117. Black vs. All or None

[stip]

Pearl Jam is the rare band where all their greatest hits are just fucking awesome.

[digster]

All or None, surprisingly easy. I'm finding as I'm getting older, and maybe don't spend quite as much time on PJ's catalog as I did when I first discovered them, the place a song has in the band's catalog means less and less to me. Black is kind of a central song for PJ, is one of their most recognizable songs, etc., but I really don't return to it at all in the way I return to All or None.

[warehouse]

what on earth is happening here?

We're finally letting loose and going full RM.

lol seriously. i'm not sure where else you are going to find these results.

You mean, where else are you going to find fans voting knowledgably based on which songs they actually think are stronger in a side-by-side comparison, as opposed to just blindly choosing a more popular song over one that is virtually unknown? You're right, a fan forum is definitely going to be the most fertile ground for that type of scenario.

I like that the tournament results stand for RM's
real tastes, in all of their neurotic, jaded, baggage-laden, yet still somehow fiercely affectionate quirkiness.

my god, you are so smug you are not worth discussing music with. that first sentence is one of the most self righteous things i've read on rm. are you trying to be a dbag? i mean there's people on here who admittedly don't listen to pearl jam, but this is the most knowledgable poll results lol.

[Strat]

I’m so confused by the above posts

[warehouse]

I’m so confused by the above posts

RM is a pretty unique place. i think there's a good amount of people here who became fans well after 1992 when pearl jam were at their peak popularity. there's people who admittedly barely listen to pearl jam anymore. this place is always going to produce weird results with pj polls. KD was just trying to be an asshole.

[Kevin Davis]

I'm sorry, you're right, that was unnecessarily snarky. I should have just left the first paragraph out and posted the second.

I do like that the eclectic results of these polls bear out the eclectic tastes of the forum. I think it's fun that the songs we pick as our favorites aren't just a replication of the greatest hits tracklist, and I like the actual thoughtful discussion that springs up from that, people relating their experience with the music, etc.

But, I do apologize for being snarky to you. It wasn't warranted.

[Leatherhead]

what on earth is happening here?

We're finally letting loose and going full RM.

lol seriously. i'm not sure where else you are going to find these results.

You mean, where else are you going to find fans voting knowledgably based on which songs they actually think are stronger in a side-by-side comparison, as opposed to just blindly choosing a more popular song over one that is virtually unknown? You're right, a fan forum is definitely going to be the most fertile ground for that type of scenario.

I like that the tournament results stand for RM's
real tastes, in all of their neurotic, jaded, baggage-laden, yet still somehow fiercely affectionate quirkiness.

my god, you are so smug you are not worth discussing music with. that first sentence is one of the most self righteous things i've read on rm. are you trying to be a dbag? i mean there's people on here who admittedly don't listen to pearl jam, but this is the most knowledgable poll results lol.

KD's right.

[Leatherhead]

I’m so confused by the above posts

RM is a pretty unique place. i think there's a good amount of people here who became fans well after 1992 when pearl jam were at their peak popularity. there's people who admittedly barely listen to pearl jam anymore. this place is always going to produce weird results with pj polls. KD was just trying to be an asshole.

I'm more knowledgeable and listen to more Pearl Jam than 100% of the people I've ever met in real life, yet my tastes are much more aligned with RM than any other sense of PJ's best stuff. I guarantee you 99% of the people posting here are more knowledgeable and have listened to more Pearl Jam than almost all of Pearl Jam's general fanbase.

[liebzz]

I mean, RM can get in RM’s head sometimes, but I gotta stick up a bit for KD here. I highly appreciate both of your approaches to listening and talking about music. KD has a genuine love of rock music that I don’t think ever crosses into self-importance - as pure a fan as it gets. I wish I loved this stuff on his level.

That said, I have also always looked forward to warehouse’s perspectives as well.

I voted All or None but I have shared my gripes with Black in the past. It’s not that it’s a bad song, but I always thought it was overvalued in the Pearl Jam canon. All or None, outside or probably this space, is criminally undervalued. That said, I still think these songs are close. Both have big emotional impacts at their climax, both build into incredibly special moments for Mike. But I would find myself in the mood more often for All or None than Black. That I get angry if the band screws up one note in All or None live is a testament to how great the studio track actually is that I only want it note for note.

[Kevin Davis]

Ah, thanks liebzz -- I appreciate that, and the feeling's mutual.

[warehouse]

I'm sorry, you're right, that was unnecessarily snarky. I should have just left the first paragraph out and posted the second.

I do like that the eclectic results of these polls bear out the eclectic tastes of the forum. I think it's fun that the songs we pick as our favorites aren't just a replication of the greatest hits tracklist, and I like the actual thoughtful discussion that springs up from that, people relating their experience with the music, etc.

But, I do apologize for being snarky to you. It wasn't warranted.

i totally agree with you about the results. RM has a collective taste that's gonna lead to different results than you would find in a poll on the pit or a radio station or whatever. its why these polls are always interesting.

[liebzz]

Just so we’re clear, RM fans are indeed better than other fans, and don’t y’all forget that.

[coptheriotact]

Even if I try to account for burnout on the ten/vs tracks, riot act is 20 years old and I’ve played it at least as much as ten at this point


All or none