Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Yield

[PryTo]

Although it’s an enjoyable album, Yield felt like a step backward to me. PJ had put together the back-to-back classics, each one upping on the ante on the previous work, each one essential, each one doing something different, each one expanding the band’s sonic palette and musical vocabulary. After right-sizing its audience and reconnecting with their humanity on No Code, PJ seemed to blink on Yield and question whether or not they had done the right thing. The title pretty much stated outright that they were throwing in the towel on a lot of their earlier fights and stances. This is a mature position to be sure, but one that continues to spark debate. Although they would go on to make two more brilliant records, Yield was the first (ever) indication that PJ was at least one-part sellout.

It was also released at an interesting time and I think this context is important. The whole world was different in the two years since No Code. The biggest change was the rise in the Internet, which was now part of people’s lives in a way that it hadn’t been even two years prior. And with the Internet, an explosion of technology that changed the entire world: everything from personal computers to software to DVD players to digital movie cameras. This was just the beginning of a huge tipping point, and it’s easier to see looking back, but the change was well underway. For the first time in several generations, music was not THE thing. It was still A thing, but not THE thing. Music was competing with all sorts of shiny new toys; those toys were harkened to a bright, energetic, digital future in a way that Yield, with its patent Zeppelin ripoffs and resigned aura, did not.

There was also a big change in music coinciding with all of this. In 1996, PJ was still an important band, one that was an integral part of the dialogue of the day. Just two years later, this was no longer the case. PJ was still a great band, but they no longer felt essential in the way they had previously. In part, this is just the natural change in pop culture tides. Grunge as a “thing” had had its moment, and died along with most of the big grunge bands: Nirvana, Alice, and Soundgarden all fizzled out, leaving PJ as the last of the big four standing. Once part of a larger collective, a movement, they were now the last guy at the party, not always an enviable position. Grunge gave way to a bunch of mediocre-to-bad imitators (STP, Creed, Bush), boys bands, and pop. The music that truly felt essential at the time was rap, namely the works of Tupac and Biggie. Say what you will, but Tupac’s 1996 masterpiece, “All Eyez On Me,” was essential and influential and in dialogue with larger culture in a way that “Yield” was not. Bubbling and brewing for nearly two decades, rap was about to take its ascendancy as the popular youth music of the day, again a huge change from the grunge era only a few years prior.

In the spring of 1999, I went backpacking through Europe for the second time. This being 1999, I took a Walkman and something like four cassettes. Two of the cassettes were instantly eaten, leaving me with only two, a mixtape and a cassette that had R.EM.’s “Up” on one side and Liz Phair’s “Whitechocolatespacegg” on the other. These were artists who were in my wheelhouse, but whose recent works were unfamiliar. I was planning to give these albums a listen while in Europe. Turns out, I listened to both records about a million times on that trip. While “Up” had originally struck me an impenetrable, I slowly discovered its genius on that trip – it continues to resonate as one of my all-time favorite albums from R.E.M., who have no shortage of amazing records. Liz Phair had sort of come and gone, so it’s too bad that “Whitechocolate” never got its due. It’s one of my favorite records of all time and so criminally underrated it’s almost beyond belief. My point? These were two once-popular artists whose latest albums, both released the same year as Yield, were ambitious and artistically challenging in ways that Yield was not. Rather than trying to regain their previous glory, these artists decided to pursue their muses and let their sense of artistry guide them. Phair produced her best record ever, and R.E.M. made one of its strangest, densest, and ultimately, most rewarding albums. Neither sold a lot of copies, probably not nearly as many as Yield combined. But both records continue to resonate with me in ways that Yield never did. But enough of my yakking, let’s actually listen to the damn thing and see what there is to discover all these years later.

Brain of J – After the brilliant left turn of “Sometimes,” this felt obvious to me, a retreat back to the all-out rocker openings of the first three albums. It’s closest to “Last Exit,” in terms of vibe and production, but it’s not nearly as good a song. A big change on Yield was that Vedder stopped writing about himself and started writing about Society with a capital S. This song is a perfect example of that. Yeah, he had done that before, but there was just something different with the Yield songs. I like the solo, and the drum sound is awesome. They would never have a better drummer than Dave, but Jack added something in his own way. Good riff, too, but overall just a lesser start than the first four records. I like the overeager “1,2,3,4,” apology, and then slightly slower count that starts it. Nice touch to leave that in. The song sort of goes downhill from there.

