If you could change one (or two) thing from each album...

wnh1977
wnh1977 Iowa Posts: 650
edited April 17 in The Porch
Ten - So tough to critique a masterpiece, but... Get rid of the fade-in/fade-out instrumental.  Open the album, and PJ's entrance into the world, with "Release".  "Ledbetter" to close the album and throw "Once" (it's so great but maybe my least favorite on the album) to a b-side to keep this at 11 tracks.

Vs. - Again, very difficult to critique... I almost can't do this one. 

Vitalogy - Get rid of at least two of the "weird" tracks.  I'd probably omit "Pry, To" and "Stupid Mop" and close the album with "Immortality" (great album closer)

No Code - I'm having problems again.  I don't know what I'd change.  This album is so unique and was such a change for PJ that I don't know what I'd change.

Yield - Get rid of the hidden track.

Binaural - 1) Breakerfall  2) Sad  3) Light Years  4) Nothing As It Seems  5) Thin Air  6)  Of the Girl  7)  Insignificance  8) In the Moonlight   9)  Grievance  10)  Rival  11)  Sleight of Hand  12)  Soon Forget  13) Parting Ways
- Goodbye "Gods' Dice" and "Evacuation"

Riot Act  - Too many tracks.  "Get Right' and "Thumbing My Way" on the cutting room floor to get this down to 13 tracks / 48 minutes

Pearl Jam - Another tough one.  I like tight albums, so I'd rather subtract than add in most cases.  Maybe remove "Big Wave"... Makes it 12 tracks / 47 minutes

Backspacer - PJ's shortest album.  Definitely not my favorite, but it's unique and it's short and sweet and I don't know if I'd change anything.

Lightning Bolt - Get the bad one-two punch of "Let the Records Play" and "Sleeping By Myself" off the album.  Replace it with a studio version of "Of the Earth" which started surfacing around this era.  Boom, makes it go from an average album to really fucking good.

Gigaton - Kind of like Backspacer... I think it's quite a unique PJ album.  Definitely not their strongest, but solid IMO.  I know "Buckle Up" gets a lot of hate, but I'd get rid of "Take the Long Way" if I had to pick one.  That would shorten what is the longest PJ album.

Dark Matter - Easy for me.  Bye, bye "Something Special".  Just doesn't fit for me.  Down to 10 tracks, 44 minutes and no fluff.
1998: 6/26, 6/27, 6/29
2000: 8/15, 8/18, 10/9, 10/11, 10/12
2003: 6/18, 6/21, 6/22
2005: 9/9, 9/28
2006: 5/16, 5/17, 6/26, 6/27
2007: 8/5
2009: 8/23, 8/24
2010: 5/3, 5/4, 5/21
2011: 9/3, 9/4, 9/11, 9/12
2013: 7/19, 11/16
2014: 10/3, 10/9, 10/12, 10/17
2016: 4/16, 8/20, 8/22
2018: 8/18, 8/20, 9/2
2022: 9/18
2023: 8/31, 9/2, 9/5
2024: 5/18, 6/29
Post edited by wnh1977 on

Comments

  • on2legs
    on2legs Posts: 15,980
    Agreed on your Vitalogy take.  It’s my favorite PJ album at the moment and it would make it so much tighter.  
    1996: Randall's Island 2  1998: East Rutherford | MSG 1 & 2  2000: Cincinnati | Columbus | Jones Beach 1, 2, & 3 | Boston 1 | Camden 1 & 2 2003: Philadelphia | Uniondale | MSG 1 & 2 | Holmdel  2005: Atlantic City 1  2006: Camden 1 | East Rutherford 1 & 2 2008: Camden 1 & 2 | MSG 1 & 2 (#25) | Newark (EV)  2009: Philadelphia 1, 2 & 4  2010: Newark | MSG 1 & 2  2011: Toronto 1  2013: Wrigley Field | Brooklyn 2 | Philadelphia 1 & 2 | Baltimore  2015: Central Park  2016: Philadelphia 1 & 2 | MSG 1 & 2 | Fenway Park 2 | MSG (TOTD)  2017: Brooklyn (RnR HOF)  2020: MSG | Asbury Park  2021: Asbury Park  2022: MSG | Camden | Nashville  2024: MSG 1 & 2 (#50) | Philadelphia 1 & 2 | Baltimore  2025: Raleigh


