Bands peak as their audience peaks. In their 20's. Sure the musicians will become better musicians and their 30's and 40's but their music that (in this case Pearl Jam) they wrote in their early to mid 20's is always going to be the most important. And it will MEAN then most to fans who were in their late teens to mid 20's at time of that peak. Because that is when you are the most receptive to music.
After that life happens. Your wild days are behind you and your senses are dulled. Pearl Jam has stayed relevant and damned good because they have slowed down. Everyone wants to see Vedder stand on a stool scribbling on his arm during the musical break in Porch and wants him to scream throughout like he is 27. Not that guy anymore. And I am not that same fan.
For my fan experience personally, I'd say they peaked from 1998-2000. Creatively, I can't pinpoint one peak, unless you look at it like some have here. They were on fire from 1991-1994. Very few bands in the history of rock music have produced that many GREAT songs in such a short period of time.
I thinking looking at it through have the peaked or not isn't the best way to look at it.
how i look at it is that the first act of their career was Ten to yield (biggest band in the world), the second act was to backspacer(the what ever happened to those guys stage) and the third act is pj20 till death.(legacy act)
Peaked at Yield. Binaural was the first album for me to include filler (God's Dice, Evacuation, Breakerfall).
Now if Sad and Fatal made that record I would have to change my mind.
If you consider God's Dice, Evacuation & Breakerfall "filler", I'd like to know what you consider Stupid Mop, Aye Davanita & Pry, to. :?
To answer the question of the OP... tough to answer for me because I keep enjoying everything they put out. Some people would say they dropped off after Vitalogy... others will say after Yield... some may even say after Ten & Vs.... I think the majority of the people here probably would say 2000ish with the least favorite album being Riot Act. I feel that the last 3 albums have been good but not what others want PJ to be... it's tough when a band lasts so long... no bands are going to output albums that everyone loves as much as the first one or three.
I thinking looking at it through have the peaked or not isn't the best way to look at it.
how i look at it is that the first act of their career was Ten to yield (biggest band in the world), the second act was to backspacer(the what ever happened to those guys stage) and the third act is pj20 till death.(legacy act)
I think if you break it down to the average music fan it would be something like this...
During Ten & Vs. - "Fuck yeah these guys rock!"
During Vitalogy - "This is different but these guys still rock!"
During No Code, Yield, Binaural - "This sounds pretty good but what happened to the 'grunge' sound?"
During Riot Act, Avocado, Backspacer - "Pearl Jam? Those guys still make music?"
I thinking looking at it through have the peaked or not isn't the best way to look at it.
how i look at it is that the first act of their career was Ten to yield (biggest band in the world), the second act was to backspacer(the what ever happened to those guys stage) and the third act is pj20 till death.(legacy act)
I think if you break it down to the average music fan it would be something like this...
During Ten & Vs. - "Fuck yeah these guys rock!"
During Vitalogy - "This is different but these guys still rock!"
During No Code, Yield, Binaural - "This sounds pretty good but what happened to the 'grunge' sound?"
During Riot Act, Avocado, Backspacer - "Pearl Jam? Those guys still make music?"
i dunno, during no code and yield they where still fucking massive.
also i like the narritive of their career being like a three act play.
i do think that they have entered the legacy period of their career and their popularity is beginning to rise again.
Bruce had a similar career arc,
and neil young has had about 3 similar career arcs
I thinking looking at it through have the peaked or not isn't the best way to look at it.
how i look at it is that the first act of their career was Ten to yield (biggest band in the world), the second act was to backspacer(the what ever happened to those guys stage) and the third act is pj20 till death.(legacy act)
I think if you break it down to the average music fan it would be something like this...
During Ten & Vs. - "Fuck yeah these guys rock!"
During Vitalogy - "This is different but these guys still rock!"
During No Code, Yield, Binaural - "This sounds pretty good but what happened to the 'grunge' sound?"
During Riot Act, Avocado, Backspacer - "Pearl Jam? Those guys still make music?"
This goes back to the subjective argument. I didn't start following PJ until about '98. That's when I got my driver's license and could listen to whatever I wanted due to having the freedom. I think the avocado is a great album and my g/f loves Riot Act.
My first show was Columbus, Ohio in 2000 - three days before I shipped out before basic training and I was HOOKED FOR LIFE. I would give a lot to have been old enough to be at some of the 91-94 shows. I'll tell you what though, seeing the Noblesville 2010 show blew my mind and I'm still coming down from the London show. "Peaked" could, and seemingly has, elicited ten different answers from ten different people.
