Binaural vs. Lightning Bolt

Zod · February 2014

I like Binaural but it's always been at the bottom or near the bottom when I compare it other PJ albums. Then the Vancouver 2013 show happened and they played a bunch of songs of it. I think I got very nostalgic because I quite enjoyed hearing those songs live again. The Binaural Tour was the one where I saw the most shows (Vancouver, Portland, Boise, and two shows in Seattle). Vancouver was at the beginning and Seattle at the end. We did a road trip, got a mid-term moved to do it, and saw those 4 last date of the tour consecutively while travelling in a POS '84 honda civic with broken heaters and broken windshield wipers.

Musically I think it's a tie, but the nostalgic factor for me has favour Binaural.

T-Bone 82 · February 2014

Lightning Bolt.

But I'd like to answer definitively at the one-year anniversary of LB. I like everything PJ when it's new. Doesn't always hold up over the long term.

I think it'll stay LB though. I have never loved Binaural. The first three songs are mediocre at best. Gets really good in the middle w/ Light Years, NAIS, Thin Air, Insignificance, and Grievance. I think Rival and Sleight of Hand are throwaways. Soon Forget and Parting Ways are a solid finish.

I think the first 5 tracks of LB are just incredible. Pretty big fan of Infallible and Pendulum too. Tracks 8 through 10 haven't pulled me in yet. Yellow Moon and Future Days are a nice finish.

If I had to rate the two on a scale of 10, I say 7.5 for LB and 6.5 for Binaural. That's on the PJ scale though. On the any-other-band scale, I go 8.5 and 7.5.

Restless Soul · February 2014

Binaural. hate to say it but to me binaural is the last of the great pearl jam album experiences imo. Everything since then is kind of piecemeal to me - good songs but as whole albums they don't quite match up to ones such as binaural and before.

William Wallace · February 2014

Restless Soul said:
Binaural. hate to say it but to me binaural is the last of the great pearl jam album experiences imo. Everything since then is kind of piecemeal to me - good songs but as whole albums they don't quite match up to ones such as binaural and before.

This!

PJ_Soul · February 2014

Restless Soul said:
Binaural. hate to say it but to me binaural is the last of the great pearl jam album experiences imo. Everything since then is kind of piecemeal to me - good songs but as whole albums they don't quite match up to ones such as binaural and before.

I actually find Riot Act very coherent. I love S/T too, but I might agree with you for that album. But I honestly think all their albums before Backspacer are great experiences.... and then they did a face plant. It was like the fat guy hitting the grass at the end of the slip n slide.

2-feign-reluctance · February 2014

Great records by greatest modern rock band ever.

jh275312 · February 2014

T-Bone 82 said:
Lightning Bolt.

But I'd like to answer definitively at the one-year anniversary of LB. I like everything PJ when it's new. Doesn't always hold up over the long term.

I think it'll stay LB though. I have never loved Binaural. The first three songs are mediocre at best. Gets really good in the middle w/ Light Years, NAIS, Thin Air, Insignificance, and Grievance. I think Rival and Sleight of Hand are throwaways. Soon Forget and Parting Ways are a solid finish.

I think the first 5 tracks of LB are just incredible. Pretty big fan of Infallible and Pendulum too. Tracks 8 through 10 haven't pulled me in yet. Yellow Moon and Future Days are a nice finish.

If I had to rate the two on a scale of 10, I say 7.5 for LB and 6.5 for Binaural. That's on the PJ scale though. On the any-other-band scale, I go 8.5 and 7.5.

Sleight of hand a throwaway?

Wow I guess taste is definitely subjective........

llessuR · February 2014

Binaural, no hesitation. The back end of LB falls flat for me.

Treyert14 · February 2014

TroubledSoul said:
light years apart.

I see what you did there.

Treyert14 · February 2014

The thing about about LB is that it's not very rememberable. I think it will fade like Backspacer did. But Binaural has stood the test of time.

Last-12-Exit · February 2014

Treyert14 said:
The thing about about LB is that it's not very rememberable. I think it will fade like Backspacer did. But Binaural has stood the test of time.