  • wnh1977
    wnh1977 Iowa Posts: 650
    on2legs said:
    Agreed on your Vitalogy take.  It’s my favorite PJ album at the moment and it would make it so much tighter.  
    Yes!  The 10 "normal" songs are just amazing.  Just a little too much bloat with 4 experimental weird tracks.  It was a weird time for the band which is maybe why they ultimately had that much weirdness on this album, but I think it just takes away from the album.  I think this would be the tightest vinyl of all time :)
     Side 1:
        Last Exit
        Spin the Black Circle
        Not For You
        Tremor Christ
        Nothingman

    Side 2:
        Corduroy (that fade in to open a side of the album would be very cool)
        Whipping
        Satan's Bed
        Better Man
        Immortality
    1998: 6/26, 6/27, 6/29
    2000: 8/15, 8/18, 10/9, 10/11, 10/12
    2003: 6/18, 6/21, 6/22
    2005: 9/9, 9/28
    2006: 5/16, 5/17, 6/26, 6/27
    2007: 8/5
    2009: 8/23, 8/24
    2010: 5/3, 5/4, 5/21
    2011: 9/3, 9/4, 9/11, 9/12
    2013: 7/19, 11/16
    2014: 10/3, 10/9, 10/12, 10/17
    2016: 4/16, 8/20, 8/22
    2018: 8/18, 8/20, 9/2
    2022: 9/18
    2023: 8/31, 9/2, 9/5
    2024: 5/18, 6/29
  • DM282158
    DM282158 Beverly, MA Posts: 658
    I think you’re spot on with Immortality being a closer. And Riot Act being cut down a tad. 
    Boston '06
    Mansfield '08
    Hartford '10
    Worcester, Hartford '13
    Global Citizen, NY '15
  • on2legs
    on2legs Posts: 15,980
    wnh1977 said:
    on2legs said:
    Agreed on your Vitalogy take.  It’s my favorite PJ album at the moment and it would make it so much tighter.  
    Yes!  The 10 "normal" songs are just amazing.  Just a little too much bloat with 4 experimental weird tracks.  It was a weird time for the band which is maybe why they ultimately had that much weirdness on this album, but I think it just takes away from the album.  I think this would be the tightest vinyl of all time :)
     Side 1:
        Last Exit
        Spin the Black Circle
        Not For You
        Tremor Christ
        Nothingman

    Side 2:
        Corduroy (that fade in to open a side of the album would be very cool)
        Whipping
        Satan's Bed
        Better Man
        Immortality
    Gonna make a playlist! 👆🏻
    1996: Randall's Island 2  1998: East Rutherford | MSG 1 & 2  2000: Cincinnati | Columbus | Jones Beach 1, 2, & 3 | Boston 1 | Camden 1 & 2 2003: Philadelphia | Uniondale | MSG 1 & 2 | Holmdel  2005: Atlantic City 1  2006: Camden 1 | East Rutherford 1 & 2 2008: Camden 1 & 2 | MSG 1 & 2 (#25) | Newark (EV)  2009: Philadelphia 1, 2 & 4  2010: Newark | MSG 1 & 2  2011: Toronto 1  2013: Wrigley Field | Brooklyn 2 | Philadelphia 1 & 2 | Baltimore  2015: Central Park  2016: Philadelphia 1 & 2 | MSG 1 & 2 | Fenway Park 2 | MSG (TOTD)  2017: Brooklyn (RnR HOF)  2020: MSG | Asbury Park  2021: Asbury Park  2022: MSG | Camden | Nashville  2024: MSG 1 & 2 (#50) | Philadelphia 1 & 2 | Baltimore  2025: Raleigh


  • DM282158
    DM282158 Beverly, MA Posts: 658
    I’d also change the sequencing of Yield. 

    Something like:

    Brain of J. 
    Do the Evolution
    Faithful
    Low Light
    In Hiding 
    Wishlist
    Given to Fly
    Red Bar
    Pilate
    MFC
    Push Me, Pull Me
    No Way
    All Those Yesterdays

    2 Stone tracks to close it out. Up tempo first half, slower tempo second half, like Avocado. 
    Boston '06
    Mansfield '08
    Hartford '10
    Worcester, Hartford '13
    Global Citizen, NY '15
  • wnh1977
    wnh1977 Iowa Posts: 650
    edited April 30
    I would also change A LOT with Lost Dogs.  I love the idea of this album so much more than the execution of it.  This album should have truly been a comprehensive collection of B-sides and rarities. 