I'm just thankful I came upon "Live on two Legs" when I did. If one could wear out a CD, that would have been fried over and over again. As long as they're together, I'll be following religiously.
Vitalogy was their last en masse popular album. No Code kind of shook out a lot of people. I think the Vs/Vitalogy Tours were probably the band at their height of popularity.
Creatively... i'm not sure? My favorite album is Yield so that would be the obvious choice. I think Binaural is pretty creative but I don't listen to it very often. Riot Act/Avacado/Backspacer seem to find the band in a groove and not changing up their sound too too much.
My favorite tours are '98 through '05. Maybe the peaked live wise in the Canadian '05 tour? I really liked that tour (including the gorge show!).
Vitalogy was their last en masse popular album. No Code kind of shook out a lot of people. I think the Vs/Vitalogy Tours were probably the band at their height of popularity.
Creatively... i'm not sure? My favorite album is Yield so that would be the obvious choice. I think Binaural is pretty creative but I don't listen to it very often. Riot Act/Avacado/Backspacer seem to find the band in a groove and not changing up their sound too too much.
My favorite tours are '98 through '05. Maybe the peaked live wise in the Canadian '05 tour? I really liked that tour (including the gorge show!).
Do not lump Riot Act together with the two Bastard-albums that are S/T/BS. Please. It deserves more from you. From all of us.
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
Peaked at Yield. Binaural was the first album for me to include filler (God's Dice, Evacuation, Breakerfall).
Now if Sad and Fatal made that record I would have to change my mind.
If you consider God's Dice, Evacuation & Breakerfall "filler", I'd like to know what you consider Stupid Mop, Aye Davanita & Pry, to. :?
Stupid Mop is worthless but it added to the interesting aspect of Vitalogy. Bugs and Aye Davanita were interestesting. All three tracks served a purpose.
What I meant by filler was that God'S Dice, Evacuation and Breakerfall were just no up to par with PJ's songs from earlier albums. They just aren't great songs. They are average.
Peaked at Yield. Binaural was the first album for me to include filler (God's Dice, Evacuation, Breakerfall).
Now if Sad and Fatal made that record I would have to change my mind.
If you consider God's Dice, Evacuation & Breakerfall "filler", I'd like to know what you consider Stupid Mop, Aye Davanita & Pry, to. :?
Stupid Mop is worthless but it added to the interesting aspect of Vitalogy. Bugs and Aye Davanita were interestesting. All three tracks served a purpose.
What I meant by filler was that God'S Dice, Evacuation and Breakerfall were just no up to par with PJ's songs from earlier albums. They just aren't great songs. They are average.
God's Dice has pretentious lyrics that doesn't hook, Evacuation is very Backspacer-like in its simplicity.
But what makes Breakerfall worse than Brain of J or Whipping?
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
Peaked at Yield. Binaural was the first album for me to include filler (God's Dice, Evacuation, Breakerfall).
Now if Sad and Fatal made that record I would have to change my mind.
thats exactly how i feel. i remember listening to yield for the first time, halfway through i said to myself "these guys can do no wrong." they were literally 5 for 5 for me, i loved just about every song on every album from ten through yield. binaural was the first one that had "filler" as you say. i literally cannot listen to binaural anymore because of those first 3 songs. yea they had filler on vitalogy and yield but those were experimental songs, not real songs. thats why i dont get the love for binaural and riot act that some have, the quality of those songs simply dont approach the first 5 albums. breakerfall, gods dice, evacuation, rival, cropduster, ghost, help help,....compared to once, go, animal, tremor christ, hail hail, in my tree, in hiding.....no comparison.
luckily for me it hasn't happened yet. it keeps flowing in the right direction though! up up UP
the last show always brings me back to realizing that it keeps getting better and better all the time
the new music is always the best. imo
God's Dice has pretentious lyrics that doesn't hook, Evacuation is very Backspacer-like in its simplicity.
But what makes Breakerfall worse than Brain of J or Whipping?
Personal opinion I guess. I think Brain of J is an amazing song. One of my favorites. I think the music and lyrics go together well. I don't like the lyrics of Breakerfall I guess. It didn't really have any hooks in it that I was drawn to. I'll give you Whipping. It isn't a song I really love.
Evacuation is very Backspacer-like in its simplicity.
Except for the time signature...
Why singular btw as in "'peaked". I like to think more in plural, in a sense that they peaked several times. And probably will peak again in one way or another: lyrically, musically. I am grateful that each album has its own flavour and that this is not a band on repeat.
