19. Rearviewmirror vs. Light Years

Post by **stip** » Thu March 11, 2021 8:27 pm

Rearviewmirror vs. Light Years

Post by **stip** » Thu March 11, 2021 8:37 pm

Light Year is resolutely average - a collection of interesting ideas that never came together in a coherent way. Rearviewmirror after being tired of it maybe 15 years, has, in recent years, become one of my most listened to PJ songs. I dont really like any of the live versions, but the studio version is sublime, and the ending is one of the best moments in the entire catalog. Everyone just crushes every moment of this song

PHATJ · Post by **PHATJ** » Thu March 11, 2021 10:02 pm

Light Years took me 15 years to love, but I love it so much now. Gets my vote.

Leatherhead · Post by **Leatherhead** » Thu March 11, 2021 10:03 pm

What the fuck.

Leatherhead · Post by **Leatherhead** » Thu March 11, 2021 10:11 pm

Gonna have to go with Light Years.

wease · Post by **wease** » Thu March 11, 2021 10:30 pm

Light Years. Once I got it, I got it and it’s my favorite track off Binaural.

Post by **epilogue** » Thu March 11, 2021 11:17 pm

Both tremendous songs that I love.

Gotta go RVM though. It's all time.

dprival78 · Post by **dprival78** » Thu March 11, 2021 11:50 pm

this seems like an elite 8 matchup, at least. tough one

Post by **epilogue** » Thu March 11, 2021 11:51 pm

dprival78 wrote:this seems like an elite 8 matchup, at least. tough one

Word

podunk · Post by **podunk** » Thu March 11, 2021 11:54 pm

Oh boy...

This is tricky. Two of my favourites.

There is a subtlety to Light years on the album (which is unfortunately all but lost in live renditions now) that really makes it hit hard for me. Love the lyrics and Vedder’s performance.

RVM is amazing, but played out for me.

Light Years.

VinylGuy · Post by **VinylGuy** » Fri March 12, 2021 1:07 am

of course i loooove LY, but RVM is untouchable.

Jaeti · Post by **Jaeti** » Fri March 12, 2021 1:47 am

Two great songs. I still remember the first time hearing Light Years in my car after a post-midnight record store release in college. It floored me.

To this day, the first 1:40 or so of Light Years is still six-star-quality Pearl Jam as far as I'm concerned. But I'm one who generally factors in the live experience when ranking and voting, and it's never carried the same power in concert.

Obviously, that's not an issue for Rearviewmirror. It's great on the album, and frequently amazing live.

Stardog Champion · Post by **Stardog Champion** » Fri March 12, 2021 2:24 am

Rearviewmirror has been elite PJ for me for a long time now. Maybe since the SNL appearance.

liebzz · Post by **liebzz** » Fri March 12, 2021 2:25 pm

Light Years is a great great song...but even I have to admit it’s not in the same category as RVM which is as Pearl Jam as Pearl Jam gets.

Post by **Bammer** » Fri March 12, 2021 2:56 pm

Extremely difficult choice for me considering the Light Years tattoo I almost got

Monkey_Driven · Post by **Monkey_Driven** » Fri March 12, 2021 7:47 pm

RVM does almost nothing for me anymore. Easy win by Light Years.

tragabigzanda · Post by **tragabigzanda** » Fri March 12, 2021 9:00 pm

RVM was an early favorite, driven by the amazing SNL '94 performance, and a few tours' worth of great live versions with fun mid-song jams...But it started to go downhill once Matt came on board, and the live versions just haven't felt right since. And the studio cut, while great, lacks the loose energy of those earlier live versions.

Light Years, on the other hand, is one of the best studio tracks in the catalog. The live versions don't really add much, but the recording keeps calling me back so I can admire Tchad's production and Brendan's mix of a very dynamic, fairly complicated composition. I love it more and more as time goes on, while RVM kind of feels like a flannel shirt I wore in high school that does't fit so well anymore.

Monkey_Driven · Post by **Monkey_Driven** » Fri March 12, 2021 9:48 pm

tragabigzanda wrote:RVM was an early favorite, driven by the amazing SNL '94 performance, and a few tours' worth of great live versions with fun mid-song jams...But it started to go downhill once Matt came on board, and the live versions just haven't felt right since. And the studio cut, while great, lacks the loose energy of those earlier live versions.

Light Years, on the other hand, is one of the best studio tracks in the catalog. The live versions don't really add much, but the recording keeps calling me back so I can admire Tchad's production and Brendan's mix of a very dynamic, fairly complicated composition. I love it more and more as time goes on, while RVM kind of feels like a flannel shirt I wore in high school that does't fit so well anymore.

Preach

liebzz · Post by **liebzz** » Fri March 12, 2021 10:57 pm

Monkey_Driven wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:RVM was an early favorite, driven by the amazing SNL '94 performance, and a few tours' worth of great live versions with fun mid-song jams...But it started to go downhill once Matt came on board, and the live versions just haven't felt right since. And the studio cut, while great, lacks the loose energy of those earlier live versions.

Light Years, on the other hand, is one of the best studio tracks in the catalog. The live versions don't really add much, but the recording keeps calling me back so I can admire Tchad's production and Brendan's mix of a very dynamic, fairly complicated composition. I love it more and more as time goes on, while RVM kind of feels like a flannel shirt I wore in high school that does't fit so well anymore.
Preach

Yeah but doesn’t it still fit better than Everlong.

tragabigzanda · Post by **tragabigzanda** » Fri March 12, 2021 10:58 pm

liebzz wrote:
Monkey_Driven wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:RVM was an early favorite, driven by the amazing SNL '94 performance, and a few tours' worth of great live versions with fun mid-song jams...But it started to go downhill once Matt came on board, and the live versions just haven't felt right since. And the studio cut, while great, lacks the loose energy of those earlier live versions.

Light Years, on the other hand, is one of the best studio tracks in the catalog. The live versions don't really add much, but the recording keeps calling me back so I can admire Tchad's production and Brendan's mix of a very dynamic, fairly complicated composition. I love it more and more as time goes on, while RVM kind of feels like a flannel shirt I wore in high school that does't fit so well anymore.
Preach
Yeah but doesn’t it still fit better than Everlong.

lol it does actually

Red Mosquito