How old were you when each album came out?

TheLuckyOnes wrote:

epic post time, i think

i was 12 in '91. I definitely remember that for a good while i liked Temple of the Dog much more than Ten. the vid for Alive was on MTV constantly, but it was so anti-MTV in it's basicness; no concept, no theme, no story or bad actors, just B&W band in front of a crazed crowd, climbing stuff jumping around, with a live version of the song to go with. And this was their first single!! Took me a while to get it still, it wasn't as big a Rawk sound as some of the other bands of the era. Evenflow got me a little closer....I had the cassette before Jeremy hit, that's for certain. Was already entranced by that time; Release, Black, Oceans, Porch....unbelievable. There is something in that album that is so wrapped into my soul.... I also remember losing that cassette at my first high school football game, freshman year of high school, fall of 92. Fell out of my jacket pocket under the bleachers....gone. Bought another....beginning the cycle of giving PJ lots of money.

Vs...wore it out, especially RVM, but really the whole thing. Sat up taping Atlanta '94, sat up taping MTV awards 93 with uncle Neil....etc....Tried to get tix at age 15 for Ann Arbor 94 (nothingman premiered), NOPE. Tried to get tix thru the newspaper lottery (try that again 10 club, holy bejesus!) for Detroit Masonic Temple 94, nope. Gave up hope i would ever see this band live.

Vitalogy...i didn't quite get for awhile. a long while. People who complain about Lightning Bolt's production, well at the time that would have been me for Vitalogy. The guitars sound WAY different, having lived thru the first two albums. Ed's voice is really really ragged. There are interludes. I knew Immortality crushed me. I remember writing a long long poem to myself directly inspired by the "How?" after 'holier than thou". But anyways....

No Code. My favorite. I remember getting this CD, surely right after release or the day of, and plunking down in my room with the headphones...Hail Hail almost deafened me for life! I had picked up the Who You Are/Habit single, and couldn't make since of it; it didn't sound anything like Vitalogy! (just when you figure things out....). Anyways, i connected immediately upon listening to this one, and it was constantly playing for probably a year and a half. I remember that my first day of commuting to college, age 17 now, was about a week after getting this CD, and the two things together let me know that life was changing...and that it felt pretty damn cool. If Ten is written on my heart, this one is sewn on my sleeve, i guess.

Yield...the first thing was hearing Given to Fly on the radio, month before the album came out. It sounded so wide and beautiful, in a way that nothing quite had since the first album. But it was still so different than that also. Yield is so solid in so many ways, and i listened to it a ton, and it felt like there was some new strength in the band, even while i was fully realizing that they would never again be everyone's favorite band. I love Jack Irons, btw. Oh, and got to see my 1st PJ show on this tour. Very last row of the upper deck, almost behind the stage, McCready's side, Detroit '98, Cheap Trick opening. A fan climbed onstage, and Ed told security to back off, then proceeded to make fun of the guy's horrible mullet. Asked for scissors, cut the back off. Cheers, Ed. Oh and i spent half the show being impressed with nothing more then Matt Cameron's power that he brought to Daughter and a couple others, very specifically. I had probably spent weeks wondering how they would sound with him behind the kit.

Binaural....i was definitely underwhelmed...i remember loving loving loving Grievance as played on Letterman. The album sorta sounds bad....still does. Saw them again on this tour, better seats same building, 1st row upper deck dead center stage. Almost fell over the rail jumping around screaming to Fuckin' Up. I might have sang louder at this show then any other show in my life, and i certainly miss being as uninhibited as i was for those couple hours. I was 21.

Riot Act. I was 24. Married. Saw two shows at the ol'DTE/formerly Pine Knob. First show, band was pissed because season ticket holders got a whole lot of the 10C seats, hence adding a 2nd Detroit show (those were the days!!). I was out on the hill anyways, so it was all the same to me. Ed's monologue's from these two shows are both pretty great, especially the one about Sheryl Crow & Big Boy, but i suppose also the one about Ukelele's and Pot smokers. Great shows, but the band didn't quite have the same fire, so thought I. I still think the band is far more connected to the crowds now, starting maybe in '06 or '09, then they were '00-'04. So glad that they are on such a high level now...

Avacado...27, 1st time dad (son age 2, named after someone familiar to people who like a band named Pearl Jam). Loved this album for quite awhile, but it faded. Life Wasted and Marker i thought especially were strong lyrics for Ed. Severed Hand was a straight forward rock song that sort of felt like it could have been on VS. Again, saw the Detroit stop, where i was hit with a crushing migraine right before show time. (i get 'em a lot, but this one was beyond horrible). I only made it thru the main set, missed two long encores (check the setlist) missed McCready running thru the crowd, missed the 2nd time Kick Out the Jams was played in the US. Still, Insignificance, Long Road and RVM stood out as 3 of the greatest live music performances i've heard from any band. i still remember my (now ex-)wife saying to me that she was literally speechless after RVM, and she was only a mild fan of the band. MMJ was probably the best opener they've ever had, also. Also, should be noted that when Imagine in Cornice was released a year later, i blew off work, drove an hour and a half out of my way, changed clothes in my car, then enjoyed the one-day showing in theater, with a bunch of other lunatics who brought signs, screamed, cheered, etc. That movie is underrated amongst us PJ'ers.

Backspacer...i thought the '06 tours really brought this band back to a strong place, connected to the fanbase like never before really. Backspacer held up fine for me in that space. 30 years old, kid #2 had arrived, finally owned my 1st home. My son was 5, sang along to some PJ tunes with me (including WWS, which was weird, but he liked it alot!!). I still say this is a strong little album, tho it's not getting respect currently. Force of Nature is a really underrated song, and one of my favorites of the last few albums. I'm hoping that BS get's plenty of love on the upcoming tours, and that it's not swept aside, like Riot Act has been. For the first time i traveled for a show, for this tour. Cleveland '10. Easily my favorite PJ show i've seen. Immortality Porch Go The Real Me Black Indifference. All were top-top-notch versions, i couldn't have asked for more from this show. I remember reading fanviews, and there was a lot of "meh, crowd wasn't into it" but screw that, the band sounded great, and the show had a flow to it. Listen to the boot. Had really decent seats, for the first and last time....because...

LB....34. Divorced. Losing my home. Starting anew. Still raising my 2 kids. Trying to figure it all out. My wife had the 10C # in her name (mix up when she bought me a membership as a xmas present back in '02-ish) and so that # is long gone. But Anyways! I feel it's a strong release, and so far it's my favorite since Yield. Yellow Moon and Pendulum, MYM and Father's Son, Sirens and Swallowed Whole.....idk. I'm digging it. Ed and Mike both sound better then they have in more then a decade, and the band is quite obviously excited about branching out a bit. All of the interviews give the impression that they are thoroughly confident with these songs, and they should be. Thought about traveling for a show, changed mind, didn't try for 10C seats, regretted it. Was hoping to find a GA for Pitt on here, but haven't come across one, so guess not. Have fun you sons-of-bitches.....I predict greatness.

thus concludes "this was my life"

cheers
thanks pj

Last-12-Exit wrote:

your the only one to actually answer the question correctly!