boring to listen to. WWS and Life Wasted are kind of cool but all songs are so dry and cold. There is no melody too hook you. The songs are stale and just like a 3min punch.
I'm a big fan of Riot Act and Binaural though, so my opinions doesn't matter I guess
Some songs are good, but others are pretty dissapointing and really not at the Level that PJ hooked me on. I have to be honest and say sometimes i really think they are running out of ideas. lyrically and musically.
Also - Their songs sometimes seem a bit obvious these days where as before they were left a little more open to interpretation.
ie, Last Exit, Sometimes, RVM, In Hiding etc.
However, i dont think the album is complete wreck.
Life Wasted - Ok - nothing great though. Vanishes compared to other openers such as Sometimes, Last Exit and BofJ,
WWS - Average. Ok when i first heard it but now bores me a bit.
Comatose - Ok to good. Maybe tries a bit to hard.
Severed hand - Great song. Prob album highlight.
Marker - Good, not great. Good rif.
Parachutes - Almost really great but something is missing. Dont know what but dont love it. Wish i did though.
Unemployable - Really like it. Good grove, good lyrics. Suprised to see people dont like it.
Big Wave - No
Gone - Terrible. So boring. bad lyrics.
Wasted Reprise - Nice, simple, but good.
Army Reserve - Great Song. Highligh along with S/H.
Come Back - Like Parachutes in the sense that i feel like i should like it and do like parts but leaves me a bit flat when it is all said and done.
Inside Job - Really good way to finish. Intro not the best but once it kicks in i really like it. Alot in fact.
It definitely had me almost as excited as Yield. I don't agree with this person much except for Big Wave. Market In The Sand and Come Back both blew me away and still do now. I think WWS would have been a different song if they would have just opened the flood gates and let it loose. Open the hi-hat, turn up the distortion, and go with it like you were 22 years old.
Some of the songs that I like the most from it: Parachutes, Army Reserve, Marker In The Sand, and Inside Job. They stand out for me because they have hints of digging a little deeper. The rest of the album is decent, just nothing that excites me. I actually find the chorus to WWS a bit grating on the ears.
I'm hoping they go for a more artsy feel on their next album, employing some different instruments, and not constraining themselves to short, punchy songs which seem to be Ed's favorite. I thought Ed had a great thing going with Into The Wild - very strong songwriting, lyrically & musically in my opinion. I hope he can keep up the momentum.
However, I am not a fan of Big Wave and wish they would have either left that off the album or replaced it with another song-- It's the only song I skip on the album. But it was cool to hear it in that Kid's movie, a nice unexpected surprise--
3 songs in on the car cd player? You're posting on the message pit from your car? :shock:
Those bootlegs were awesome. They sounded better than any boots they released. What I don't understand is how my bootleg of Cleveland 06, which was touched up and turned around to go online in 2 days, can sound VASTLY superior to the expensive, high profile Gorge box set that was released... the sound on that box set is so terrible. Was Jeff even at those shows? You sure as hell can't hear him!
I think that some of the songs on the album are some of the most boring songs in the catalog. Parachutes and Big Wave are right up there with Evacuation for me. Someone mentioned that they don't stand the test of time and I agree. They seem tired and slow to me.
I don't need a bunch of 40+ men trying to make a killer rock album.....So the "return to the rock" thing is not good to me. Some of the best PJ songs are slow and build (see Lowlight, Of a girl, Immortality)
Honestly, the only studio album I listen to is Vitalogy. To me it's the only album that really shows the punk influences of the band the most.