Bottom 10 songs

General Pearl Jam discussion.
User avatar
Happy Trees
likes rhythmic things that butt up against each other
Posts: 687
Joined: Sat April 22, 2023 2:59 am

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Happy Trees »

When all these songs were brand new, it was always the "setlist killer" or "piss break" lulz as if everyone would agree.

Coming from the same folks who would sing along to "Betterman" every night with gusto like they've never heard it before.

And will jump on a new album sight unseen like a puppy on a return-to-form tit.

Excuse me for generalizing. I needed to get it out of my system.
User avatar
lvc
Huge WNBA Fan
Posts: 962
Joined: Mon March 04, 2013 3:22 pm
Location: Lost in an unbalanced ledger

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by lvc »

Jorge wrote:
lvc wrote:My kids stumbled on Sweet Lew and I told them it was one of the weirdest/worst things Pearl Jam ever did. So then they'd play it in the car all the time. And it slowly grew on me. It knows what it is and it is fully and wholly 100% that without pretense.
You need to stop letting your kids dictate so much of your artistic preferences
Nah, man. I actually kind of like the weird Moog thing happening with the guitars and the absurdist humor of it all. If Jeff had just a bit sharper wit, I think this would turn into a genuinely great dis track.

And even though Evacuation is on my list of least favorites, my oldest son, when he was like 3, would make me put on the Matt Cam video on the Touring Band DVD and beat on pots and pans and would also request the song in the car a whole lot. So I learned to at least appreciate that song as well, because my kid enjoyed it.

So, there you have it. My kids elevated a song that's cool to hate and a song that's cool to be aghast that other people hate.
User avatar
stip
The worst
Posts: 42946
Joined: Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by stip »

i probably posted a list at some point. Lets see - in chronlogical order (and excluding something like Red Dot or Stupid Mop)

Im Open
Evacuation
Bushleaguer
Dead Man
In the Moonlight
Supersonic
Santa Cruz
Get It Back
Cant Deny Me
You


Ive got a few honorable mentions but this is as good a list as any
liebzz
I've been POOSSTTIiiEEnngeeaahh
Posts: 10366
Joined: Thu January 03, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by liebzz »

I am lightly surprised at how few folks put Future Days on their list. For me, outside of say a few really unfortunate b-sides that are buried in a vault somewhere, this is hands-down their worst song. It has from its first moments sounded like the song Eddie Vedder wanted Brendan O’Brien to make into the PJ-rabid fan base wedding song. With Brendan’s keys on this, the words and the music are forced and not at all organic to the band, and yet it still adds absolutely nothing to their canon. It’s so bad to me that it if it were not on the album and the thing ended with Yellow Moon, I’d likely rate the album above Backspacer, but this song drags it to Pearl Jam’s worst album territory.

Could it be that its inclusion on a highly popular video game/TV show raised its estimation in the collective consciousness?
User avatar
lvc
Huge WNBA Fan
Posts: 962
Joined: Mon March 04, 2013 3:22 pm
Location: Lost in an unbalanced ledger

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by lvc »

liebzz wrote:I am lightly surprised at how few folks put Future Days on their list. For me, outside of say a few really unfortunate b-sides that are buried in a vault somewhere, this is hands-down their worst song. It has from its first moments sounded like the song Eddie Vedder wanted Brendan O’Brien to make into the PJ-rabid fan base wedding song. With Brendan’s keys on this, the words and the music are forced and not at all organic to the band, and yet it still adds absolutely nothing to their canon. It’s so bad to me that it if it were not on the album and the thing ended with Yellow Moon, I’d likely rate the album above Backspacer, but this song drags it to Pearl Jam’s worst album territory.

Could it be that its inclusion on a highly popular video game/TV show raised its estimation in the collective consciousness?
This person has a right understanding of this corner of the universe. Listen to this person. I would just add that, as someone who likes Yellow Moon, I also blame Future Days for robbing YM of being developed into a true album closer. Sigh.
User avatar
Buby
Future Drummer
Posts: 2777
Joined: Fri January 04, 2013 9:08 pm
Location: West of Deedle

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Buby »

stip wrote:In the Moonlight


Image
User avatar
Farmer John
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 6457
Joined: Wed January 02, 2013 9:25 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Farmer John »

I'm preparing my list of Bottom 10 lists of Bottom 10 songs. A lot of candidates!
User avatar
Clem Halibut
likes rhythmic things that butt up against each other
Posts: 552
Joined: Fri January 17, 2020 4:59 pm
Location: Earth

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Clem Halibut »

Sweet Lew
Turning Mist
Obey the Law of the Heart
Can't deny Me
Let the Records Play
Retrograde
Hitchhiker
Speed of Sound
The End
Ghost

