WEAKEST PEARL JAM ALBUM...choices

soulsinging · July 2009

withtheleaves wrote:

It looks the majority would either say Riot Act or the Avocado album. I've read some threads that blast Riot Act...I can understand it a little bit, but c'mon! It's a really good album (Avocado too!) Put those albums up against any other band's albums and you'll see how good they are. The problem is everyone compares them to Ten, Vs, Vitalogy, No Code, Yield, and even Binaural. Of course they'll sound a bit weak then. Pearl Jam set the bar so high with those albums..they're not just the band's best albums...they're some of the best albums period! If Pearl Jam taught us anything...experiment, take a risk, have some fun! Getting to Riot Act, I'm not a big fan of Save You, Help Help, and Bushleaguer. But the b-sides of that album are unreal. Make your own Riot Act or any of their albums you feel weak. Burn it to a disc, your ipod, zune, whatever! Just the track order of an album can change the feeling and flow (that's why the setlists are so important, right?) Here's how I hear Riot Act (and it's not that weak): Side 1: Love Boat Captain, Green Disease, Ghost, Down, I am Mine, All or None, You Are Side 2: Arc, Cropduster, Undone, 1/2 Full, Get Right, Can't Keep, Other Side, Thumbing My Way. Sorry, I didn't mean to go off! Toast to Backspacer!

Not really. I compare RA and s/t to other bands' albums and most of the other bands are far superior. Those albums aren't just weak PJ albums, they're weak albums period and plenty of bands are doing better stuff, even their peers.

And I've actually done what you suggested... I went through avocado and RA and compiled b-sides and everything else and whittled it down to one-50 minute cd that sounded great. But that means that over the course of 2 albums plus b-sides, they released basically one album's worth of good material. If you go by time, since Binaural, they've basically put out 15 good songs in almost 10 years. That's weak.

withtheleaves · July 2009

Soulsinging, I'm not disagreeing with you that they are the weaker of the albums...but they're still good! At least they're still cranking out the tunes after nearly 20 years. A lot of bands haven't...even great ones for that matter. Plus, they must not be that weak if you're checking out the forums.

Stryker · July 2009

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

That list is misleading, though. I absolutely love 1-7. But if a gun was to my head, that's how I'd pick. Riot Act, however, is another story altogether. It's not a bad album by any means, but I feel it just lacks something. Passion, maybe? I don't know. I just doesn't give me the goosebumps like the other albums do.

i shit and i stink · July 2009

'Poor' Pearl Jam is still good for any other band.

That said, I listen to the last album the least. I agree with a previous comment that it serves up cliches.

Also, No Code doesn't get much rotation but when it does I enjoy most of it.

I think Backspacer is going to be HUGE, what little we have heard is clean, modern and rockin.

LikeAnOcean · July 2009

I've never really liked Vitalogy.. It's got some awesome songs, but easily my least played album.

Evacuation Rules · July 2009

AVOCADO by far. It's a snooze-fest.

...and Cropduster is easily one of the best songs on Riot Act. Don't be retarded.

Sleep.With.Innocence · July 2009

I honestly have no idea why we rank the albums.

It isn't a competition. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Enjoy them for what they are, not for what you aspire them to be.

donraven · July 2009

I don't understand all the hate for Avacado its easily one of their best from start to finish, musically and lyrically. I never skip a song on that one.

Binaural has some of the best lyrics written by the band but the music isn't their best or most exciting. I do find myself skipping quite a few songs on that one. So I would have to say Binaural is their weakest (had they actually put the couple of superior B-sides on that record it would have ranked among their best).

goldrush · July 2009

OK, I'm going to say it...

Vs

Sorry, but it's by far my least-played PJ record. It's not a bad album by any means and I do love it but I just played it to death when it came out and I prefer the others. I only listen to Vs songs now if they happen to come on when my ipod is on random.

Ranks 2-6 are interchangeable but today I would probably rate them:

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

PJamGrungeFan · July 2009

Riot Act/No Code/Avocado

all towards the bottom for me

Bushleaguer28 · July 2009

Riot Act is my least favorite pearl jam album

crowbarstomyhead · July 2009

Riot Act. Not a big fan of ghost, cropduster, 1/2 full or All or None. If you drop three of those and add Down instead, it would have a stronger album.

12345AGNST1 · July 2009

Lostdogsinthegarden wrote:

Those are great albums. Backspacer is looking to be their weakest.... but looks can be deceiving.

not a huge fan of got some (yet) but the fixer sounds amazing, even that crappy leaked version.

pjamaholic · July 2009

PJ_kidd_9-21-22 wrote:

why does everyone hate those albums they are so good i've been listening to riot act all day

There is no weakest Pearl Jam album. It is a matter of opinion as to which albums you like or dislike. They couldn't put out a weak album if they tried.

Inhidingbert · July 2009

It's a toss up between the last two, Riot Act and Avacado.....I would have to say Riot Act....just because I was trying so hard to like it, and gave it so many listens and still has never grown on me....however, who here really listens to the Pearl Jam studio albums anymore anyways....

olderman · July 2009

as an album, for me, it's NO CODE.

it's the ONLY album that has 3 numbers i can skip without any reserve whatsoever.

yep, that's right, i never skip the crazy shit on VITALOGY.

and that is why, for me, NO CODE is the weakest PJ record. excellent are tracks 1-10.

average for me are Mankind, I'm Open and Around The Bend.

VS is what I consider to be the best rock album ever. play it loud. extra loud.

imho, of course.

DiRtyFranK38 · July 2009

crowbarstomyhead wrote:

Riot Act. Not a big fan of ghost, cropduster, 1/2 full or All or None. If you drop three of those and add Down instead, it would have a stronger album.

you practically just named my favorites from riot act. well, you are and can't keep are probably my very favs from that album but i LOVE every song you just named. especially 1/2 full! you ever hear/see it live. it shreds!!

anyways, i LOVE every pj album. this is pretty much impossible.

BRMLAW · July 2009

Riot act. Hands down

BRMLAW · July 2009

SomethingCreative wrote:

metsfan wrote:

PJ_kidd_9-21-22 wrote:

why does everyone hate those albums they are so good i've been listening to riot act all day

Cause fans wanna hold onto the ten/vs days. That's why everyone likes the self titled so much. its a return to old pearl jam.

That and Riot Act just isn't that great of an album. I still listen to all the other albums but that one, including Binaural

Ditto that. Riot Act feels like the record company contractual obligation album. So bad it nearly sunk the band. No continuity. No energy. Awash in self serving political messages instead of solid song writing. Its no mistake most of it cant be heard on tour. And I so have to disagree on Avocado. Not a song on there I dont like. Its more thought out. Better guitar riffs and energy. And strong enough to get the band a nice boost in popularity. After Vs. most of the albums had at least 2 or 3 songs where at least you shrug and hit skip. Riot Act was one big shrug and skip to me.

Hub. · July 2009

Avocado is, to me, the weakest one.

WEAKEST PEARL JAM ALBUM...choices

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