I’d be pretty generous with my 5’s too — really for me it’s just down to whether I unreservedly like something as it is, without wishing anything about it was different. If it passes that test I have no problems calling it “perfect.” I see a 5-star rating being less about how great a song is relative to other songs, or how major its ambitions are, and all about whether or not it succeeds fully on its own terms (otherwise it just becomes another ranking exercise). A significant percentage of their songs up through Riot Act clear that bar for me, though far fewer beyond that.
But by any measure I am definitely with Wease — “In the Moonlight” and “Cropduster” are 5’s.
Last edited by Kevin Davis on Thu October 31, 2024 2:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Alive
Porch
Garden
State of Love and Trust
Go
Animal
Leash
Spin the Black Circle
Satan's Bed
Hail, Hail
In My Tree
Habit
Red Mosquito
Brain of J
Faithfull
Give to Fly
Wishlist
Light Years
Of the Girl
Rival
Sleight of Hand
Parting Ways
Can't Keep
All or None
Down
Fatal
Hard to Imagine
Severed Hand
Parachutes
Yellow Moon
Never Destination
Dark Matter
I think I'm realizing that after the early years, I think Pearl Jam's strengths largely migrated to the more contemplative side. After a decade of five-star rockers their more interesting work started to be on the back half of records.
Kevin Davis wrote:Where do you think “Cropduster” falls short at earning that elusive 5?
I think the verses hold it back a bit. It's still great!
Chris_H_2 wrote:cropduster is one of the best songs on an otherwise uneven album full of good-to-mediocre songs. it's no 5 though -- tallest midget syndrome.
a 5 to me is like the baseball HOF; it should be reserved for the true greatest. so in other words, it's the harold baines of pearl jam songs.
Riot Act is filled with 3.5-4.5 songs to me. No midgets in there, but very few truly exceptional tracks.
I’d be pretty generous with my 5’s too — really for me it’s just down to whether I unreservedly like something as it is, without wishing anything about it was different. If it passes that test I have no problems calling it “perfect.” I see a 5-star rating being less about how great a song is relative to other songs, or how major its ambitions are, and all about whether or not it succeeds fully on its own terms (otherwise it just becomes another ranking exercise). A significant percentage of their songs up through Riot Act clear that bar for me, though far fewer beyond that.
But by any measure I am definitely with Wease — “In the Moonlight” and “Cropduster” are 5’s.
You tell ‘em, Kevin Davis!
Let me tell you, Homer Simpson is cock of nothing!
- C. Montgomery Burns
Farmer John wrote:Jeremy
Black
Go
Animal
Daughter
Rearviewmirror
Corduroy
Tremor Christ
I Got ID
Hail Hail
In My Tree
Do the Evolution
I tried to be extra stingy. If was rounding up all the 4.5s I would have a whole bunch more.
you are almost ready for the next top 10 discussion!
That would be a different looking list. Many of my top 10 songs are 4.5s
(No follow-up questions please)
Explain.
My reasoning doesn’t hold up to even the slightest bit of scrutiny, so I’m just going to go ahead and add Cropduster and In the Moonlight to my list of 5 star songs (and also Leatherman, All Those Yesterdays, Brain of J, Of the Girl, Parting Ways, Parachutes, Release…)
I was trying to be clinical about it and somehow leave the heart out of the equation. But that's foolish. KD's approach is the way to go.
Kevin Davis wrote:
(otherwise it just becomes another ranking exercise).
And what a lovely way to close out No Rank October
Once
Why Go
Jeremy
Garden
Release
Master/Slave
Breath
Go
Animal
Daughter
Indifference
Corduroy/Corduroy (alternate take)
Aye Davanita
Immortality
Hail, Hail
Habit
Present Tense
Brain of J
Faithfull
DtE
Insignificance
Of the Girl
Sleight of Hand
Parting Ways
To the Moon
Can’t Keep
Cropduster
You Are
Arc
Strangest Tribe
Life Wasted
Only Cloud
Let it Ride
The End
No Jeremy
Yellow Moon
Comes Then Goes
Get it Back
React Respond
Wonder
Immortality
Red Mosquito
Black
Smile
Alive
Do the Evolution
Go
Corduroy
Waiting for Stevie
Not for You
Tremor Christ
Present Tense
Dance of the Clairvoyants
You Are
Setting Sun
Last Exit
Animal
Brain of J
Grievance
Long Road
Yellow Ledbetter
RVM
Who You Are
Hail Hail
Elderly Woman
Insignificance
Release
Indifference
Undone
Yellow Moon
Alone
Parting Ways
More than I thought.
This is based on the order that the song ranker gave me when I did that a while ago so I just went down the list and once I started feeling like, "eh, I dunno," I figured that might mean it was 4 or 4.5 stars and stopped.The first that missed the cutoff was Jeremy.
Somewhat subjective and objective
Alive
Jeremy
Porch
Release
Once
Black
Go
Alive
Daughter
RVM
Indifference
Corduroy
Last exit
Immortality
Better man
Tremor Christ
I got id
Long road
Hail hail
Off he goes
In my tree
Present tense
Red mosquito
Brain of J
Faithful
GTF
ATY
DTE
Sad
Fatal
Education
Rival
NAIS
Insignificance
Undone
Down
I am mine
Help help
Save you
Can't keep
All or none
Inside job
Johnny guitar
Of the earth
Got some
I thought known
Getaway
Pendulum
Swallowed whole
Cold confession
Alright
SoF
RR
Solat
Elderly woman
Strangest tribe
SoH
OtG
NfY
River cross
Being generous
Last edited by Kalevi on Sat November 02, 2024 12:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Once
Why Go
Jeremy
Garden
Release
Master/Slave
Breath
Go
Animal
Daughter
Indifference
Corduroy/Corduroy (alternate take)
Aye Davanita
Immortality
Hail, Hail
Habit
Present Tense
Brain of J
Faithfull
DtE
Insignificance
Of the Girl
Sleight of Hand
Parting Ways To the Moon
Can’t Keep
Cropduster
You Are
Arc
Strangest Tribe
Life Wasted
Only Cloud
Let it Ride
The End
No Jeremy
Yellow Moon
Comes Then Goes
Get it Back
React Respond
Wonder
