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RIOT ACT * THE PEAK ALBUM * NO B.S.

brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,109
in The Porch
Ah, but believe me, I truly get it that many will feel differently because, after all, we all do hear differently and we all have come to Pearl Jam from a different place. But after a several week reprieve of not hearing Riot Act and then putting it on today, my first reaction was what I titled this thread. For me that album is so strong, hits the mark so well, and is delivered with so much intent and purpose that it remains my no. 1 PJ pick.

Any other lover for Riot Act out there?
"It's a sad and beautiful world"
-Roberto Benigni











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Comments

  • bellosjambellosjam Posts: 288
    I love albums that express passion, maybe even rage, regarding the social/political atmosphere of the times. Yield will always likely be my favorite, but I get what you're saying about RA. I'm with ya brother! :)
  • Amongst the AniAmongst the Ani @Wobbie Posts: 7,790
    Agreed. I was listening to the Projects boots from the RA album and they did an awesome job capturing that album and PJ at that time with it. RA is their best album to me.
    Tom Brady & Donald Trump, BFF's
    Fuckus rules all
    Rob
    Seattle
  • bellosjambellosjam Posts: 288
    The RA posse is growing! Nice to see!
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,109
    Awwwwwww riiiiiiiiiiiiight! Let's here it Riot Act! :-)
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • colors blendcolors blend Posts: 200
    I love Riot Act! Very strong record front to back. Felt like it was perfect in 2003 and has held up well since.
    you're god and you've got big hands
  • cwar077cwar077 Posts: 72
    A very complex album ; to me it feels like pj at their most mature and most complex. The production is also great, seems to have a folk overtone, even.in the heavy tracks. My picks are ghost, green disease, cropduster and help help
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 31,194
    cwar077 said:

    A very complex album ; to me it feels like pj at their most mature and most complex. The production is also great, seems to have a folk overtone, even.in the heavy tracks. My picks are ghost, green disease, cropduster and help help

    Quoted for truth.
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • boyo79boyo79 Warrington, UK Posts: 6,525
    Ties with Vs as my favourite PJ record. Love the run from Help Help through to All Or None, purq quality.
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  • TravelarTravelar Kalamazoo, USA Posts: 3,419
    Love some Riot Act. It's aged nicely for me.
  • tino_11tino_11 Posts: 2,161
    I love Riot Act too! Not in my top bracket of albums but sitting strongly in the middle of my rankings.
    'F*** the pessimists. F*** 'em.' Eddie Vedder
  • PJStatTrackerPJStatTracker Posts: 2,400
    I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum. For me it is the low point. Granted that "low point" isn't very low...RA is a great album!
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  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,386
    Great record for sure and the last record with more than one song that's vibe-y.
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  • BinFrogBinFrog MA Posts: 7,309
    It was a great time for the band. That renewed sense of purpose, moving away from anger directed at their pasts and the spotlight, and instead lashing out at the big wigs in charge and the stupidity and arrogance of the then current administration. It was a more directed, "full" sounding album after the experimentation of Binaural. And lucky for us they followed it with an absolutely amazing tour in which I was lucky to see 9 shows (if you count the Key Arena shows in 02).

    I keep saying LB is the best album since Riot Act. Riot Act was great. I don't think it's perfect, but it's great. By not perfect, I mean a few things:

    1) The only really hard/angry song, Save You, just seems out of place with the rest of the album.
    2) Get Right would have been great as a B-side. It is a cool tune, but I think it misses the mark as an album track. Especially since right next to it you have a very similar song that hits the mark perfectly: Green Disease.

    It was also the last time you had a bunch of legitimate b-sides: Down, Other Side, and Undone. I miss that. I think Undone and Other Side would have been amazing replacements on the album in place of Save You and/or Get Right.
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  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,386
    I miss the b-sides too. One of my favorite bands (now defunct) Powderfinger released a ton of b-sides. Made me collect all their CD singles because there were typically 4-5 tracks on each one. Recently made a comp CD and counted some 24 b-sides. We're talking demos, re-worked versions of album songs, b-sides and live performances. In those early days of PJ I'd go nuts searching for various imports for their live cuts and b-sides.
    www.cluthelee.com
  • Mad MohabMad Mohab Posts: 310
    edited April 2014
    I had a thought recently that if Riot Act looked more like this I would have put it in the top tier, lots of great music!

