Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Riot Act

[stip]

The whole thing about “interesting time in the history of this country” is why I felt so disappointed they couldn’t get their act together last year to put an inspired album out. I really wish it was Pearl Jam that put out Wrecking Ball. Riot Act hit exactly that spot.

Maybe thats why they held off last year, and waited till after the election, knowing if Romney got elected theyd really be motivated to make a kick ass record

i would like them to write about something else than politics. Backspacer was fresh air after three political records.

for all the politics clouding that tour and that era, only three songs are really political on riot act.

Same and even more for Binaural. Don't really get the "three political records" comment. All those songs reflect a general mood which they felt dominated society. If you call that political, so be it. For me, it goes much wider than that. Depending on your definition of political of course.

A political song is not just a song that mentions war or a president. Washing Machine is right. RA is a personal response to a political moment. So is S/T for that matter.

[VinylGuy]

The least political one was Binaural, the subjects go from directly politics ( grievance, insignificance,) to a view from the world ( evacuation, rival, ) to relationships ( breakerfall, gods dice, light years, thin air, of the girl, parting ways, sleight of hand).
Riot Act is political just by looking at it cover. There is a personal political message before you even listen to the record...the same with avocado where ed improved the way he wrote about the world by telling stories ( WWS , unemployable and army reserve are great).
I guess with Backspacer i felt he was moving into other territories as well.

[digster]

I think Riot Act, along with Binaural and S/T, are definitely political records, or at least records concerned with the political climate at the time they were made. I think what they're not is overtly didactic (I think S/T probably crosses that line in parts). They certainly seem to have a more political bent than what came before in their earlier records.

[Angus]

The whole thing about “interesting time in the history of this country” is why I felt so disappointed they couldn’t get their act together last year to put an inspired album out. I really wish it was Pearl Jam that put out Wrecking Ball. Riot Act hit exactly that spot.

Maybe thats why they held off last year, and waited till after the election, knowing if Romney got elected theyd really be motivated to make a kick ass record

i would like them to write about something else than politics. Backspacer was fresh air after three political records.

for all the politics clouding that tour and that era, only three songs are really political on riot act.

Same and even more for Binaural. Don't really get the "three political records" comment. All those songs reflect a general mood which they felt dominated society. If you call that political, so be it. For me, it goes much wider than that. Depending on your definition of political of course.

A political song is not just a song that mentions war or a president. Washing Machine is right. RA is a personal response to a political moment. So is S/T for that matter.

If Binaural is a political record, then so are Vs & Ten. Which I'd be perfectly fine with. I just think some people are taking the "political" notion a bit different than others.

[epilogue]

The whole thing about “interesting time in the history of this country” is why I felt so disappointed they couldn’t get their act together last year to put an inspired album out. I really wish it was Pearl Jam that put out Wrecking Ball. Riot Act hit exactly that spot.

Maybe thats why they held off last year, and waited till after the election, knowing if Romney got elected theyd really be motivated to make a kick ass record

i would like them to write about something else than politics. Backspacer was fresh air after three political records.

for all the politics clouding that tour and that era, only three songs are really political on riot act.

Same and even more for Binaural. Don't really get the "three political records" comment. All those songs reflect a general mood which they felt dominated society. If you call that political, so be it. For me, it goes much wider than that. Depending on your definition of political of course.

A political song is not just a song that mentions war or a president. Washing Machine is right. RA is a personal response to a political moment. So is S/T for that matter.

If Binaural is a political record, then so are Vs & Ten. Which I'd be perfectly fine with. I just think some people are taking the "political" notion a bit different than others.

I'm always surprised when people want to call Riot Act a political album, but want to say the same of Vs.

[washing machine]

Vs. is an album that's more suited to dkfan's "three political songs" criteria without coming across as a political record at all. It's a record that, well, has three political songs on it (Glorified G, WMA, and Rats.) Oddly enough, while being about a political refugee, Dissident doesn't ever address any political issue whatsoever.

Yield is an interesting one because you can make the argument that there are many references to retreating on that album, which feels like some sort of reaction to society (and in turn, the politics that come with it).

Think of lines like "lay your head down," "tuned out," "shut and lock, "keeps us in our boxes, "stop me before I begin..." Riot act has those feelings too, but they often come directly before or after lyrics and songs addressing why wanting to hide or ignore certain political realities is such a necessity for these narrators. I never get that with Yield, which contains songs that can be interpreted many other ways than however you want to define the word "political."

If both albums were road trips, Yield would be a long, contemplative drive away from any city, fueled by cannabis and the occasional thought about politics and society.