Faithfull – I like this song, but this seemed like an obvious return to the big chorus, big production, singalong rawk of “Ten.” I didn’t like “Ten” then and I don’t like it now. “Faithfull” is better than, I don’t know, fucking “Jeremy” or some garbage like that, but aspiring to something along those lines. I really like the little musical moments after the chorus about two minutes in. Not really a solo, but the band sounds great together. I like this song, really, but when I see PJ’s sheep/audience bleeting along to it in concert, I cyinically think it was written basically for that reason and that reason alone. “You are a furry thing.” That’s a nice line.

No Way – Now this is more like it. Great riff, a nice sense of tension, a wonderful performance from Vedder, fantastic lyrics. Not only does this hold up, it’s better than ever. “I just wa-ah-ant someone to be there for” just before the two minute mark. Wow! As for the double negative chorus, I didn’t originally hear it the way I think I’ve read it was supposed to be taken – that there was no way Vedder was going to stop trying to make a difference. Instead, I took it as Vedder basically saying I’m not going to try to make a difference anymore, meaning be political, fight Ticketmaster, not make videos, turn their back on the industry, etc. That he was done with that and there was NO WAY he was going to pick up the gloves and fight again. No way, he was done. Sort of the message from the Beatles’ “Revolution,” and very much the theme of Yield. Great song, fantastic! What does “Let’s call it an angel” mean, anyway?

Given to Fly – Let the flames begin. This, to me, was the first time I lost respect for PJ, although it would hardly be the last. I’m sorry, but this is just a blatant ripoff of Led Zeppelin and to say anything else is insane. No, it was not “influenced” by Led Zeppelin, it is a direct and complete ripoff. This would be an open and shut case had Zep chosen to sue for plagiarism. And I’m sorry, but I didn’t like Creed’s shitty ripoffs of PJ and I don’t like PJ’s shitty ripoffs of Zeppelin. Yes, it’s a great song live. And it better be because it’s right up there with Alive and Even Flow for piss-break, every-fucking-show-without-fail setlist appearances. And I do like the build and I do like Vedder’s vocal performance, but I just can’t get past the fact that they’re stealing another band’s song and calling it their own. Listening now doesn’t change my opinion. It sounds overproduced, too, a la “Ten.” It’s one of my least favorite PJ songs. The chorus’ lyrics sound like something Iron Maiden would write. God this is awful. Note that on the line “And he still gives his love, he just gives it a-WHEY” we see an early appearance of Vedder’s latter day shitty singing style. I’m glad that’s over.

Wishlist – No wait, come back “Given to Fly!” All is forgiven! I hate this song, too sorry folks. Some of the worst, most trite lyrics in Vedder’s oeuvre. Hated it then, hate it now. Listening today, the music is really just nothing special at all. Very overproduced. Nice bassline, I supposed. What are those big wooshing sounds in the middle of the second verse? A nice little solo, I guess. This song is just so commercial and sing-songy and lyrically weak. This is my least favorite song on Yield and one of my all-time least favorite songs from PJ, mainly because people seem to like it so much. I have no idea why. To me, this is the type of song that Vitalogy-era Vedder would have taken a piss on. And then screamed

Pilate – This was the first appearance of what would become a standard PJ trope: The pretty good song with the shitty, where-the-fuck-did-THAT-come-from chorus. My thoughts listening don’t change. I guess the one thing I can say is that this is clearly not trying to be commercial. But I have not idea what it’s trying to be. It really is like they had two songs and slapped them together without much thought. If this is really about a dog (obeys, listens, kisses, loves) it’s even worse than one might imagine. I do get a kick out of the hardcore fans trying jam along to this one live. It’s just not a song that works in any way. Should have been a lost dog from Lost Dogs.

Do the Evolution – Another decent rocker that’s just not as good as the one’s found on the previous three records. Another concert favorite that brings out the apelike mook PJ fans in full effect. “Animal” hinted at similar themes but was so much better. Listening today, the best part is whichever guitarist is in my right ear on headphones, adding those nice little flourishes. Not sure which one that is, but they’re the VIP of the song, all the way. This was their first video since “Ten,” yes? Yield indeed. Another song that’s been ruined by being played at every fucking show ever. It’s not that great, guys, sorry.

