Red Mosquito

turned2black wrote:

Sigerson wrote:

turned2black wrote:

Sigerson wrote:I seriously don't get the Vitalogy love. Yes, as an album it might be very consistent but the highs on the succeeding albums up until Riot Act easily eclipse the highs on Vitalogy.

cliche "whole is greater than the sums of its parts" post goes here

Eh, it's still kinda boring as an album. I like it but it's not an album I keep coming back to. I like the "experimental" songs but I wish they were more fully realized.

Boring? That's crazy. Satan's Bed by itself makes the album unboringable. (I made up a word.)

I completely forgot about Satan's Bed being on the album.
Satan's Bed and Tremor Christ are my favourites off the album but the rest of the tracks (Last Exit, Corduroy, Nothing Man, Better Man) don't do much for me. I guess "boring" isn't the right word but it isn't all that interesting musically as the following albums.

nuh uh

Stip wrote:also the highs on vitalogy are better than the highs on every record that follows. It's basically an untouchable group of songs.

I get it that it's probably your favourite Pearl Jam album and to each their own but an untouchable group of songs? There's nothing on Vitalogy that comes anywhere close to "Sleight of Hand"; lyrically or in terms of musical structure.

I like Vitalogy a lot, but I enjoy No Code and Vs more.

I love the broken masterpiece/"warts and all" feeling of Vitalogy. Combine that with the artwork and it might be their best "work." But I do prefer No Code and Binaural.

I don't think it's their best work at all. But I do think it's a good middle ground between people who prefer early Pearl Jam and the ones who prefer middle period Pearl Jam which is why it's ranked highly by everyone.

Has anyone ever tallied up these rankings to see what the board consensus is? Someone should do that. Not me though.

Farmer John wrote:Has anyone ever tallied up these rankings to see what the board consensus is? Someone should do that. Not me though.

Didn't stip do that a long time ago?

theplatypus wrote:

Farmer John wrote:Has anyone ever tallied up these rankings to see what the board consensus is? Someone should do that. Not me though.

Didn't stip do that a long time ago?

Sounds like something he'd do.

it was something I'd do.

I think Vitalogy won, but I don't remember for sure

As it should have.



whenever i did that was a long time ago, though. The last major project like that we did on the board was the song consensus series.

cutuphalfdead wrote:nuh uh

I'll have to get back to this one

regarding vitalogy, obviously in the end our favorite albums will reflect our favorite songs and personal preferences. I do stand by the claim that song for song no album has as little fluff as vitalogy. The consistent quality of the 10 core songs trumps every other record, and last exit, not for you, nothing man, tremor Christ, corduroy, betterman, and immortality is a top end that no onther record comes close to. When the worst songs on your album are Spin the Black Circle, Whipping, and Satan's Bed you did something right.

I also think in terms of the thematic cohesion, atmosphere, lyrical themes, the overall quality of the writing, the album art, the feel of the whole piece, etc. no other PJ record matches it. Most don't even come close.

Then again Vitalogy is my favorite album by any band ever. And not just favorite. i'd be prepared to defend it as the best.

hey, uh, way to go who ever figured things out 'round here.

it's good to be back.

Stip wrote:regarding vitalogy, obviously in the end our favorite albums will reflect our favorite songs and personal preferences. I do stand by the claim that song for song no album has as little fluff as vitalogy.

I'm assuming you mean other than the experimental/instrumental tracks? (including bugs)

Stip wrote:The consistent quality of the 10 core songs trumps every other record, and last exit, not for you, nothing man, tremor Christ, corduroy, betterman, and immortality is a top end that no onther record comes close to. When the worst songs on your album are Spin the Black Circle, Whipping, and Satan's Bed you did something right.

I think whipping is a crucial song for the album. it's one of my favorites.

Stip wrote:I also think in terms of the thematic cohesion, atmosphere, lyrical themes, the overall quality of the writing, the album art, the feel of the whole piece, etc. no other PJ record matches it. Most don't even come close.

i concur, which is why i too put vitalogy at #1. although, i agree with the band and their next album is the best they've ever done.

elliseamos wrote:

Stip wrote:regarding vitalogy, obviously in the end our favorite albums will reflect our favorite songs and personal preferences. I do stand by the claim that song for song no album has as little fluff as vitalogy.

I'm assuming you mean other than the experimental/instrumental tracks? (including bugs)

Stip wrote:The consistent quality of the 10 core songs trumps every other record, and last exit, not for you, nothing man, tremor Christ, corduroy, betterman, and immortality is a top end that no onther record comes close to. When the worst songs on your album are Spin the Black Circle, Whipping, and Satan's Bed you did something right.

I think whipping is a crucial song for the album. it's one of my favorites.

Stip wrote:I also think in terms of the thematic cohesion, atmosphere, lyrical themes, the overall quality of the writing, the album art, the feel of the whole piece, etc. no other PJ record matches it. Most don't even come close.

i concur, which is why i too put vitalogy at #1. although, i agree with the band and their next album is the best they've ever done.

1. yes
2. Whipping is a really good song. everything (excluding 1) on vitalogy is a really good song
3. I don't like the highs on No code nearly as much as most everyone else. But even granting that they're as good as everyone else seems to think they are you still have songs like lukin, mankind, I'm Open that are just a major step down from the rest of the album

Vs
Vitalogy
Ten
Yield
Riot Act
No Code
Backspacer
Binaural
Pearl Jam

Stip wrote: 3. I don't like the highs on No code nearly as much as most everyone else. But even granting that they're as good as everyone else seems to think they are you still have songs like lukin, mankind, I'm Open that are just a major step down from the rest of the album

How does Stupid Mop affect your ranking of Vitalogy, though?

It's both the longest song on the album and the album closer, it's a pretty important part of the overall whole.

"Whipping" is one of those beloved Pearl Jam songs whose popularity I'm completely dumbfounded by. I really don't think it's that great at all.

theplatypus wrote:"Whipping" is one of those beloved Pearl Jam songs whose popularity I'm completely dumbfounded by. I really don't think it's that great at all.

yeah i used to think that too...why is this one so loved? Specially live, they just rush through it.

I've always dug Whipping. When I first heard it in 1994, it seemed like the exact type of song you'd expect from them at the time. Punchy, aggressive, with a nice rhythm.

Maybe those that aren't too fond of it discovered it later? Maybe seems a bit immature? Not sure.