I coudnt disagree more about how LB will fade like backspacer. Getaway, LB, Infallible, and Yellow Moon will keep this record in the minds of most for many years.

I really feel that LB will be represented well in the live shows for a long time.

october22 · February 2014

PJ_Soul said:

Restless Soul said:
Binaural. hate to say it but to me binaural is the last of the great pearl jam album experiences imo. Everything since then is kind of piecemeal to me - good songs but as whole albums they don't quite match up to ones such as binaural and before.
I actually find Riot Act very coherent. I love S/T too, but I might agree with you for that album. But I honestly think all their albums before Backspacer are great experiences.... and then they did a face plant. It was like the fat guy hitting the grass at the end of the slip n slide.

hahah, I agree. Maybe I split the difference between you two. For me "Binaural" was the last "real" Pearl Jam album. I love RA and ST but something happened after Binaural that I don't think I'll ever really be able to put my finger on.

And Binaural kicks LB's ass any day of the week (though I like LB too).

jp307677 · February 2014

Lightning Bolt is more accessible and has greater, more memorable songs on it that are instant classics ("Sirens", "Lightning Bolt").

I love Binaural, but it's tough for some people and I wouldn't try to win someone over with it. It's kind of a slower, bluesier Vitalogy. It's great as a whole record, but doesn't have any single staples in it if I was making a best song list of the band.

jarkkonieminen · February 2014

Can't even believe we are comparing the two.

It took me probably 10 years to understand the quality of Binaural but now it's my fave.

Yes Binaural's first 3 songs aren't PJ's best work but songs 4-13 are awesome. So many underrated tracks here. Light Years, Of the Girl, Sleight of Hand and of course Parting Ways.

LB has its moments but I feel it's far less consistent.

T-Bone 82 · February 2014

Let's look at this song-by-song:

1) Getaway vs. Breakerfall - Getaway. Breakerfall is a good track with great energy, but Getaway is superior lyrically and sonically LB +1

2) Mind Your Manners vs. God's Dice - MYM and it's not close. LB +2

3) My Father's Son vs. Evacuation - Father's Son and it's REALLY not close. LB +3

4) Sirens vs. Light Years - Tough call on this one. Both beautiful ballads about love and loss. I'll give the edge to Light Years. LB +2.

5) Lightning Bolt vs. Nothing as it Seems - Another tough one. Vastly different tunes with LB as the building, charging, fun rock song and NAIS as the dark, brooding, slow-burning Pink Floyd-esque tune (with a ridiculous McCready solo). Right now, I'm more of a fan of LB, but I'll give it to NAIS as it has a stronger place in the PJ catalog. LB +1

6) Infallible vs. Thin Air - I think Infallible is better. Close call. Neither song really inspires me, so I'll go with the one that sounds "more PJ". LB +2

7) Pendulum vs. Insignificance - Insignificance gets the win here. Pendulum has that haunting beauty, but Insignificance is right in the PJ wheelhouse. LB +1

8) Swallowed Whole vs. Of The Girl - For me, this is like the Cleveland Browns vs. the Tampa Bay Bucs. Neither are very good and I could care less about the outcome. I'll go with Of the Girl because it's more interesting. EVEN.

9) Let the Records Play vs. Grievance - Grievance is far superior and one of PJ's best hard rock songs. Binaural +1.

10) Sleeping By Myself vs. Rival - I've never been a big fan of Rival. It just doesn't go anywhere. The subject matter is interesting, but it was done before with Jeremy. I enjoyed Sleeping By Myself on the EV solo record and I think the full band version is pretty good too. It's light and breezy, which is not typical PJ. I'll go with SBM. EVEN.

