Top 5 songs you don't need to hear again (studio version)

HeavyHands
HeavyHands Posts: 2,131
edited April 2009 in The Porch
**EDIT: SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE ORIGINAL POST FOR A BREAKOUT OF HOW PEOPLE VOTED**

So I had a pretty good e-mail exchange with a great friend and fellow PJ appreciator yesterday and he proposed the thread title to me along with his picks. I'm not starting this thread to bring out any vitriol, but rather ask in a very straight forward way: "If you could pick five PJ studio-version songs to never hear again what would they be?"

My top five are listed below*. What are yours?

1. Sweet Lew. Lord help me, I hate this song. Jeff's disappointment at meeting Lew Alcindor may actually be matched by my disappointment in this listening experience. And I'm a big fan of Ament's playing and writing. Why did they release this before "Hold On?"

2. Parachutes. Doesn't fit. In any capacity. Just my opinion.

3. Drifting. I don't dig harmonica in a rock band. I accept it from Neil Young because technically, to me, he's just a very loud folk artist. ;)

4. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town. I'll paraphrase eV from the 10/2/96 boot I have to explain how I fell about this song. "Here's the loooongest title in the Pearl Jam catalog." Yep. That's about it.

5. Bu$hleaguer**/Green Disease/ Help Help/Bee Girl. This isn't fair to do, but I am struggling with this as a four way tie. I would come out ahead if i never heard any of these again so really take your pick. Damn you Riot Act! I love half of you!

* I do this as a passionate listener for the last 18 years who still enjoys a PJ album more than most things. All of this is tongue in cheek. Please don't waste the energy taking offense.
**Shit sandwich.
**********************************************************************************************************************************
Hi everyone. A BIG thanks to everyone who's participating in this thread! I think that for the most part it's a pretty good example of how people can voice their opinions without giving offense, and how other people can take in those opinions without taking offense. I think the best observation made about the whole thing was by letsongsprotest who said "its funny how opinions can differ so much." That sums it up pretty well, doesn't it?

The top 5 of the top 5 songs you don't need to hear again are:
1. Parachutes (10 votes)
2. Evacuation (9 votes)
3. Even Flow (9 votes)
4. Last Kiss (9 votes)
5. Elderly Woman... (7 votes)

NOTE: In the event someone voted for more than one song in the same number slot, only the first choice was considered. Also, If someone voted for the same song more than once it only counted once. Sorry.

There were a few people who chose to not participate based on an opposition (whatever it was), voiced their opinion respectfully, and left without saying anything dismissive or rude. To them I offer my sincere thanks. Thais board really is terrific! ;)

AN OBSERVATION: Off He Goes * This one really seemed to irk a few people by it's very presence. As I read it, the biggest protest for this song (and others like it) was the spoken word component of it.

People seemed spread pretty evenly across the different eras of PJ with the notable exception of 2006 and the release of "Pearl Jam." The lowest percentages reflect years where there was not major (full album) output, but there may have been a compilation, single, or fan club single represented.

As of 8:11:00 AM, Thursday, April 16, I tallied the votes (138) and parsed through them to produce some statistics of how people voted. Those numbers are presented below.

Release Year: # votes, % of Votes
1991: 16 votes, 11.6%
1992: 2 votes, 1.4%
1993 : 19 votes, 13.8%
1994 : 10 votes, 7.2%
1996 : 10 votes, 7.2%
1998 : 15 votes, 10.9%
1999 : 1 vote, 0.7%
2000 : 13 votes, 9.4%
2002 : 15 votes, 10.9%
2003 : 11 votes, 8.0%
2006 : 26 votes, 18.8%

Album: # Votes, % Votes
Pearl Jam: 26 votes, 18.8%
Vs.: 18 votes, 13.0%
Ten: 16 votes, 11.6%
Riot Act: 15 votes, 10.9%
Binaural: 13 votes, 9.4%
Christmas Single: 10 votes, 7.2%
Lost Dogs: 11 votes, 8.0%
No Code: 10 votes, 7.2%
B-Side: 2 votes, 1.4%
Vitalogy: 10 votes, 7.2%
Yield : 6 votes, 4.3%
Compilation: 1 vote, 0.7%

