Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Vitalogy

[stupidmop]

Immortality: 99 out of 100 times this is where Vitalogy ends, which makes Immortality their best closer, and is arguably their best song. When I complain about how I find Binaural to be somewhat hollow and lifeless this is what I'm comparing it to--a song that captures the same sense of desolate empty space and the lost soul wandering in it, but there's still life and warmth and humanity here that gets stripped out of so much of that record. That's what made this so special--the way Eddie was able to take such an unrelenting and bleak and personal set of songs and still manage to invite you (and only you) into that space.

I don't even know what to highlight about this song. Everything is perfect. The music has always reminded me of a darker reprise of U2's One.

Completely unexpected solo from Mike, but one of his best. I love how heavy the build gets coming out of the chorus into the final verse, and how abruptly it flattens out into something quiet and open.

There's a very compelling methodical quality to this song, like slowly investigating a wound that you fear might be fatal.

The outro is really great, but so different in tone from the rest of the song, like the singer reached a crossroads and then freezes there, jogging in place, not sure where they're gonna go.

Immortality is one of my favorite songs, but I actually think this is one of the few instances where the studio take doesnt quite do the song justice. Its good for sure, but I think Eddie was so much into stripping everything down on that album, that Immortality loses some of the depth and epicness it could have had. I Love the version from Self Pollution radio. Its slower and has a more ethereal quality to it. Particularly Mikes solos which are have alot of harmonics and reverb, and really build to an epic climax. The solos on the Vitalogy version fall short.

Never heard that before, its pretty cool, lots of fuzz and reverb.

[bada]

My favorite Mikes solo is the the Self Pollution Immortality.

[mikejasond]

I know people get mad at retracking here but this album is much better when it goes like this

1. Last Exit
2. Spin the Black Circle
3. Not for You
4. Tremor Christ
5. Nothingman
6. Corduroy
7. Better Man
8. Immortality

Seriously, this album starts great but after the 5th track it seems to me that there are really only 3 finished tracks afterwards. It seems like an 8-track album which keeps me from putting it in my favorites BUT those 8 tracks are all really great. And this album is IMO the best sounding one, I love the way its mixed and Eddie's voice

[Norah]

What the hell is wrong with you?

[DeLima]

Are you mad because he forgot Satan's Bed, chud?

[zeb]

[zeb]

Seriously though, Stupid Mop is stupid.

[Norah]

No Aye Davanita, No Peace!

[Birds in Hell]

Seriously though, Stupid Mop is stupid.

It is.

It's also unarguably the closing song of Vitalogy.

[zeb]

Agreed.

Although I would have preferred it end with Immortality.

[Kaius]

Let's not do this again

[Birds in Hell]

Agreed.

Although I would have preferred it end with Immortality.

Me too.

But it doesn't.

[zeb]

[darth_vedder]

Seriously though, Stupid Mop is stupid.

It is.

It's also unarguably the closing song of Vitalogy.

Yes and Yes. Although...I do like Mr. Irons drum beat on it. Basically, I just have a thing for that guy, and like pretty much anything and everything he does with PJ. I say "with PJ" b/c I got 'The Uplift Mofo Party Plan" by the RCHP b/c it's the only album with the original members, including Jack. His drumming on that album is incredibly boring compared to No Code / Mirror Ball / Yield.

[stip]

Seriously though, Stupid Mop is stupid.

It is.

It's also unarguably the closing song of Vitalogy.

Yeah, I think Stupid Mop is terrible and never listen to it, but I think it's unarguably the final song of the record.

If you're assessing the relative worth record as a whole, I think it's absurd to pretend like the almost eight-minute final track doesn't exist - "nope, album ends with Immortality, best album ever!"

I don't think anyone is legitimately "pretending" it doesn't exist--I think any comments to that effect are essentially just commentary on how the record holds up without it, which is fair and a pretty common way for people to process records. To my mind it's considerably less absurd than the idea that a track you never listen to "needs to be there" because the "flow" or the "concept" doesn't work when it's gone. None of that stuff matters if you disrupt said flow by never playing the track.

I'm not a big "retracking" guy but if you are, as you say, assessing the relative worth of a record as a whole, saying "this track sucks, it shouldn't have been included," essentially a criticism of the record's production value, is completely reasonable. The band puts thought into it on their end, so it's open season when it comes to us on ours.

[darth_vedder]

stip, when is the last time you LAL'd Stupid Mop?

[stip]

whenever i bumped this thread. a month? prior to that a long time.

[darth_vedder]

I was just curious if you played it or truly ended the album with Immortality. I agree by the way, the song should not have been part of the album, but it is, so in my mind, Vitalogy has a pretty bad closer (sans the drum beat). Now that I'm thinking about it, PJ is kinda hit and miss with this closer stuff...I'm no fan of "The End", "Future Days", "Inside Job", or "Stupid Mop".

[stip]

Do you consider yield closing with ATY or hummus? Is master/slave the end of ten, or is it release?

[Norah]

There isn't a five minute gap between Immortality and Stupid Mop.