    4/20/02
    Other side
    Ghost
    Can't Keep
    Down
    I am Mine

    In the Moonlight
    Get Right
    Clouds are Parting
    Cropduster
    All or None
    I'm Still Here
    Arc



    Post edited by Mad Mohab on
  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,386
    What is Clouds Are Parting? Wasn't 'In The Moonlight' a Binaural outtake?
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  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,431
    Certainly, a pretty high ranking era as far as creativity goes, but I think it was a step down from the previous 3. I do have to give it the nod as the best sounding album they've ever put out, but I don't think the songs hold up as well.
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,691
    Don't get me wrong, I love RA, but I dont see it as peak. For me the peak was Yield and 1998. The rest of the albums have not been as great to me but there is lots to love about them.
    Probably has much to do about my journey alongside the music as well but I do love RA.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • Mad MohabMad Mohab Posts: 310
    2-feign-reluctance said:

    What is Clouds Are Parting? Wasn't 'In The Moonlight' a Binaural outtake?

    Clouds was an improv I really liked from around that time that would have fit and Moonlight is one of their best songs and would have been available to really elevate Riot Act IMO.
  • choopchoop Posts: 1,060
    Riot Act and that tour were the end of a Pearl Jam who took chances in songwriting and they played a ton of improvs that tour. VFC was cool too, but short. By the time they toured in 05 they were probably recording avocado, and were in full on rock star mode, in my opinion.
    "If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music." KV Jr.
  • High Fidelity 2000High Fidelity 2000 New Mexico USA Posts: 4,439
    I don't know if I'd call it the peak album but it is damn good. Maybe the Peak album of the 2nd decade of material. I think it has aged really well. At least half of the songs are all killer, top quality stuff. I have a special place for RA because I saw 9 shows that tour and heard everything live except Ghost to this day... but even now ten years after all that, when I put it on I think it's pretty awesome.
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  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,350
    I think Riot Act is a major challenger for the best album position (in a fight with Binaural and No Code). I absolutely fucking LOVE it. Every single second of it. :x
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Amongst the AniAmongst the Ani @Wobbie Posts: 7,790
    PJ_Soul said:

    I think Riot Act is a major challenger for the best album position (in a fight with Binaural and No Code). I absolutely fucking LOVE it. Every single second of it. :x

    +1
    Tom Brady & Donald Trump, BFF's
    Fuckus rules all
    Rob
    Seattle
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 28,899
    The riot act tour was great but the album is my least favorite. I never liked a lot of the songs and a few don't translate well live. But to each their own.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • oysterjaroysterjar NH Posts: 1,235
    Big fan, all around well done.
    Wind this thing up.

  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,109
    PJ_Soul said:

    I think Riot Act is a major challenger for the best album position (in a fight with Binaural and No Code). I absolutely fucking LOVE it. Every single second of it. :x


    :-bd
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,386
    mcgruff10 said:

    The riot act tour was great but the album is my least favorite. I never liked a lot of the songs and a few don't translate well live. But to each their own.

    Check out Help, Help from Kansas City 03' & hear Mike shred it out. Might change your mind!
    www.cluthelee.com
  • Mad MohabMad Mohab Posts: 310
    edited May 2014
    choop said:

    Riot Act and that tour were the end of a Pearl Jam who took chances in songwriting and they played a ton of improvs that tour. VFC was cool too, but short. By the time they toured in 05 they were probably recording avocado, and were in full on rock star mode, in my opinion.


    The Riot Act tour has great improvs, but check out Toronto 06 both nights for the band evolving to another peak in my opinion.

    On another note, the 4 singles I have for RA are great, Bushleaguer, Save You, I Am Mine and LBC!
    Post edited by Mad Mohab on
  • FrankSFrankS Posts: 281
    Always felt like I'm in the minority. Riot Act is my #1 and Binaural #2
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  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 31,194
    2-feign-reluctance said:

    mcgruff10 said:

    The riot act tour was great but the album is my least favorite. I never liked a lot of the songs and a few don't translate well live. But to each their own.

    Check out Help, Help from Kansas City 03' & hear Mike shred it out. Might change your mind!
    Can't find this boot, are you sure you mean Kansas City? They played there in 2000 and not 2003...? Or?
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
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