Re: RANK THE ALBUMS
Posted: Sun July 26, 2015 3:55 pm
Yield
Riot Act
No Code
Binaural
These represent the cream of the crop for me -- the songs are all linked together in a way in my mind, and I wouldn't argue with anyone who said one of them was better than the next, but this is definitely the accurate ranking of what these albums have meant to me over the years. Throw in the outtakes and this is probably my favorite body of work in all of music.
Vitalogy
Not quite first-tier material for me; it was my first PJ album and I love all of it dearly, but it isn't as musically compelling to me as the ones listed above.
Ten
Vs.
Backspacer
S/T
My rankings lose focus here. How I rate these albums depends significantly on how susceptible I am to nostalgia on any given day, or how offputting I find Eddie's deep-throated Neanderthal grunting. Being a songform guy, the free verse ramble-n-riff of the first two albums doesn't really excite me musically, and I think I hold the songwriting on "S/T" and "Backspacer" in higher regard than most. "Ten" is pretty consistently "solid," but the other albums in this tier have riveting highs and some staggering lows. Put 'em in whatever order you like.
Lightning Bolt
This has grown on me, but as far as sheer number of Pearl Jam songs that I just flat out don't care for, this takes the cake. None of the songs hold any special meaning for me, though I've developed an appreciation for some of the craftsmanship. Just because schlock is schlock doesn't mean it's easy to write.
Riot Act
No Code
Binaural
These represent the cream of the crop for me -- the songs are all linked together in a way in my mind, and I wouldn't argue with anyone who said one of them was better than the next, but this is definitely the accurate ranking of what these albums have meant to me over the years. Throw in the outtakes and this is probably my favorite body of work in all of music.
Vitalogy
Not quite first-tier material for me; it was my first PJ album and I love all of it dearly, but it isn't as musically compelling to me as the ones listed above.
Ten
Vs.
Backspacer
S/T
My rankings lose focus here. How I rate these albums depends significantly on how susceptible I am to nostalgia on any given day, or how offputting I find Eddie's deep-throated Neanderthal grunting. Being a songform guy, the free verse ramble-n-riff of the first two albums doesn't really excite me musically, and I think I hold the songwriting on "S/T" and "Backspacer" in higher regard than most. "Ten" is pretty consistently "solid," but the other albums in this tier have riveting highs and some staggering lows. Put 'em in whatever order you like.
Lightning Bolt
This has grown on me, but as far as sheer number of Pearl Jam songs that I just flat out don't care for, this takes the cake. None of the songs hold any special meaning for me, though I've developed an appreciation for some of the craftsmanship. Just because schlock is schlock doesn't mean it's easy to write.
. It's unusual to see Riot Act so high and binaural so low