    • I really dislike the idea that tracks like "Alone", "U", "Dirty Frank", "Drifting", " Black, Red, Yellow", "Footsteps" and "Wash" are different from the originally released versions. Bad decision by the band.  It feels like revisionist history.  If you want these songs in their original form, you still have to go out and buy all the singles that they appear on.  Hate it.  If you need to remaster some of the tracks, fine... but this is recreating history.
    • There are so many notable omissions.  "Angel", "Leatherman", "I've Got a Feeling", "Olympic Platinum" and "Happy When I'm Crying" to name a few.  
    • How the hell did they fuck up and cut off the last note of "Yellow Ledbetter"??!!
    I think there are several songs that MAYBE could have been included.  "I Got Id" and "Long Road" were included on the PJ release, "Merkinball", so I guess I'm ok with those being left off.  Same with "State Of Love and Trust" and "Breath" - those appear on the Singles Soundtrack, so I'm fine that those were left off.  That's part of the problem... there's no 100% clear criteria for Lost Dogs.  It it were to include recorded songs that did not appear on their studio albums, it could have contained a boatload more songs... or you could have had a Lost Dogs 2 down the road.

    I just feel like this is a very sloppy release, not at all a collection of true B-sides and rarities.  A "Brother" instrumental stripped of vocals with new McCready guitar parts?  I don't get it.  
    Post edited by wnh1977 on
    1998: 6/26, 6/27, 6/29
    2000: 8/15, 8/18, 10/9, 10/11, 10/12
    2003: 6/18, 6/21, 6/22
    2005: 9/9, 9/28
    2006: 5/16, 5/17, 6/26, 6/27
    2007: 8/5
    2009: 8/23, 8/24
    2010: 5/3, 5/4, 5/21
    2011: 9/3, 9/4, 9/11, 9/12
    2013: 7/19, 11/16
    2014: 10/3, 10/9, 10/12, 10/17
    2016: 4/16, 8/20, 8/22
    2018: 8/18, 8/20, 9/2
    2022: 9/18
    2023: 8/31, 9/2, 9/5
    2024: 5/18, 6/29
  • Weston1283
    Weston1283 Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 5,019
    edited April 30
    Won't comment on all of them, but I will comment on my least favorite album (Gigaton)

    Would love to see what a new, re-produced Gigaton by Andrew Watt, without the never ending word-salad lyrics, would sound like
    2010: Cleveland
    2012: Atlanta
    2013: London ONT / Wrigley Field / Pittsburgh / Buffalo / San Diego / Los Angeles I / Los Angeles II
    2014: Cincinnati / St. Louis / Tulsa / Lincoln / Detroit / Denver
    2015: New York City
    2016: Ft. Lauderdale / Miami / Jacksonville / Greenville / Hampton / Columbia / Lexington / Philly II / New York City II / Toronto II / Bonnaroo / Telluride / Fenway I / Wrigley I / Wrigley - II / TOTD - Philadelphia, San Francisco
    2017: Ohana Fest (EV)
    2018: Amsterdam I / Amsterdam II / Seattle I / Seattle II / Boston I / Boston II
    2021: Asbury Park / Ohana Encore 1 / Ohana Encore 2
    2022: Phoenix / LA I / LA II / Quebec City / Ottawa / New York City / Camden / Nashville / St. Louis / Denver
    2023: St. Paul II
    2024: Las Vegas I / Las Vegas II / New York City I / New York City II / Philly I / Philly II / Baltimore
  • D-Day
    D-Day Posts: 708
    on2legs said:
    wnh1977 said:
    on2legs said:
    Agreed on your Vitalogy take.  It’s my favorite PJ album at the moment and it would make it so much tighter.  
    Yes!  The 10 "normal" songs are just amazing.  Just a little too much bloat with 4 experimental weird tracks.  It was a weird time for the band which is maybe why they ultimately had that much weirdness on this album, but I think it just takes away from the album.  I think this would be the tightest vinyl of all time :)
     Side 1:
        Last Exit
        Spin the Black Circle
        Not For You
        Tremor Christ
        Nothingman

    Side 2:
        Corduroy (that fade in to open a side of the album would be very cool)
        Whipping
        Satan's Bed
        Better Man
        Immortality
    Gonna make a playlist! 👆🏻
    💿 - player > program mode > PLAY

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