Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Riot Act

[Norah]

Points are being badly made (my fault) and wildly misinterpreted. (Everyone else)

Think one has to do with the other?

[dimejinky99]

I've not posted and still things get half assed and chaotic. It's not all my doing.

[mastaflatch]

So i listened to this album last night in it entirety for the first time in years. Fun fact: i had a few drinks and half a joint.

I'm ready to take back a lot of bad things i've said about RA in the past because, as i wrote above, i think i "got" it, finally. here are my impressions:

- the playing on this album is absolutely stellar on every single song. it's where PJ peaked as musicians and arrangers. several songs are quite intricate, with many odd twists and subtle parts and the band never fails to entertain.

- it sounds just great. you really feel like you're in the same room as the band and it doesn't sound muddy or lack punch; it's completely alive. i wonder what went wrong with them afterwards - i'm fairly convinced that it was one of the most simple studio setup. now they seem to worry too much about details and sounding "relevant" and lose the spirit. you're a great band, no need for makeup.

- the songwriting is DARING. this sounds like a band looking forward, not caring about retreading past glories. you'll see a lot more differences between RA and early PJ than between their last 3 albums and their mid 90s output. the downside is that many songs are a few notches above most of their material as far as complexity is concerned and it's probably why they don't play most songs from it nowadays. let's call this the Eddie Vedder setlist complex ("will it be a song i'll want to sing/play every night?").

- Mike's last truly creatively constant album. every other member shone on subsequent albums but i think that Mike, given the nature of their recent output, has been forced into the banal lead guitarist territory. on RA, the guy had to up his game in order to make the songs work.

- musically, there's nothing to be ashamed of here. no Fixer, no Sirens, no LTRP, no FD casio trainwreck.

-----------------------

what is still unchanged in my mind:

- Eddie should have put more effort in cutting his vocals. most of the time it fits and it's retrospectively refreshing to hear him not trying too hard to sound like his former self. i'd take more humble studio vocals over detuned live songs any day of the week. having said that, as far as the instruments are concerned, Ed's voice is probably the least interresting element of the band on RA (save for a handful moments of grace).

- the lyrics are hit or miss. i still think that Eddie should write them all the time (even if he comes up with clunkers like LBC sometimes). it's not that Stone's, Matt's or Jeff's are painfully bad but they're not in the same league as Ed's and they often break the tone in an awkward way.

- i still don't like TMW. it's this album's Sirens with slightly better music but worse lyrics.

so welcome back RA - i might consider buying a physical copy of this sometime soon.

[dimejinky99]

It sounds even better than vitalogy and no code.

No mean feat.

[hlniv]

You are confusing me.

Please stop it.

[Kaius]

I love Riot Act as much as much as just about anyone, but I don't think it "sounds better" than either of those albums. They're all so different and perfect in their own way, so it's dumb to compare them anyway. Dumb, I tell you.

[BladeRunner]

Yea RA is a good album so good that it's PJ's ninth best album.

Between this and Shania Twain? I'll go for Riot Act.

[Kaius]

Yea RA is a good album so good that it's PJ's ninth best album.

Between this and Shania Twain? I'll go for Riot Act.

[Birds in Hell]

Yea RA is a good album so good that it's PJ's ninth* best album.

* Seventh.

[WtOB?]

Yea RA is a good album so good that it's PJ's ninth* best album.

* Seventh.

* fifth

[Kaius]

It floats in the 4 - 6 area for me. It's never better than Vs, Vitalogy, or No Code, sometimes better than Yield and Binaural, and just slightly ahead of Ten.

[dimejinky99]

You are confusing me.

Please stop it.

To clarify, I do love the production on it. I'd happily have all their records sound that warm and present. Just not a fan of the songs.

[knee tunes]

Yea RA is a good album so good that it's PJ's ninth* best album.

* Seventh.

* fifth

1st.

If I could only ever again listen to just one PJ album, it would be riot act.

The other ones are good, but this one I would never tire of

it's the most full one, ironic that half is the most

...its the one that takes up the most space in the part of my head that listens to songs.

nope nope, would not ever want to live without this one , no

[stip]

this sits pretty comfortably at the bottom for me, I think.

[stip]

sometimes it climbs as high as 8

[McParadigm]

That's how we can be sure its so good

[Thejambi]

It is an album that has brilliant production and musicianship but apart from I am Mine, Thumbing my Way, Help, Help and maybe cant keep there is nothing I care for much. Riot Act generally doesn't make me feel anything most of the time.

[dimejinky99]

It's just such a bleak record. And I know that's meant to be the overriding theme. But it's almost too much

[bodysnatcher]

gimme bleak PJ any day

I WANT MY ARTISTS TO SUFFER

[BladeRunner]

gimme bleak PJ any day

I WANT MY ARTISTS TO SUFFER

With Riot Act there was definitely some suffering....but the Artist put it on the listener..