Red Mosquito

There has never been a better version than the album version of Sleight of Hand.

The released Binaural tracklist is not good. It’s momentum keeps stumbling. The original or McPs have much better flow.

Binaural's biggest flaw is that Pearl Jam got scared of going all in with the sound experiment so the final product is this weird cut and paste of mixing. Otherwise, the songs are mostly stellar. No other Pearl Jam album has as many 5-star songs: "Sleight of Hand," "Insignificance," "Light Years," "Of the Girl," "Nothing as it Seems," "Rival," "Grievance." Over half the album, and the rest, save the goofy "Soon Forget," are really good, too.

Yeah, it's odd. They were unwilling to go all in with the Binaural experiment. But then by the time Riot Act came around, they were like "Oh what the hell, let's just throw everything out there and see what sticks. We'll call it an experimental album."

Binaural flaw: the weaker songs on the album that took the place of better songs

blueviper wrote:Binaural flaw: the weaker songs on the album that took the place of better songs

Hatfield wrote:

blueviper wrote:Binaural flaw: the weaker songs on the album that took the place of better songs

I disagree, but I'm curious, what do you guys think are the weaker songs that would be better replaced?

Brett wrote:

Hatfield wrote:

blueviper wrote:Binaural flaw: the weaker songs on the album that took the place of better songs

I disagree, but I'm curious, what do you guys think are the weaker songs that would be better replaced?

My struggle with responding is a microcosm of my struggle with Binaural. It wasn't what I wanted in 2000. After being enveloped by No Code and Yield, Binaural left me feeling on the outside looking in. Honestly I love this record and every song on it, with the exception of Evacuation and NAIS. None of it lived up to the versions of songs I saw live, but what Pearl Jam song does? I still haven't gotten over them leaving Sad, Fatal and Education off the album. What I really never got over was seeing Greivance on Letterman and then hearing the album version a couple months later and being sorely disappointed. I know few will agree, but they went from sounding perfect, to my ears, on four straight albums and since then haven't gotten that perfection back.

Having said all of that, I love Binaural.

Brett wrote:

Hatfield wrote:

blueviper wrote:Binaural flaw: the weaker songs on the album that took the place of better songs

I disagree, but I'm curious, what do you guys think are the weaker songs that would be better replaced?

That probably made it sound like I'd replace a lot of songs. I'd probably only replace two: Light Years and Sleight of Hand (maybe Insignificance)

In their place: Sad, Education, In the Moonlight,

Brett wrote:Binaural's biggest flaw is that Pearl Jam got scared of going all in with the sound experiment so the final product is this weird cut and paste of mixing. Otherwise, the songs are mostly stellar.

Agreed. Breakerfall seems like the worst offender. Really neutered sound. Almost sounds as if Mike was playing the guitar in a different room than the rest of the band.

blueviper wrote:That probably made it sound like I'd replace a lot of songs. I'd probably only replace two: Light Years and Sleight of Hand (maybe Insignificance)

I really like everything about Light Years except the drums, way too much like Not For You. I'd get rid of Evacuation and Soon Forget. I don't mind Soon Forget but it brings out the idiot side of Ed live.

surfndestroy wrote:

blueviper wrote:That probably made it sound like I'd replace a lot of songs. I'd probably only replace two: Light Years and Sleight of Hand (maybe Insignificance)

I really like everything about Light Years except the drums, way too much like Not For You. I'd get rid of Evacuation and Soon Forget. I don't mind Soon Forget but it brings out the idiot side of Ed live.

Huh. I didn't think of the drum similarity between LY and NFY until you said that. Interesting.

blueviper wrote: I'd probably only replace two: Light Years and Sleight of Hand (maybe Insignificance)

oh sweet jeezus

I’m glad Fatal and Education aren’t on the album. Solid B sides but I don’t need them as album cuts. Sad could work but the only songs I’d be okay losing are Soon Forget and Parting Ways; it’s not better than any of the others.

I think Sad would work on the album, but it's not as good as Grievance or Insignificance, so I think it was wise to leave it off.

If you take the 13 original album tracks, and add 3 or 4 of the b-sides/outtakes you'd have 16-17 songs.

Couldn't they have put them all on here and made a "double" album?

EJ wrote:

Brett wrote:Binaural's biggest flaw is that Pearl Jam got scared of going all in with the sound experiment so the final product is this weird cut and paste of mixing. Otherwise, the songs are mostly stellar.

Agreed. Breakerfall seems like the worst offender. Really neutered sound. Almost sounds as if Mike was playing the guitar in a different room than the rest of the band.

The whole album sounds neutered.

blueviper wrote:If you take the 13 original album tracks, and add 3 or 4 of the b-sides/outtakes you'd have 16-17 songs.

Couldn't they have put them all on here and made a "double" album?

Thank god they didn’t

Keeping NAIS and dropping Sad.

useless tread.....there are no flaws