My least favorite album

[joeyankee]

I guess I've come around a bit on this album (especially after hearing the stuff they inexplicably left off it), but certain songs that others loved I just never got into, i.e. Insignificance, Rival, Of the Girl. They're okay, but just never did anything for me. (I just read Of the Girl was tried during the Yield sessions? I had no idea.) And I HATE Soon Forget, it's so much inferior to the Who's Blue, Red & Grey which Ed patterned it after. Then again, I always thought Sleight of Hand was a great, grungy tune that never got much notice, and I enjoy Grievance for it's ever-changing melody a la the Kinks' Autumn Almanac.

(Oh, and I also created a Riot Act alternate album incorporating the b-sides, Undone, Down, Other Side, and I think it made a much better album.)

And maybe Binaural is better than their last few albums, I don't know that I've really thought about it in those terms, but I just remember being very underwhelmed at the time. But I was also underwhelmed by No Code at first, but then I went on to listen to No Code more than Vs. and Vitalogy. So things are always changing as far as favorite/least favorite songs or albums.

[epilogue]

I guess I've come around a bit on this album (especially after hearing the stuff they inexplicably left off it), but certain songs that others loved I just never got into, i.e. Insignificance, Rival, Of the Girl. They're okay, but just never did anything for me. (I just read Of the Girl was tried during the Yield sessions? I had no idea.) And I HATE Soon Forget, it's so much inferior to the Who's Blue, Red & Grey which Ed patterned it after. Then again, I always thought Sleight of Hand was a great, grungy tune that never got much notice, and I enjoy Grievance for it's ever-changing melody a la the Kinks' Autumn Almanac.

(Oh, and I also created a Riot Act alternate album incorporating the b-sides, Undone, Down, Other Side, and I think it made a much better album.)

And maybe Binaural is better than their last few albums, I don't know that I've really thought about it in those terms, but I just remember being very underwhelmed at the time. But I was also underwhelmed by No Code at first, but then I went on to listen to No Code more than Vs. and Vitalogy. So things are always changing as far as favorite/least favorite songs or albums.

No Code was an instant hit with me. I remember listening to it for the first time with my good friend who also adored Pearl Jam (the guy who got me listening to them, actually) and he hated it. But I was enamored by how different and engaging the album was even though it had a strange under water quality to it.

But Binaural, as I've said, was a grower for me. At the time it was kind of disappointing.

[stip]

No Code is the only record where I wonder if I'm still carrying permanent baggage due to my expectations. Probably not at this point, but how do you tell.

[PHATJ]

Binaural

1. Breakerfall - Love it. Always have.
2. God's Dice - Not a big fan, I used to HATE this song. I don't hate it anymore, and occasionally find myself liking aspects enough to somewhat enjoy the song. I feel the same way about a song like Big Wave.
3. Evacuation - I also hated this song originally. It took years for me to give it much of a second thought after my initial distaste. Over the last few years I've grown to quite appreciate it. I think the last 30 seconds of the song is gold. This is still a middle of the pack song overall, but I like it 100X better today than I used to.
4. Light Years - Boring. I've never been able to get much enjoyment from Light Years. It doesn't move me in any way.
5. Nothing As It Seems - Wonderful song. Probably a top 20 track for me. This has also been a consistantly strong grower for me over the years. I think I would've initially rated it somewhere in he middle of the pack.
6. Thin Air - When Binaural was new, this was one of my favorite songs on the album. I don't feel that way anymore. It's an okay song, I guess, but I never seek it out.
7. Insignificance - I have never liked this song nearly as much as the average RMer. I would put it in the lower half of the middle third of PJ songs. I like hearing it a couple times a year.
8. Of the Girl - Very good song. Solid B+.
9. Grievance - I like Grievance, but I don't come close to loving it. It rates slightly higher than Insignificance for me.
10. Rival - Great song. "And this nation's about to explode" <--- Love this lyric and how it is delivered so so much.
11. Sleight of Hand - This is the best song PJ has ever written
12. Soon Forget - Throw away track. I wish any of Sad/Education/In The Moonlight was included instead of this junk.
13. Parting Ways - I like Parting Ways well enough. It is middle of the pack.

