Lets Actually Listen to the Album: No Code

[Anders]

I’ve probably used way too much headspace and iPhone typing to explain why No Code is my favorite Pearl Jam album. There’s the unmatched warmth of this one, not a single one of the rest of their albums even comes close to the in your living with them vibe of this, and the way the songs twist and turn but always feel incredibly organic. Jack Irons contributes in such an essential way to those things, his playing noticeable yet fits like a glove to the songs themselves.

Yet even with that, this album jumps in all sorts of directions, from contemplative builders like Present Tense and Who You Are to big banging rockers that take no prisoners on Habit and Hail Hail. Yet the instrumental passages and bridges are unforced and largely killer - Habit’s breakneck finale as impressive as Present Tense’s slow build to catharsis. Add even to that mix a solid spoken word, a lullaby, a humorous rocker sung by Stone, and we haven’t even discussed the genius of Red Mosquito, In My Tree, the Neil Young dirge of Smile, or the storytelling mastery of Off He Goes. I love every inch and second of this album, one that has no business being a single document yet I couldn’t imagine it without everything it contains.

The b-sides are great fun here, and I tried to replicate the jump scare blast of Sometimes > Hail Hail with Dead Man > All Night (All Night has an almost Stone Temple Pilots like groove in it almost slithering in its execution while maintaining the Pearl jam vibe). Black Red Yellow is killer, Don’t Give Me No Lip great fun.

The live playlist again is disjointed with the audio quality but was still a nice listen, specifically Aound the Bend and Who You Are.

Enjoyed reading this.

[Coach]

I listened to this one a few weeks ago. Such a strong album. Probably my favorite.

I love all the live versions of Who you Are.

[digster]

There's a real combination of experimentation and effortlessness in this album that's really striking, and pretty unique in their catalog. In albums like Vitalogy and Binaural, you can hear the struggle to create and push past the expectations others have for the band (and the band has for itself). But No Code doesn't feel labored in the slightest; it's the band finding a brand new house to roam around in, freely strolling into whatever room entices them.

[VinylGuy]

Ok, lets do it

ahh i love the studio version of Sometimes...the way the bass kicks in, the little guitars, the quietness...that sound at the almost minute mark...this one sounds so good, so intimate, so small...is it Mike in the left? i love whats he is doing.

Beautiful

[VinylGuy]

Imagine we left of the band with Vitalogy and then the first track is Sometimes...wonderful

[VinylGuy]

of course Hail Hail comes in and its a punch in the face....dude volume is UP!! This might the best garage type of song they did really, its a wonderful compositon, loooove the lyrics too

The guitars sound exactly like they need to sound goddamn

[VinylGuy]

first song were you understand what Jackie is going to bring to the band really

[VinylGuy]

that solo is gorgeous

[VinylGuy]

Who You Are was a wild choice for a single, but i guess very representative of the album maybe. Ive never been a huge fan of it, but they are so many cool things about it

Jack´s groove of course, the cool background vocals, the guitars...the way Jeff comes in, super loud in the mix and how it falls with the groove....song sounds beautiful

those acoustic guitars are awesome

[VinylGuy]

Kinda feels they are having such a warm cool time in the studio ( which it seems it wasnt happening at all)

[VinylGuy]

IMT is another i dont quite consider a classic, but it has so many cool things it kinda goes to that place...

Jack is wonderful here again...and Jeff too. I love how big he sounds from the start and hock is all blends with the guitars in the buildup

This is an Ed and Stone comp right?

Loooove the bridgeee

this song sounds incredible

[VinylGuy]

dont fade out , dont fadeeee out