Binaural: Official Album Thread

[VinylGuy]

I much prefer SOH live. It just opens up and breathes more. I've always been a fan of the Prague 2000 version.

Best version ever...i like it so much...maybe because it reminds me of the studio version.

[Sigerson]

I think Sleight of Hand is the best song Pearl Jam has ever done. It's not my favourite song of theirs but I think it's their best.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

I'm sick of fans who think it's cool to diss Matt's songs because everyone else hates them too. It's so obvious, like Beatles fans complaining about Yoko Ono. It's tired, played out shit with no merit behind it.

[verb_to_trust]

I just don't like Evacuation, it has nothing to do with Matt songs as a whole.

[VinylGuy]

I just don't like Evacuation, it has nothing to do with Matt songs as a whole.

It took me a lot of time to realize how good Evacuation was. Matt´s drums there are amazing.

[Birds in Hell]

The first time I listened to Binaural, I thought every song was terrible except Evacuation.

[VinylGuy]

The first time I listened to Binaural, I thought every song was terrible except Evacuation.

First time i heard Binaural i thought why are they making a song about taking a dump?

[epilogue]

I love Cameron as a writer. In The Moonlight, Cropduster, Unemployable, You Are... hell, I even like The Fixer. Evacuation is probably my least favorite Cameron song, but I'd still say it's an average song. Not terrible, not great.

[McParadigm]

He brings fresh ideas to a band that could use a little more of that. Binaural in general offered a larger than usual number of side-steps, as the band engaged the idea of reinvention with their usual post-No Code lack of direction and timidity, but yeah...it's nice to have someone else in the mix.

I actually am not much of a fan of Matt's drums. They aren't hooligan enough to make the band's chord punching moments burst out or experience any real sense of collision/change (see: the bridge in Light Years, the intro to Johnny Guitar) the way they should, at least not with Pearl Jam. He's an incredible drummer, yeah, but I just don't care for the way he fits with the band's sound (or how that sound has changed over the years to adapt to him). Every now and again he's the exact right guy for the track, but more often than not he seems to think that the best way to fit into this new band's style is to simplify, not get too carried away with decoration, and to alleviate the resulting boredom by playing as fast as he can get away with.

[EJ]

He brings fresh ideas to a band that could use a little more of that. Binaural in general offered a larger than usual number of side-steps, as the band engaged the idea of reinvention with their usual post-No Code lack of direction and timidity, but yeah...it's nice to have someone else in the mix.

I actually am not much of a fan of Matt's drums. They aren't hooligan enough to make the band's chord punching moments burst out or experience any real sense of collision/change (see: the bridge in Light Years, the intro to Johnny Guitar) the way they should, at least not with Pearl Jam. He's an incredible drummer, yeah, but I just don't care for the way he fits with the band's sound (or how that sound has changed over the years to adapt to him). Every now and again he's the exact right guy for the track, but more often than not he seems to think that the best way to fit into this new band's style is to simplify, not get too carried away with decoration, and to alleviate the resulting boredom by playing as fast as he can get away with.

Good post. I appreciate the hooligan link. I needed to understand where you're coming from.

[Birds in Hell]

He brings fresh ideas to a band that could use a little more of that. Binaural in general offered a larger than usual number of side-steps, as the band engaged the idea of reinvention with their usual post-No Code lack of direction and timidity, but yeah...it's nice to have someone else in the mix.

I actually am not much of a fan of Matt's drums. They aren't hooligan enough to make the band's chord punching moments burst out or experience any real sense of collision/change (see: the bridge in Light Years, the intro to Johnny Guitar) the way they should, at least not with Pearl Jam. He's an incredible drummer, yeah, but I just don't care for the way he fits with the band's sound (or how that sound has changed over the years to adapt to him). Every now and again he's the exact right guy for the track, but more often than not he seems to think that the best way to fit into this new band's style is to simplify, not get too carried away with decoration, and to alleviate the resulting boredom by playing as fast as he can get away with.

Great post.

I wrote something along the same lines in the Matt Cameron thread recently. Matt's a superb musician and songwriter, though I don't think his style is one that (often) serves to make Pearl Jam's songs throb/push/groove/shimmy in as complimentary a way as their previous drummers.