Binaural: 9.4% of the total vote. People disliked "Rival" the most.
Evacuation: 9 votes, 69.2%
Grievance: 1 vote, 7.7%
Nothing As It Seems: 1 vote, 7.7%
Rival: 2 votes, 15.4%
Total Votes: 13 votes

B-Side: 1.4% of the total vote is represented here. 0.7% goes to "Dirty Frank" and 0.7% to "Yellow Ledbetter".
Dirty Frank: 1 vote, 50.0%
Yellow Ledbetter: 1 vote, 50.0%
Total Votes: 2 votes

Christmas Single: 7.2% of the total vote is represented. It's "Last Kiss" by a wide margin.
Drifting: 1 vote, 10.0%
Last Kiss: 9 votes, 90.0%
Total Votes: 10 votes

Compilation: 0.7% of the total vote.
Crazy Mary: 1 vote, 100.0%
Total Votes: 1 vote

Lost Dogs: 8% of the total vote is represented with "Sweet Lew" taking the title.
All Night: 2 votes, 18.2%
In The Moonlight: 3 votes, 27.3%
Sweet Lew: 4 votes, 36.4%
Undone: 1 vote, 9.1%
Whale Song: 1 vote, 9.1%
Total Votes: 11 votes

No Code: 7.2% of the total vote. The least favorite is "I'm Open."
I'm Open: 5 votes, 50.0%
Mankind: 2 votes, 20.0%
Off He Goes: 1 vote, 10.0%
Red Mosquito: 1 vote, 10.0%
Who You Are: 1 vote, 10.0%
Total Votes: 10 votes

Pearl Jam: A remarkable 18.8% of the total vote is represented here. "Parachutes" wins by a landslide 38.5% of the vote.
Army Reserve: 1 vote, 3.8%
Big Wave: 5 votes, 19.2%
Comatose: 1 vote, 3.8%
Come Back: 3 votes, 11.5%
Gone: 2 votes, 7.7%
Life Wasted: 1 vote, 3.8%
Parachutes : 10 votes, 38.5%
Unemployable: 2 votes, 7.7%
WWS: 1 vote, 3.8%
Total Votes: 26 votes

Riot Act: 10.9% of the total vote represented here. A tie between "Bu$hleaguer" and "Thumbing My Way" as each song got 3 votes.
1/2 Full: 2 votes, 13.3%
Bu$hleaguer : 3 votes, 20.0%
Get Right: 1 vote, 6.7%
Ghost: 2 votes, 13.3%
Help, Help: 1 vote, 6.7%
I Am Mine: 1 vote, 6.7%
LBC: 1 vote, 6.7%
Save You: 1 vote, 6.7%
Thumbing My Way: 3 votes, 20.0%
Total Votes: 15 votes

Ten: 11.6% of the total vote represented here. "Even Flow" gets very little love.
Alive : 1 vote, 6.3%
Black: 1 vote, 6.3%
Even Flow: 9 votes, 56.3%
Jeremy: 3 votes, 18.8%
Once: 1 vote, 6.3%
Why Go: 1 vote, 6.3%
Total Votes: 16 votes

Vitalogy: 7.2% of the total vote represented here. "Hey Foxy..." got 30% of the vote. There were multiple mentions of people not liking the spoken word contributions as three are represented here ("Bugs," "Hey Foxy...," and "Pry, To.")
Aye Davinita: 1 vote, 10.0%
Better Man: 1 vote, 10.0%
Bugs: 2 votes, 20.0%
Corduroy: 1 vote, 10.0%
Hey Foxy... : 3 votes, 30.0%
Pry, To: 1 vote, 10.0%
STBC: 1 vote, 10.0%
Total Votes: 10 votes

Vs. 13% of the total vote represented here. EWBTCIAST got almost 40% of the vote.
Daughter: 2 votes, 11.1%
Dissident: 5 votes, 27.8%
EWBTCIAST: 7 votes, 38.9%
Glorified G: 2 votes, 11.1%
Daughter: 2 votes, 11.1%
Total Votes: 18 votes

