Bammer wrote:Rank the albums and do it quickly
That was Bammer's response to my first post ever. I think my reply (which was definitely done quickly...I'm not usually a ranker) kinda broke him.
Bammer wrote:Oh god
Sorry, Bammer!
In the interest of keeping threads tidy, I'm writing my quick thoughts here:
Best to worst:
No Code--I hated No Code when it came out. H A T E D it. I was 18 and had driven across state lines to find a record store open at midnight to buy the second I could, drove back to my dorm room (no cd player in my 77 impala) to listen to it, and felt so disappointed (gutted, even, lol). The opening track felt so repetitive and I wasn't thrilled with invoking God in its closing lyrics. I didn't know what to do with Who You Are or Stone singing on Mankind. And, it just didn't seem to hold together as an album. It was past two in the morning, I had class in just a few hours, and I felt like I'd wasted the whole night.
I did a lot of growing up that year, though, and No Code grew on me. Present Tense remains my favorite song of all time. "You can spend your time alone re-digesting past regrets, or you can come to terms and realize you're the only one who cannot forgive yourself." Man, I needed to hear that. "If only he knew know what he knew then" from I'm Open really spoke to the fact that I was leaving my childhood behind, and a bit of innocence with it. Along the same line, I associated Off He Goes with a dear childhood friend who was always coming and going. It felt like I was growing up, and the band was growing up at the same time, and every year that passed showed me more of the wisdom behind No Code's lyrics.
Binaural--This is the only album that I've seen 100% live. It's the album that came out when I followed Pearl Jam on tour 14 shows in one fall. I rank this album 2nd not just because of love so many of the songs, but because it represents the time in my life when I was most involved in the Pearl Jam experience, recording soundchecks, snagging setlist sheets, making friends on the Synergy board, following Five Horizons daily.
S/T--I grew up in a working class family with military backgrounds. The plight of the protagonist in Unemployable really hits home for me, as does the family in Army Reserve. Then there's Gone, the irresistible temptation to leave all these woes behind. I feel like Avocado is an album that so many everyday people can relate to.
Yield--Though No Code is my fav now, I was still not a fan of it when Yield came out. It was mostly gathering dust on my cd shelf as I played the first 3 albums on infinite repeat. I invested a great deal of emotional energy into the months leading up to Yield's release...please don't suck, please. Don't be another No Code. It did not disappoint! Given to Fly, DTE, and MFC all brought the rock, and songs like Pilate and Low Light challenged my developing tastes without slapping me in the face.
Riot Act--I can put the album in, hit play, and not want to skip any songs. A fine middle of the list album.
Ten--So...back in the MTV days, I didn't like Alive or Evenflow. They were my piss break songs from the beginning, and I didn't even care enough about them to take note of which band sang them. I fell in love with Pearl Jam because of Jeremy, and when I bought Ten, I was actually surprised to find that they were the same band that had performed Alive and Evenflow! There were so many better songs on the album. It's a solid album, obviously, and it got me hooked, but it ranks low on my list largely because it has been played over and over so many times that I'm more fond of the newer albums.
Vs. and
Vitalogy--Great albums. But, I wore them out on infinite repeat when I was young. They aren't the ones I reach for to pop in the CD player any more.
Lightning Bolt--My Father's Son is a powerful song. Pendulum is the song I most hope to hear as an opener. There are some good songs, but so many that made me want to hit the "next track" button the first several times I listened to it through. Lightning Bolt, the song, is the most boring "rock" song ever written. But, the album is growing on me, and I look forward to hearing many tracks off it live. Maybe even Lightning Bolt.
Backspacer--I don't like disliking ANY Pearl Jam. They are my favorite band, and I always assume that, like with No Code, even if I dislike it initially I will grow into it. This album, though. I just can't. The Fixer really resonates with me, and I'm always surprised to hear how many people don't like it. Unthought Known is at least interesting live. The rest of the album makes me yawn...it literally bores me.
Something I hope to gain from exploring the Red Mosquito forums is a new perspective on my least fav albums. If the album that repulsed me the most on its release can become my favorite over time, who knows? Maybe the same kind of thing can happen with Lightning Bolt and Backspacer, hopefully before I see the band live again in OKC!