Dishonorable Mentions
The Fixer
Force of Nature
Speed of Sound
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
― Charles Bukowski
User avatar
stip
The worst
Posts: 42946
Joined: Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by stip »

liebzz wrote:I am lightly surprised at how few folks put Future Days on their list. For me, outside of say a few really unfortunate b-sides that are buried in a vault somewhere, this is hands-down their worst song. It has from its first moments sounded like the song Eddie Vedder wanted Brendan O’Brien to make into the PJ-rabid fan base wedding song. With Brendan’s keys on this, the words and the music are forced and not at all organic to the band, and yet it still adds absolutely nothing to their canon. It’s so bad to me that it if it were not on the album and the thing ended with Yellow Moon, I’d likely rate the album above Backspacer, but this song drags it to Pearl Jam’s worst album territory.

Could it be that its inclusion on a highly popular video game/TV show raised its estimation in the collective consciousness?
i doubt that would be the case here. Besides, excerable keys aside, it is a sweet and sentimental song about how you win when you have something to love. it borders on 4 stars for me.
User avatar
stip
The worst
Posts: 42946
Joined: Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by stip »

Clem Halibut wrote:Sweet Lew
Turning Mist
Obey the Law of the Heart
Can't deny Me
Let the Records Play
Retrograde
Hitchhiker
Speed of Sound
The End
Ghost

Dishonorable Mentions
The Fixer
Force of Nature
Speed of Sound
fuck, forgot hitchhiker. swap it for bushleaguer I guess
User avatar
epilogue
We All We Got, We All We Need
Posts: 84843
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 5:33 pm
Location: Ghorman
Contact:

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by epilogue »

man, stip...
User avatar
Ello Sailor
10Club Complaint Department
Posts: 17232
Joined: Sun March 12, 2017 3:06 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Ello Sailor »

epilogue wrote:There's nothing catchy or interesting about it.
Habit has pretty sick instrumentation. Cool drums, cool guitar, bass.

Maybe you should try jamming out with your clam out. Friggin' square.
LoathedVermin72 wrote:soulseek 4 lyfe
User avatar
epilogue
We All We Got, We All We Need
Posts: 84843
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 5:33 pm
Location: Ghorman
Contact:

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by epilogue »

Ello Sailor wrote:
epilogue wrote:There's nothing catchy or interesting about it.
Habit has pretty sick instrumentation. Cool drums, cool guitar, bass.

Maybe you should try jamming out with your clam out. Friggin' square.
I'll try that next time
User avatar
Jorge
NYUCK NYUCK NYUCK
Posts: 36485
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Buenos Aires

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Jorge »

Ello Sailor wrote:
epilogue wrote:There's nothing catchy or interesting about it.
Habit has pretty sick instrumentation. Cool drums, cool guitar, bass.

Maybe you should try jamming out with your clam out. Friggin' square.
Yeah I love the music. "You can't dance to it" I think moshing qualifies as dancing
Anders wrote:I do not have a «neoliberal assessment of geopolitics», so please stop writing that I do.
User avatar
coptheriotact
AnalLog
Posts: 1287
Joined: Wed October 29, 2014 11:49 pm
Location: PC

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by coptheriotact »

u cant put jack irons jams in the bottom 10
User avatar
Jorge
NYUCK NYUCK NYUCK
Posts: 36485
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Buenos Aires

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Jorge »

See? It's illegal. Cop says so
Anders wrote:I do not have a «neoliberal assessment of geopolitics», so please stop writing that I do.
User avatar
epilogue
We All We Got, We All We Need
Posts: 84843
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 5:33 pm
Location: Ghorman
Contact:

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by epilogue »

I'm not convinced Jack Irons has anything to do with the song. Are we sure he's even playing on it? Do we have real concrete video evidence?
User avatar
Ello Sailor
10Club Complaint Department
Posts: 17232
Joined: Sun March 12, 2017 3:06 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Ello Sailor »

Jorge wrote:I think moshing qualifies as dancing
One hunnit
LoathedVermin72 wrote:soulseek 4 lyfe
User avatar
Farmer John
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 6457
Joined: Wed January 02, 2013 9:25 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Farmer John »

You can also dance to Habit kind of like this

Image
User avatar
Ello Sailor
10Club Complaint Department
Posts: 17232
Joined: Sun March 12, 2017 3:06 pm

Re: Bottom 10 songs

Post by Ello Sailor »

Also a solid option. But my go-to is that weird thing the guy from Counting Crows does in front of the mic.
LoathedVermin72 wrote:soulseek 4 lyfe
Post Reply