Red Dot – Again, it sounds like familiar Vitalogy territory with the experimental, percussion-driven tune. But those experiments felt like an important part of the larger whole. Red Dot just seems try hard and stupid. A textbook example of cutting room floor material.

MFC – A lesser Rearviewmirror, one with similar imagery but none of the anger. A decent tune, but feels like a retread. Listening today, I like it. The drums are great and I like the guitars. A nice solo, too. This is good, would like to hear it more often in concert. Short, too. Two and a half minutes.

Low Light – I’ve always had a fondness for this song, even though it’s a pretty big-chorus, commercial tune. Love the lyrics; really nice images. Is that an organ or something in there? Can’t tell. Oh yeah, I def hear piano. I’m glad this song got a lot of play on the recent tour. It deserves to be aired on more often. Nice little jam at the end. The drums are great, too. Great song. The piano and (I think) organ really work wonders here.

In Hiding – To me, this is a companion piece to Faithfull. Not sure why, they just seem like birds of a feather. This is another big-chorus, heavily produced, commercially sounding song. Worst lyric: “I swallow my face just to keep from biting.” First chorus, second one: “I’m in Hu-WHY-den.” This is a pretty interesting idea for a song ensconced in a song that, in actuality, fails to deliver on that idea. That said, it’s okay. The little guitar refrains sound almost like GTF. Production wise, this, GTF, and Faithfull all sound very similar.

Push Me, Pull Me – I like the rolling bass line. Again, this sounds like a band trying really really hard to be experimental and weird. It doesn’t sound natural; it sounds forced and try hard. Worst lyric: “I’m like an opening band for the sun.” Wow, dude, deep. Or not. This is okay, but you don’t hear this and wonder what the band was thinking. You know exactly what they were thinking: calculated weirdness.

All Those Yesterdays – And because this is a paint-by-the-numbers PJ album, we have to have the reflective ballad to close the proceedings. But this is a really wonderful song. What a great bass line. This song has been played 16 times live. Compare that to DTE or GTF – sometimes these guys just have no clue as to their best material. “It’s no crime to escape” seems to be one of the big themes of Yield, meaning escape the corner PJ had painted itself into. Put another way, it’s no crime to sell out, to make money, and to have fun instead of being big sourpusses. We can yield and put all those yesterdays behind us. I don’t say that facetiously. I’m not one of those people that thinks PJ should be the same band they were 20 years ago. They’re not. And here’s where modern-day PJ was born, although it’s really just the earliest signs of what they’ve become, rather than a sea change.

Hummus – The album should have ended with ATY. Anyone who’s mad at them for putting an avocado on an album cover should be glad they didn’t opt for a chick pea. Yeah, this is more cutting-room floor material. Nonessential and try hard. All Those Yesterdays is the proper ending. I must say, however, that there’s something rather endearing about these little sonic slices. You’re certainly not going to find them putting something like this on a neo PJ record, and in some ways that’s too bad.

PJ has a classic string of albums, from Vs. to Riot Act, that's pretty hard to beat. Yield is the one album out of those that I really don't like all that much. The most popular songs on it (GTF, DTE, Wishlist) are some of my least favorite PJ songs on any record they've put out. There are a couple of half-baked big-chorus tunes (Faithfull, In Hiding), and plethora of try-hard "experiments" that go nowhere and add nothing to album as a collective whole. The few songs that I love (No Way, All Those Yesterdays) are songs that PJ seems embarrassed to have written. I'd put Yield at the bottom of the band's classic material, which means that it's still better than Ten, or anything post-Riot Act. Just my opinion, folks, I know for many fans, it's the band's best album.

[stip]

i agree with about half of that

[PryTo]

i agree with about half of that

I'll take that -- I assume most people will disagree with most of it. Yield is a popular album, even among the non-sheeple fans.

[EJ]

i agree with about half of that

I'll take that -- I assume most people will disagree with most of it. Yield is a popular album, even among the non-sheeple fans.

You're damn right.

[stip]

wishlist never struck me as particularly radio friendly

[PryTo]

wishlist never struck me as particularly radio friendly

Perhaps not, but I distinguish commercial from radio-friendly. I haven't listened to the radio in so long, I wouldn't begin to know what constituted radio friendliness. But Wishlist is a very commercial song, the type calculated to appeal to middle America, teenage girls, etc. And that's not meant to denigrate people who like the song. I like LOTS of commercial songs, just not this one.