Yield: Only 4.3% of the total vote represented here. "Pilate" got the most votes.
Given To Fly: 1 vote, 20.0%
Hummus: 1 vote, 20.0%
Low Light: 1 vote, 20.0%
Pilate: 2 votes, 40.0%
Push Me Pull Me: 1 vote, 20.0%
Total Votes: 5 votes


What do you think?
"A lot more people are capable of being big out there that just don't give themselves a chance." -Stone Gossard
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    oh man... I couldn't disagree more with your pics :)

    1. Evacuation
    2. Evenflow
    3. Last Kiss
    4. Dirty Frank
    5. All Night
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • like.echoes
    like.echoes Posts: 582
    Oh, man, I LOVE the harmonica, but more a la Footsteps than Driftin.

    I don't listen to studio stuff much at all but the ones I skip through on live shows are

    1) Elderly woman
    2) Even flow (this is good to watch live at a show for Mike's solo but I don't get the same just listening)
    3) I'm Open
    4) Last Kiss
    5) Come Back
    nothing's changed but the surrounding bullsh1t
  • HeavyHands
    HeavyHands Posts: 2,131
    meme wrote:
    oh man... I couldn't disagree more with your pics :)

    Totally fair dude. :D In the spirit of full disclosure when I emailed my friend I couldn't limit it to just five. Even Flow was in my crosshairs too. :lol:
    "A lot more people are capable of being big out there that just don't give themselves a chance." -Stone Gossard
  • Smellyman
    Smellyman Asia Posts: 4,528
    first 5 songs on 10
  • megatron
    megatron Posts: 3,420
    Evenflow (fast version)
    Save You
    Life Wasted
    Small Town
    Parachutes
  • Zoso
    Zoso Posts: 6,425
    the day you don't want to hear PJ songs (no matter what song) is the day that you have seen PJ too much... I don't care I just want to see PJ live as many times as I can.
    I'm just flying around the other side of the world to say I love you

    Sha la la la i'm in love with a jersey girl

    I love you forever and forever :)

    Adel 03 Melb 1 03 LA 2 06 Santa Barbara 06 Gorge 1 06 Gorge 2 06 Adel 1 06 Adel 2 06 Camden 1 08 Camden 2 08 Washington DC 08 Hartford 08
  • Sian-of-the-dead
    Sian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    1 - Evacuation - It's THE POOREST song in the PJ catalogue IMO.
    2 - In The Moonlight - This song goes NOWHERE.
    3 - Big Wave - "I used to be crustacean..." - 'nuff said.
    4 - STBC - oh yes, I went there.
    5 - Dissident - Booooooriiiiiing!

    Oddly though, I really enjoyed Dissident at Reading... I just always skip the album version on the ol' ipod...

    This is merely my opinion. However, notice! There's nothing from Riot Act or Yield... That is because they are perfect 8-)
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
  • megatron
    megatron Posts: 3,420
    Sian-of-the-dead wrote:
    1 - Evacuation - It's THE POOREST song in the PJ catalogue IMO.
    2 - In The Moonlight - This song goes NOWHERE.
    3 - Big Wave - "I used to be crustacean..." - 'nuff said.
    4 - STBC - oh yes, I went there.
    5 - Dissident - Booooooriiiiiing!

    Oddly though, I really enjoyed Dissident at Reading... I just always skip the album version on the ol' ipod...

    This is merely my opinion. However, notice! There's nothing from Riot Act or Yield... That is because they are perfect 8-)
    i love dissident :cry:
  • HeavyHands
    HeavyHands Posts: 2,131
    Zoso wrote:
    the day you don't want to hear PJ songs (no matter what song) is the day that you have seen PJ too much... I don't care I just want to see PJ live as many times as I can.