11) Yellow Moon vs. Sleight of Hand. Decisively, Yellow Moon. Sleight of Hand is a PJ experiment that did work for me, but if you're not on a long drive in the dead of night, it really doesn't work. It's like a spoken-word poem with some beautiful guitars layered on top, but it's definitely a "mood" song. On a Sunny Friday afternoon, it's getting skipped 100 times out of 100. Yellow Moon has been growing on me big-time of late. Especially the bridge, "An echo that rings, a bullet unchained..." LB +1

(I am throwing out Soon Forget so we can match up evenly. It's a nice little uke number, but let's call it an Ed solo song and move on)

12) Future Days vs. Parting Ways - Tough, tough call here. I think they're both great album closers. Future Days takes the more optimistic view, looking forward to time with a loved one(s) despite loss, while Parting Ways deals with the "beginning of the end", so to speak. Both are beautiful and I can't choose one over the other. I'll call it a push. LB +1

So, there you have it. The definitive analysis which cannot be disputed. Lightning Bolt is better than Binaural!

Uncle Snuffy · February 2014

Binaural = Best PJ Album

- Uncle Snuffy

DewieCox · February 2014

Yes, let's look at this song-by-song:

1) Getaway vs. Breakerfall - Push...Getway has it til "Makin love like the lizards" +0

2) Mind Your Manners vs. God's Dice - Gods' Dice pretty easily...It's like Hail Hail edger more badass older brother. MYM sounds like a band trying to rage and with GD, it just comes more naturally. Binaural +1

3) My Father's Son vs. Evacuation - both pretty unique in the PJ canon, but I'll give it to My Father's Son for the shear rage EV put into it, along with that thick gnarly bassline. LB +1 EVEN

4) Sirens vs. Light Years - Light Years and it's not even close...When people complain of Sirens being cheesy it's b/c of PJ's track record of making stuff like Light Years...Is there a better PJ line than "We were but stones........" Binaural +1

5) Lightning Bolt vs. Nothing as it Seems - NAIS just has so much more depth and is an interesting direction for PJ Binaural +1>2

6) Infallible vs. Thin Air - Infallible...Thin Air is a nice little ballad, but Infallible is modern PJ experimentation done pretty well Lightning Bolt +1>Binaural +1

7) Pendulum vs. Insignificance - Insignificance...Pendulum is another modern PJ experiment done pretty well, but they didn't see it through. Insignificance manages to sound unique and become one of PJ's masterpiece tunes. Binaural+1> +2

8) Swallowed Whole vs. Of The Girl - OtG...Nothing wrong with SW, but you're talking a PJ in their prime at their most creative
Binaural+1> +3

9) Let the Records Play vs. Grievance - Grievance...straight from the get go and I think LTRP is an underrated track on LB Binaural+1> +4

10) Sleeping By Myself vs. Rival - Rival with yet another lopsided victory...I don't care about any of the "It's an Ed solo track" on SBM talk, Rival is just a great tune and another that PJ takes to a place unlike any other in PJ's catalog. Binaural+1> +5

11) Yellow Moon vs. Sleight of Hand - Sleight of Hand is another that really shows them at their creative peak. Those washes of delay and atmosphere are just delicious. Yellow Moon is just a basic strumalong type tune that PJ has done much better several times before. Binaural+1> +6

Throw Soon Forget out of comparison, but extra credit goes to Binaural for having the balls to put it on there...Binaural+1> +7

12) Future Days vs. Parting Ways - Parting Ways mops the floor with Future Days.PW is an exercise in great dynamics with some of the best lyrics Ed has ever written. FD is probably the cheesiest thing PJ has ever done, musically and lyrically...Binaural +1>+8

Binaural wins easily. LB put forth a strong effort, but after the first few songs, it's clearly outclassed.