[stip]

it also never struck me as particularly commercial, then. There is a lot of daylight between Wishlist and a song like, say, Just Breathe (which I also like quite a bit)

[PryTo]

it also never struck me as particularly commercial, then. There is a lot of daylight between Wishlist and a song like, say, Just Breathe (which I also like quite a bit)

I like JB more than Wishlist, but both are pretty commercial tunes, to me. JB is just Ed and an acoustic, right? That's actually not the most commercial route to take for a ballad. Something along the lines of, well, Wishlist has a more commercial-sounding production, IMO. But what do I know?

[digster]

I don't really see Wishlist as being commercial at all, particularly in terms of what the public probably would have found most popular about PJ. At that point, a single where Ed barely raised his voice above a murmur would have been unexpected.

[digster]

I also think the notion that Yield is a return to Ten or a step back seems a bit too pat. The song are open and welcoming in a way that the previous two records weren't, but the album doesn't really seem comparable to what the band had been doing earlier.

[PryTo]

I also think the notion that Yield is a return to Ten or a step back seems a bit too pat. The song are open and welcoming in a way that the previous two records weren't, but the album doesn't really seem comparable to what the band had been doing earlier.

No, I don't think Yield is a 180, where they tried to make Eleven, the sequel to Ten, just that they were clearly aiming for something more commercial/accessible, which was a 180 from No Code. They blinked.

Interesting factoid from the Yield wiki page. Stone wrote my two favorite songs on Yield, lyrics and all. (Most of you probably knew that.)

[IlluminEddie]

I'm sure I'm being baited here. But, I figured I'd respond anyway, just for shits and giggles.

So, let's get this straight. Yesterday, I post a thread with a few questions for fans about Yield. The idea was about the total concept behind the album... the idea that fueled the entire album. To me, it didn't fit in a thread about just "Yield".

So, a big, most likely large, douchey person came along and decided he didn't like that I started a thread about Yield not in THE Yield thread. So, he pissed and moaned by creating roughly 10 additional threads (just being a douche), trying to talk about 'concepts' of everything.

Then, the Mod (I think their name was Sea or Kat or something) comes along and listens to the douche's point on my thread belonging in a broader Yield category, disregarding the fact that there were threads on a multiple other subjects that could be merged into broader categories elsewhere. Kat or Sea, or whatever their name is, then merges the thread to a Yield thread. The thought was... Yield thoughts should be in the Yield thread.

Of course, now reading the new contributions to THIS thread, the irony is obvious. UMMMM... Stip, bud.... there's another fucking Yield thread according to your favorite mods. Go back to the main page and scroll the fuck down! Put this shit in there. Merge it.

At least be consistent douches. Don't just be douches for douche-sake.

[BurtReynolds]

do you often feel persecuted? And how does that make you feel?

[malice]

so by most likely big, douchy, did you mean, as in a very large sized douche or did you mean a fat person who is also rather douchy?

[IlluminEddie]

so by most likely big, douchy, did you mean, as in a very large sized douche or did you mean a fat person who is also rather douchy?

"douchey".

[malice]

so by most likely big, douchy, did you mean, as in a very large sized douche or did you mean a fat person who is also rather douchy?

"douchey".

avoidance is douchey

[IlluminEddie]

so by most likely big, douchy, did you mean, as in a very large sized douche or did you mean a fat person who is also rather douchy?

"douchey".

avoidance is douchey

Yeh. Agreed.

[malice]

so by most likely big, douchy, did you mean, as in a very large sized douche or did you mean a fat person who is also rather douchy?

"douchey".

avoidance is douchey

Yeh. Agreed.

[Kaius]

That dog is hilarious

[Lament]

Liz Phair had sort of come and gone, so it’s too bad that “Whitechocolate” never got its due. It’s one of my favorite records of all time and so criminally underrated it’s almost beyond belief. My point? These were two once-popular artists whose latest albums, both released the same year as Yield, were ambitious and artistically challenging in ways that Yield was not.

I love Liz Phair more than any moderately rational human being should, but the idea that Whitechocolatespaceegg is an artistically challenging record is one that strikes me as ridiculous.