II-2: Last Exit v Rival

[4/5]

Guys, this really isn't close. LE without a second thought.

Uh, it's very close. Rival is a damn gem.

The score is 16 to 3, so not really.

I voted for Last Exit but Rival would have beaten just about every song in this round for me. It was a tough decision but ultimately Last Exit is basically perfect.

[chewm]

I thought it wasnt that close either.
Rival is a lot better

[darth_vedder]

I think I would have voted for Rival vs. any other song this round. Too bad it had to go up against Last Exit.

[LoathedVermin72]

Guys, this really isn't close. LE without a second thought.

Uh, it's very close. Rival is a damn gem.

The score is 16 to 3, so not really.

Not in terms of votes, it's close in terms of how good both songs are.

FUCK YOU

[darth_vedder]

Guys, this really isn't close. LE without a second thought.

Uh, it's very close. Rival is a damn gem.

The score is 16 to 3, so not really.

Not in terms of votes, it's close in terms of how good both songs are.

FUCK YOU

[WaitingForBluey]

This is the point where I make myself a 64 song playlist. This is way too serious to take lightly.

[Kaius]

I love Last Exit, but Rival is the better song. A more careful listener should be able to tell.

[evenslow]

all aboard the Last Exit train.

[digster]

This is the hardest matchup for me thus far; these songs are almost on the exact same playing field. I'm saying Rival for now, but I don't know if that's just cause I know it's about to get creamed. Rival has some of my favorite moments PJ's ever put on record. The drum intro is ominous (and one of the closest times Matt came to approximating Jack's style), Ed sounds like a madman on the backing vocals, and the kicker of the song ("how's our father supposed to be told?") is really powerful. I don't know if it's the fact that Stone wrote it or what, but PJ never really wrote another song like this; sarcastic but mournful, frightening and funny at the same time.

[darth_vedder]

This is the hardest matchup for me thus far; these songs are almost on the exact same playing field. I'm saying Rival for now, but I don't know if that's just cause I know it's about to get creamed. Rival has some of my favorite moments PJ's ever put on record. The drum intro is ominous (and one of the closest times Matt came to approximating Jack's style), Ed sounds like a madman on the backing vocals, and the kicker of the song ("how's our father supposed to be told?") is really powerful. I don't know if it's the fact that Stone wrote it or what, but PJ never really wrote another song like this; sarcastic but mournful, frightening and funny at the same time.

Well said. One of my favorite moments in Rival is the piano parts, it really adds so much to the song, with only a few notes. My only complaint with Rival is that I wish it did not fade out when it does. Add just 10 more seconds to the ending jam, and it would be a game changer for me.

[digster]

I forgot all about the piano, shit. One of my favorite tiny additions to a song. Rival's full of those little moments.

[doone]

I think I would have voted for Rival vs. any other song this round. Too bad it had to go up against Last Exit.

I feel the same, it deserves to go farther. Still gets my vote.

[Kevin Davis]

I forgot all about the piano, shit. One of my favorite tiny additions to a song. Rival's full of those little moments.

Isn't there a growling dog in it too? Man.

[EJ]

Wanted to listen to Rival before I voted, wound up skipping around on Binaural. Boy, these guys were pretty fucking great.

Your post motivated me to listen to this right now. It really is an amazingly good album.

[LoathedVermin72]

As much as I love Binaural, I think - with the exception of "Breakerfall" - all of its rockers are noticeably restrained by the production. "Rival", "Insignificance", and "Grievance" are all hampered by this.

"Last Exit", on the other hand, soars.

[darth_vedder]

As much as I love Binaural, I think - with the exception of "Breakerfall" - all of its rockers are noticeably restrained by the production. "Rival", "Insignificance", and "Grievance" are all hampered by this.

"Last Exit", on the other hand, soars.

I can maybe agree with you for Grievance, but not the other two. I love Rival's layered clunkiness; it's perfect. As for Insignificance, I'm of the opinion that it's a top 5 Pearl Jam song. I it so much.

[Jorge]

He's right about "Grievance" but the production on "Rival" is perfect.

[stip]

Yeah, I bitch about how flat all the binaural rockers sound, but Rival really is one of those songs that is perfectly produced.

[B]

I like Rival a lot, but I love the shit out of Last Exit.

[stip]

oh yeah, all these wonderful things people are saying about rival doesn't even get it into the top 20. Pearl Jam's got some pretty good songs.