Red Mosquito

Rankings and One Sentence Why

Top Tier
Seven O'Clock
The outro is my favorite part of this entire album and I like that it swells after a very spare beginning.
Dance of The Clairvoyants
A song no one would have imagined Pearl Jam releasing and it works on almost every level.
Alright
Captures the moment of quarantine life right now.

Second Tier
Quick Escape
Has such a cool gritty feel because of Ed's delivery but not a good enough chorus for top tier.
Superblood Wolfmoon
One of the few I guess who just enjoys everything about this bouncy surf rock song.
Comes Then Goes
It is too long for top tier but it is one of Ed's best solo efforts and draws you in with its earnestness.

Third Tier
Who Ever Said
Feels like a strong B side that could have been something much better without the gave up on satisfaction line.
Never Destination
Too wordy and breathless pace and feels like it would have been written in the same timeframe as Can't Deny Me but love that Petty outro and wish that could have been its own song.
Take The Long Way
I don't like Matt songs ever but this is probably my favorite thing he is responsible for since Binaural.
River Cross
Like most recent ending songs it is not something you can listen to over and over and not a fan of some of the lyrics but it is oozing with emotion.

Fourth Tier
Buckle Up
Stone Gossard has written some of the greatest rock riffs ever and sad that this is his contribution but lyrically interesting.
Retrograde
The end keeps this from being a Sirens retread but you have to work hard to make it to that point.

Got about an hour long drive ahead of me. All by myself. Getting dark, cloudy and raining. Here we go Gigaton. Let's do it.

Leatherhead wrote:Got about an hour long drive ahead of me. All by myself. Getting dark, cloudy and raining. Here we go Gigaton. Let's do it.

I think this is going to go very well for you.

Jaeti wrote:

Leatherhead wrote:Got about an hour long drive ahead of me. All by myself. Getting dark, cloudy and raining. Here we go Gigaton. Let's do it.

I think this is going to go very well for you.

Was really great. This album hits me hard in spots. Ended with WES a 2nd time. River Cross into WES is pretty awesome. I was ready for a second go around of the whole album.

Leatherhead wrote:

Jaeti wrote:

Leatherhead wrote:Got about an hour long drive ahead of me. All by myself. Getting dark, cloudy and raining. Here we go Gigaton. Let's do it.

I think this is going to go very well for you.

Was really great. This album hits me hard in spots. Ended with WES a 2nd time. River Cross into WES is pretty awesome. I was ready for a second go around of the whole album.

I took a drive specifically for Gigaton today, too, since all but one of my listens have been on headphones. Second time in the car with it cranked up loud. So good.

Lost Dogs ain't a studio album.

I haven't been listening to this

verb_to_trust wrote:I haven't been listening to this

Too many Bulls' series to watch.

I have a nice feeling this album is going to survive the honeymoon period

I really wish they'd made a nature-y "visualizer" for SBWM in addition to its video, because those lil cartoon sketches stick out like a sore thumb when I want to kick back and take the whole journey on YouTube; plus, the volume on the SBWM video is lower, anyone else experiencing that?

Ms Harmless wrote:I really wish they'd made a nature-y "visualizer" for SBWM in addition to its video, because those lil cartoon sketches stick out like a sore thumb when I want to kick back and take the whole journey on YouTube; plus, the volume on the SBWM video is lower, anyone else experiencing that?

Totes

Best album since Binaural.

AMAZING
Who Ever Said
DOTC
Quick Escape
River Cross

VERY GOOD
SBWM
Alright
7 O Clock
Never Destination
Take The Long Way
Buckle Up
Come Then Goes

Good
Retrograde

VinylGuy wrote:Best album since Binaural.

AMAZING
Who Ever Said
DOTC
Quick Escape
River Cross

VERY GOOD
SBWM
Alright
7 O Clock
Never Destination
Take The Long Way
Buckle Up
Come Then Goes

Good
Retrograde

I nearly 100% agree with this except I would put Alright a step higher.

they are not in order. Im sure a lot of the very goods batch will climb though.

To me, this album is perfect for the moment, and I will probably forever associate it in my mind with our shut in moment during the pandemic. It wasn’t written or even recorded in connection with it, but somehow the experience of the album feels one and the same. Allusions to failed leadership, the wishes to escape and/or rise above our current moment. Even Never Destination to me speaks to this desperate need to energize and go somewhere. Much like The Rising gets lumped into a post-9/11 reflection even though it wasn’t about 9/11, so too will this album do this for me in the midst of right now. It seems for the moment to be for the good - a moment in time to truly get the chance to connect with this album on a powerful level.

My abridged Gigaton has been changed to:

Whoever Said
Dance of the Clairvoyants
Quick Escape
Never Destination
Take the Long Way
Buckle Up
Comes Then Goes

liebzz wrote:To me, this album is perfect for the moment, and I will probably forever associate it in my mind with our shut in moment during the pandemic. It wasn’t written or even recorded in connection with it, but somehow the experience of the album feels one and the same. Allusions to failed leadership, the wishes to escape and/or rise above our current moment. Even Never Destination to me speaks to this desperate need to energize and go somewhere. Much like The Rising gets lumped into a post-9/11 reflection even though it wasn’t about 9/11, so too will this album do this for me in the midst of right now. It seems for the moment to be for the good - a moment in time to truly get the chance to connect with this album on a powerful level.

liebzz wrote:To me, this album is perfect for the moment, and I will probably forever associate it in my mind with our shut in moment during the pandemic. It wasn’t written or even recorded in connection with it, but somehow the experience of the album feels one and the same. Allusions to failed leadership, the wishes to escape and/or rise above our current moment. Even Never Destination to me speaks to this desperate need to energize and go somewhere. Much like The Rising gets lumped into a post-9/11 reflection even though it wasn’t about 9/11, so too will this album do this for me in the midst of right now. It seems for the moment to be for the good - a moment in time to truly get the chance to connect with this album on a powerful level.

I agree and it seems to validate some of the mystical qualities of art, which feels even more special in my mind because Pearl Jam has always been partially about mysticism. Like singing, "There is magic" in a way that performs a spell in front of you, transforming the world around you into something slightly different, and more familiar.

Also, this seems pertinent:

"I remember when you sang
That song about today
Now it's tomorrow and
Everything has changed"

Here is my abridged Gigaton

Current ranking

Who Ever Said
Comes Then Goes
Dance of the Clairvoyants
Alright
Never Destination
Superblood Wolfmoon
Quick Escape
Take the Long Way
Seven O'Clock
River Cross
Retrograde
Buckle Up