Pearl Jam (self titled): Official Album Thread

[bada]

World Wide Suicide and Unemployable are my favorites. I was really happy with that initial single.

[PHATJ]

4 Stars:
Army Reserve
Unemployable
Marker In The Sand
------------------------
3 Stars:
Gone
Severed Hand
Come Back
Big Wave
Parachutes
-------------------------
2 Stars:
Comatose
Wasted Reprise
Life Wasted
-------------------------
1 Star:
Inside Job
World Wide Suicide

After listening to this album today, I actually am going to make several adjustments to my original song rankings.

4 Stars:
Marker In The Sand
Unemployable
Army Reserve
Come Back
------------------------
3 Stars:
Gone
Parachutes
Severed Hand
Life Wasted
Big Wave
-------------------------
2 Stars:
Comatose
Wasted Reprise
Inside Job
-------------------------
1 Star:
World Wide Suicide

[Birds in Hell]

In retrospect, there's more songs on this record I really like than there is on Riot Act. There's a handful of misses but it's a strong record overall and makes the dramatic downturn in quality of the last two records all the more puzzling.

Upper tier:

Unemployable
Big Wave
Army Reserve
Comatose
Parachutes
Life Wasted
Marker in the Sand

Mid tier:

Severed Hand
Gone
Wasted Reprise
Inside Job

Lower tier:

Come Back
World Wide Suicide

[darth_vedder]

In retrospect, there's more songs on this record I really like than there is on Riot Act. There's a handful of misses but it's a strong record overall and makes the dramatic downturn in quality of the last two records all the more puzzling.

Upper tier:

Unemployable
Big Wave
Army Reserve
Comatose
Parachutes
Life Wasted
Marker in the Sand

Mid tier:

Severed Hand
Gone
Wasted Reprise
Inside Job

Lower tier:

Come Back
World Wide Suicide

I agree with a lot of this, though I don't know about Comatose. Sometimes I like it, and sometimes it makes me cringes, sometimes I know, sometimes I don't.

Also, for me, S/T and RA may be close in number with the amount of songs I like, but RA is the superior listening experience.

[chewm]

5 stars
Unemployable
Parachutes
Army Reserve
World Wide Suicide
Life Wasted

4 Stars
Come Back
Gone
Severed Hand

3 Stars
Inside Job
Marker in the Sand
Wasted Reprise
Big Wave

2 Stars
Comatose

[Leatherhead]

Some weird rankings for this album.

Upper tier:
Unemployable
Big Wave
Comatose
Life Wasted
Marker in the Sand
World Wide Suicide
Severed Hand

Middle tier:
Parachutes
Army Reserve
Come Back
Wasted Reprise
Gone

Lower tier:
Inside Job

[Norah]

Parachutes and Big Wave are very good.

Unemployable is very good musically but horrible lyrically.

Marker In The Sand and Army Reserve are decent.

The rest is crap.

Pretty much exactly this.

[Leatherhead]

I've never had a problem with Unemployable's lyrics, what is it about them that many find horrible? They're not particularly great, but what's wrong with a guy that gets fired from his job, has no money, has the notion that his life is all about sacrifice to some stranger's bottom line, maybe gets close to suicide, and maybe has a near death experience which ultimately scares away the suicidal impulses?

[stip]

It's the Jesus saves ring lyric that I dislike.

[LoathedVermin72]

Stuff like that "Jesus Saves" lyric pushes the song into condescending territory. And the subject matter was already trite and obvious to begin with.

[chuck taylor]

Marker In the Sand and Army Reserve are my favorites from this album. I don't dislike the back half of the album as much as others (Gone is the only song I don't really care for).

[Leatherhead]

Stuff like that "Jesus Saves" lyric pushes the song into condescending territory. And the subject matter was already trite and obvious to begin with.

Trite? Maybe. But what's condescending about a guy that has a lot of faith in Jesus and then his life gets really fucked up and his ring/faith becomes dented? Do only stupid people believe in Jesus and wear things that say Jesus Saves?

[LoathedVermin72]

Stuff like that "Jesus Saves" lyric pushes the song into condescending territory. And the subject matter was already trite and obvious to begin with.

Trite? Maybe. But what's condescending about a guy that has a lot of faith in Jesus and then his life gets really fucked up and his ring/faith becomes dented? Do only stupid people believe in Jesus and wear things that say Jesus Saves?

Someone post the coin-spewing EV gif

[Leatherhead]

I can't find it.

[chewm]

I get why the lyrics to Unemployable would annoy people, but I have a soft spot for them, I kinda like the delivery.
The song is fucking great anyways.

[Birds in Hell]

Do only stupid people believe in Jesus and wear things that say Jesus Saves?

Based on the lyrics of Mind Your Manners and Getaway I think you can make a reasonable case that's not far from how Ed feels.

I don't find Unemployable nearly as objectionable, perhaps because Ed's at least trying to be sympathetic to the character in the song. It's a killer song too, which no doubt helps.

[stip]

Again, I don' think Mind Your Manners is meant to be condescending towards a personal faith. There's something much more complicated happening in that song--way more complex than many people give it credit for.

Getaway, sure.



Unemployable is an homage to Bruce Springstreen's middle class decline songs. But Springsteen has both genuine empathy and understanding, and he understands the gentle decency and misplaced well meaning that's at the heart of that kind of conservatism. Eddie wants to have it but doesn't. He's singing about something he's read about, and it shows.

[bada]

Thought it was Jesus Lives. I'm so bad with lyrics.

[VinylGuy]

i love Unemployable´s lyrics. Avocado got Ed telling stories of other people again after a long time, and i really love his storytelling in Unemployable, WWS and Army Reserve.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now