PJ_Soul · February 2014

DewieCox said:
Yes, let's look at this song-by-song:

1) Getaway vs. Breakerfall - Push...Getway has it til "Makin love like the lizards" +0

2) Mind Your Manners vs. God's Dice - Gods' Dice pretty easily...It's like Hail Hail edger more badass older brother. MYM sounds like a band trying to rage and with GD, it just comes more naturally. Binaural +1

3) My Father's Son vs. Evacuation - both pretty unique in the PJ canon, but I'll give it to My Father's Son for the shear rage EV put into it, along with that thick gnarly bassline. LB +1 EVEN

4) Sirens vs. Light Years - Light Years and it's not even close...When people complain of Sirens being cheesy it's b/c of PJ's track record of making stuff like Light Years...Is there a better PJ line than "We were but stones........" Binaural +1

5) Lightning Bolt vs. Nothing as it Seems - NAIS just has so much more depth and is an interesting direction for PJ Binaural +1>2

6) Infallible vs. Thin Air - Infallible...Thin Air is a nice little ballad, but Infallible is modern PJ experimentation done pretty well Lightning Bolt +1>Binaural +1

7) Pendulum vs. Insignificance - Insignificance...Pendulum is another modern PJ experiment done pretty well, but they didn't see it through. Insignificance manages to sound unique and become one of PJ's masterpiece tunes. Binaural+1> +2

8) Swallowed Whole vs. Of The Girl - OtG...Nothing wrong with SW, but you're talking a PJ in their prime at their most creative
Binaural+1> +3

9) Let the Records Play vs. Grievance - Grievance...straight from the get go and I think LTRP is an underrated track on LB Binaural+1> +4

10) Sleeping By Myself vs. Rival - Rival with yet another lopsided victory...I don't care about any of the "It's an Ed solo track" on SBM talk, Rival is just a great tune and another that PJ takes to a place unlike any other in PJ's catalog. Binaural+1> +5

11) Yellow Moon vs. Sleight of Hand - Sleight of Hand is another that really shows them at their creative peak. Those washes of delay and atmosphere are just delicious. Yellow Moon is just a basic strumalong type tune that PJ has done much better several times before. Binaural+1> +6

Throw Soon Forget out of comparison, but extra credit goes to Binaural for having the balls to put it on there...Binaural+1> +7

12) Future Days vs. Parting Ways - Parting Ways mops the floor with Future Days.PW is an exercise in great dynamics with some of the best lyrics Ed has ever written. FD is probably the cheesiest thing PJ has ever done, musically and lyrically...Binaural +1>+8

Binaural wins easily. LB put forth a strong effort, but after the first few songs, it's clearly outclassed.

I agree with pretty much everything you just said.

T-Bone 82 · February 2014

To each their own. It's all a matter of taste. These days, I'm more into melody and straightforward rock songs with good hooks. The more atmospheric and moody PJ (Of the Girl, Sleight of Hand) does not appeal as much to me as songs like Getaway and Lightning Bolt which show the band breaking loose, rocking, and having fun. And I think these songs translate better in a live setting too.

PJ_Soul · February 2014

T-Bone 82 said:
To each their own. It's all a matter of taste. These days, I'm more into melody and straightforward rock songs with good hooks. The more atmospheric and moody PJ (Of the Girl, Sleight of Hand) does not appeal as much to me as songs like Getaway and Lightning Bolt which show the band breaking loose, rocking, and having fun. And I think these songs translate better in a live setting too.

Have you heard Getaway live?? It's an absolute train wreck. They probably should retire it now and spare everyone the displeasure.
But Lightning Bolt got good after Wrigley, and I thought MYM live was phenomenal. Infallible was alas great, and Yellow Moon sounds really good too. I don't think Sirens is very good live though, not in any of the boots I've heard so far ir when I saw it. That initial live music video they released was the best job they did on it, and it was downhill from there IMO. I think there are more songs from Binaural that the band does really well live than there are from LB, even when factoring in the fact that the LB songs are new. I.e. NAIS is one of their BEST live songs, and Breakerfall was awesome when I saw it (even though EV's voice hurt during it - that wasn't particular to that song. It was weird - for about 4 songs at the Vancouver show his voice was clearly hurting, and it was close to the beginning of the show. And then he was okay again). Setting Forth, God's Dice, Light Years, and Can't Keep were also really great live (God's Dice was a song I never really expected to see live, but I did, and I was very impressed! It came after Why Go, and was followed by LB, and it fucking rocked! Better live than on the album, and I love it on the album).

Binaural vs. Lightning Bolt

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