Just putting this here because it got buried as the last post on the last page.

[Strat]

G dangit Cropduster and Get Right are amazing.

[PHATJ]

G dangit Cropduster and Get Right are amazing.

Cropduster is really good, Get Right is decent.

[epilogue]

G dangit Cropduster and Get Right are amazing.

[chewm]

Binaural is fantastic.

Every track is fantastic.

[Django Butterworth]

The only track I was dissapointed with (outside of Evacuation) was Grievance.

They blew the doors off on Letterman with that song, but the album version was flat in comparison. There's an octave run on the outro that Stone did on there that, to my knowledge, they never did again.

I really like the song, but if they had some how been able to capture that energy...

[Chris_H_2]

this is the only page of this thread that I've read, and I don't want to go through the rest of them to find the answer. But have we talked about how Riot Act is not a very good album yet?

[stip]

DcT keeps going on and on about how that album isn't very good. He'll be happy to have some support.

[bada]

Backspacer.

[PHATJ]

Backspacer.

[Leatherhead]

I honestly don't know anymore.

[chewm]

Backspacer.

[PHATJ]

Binaural

1. Breakerfall - Love it. Always have.
2. God's Dice - Not a big fan, I used to HATE this song. I don't hate it anymore, and occasionally find myself liking aspects enough to somewhat enjoy the song. I feel the same way about a song like Big Wave.
3. Evacuation - I also hated this song originally. It took years for me to give it much of a second thought after my initial distaste. Over the last few years I've grown to quite appreciate it. I think the last 30 seconds of the song is gold. This is still a middle of the pack song overall, but I like it 100X better today than I used to.
4. Light Years - Boring. I've never been able to get much enjoyment from Light Years. It doesn't move me in any way.
5. Nothing As It Seems - Wonderful song. Probably a top 20 track for me. This has also been a consistantly strong grower for me over the years. I think I would've initially rated it somewhere in he middle of the pack.
6. Thin Air - When Binaural was new, this was one of my favorite songs on the album. I don't feel that way anymore. It's an okay song, I guess, but I never seek it out.
7. Insignificance - I have never liked this song nearly as much as the average RMer. I would put it in the lower half of the middle third of PJ songs. I like hearing it a couple times a year.
8. Of the Girl - Very good song. Solid B+.
9. Grievance - I like Grievance, but I don't come close to loving it. It rates slightly higher than Insignificance for me.
10. Rival - Great song. "And this nation's about to explode" <--- Love this lyric and how it is delivered so so much.
11. Sleight of Hand - This is the best song PJ has ever written
12. Soon Forget - Throw away track. I wish any of Sad/Education/In The Moonlight was included instead of this junk.
13. Parting Ways - I like Parting Ways well enough. It is middle of the pack.

Just putting this here because it got buried as the last post on the last page.

I'm currently listening to Binaural, and some of my opinions have changed quite a bit. I wrote the above from memory and I should have given the record a spin before posting.

Spoiler: show

I like Binaural more than I remembered

[Coach]

I've been listening to the shit out 10 billion years in my Chevy impala factory speakers.

That second batch is much more listenable than the first. I was referring to Cold Confession/Let it Ride.

Me too, naturally.

Ugh, this caused me to search for CC/Let it Ride and I must have lost these when I got my new computer. Apple Store did a transfer....mmmmm.

[Norah]

I've been listening to the shit out 10 billion years in my Chevy impala factory speakers.

That second batch is much more listenable than the first. I was referring to Cold Confession/Let it Ride.

Me too, naturally.

Ugh, this caused me to search for CC/Let it Ride and I must have lost these when I got my new computer. Apple Store did a transfer....mmmmm.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/geca6lypsr9j ... wLu9a?dl=0

[epilogue]

DcT keeps going on and on about how that album isn't very good. He'll be happy to have some support.

[PHATJ]

Sleeping By Myself is a shitty waste of album space.