Round 1C: Wash vs. Alone vs. Sirens

[Leatherhead]

I have always loved the guitar in Alone, kicks ass. I think I'm maybe the only one around here that prefers the LD version of the song.

[stip]

I like every version of that song

[epilogue]

I get sad every time I hear the new vocal take/lyrics on Lost Dogs. But, yeah, overall, I love Alone in all forms.

[stip]

see, even when it's not as good (and it clearly isn't) it at least gives us another version of the song. Usually they have their own charms, even if inferior, and they also help clarify and sharpen the original. I would always prefer a new take on an existing song than simply reproducing it

[Birds in Hell]

I still feel this way:

Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of much of the tinkering that took place on Lost Dogs.

Even in the cases where I don't prefer it, I like that it happened just so the songs are at least slightly different. It still made them feel a bit new.

I like the BRY mix on lost dogs a bit better as well.

Those slight differences bother me more than they probably should as I feel like it can't help but weaken the integrity of the band's catalogue as a whole, B's unawareness that the Lost Dogs version of Undone wasn't the original release of the song serving as a perfect example. For how long is the originally-released version going to be commercially available (is it even now, for that matter)? The same goes for Black Red Yellow, Wash, Footsteps, Dirty Frank etc.

There's a point where what might be considered the "real" (or, at least, original) versions of those songs get supplanted in both commercial availability and general public awareness by arguably inferior alternate takes/mixes and I think that's rather unfortunate.

[stip]

fair enough. I'm approaching this from a super fan perspective, not in terms of legacy or public perception. It's why I can find some charms in Rodlease, but it would certainly infuriate me if that's the version of Release people thought of first.

[Kevin Davis]

see, even when it's not as good (and it clearly isn't) it at least gives us another version of the song. Usually they have their own charms, even if inferior, and they also help clarify and sharpen the original. I would always prefer a new take on an existing song than simply reproducing it

I guess I feel like this is what live versions do. The weird Frankenstein thing they did on "LD" just feels tacky -- 2003 Eddie vocals don't really jibe with 1991 Pearl Jam music.

[epilogue]

see, even when it's not as good (and it clearly isn't) it at least gives us another version of the song. Usually they have their own charms, even if inferior, and they also help clarify and sharpen the original. I would always prefer a new take on an existing song than simply reproducing it

I would too. But obviously I'm just talking about the quality of the new version, which I don't like very much. Especially compared to others.