    Yeah, I understand. But that's why I was suggesting "studio versions" as opposed to live. I'm just not as fortunate as some of the board members on here to have seen dozens of shows and I prefer listening to the studio albums most of the time. Personally I'd see them live much more often if I could.
    "A lot more people are capable of being big out there that just don't give themselves a chance." -Stone Gossard
  • Sian-of-the-dead
    Sian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    RACE THAT CANT BE WON wrote:
    i love dissident :cry:

    I'm sorry... I feel bad now... :(
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
  • megatron
    megatron Posts: 3,420
    Sian-of-the-dead wrote:
    RACE THAT CANT BE WON wrote:
    i love dissident :cry:

    I'm sorry... I feel bad now... :(
    no..i feel bad for you..its a great song i swear :D:D:D
  • CrazyMaryJP
    CrazyMaryJP Posts: 42
    I'd have to say that the only Pearl Jam song I could really do without would be Last Kiss...the irony being that it's the most popular Pearl Jam single with regard to Top 40 success. Never liked it. Other than that, I could listen to Ed sing the phone book.
  • just dave
    just dave Posts: 260
    1. Even Flow
    2. Elderly
    3. Corduroy
    4.Given to fly
    5. Daughter

    songs that they didn't write that shouldn't be played

    1. rockin in a free world
    2. last kiss

    I think they should mix up the staples that they have for every show.
  • Sian-of-the-dead
    Sian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    RACE THAT CANT BE WON wrote:
    Sian-of-the-dead wrote:
    RACE THAT CANT BE WON wrote:
    i love dissident :cry:

    I'm sorry... I feel bad now... :(
    no..i feel bad for you..its a great song i swear :D:D:D

    Ah no don't! I've never liked it 8-):lol:
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
  • Chazz
    Chazz Posts: 1,156
    Sweet Lew - its not the tune its the singing (sorry Jeff)
    Mankind or Don't Gimme No Lip - again song's OK but singing is dire
    Whale Song - same again, I know there's a theme here, BUT THERE'S A REASON ED IS THE SINGER!! The other guys should stick to playing and writing!
    Evacuation - I can live with the verse but the chorus, oh dear :roll:
    2006 - Dublin, Reading; 2007 - London, Copenhagen; 2008 - MSG; 2009 - SBE, Manchester, London; 2010 - Dublin, Belfast, London; 2012 - Manchester, Berlin; 2014 - Amsterdam, Milton Keynes; 2018 - London; 2022 - London; 2024 - Manchester
  • Sian-of-the-dead
    Sian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    my_small_self wrote:
    Mankind or Don't Gimme No Lip - again song's OK but singing is dire

    That's just bloody rude! :P
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
  • HeavyHands
    HeavyHands Posts: 2,131
    Sian-of-the-dead wrote:
    my_small_self wrote:
    Mankind or Don't Gimme No Lip - again song's OK but singing is dire

    That's just bloody rude! :P

    But its honest! ;)
    "A lot more people are capable of being big out there that just don't give themselves a chance." -Stone Gossard
  • Jennytree
    Jennytree Posts: 5,340
    I really like Evacuaaaaaatiooooon...

    anywho...

    1) Last Kiss - Heard it live for the first time last year, but up until then I totally hated it, now I only half hate it
    2) I'm Open - not a fan of spoken word
    3) Parachutes - holds no interest for me
    4) 1/2 Full
    5) I Am Mine
    This is me:
    http://www.facebook.com/jennytree

    SMELL YER MA!
  • Sian-of-the-dead
    Sian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    Jennytree wrote:
    I really like Evacuaaaaaatiooooon...

    anywho...

    1) Last Kiss - Heard it live for the first time last year, but up until then I totally hated it, now I only half hate it
    2) I'm Open - not a fan of spoken word
    3) Parachutes - holds no interest for me
    4) 1/2 Full
    5) I Am Mine

    I'm never seeing Pearl Jam with you... That's 5 of my favourites! :o
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
  • albertgt
    albertgt Posts: 19
    1. bugs
    2. pry, to
    3. hey foxymophandlemama thats me
    4. rival
    5. parachutes

    i will let out a big sigh of ughhhhhhh for all for all of them
    [2008] New York, NY. Beacon Theater
    [2007] Chicago, Il. Lollapalooza
    [2006] East Rutherford, NJ. Continental Airlines Arena
    [2003] Atlanta, GA. HifiBuys Amphitheater
    [2000] Atlanta, GA. Philips Arena

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