Comments
"Forgive every being,
the bad feelings
it's just me"
Now if Sad and Fatal made that record I would have to change my mind.
commercially speaking, 94/95. '95 tour they were selling out arenas in the philippines. the philippines!
how i look at it is that the first act of their career was Ten to yield (biggest band in the world), the second act was to backspacer(the what ever happened to those guys stage) and the third act is pj20 till death.(legacy act)
If you consider God's Dice, Evacuation & Breakerfall "filler", I'd like to know what you consider Stupid Mop, Aye Davanita & Pry, to. :?
To answer the question of the OP... tough to answer for me because I keep enjoying everything they put out. Some people would say they dropped off after Vitalogy... others will say after Yield... some may even say after Ten & Vs.... I think the majority of the people here probably would say 2000ish with the least favorite album being Riot Act. I feel that the last 3 albums have been good but not what others want PJ to be... it's tough when a band lasts so long... no bands are going to output albums that everyone loves as much as the first one or three.
I think if you break it down to the average music fan it would be something like this...
During Ten & Vs. - "Fuck yeah these guys rock!"
During Vitalogy - "This is different but these guys still rock!"
During No Code, Yield, Binaural - "This sounds pretty good but what happened to the 'grunge' sound?"
During Riot Act, Avocado, Backspacer - "Pearl Jam? Those guys still make music?"
94
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
i dunno, during no code and yield they where still fucking massive.
also i like the narritive of their career being like a three act play.
i do think that they have entered the legacy period of their career and their popularity is beginning to rise again.
Bruce had a similar career arc,
and neil young has had about 3 similar career arcs
Yessir. Like a fucking sledgehammer to your soul.
This goes back to the subjective argument. I didn't start following PJ until about '98. That's when I got my driver's license and could listen to whatever I wanted due to having the freedom. I think the avocado is a great album and my g/f loves Riot Act.
My first show was Columbus, Ohio in 2000 - three days before I shipped out before basic training and I was HOOKED FOR LIFE. I would give a lot to have been old enough to be at some of the 91-94 shows. I'll tell you what though, seeing the Noblesville 2010 show blew my mind and I'm still coming down from the London show. "Peaked" could, and seemingly has, elicited ten different answers from ten different people.
I'm just thankful I came upon "Live on two Legs" when I did. If one could wear out a CD, that would have been fried over and over again. As long as they're together, I'll be following religiously.
Vitalogy was their last en masse popular album. No Code kind of shook out a lot of people. I think the Vs/Vitalogy Tours were probably the band at their height of popularity.
Creatively... i'm not sure? My favorite album is Yield so that would be the obvious choice. I think Binaural is pretty creative but I don't listen to it very often. Riot Act/Avacado/Backspacer seem to find the band in a groove and not changing up their sound too too much.
My favorite tours are '98 through '05. Maybe the peaked live wise in the Canadian '05 tour? I really liked that tour (including the gorge show!).
Stupid Mop is worthless but it added to the interesting aspect of Vitalogy. Bugs and Aye Davanita were interestesting. All three tracks served a purpose.
What I meant by filler was that God'S Dice, Evacuation and Breakerfall were just no up to par with PJ's songs from earlier albums. They just aren't great songs. They are average.
But what makes Breakerfall worse than Brain of J or Whipping?
thats exactly how i feel. i remember listening to yield for the first time, halfway through i said to myself "these guys can do no wrong." they were literally 5 for 5 for me, i loved just about every song on every album from ten through yield. binaural was the first one that had "filler" as you say. i literally cannot listen to binaural anymore because of those first 3 songs. yea they had filler on vitalogy and yield but those were experimental songs, not real songs. thats why i dont get the love for binaural and riot act that some have, the quality of those songs simply dont approach the first 5 albums. breakerfall, gods dice, evacuation, rival, cropduster, ghost, help help,....compared to once, go, animal, tremor christ, hail hail, in my tree, in hiding.....no comparison.
90s were their peak
the last show always brings me back to realizing that it keeps getting better and better all the time
the new music is always the best. imo
Personal opinion I guess. I think Brain of J is an amazing song. One of my favorites. I think the music and lyrics go together well. I don't like the lyrics of Breakerfall I guess. It didn't really have any hooks in it that I was drawn to. I'll give you Whipping. It isn't a song I really love.
Always liked them...since Ten...but once I saw them live in 2006 I was hooked.
I missed the peak!?!?
you should be.
Except for the time signature...
Why singular btw as in "'peaked". I like to think more in plural, in a sense that they peaked several times. And probably will peak again in one way or another: lyrically, musically. I am grateful that each album has its own flavour and that this is not a band on repeat.