Riot Act would be more like a drive on a congested and smog-filled freeway; news of the latest events from Iraq on the radio piping through your speakers when all you really want to do is get a moment's peace for yourself before you get to work, but you can't because when you turn off the radio, all you see are billboards, SUVS and Priuses stamped with bumper stickers and ads.

[epilogue]

Right, but that's the point. Vs and Riot Act have basically the same number of overtly political songs. And a similar number of socio-political songs. And a couple of love songs. So, why is one thought of as a specifically political record and the other not so much?

I just think it's interesting.

[iceagecoming]

Right, but that's the point. Vs and Riot Act have basically the same number of overtly political songs. And a similar number of socio-political songs. And a couple of love songs. So, why is one thought of as a specifically political record and the other not so much?

I just think it's interesting.

It's easier to tie the political songs on Riot Act to their specific political moment (post 9/11 shit). The political themes on Vs are more general.

[washing machine]

Yep. Vs. doesn't have a coherent narrative running throughout it that ties those political songs together like Riot Act does. The political themes on those songs I mentioned are really just musings on three different "hot topic" issues that come up each election cycle, and the non-political songs on Vs. aren't really even remotely influenced by any sort of political elephant in the room.

Vs. is political in the same way that I'm sure the inside of Eddie Vedder's high school locker was political (when he actually attended.)

[Sigerson]

Binaural is no more or less political than Vs. is. I think I'd rather have a political album than an album which has nothing interesting to say.

[nah]

i think ed left no doubt about it being political when he sported a mohawk and tried to be more punk. yield is about someone looking inside themself where riot act is someone yelling at the gates of the white house.

[Sigerson]

yield is about someone looking inside themself where riot act is someone yelling at the gates of the white house.

That's all good but I don't think I'd be too thrilled about Yield if it came out around the same time Riot Act did. Riot Act being "political" shouldn't be seen as a slight against it. Riot Act works as a response to the political climate circa 2002; Yield wouldn't. And there are songs on Riot Act which does what you are describing--All or None for one.

[Angus]

I think Riot Act is also more than just the political mood of the time. Think of the general mood the band was in after the 2000 tour. A couple of hints they might quit after going through Roskilde. They sure weren't the happiest times. And they assembled all those feelings into that album. The more I think about it, the better Riot Act becomes.

[nah]

yield is about someone looking inside themself where riot act is someone yelling at the gates of the white house.

That's all good but I don't think I'd be too thrilled about Yield if it came out around the same time Riot Act did. Riot Act being "political" shouldn't be seen as a slight against it. Riot Act works as a response to the political climate circa 2002; Yield wouldn't. And there are songs on Riot Act which does what you are describing--All or None for one.

you know what, i'm lying. i just looked at the tracklisting for riot act and i don't see more than 3 political songs. i guess i just felt it was more political than it was and maybe because of eds looks and stuff. i think i just really dislike the music of that album. sorry for even posting.

[Norah]

I think Riot Act is also more than just the political mood of the time. Think of the general mood the band was in after the 2000 tour. A couple of hints they might quit after going through Roskilde. They sure weren't the happiest times. And they assembled all those feelings into that album. The more I think about it, the better Riot Act becomes.

This guy gets it.

[washing machine]

I don't think that anybody is saying that Riot Act is just a political album or that Riot Act's plethora of political themes makes it a bad record. I certainly hope that's not what people are getting from my posts.

[Sigerson]

you know what, i'm lying. i just looked at the tracklisting for riot act and i don't see more than 3 political songs. i guess i just felt it was more political than it was and maybe because of eds looks and stuff. i think i just really dislike the music of that album. sorry for even posting.

Did I say something?

[Sigerson]

I think Riot Act is also more than just the political mood of the time. Think of the general mood the band was in after the 2000 tour. A couple of hints they might quit after going through Roskilde. They sure weren't the happiest times. And they assembled all those feelings into that album. The more I think about it, the better Riot Act becomes.

[nah]

I think Riot Act is also more than just the political mood of the time. Think of the general mood the band was in after the 2000 tour. A couple of hints they might quit after going through Roskilde. They sure weren't the happiest times. And they assembled all those feelings into that album. The more I think about it, the better Riot Act becomes.

i wish ideas and flights of fancy were enough to make songs like 'can't keep' 'you are' 'get right' '1/2 full' 'all or none' 'thumbing my way' and 'bushleaguer' listenable.

[Sigerson]

i wish ideas and flights of fancy were enough to make songs like 'can't keep' 'you are' 'get right' '1/2 full' 'all or none' 'thumbing my way' and 'bushleaguer' listenable.

That's your opinion. To me, Can't Keep and You Are are two of their best songs and much more listenable than anything on Ten.