[epilogue]

He brings fresh ideas to a band that could use a little more of that. Binaural in general offered a larger than usual number of side-steps, as the band engaged the idea of reinvention with their usual post-No Code lack of direction and timidity, but yeah...it's nice to have someone else in the mix.

I actually am not much of a fan of Matt's drums. They aren't hooligan enough to make the band's chord punching moments burst out or experience any real sense of collision/change (see: the bridge in Light Years, the intro to Johnny Guitar) the way they should, at least not with Pearl Jam. He's an incredible drummer, yeah, but I just don't care for the way he fits with the band's sound (or how that sound has changed over the years to adapt to him). Every now and again he's the exact right guy for the track, but more often than not he seems to think that the best way to fit into this new band's style is to simplify, not get too carried away with decoration, and to alleviate the resulting boredom by playing as fast as he can get away with.

Well said.

[pnjguy]

Matt is not a groove master. Jack always played a hair behind the band which gave it that slow hopping groove. (see Hail Hail). Matt tends to play a hair ahead which makes the band play faster. (This goes along with Ed saying something about putting a new engine in an old car when Matt arrived). I think Dave A gave us the best of both worlds.

[bodysnatcher]

If I broke down every album into Great, Good, and Average/Worse categories, then Binaural would probably be the most top heavy.

[Rod Serling]

Below average
Of a Girl

You've just crossed over into ... the Twilight Zone.

[bada]

Replace the first three songs and Soon Forget with Fatal, Sad, In the Moonlight and Education this goes from a 3 to a 4.5. Track it anyway you want.

[VinylGuy]

Replace the first three songs and Soon Forget with Fatal, Sad, In the Moonlight and Education this goes from a 3 to a 4.5. Track it anyway you want.

In the moonlight wasnt for this record...it doesnt have the same mood than the rest of the songs. It was a good call to have it as a outtake, although i should have been on Riot Act.
Sad should have been on the record..not replacing anything just add another fucking song...after god dice.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Replace the first three songs and Soon Forget with Fatal, Sad, In the Moonlight and Education this goes from a 3 to a 4.5. Track it anyway you want.

In the moonlight wasnt for this record...it doesnt have the same mood than the rest of the songs. It was a good call to have it as a outtake, although i should have been on Riot Act.
Sad should have been on the record..not replacing anything just add another fucking song...after god dice.

I agree, the only song id be ok with being off the record is soon forget, and not because i don't like it, but because it seems unnecessary, so something like sad would be better suited for the album

[bada]

Replace the first three songs and Soon Forget with Fatal, Sad, In the Moonlight and Education this goes from a 3 to a 4.5. Track it anyway you want.

In the moonlight wasnt for this record...it doesnt have the same mood than the rest of the songs. It was a good call to have it as a outtake, although i should have been on Riot Act.
Sad should have been on the record..not replacing anything just add another fucking song...after god dice.

I agree, the only song id be ok with being off the record is soon forget, and not because i don't like it, but because it seems unnecessary, so something like sad would be better suited for the album

I don't see how it doesn't fit the mood unless its lyrically which I admit I haven't really thought about. It's not like it's 'Shiny Happy People' or something. All the songs from those sessions seem to fit together to my ear.

01 Breakerfall
02 Gods' Dice
03 Insignificance
04 Of The Girl
05 Sad
06 Light Years
07 Education
08 Nothing As It Seems

09 Fatal
10 Evacuation
11 Grievance
12 Thin Air
13 In The Moonlight
14 Rival
15 Sleight Of Hand
16 Parting Ways (Soon Forget Tag)

[epilogue]

01 Breakerfall
02 Gods' Dice
03 Insignificance
04 Of The Girl
05 Sad
06 Light Years
07 Education
08 Nothing As It Seems

09 Fatal
10 Evacuation
11 Grievance
12 Thin Air
13 In The Moonlight
14 Rival
15 Sleight Of Hand
16 Parting Ways (Soon Forget Tag)

Ooooh!

I love that on paper. I'm going to make that playlist tonight and see how I feel about it. Personally, I'd cut Gods' Dice if I had my druthers. Maybe put Education in the second slot? Or maybe just move everything up one... hmm... not sure. Anyway.

Thanks for this.