Red Mosquito

Insignificance vs Corduroy

They're both Eddie songs, so maybe this isn't super surprising, but these are another two songs that feel more similar than I usually credit them for. Mid tempo intensity, a defiant fight for control and agency amidst a world that feels too big and too claustrophobic at the same time, a slight distancing in the sound and performance. But it's got to be Corduroy, my favorite Pearl Jam song from the first decade or so of my fandom (once it existed), the better live song, the centerpiece of the better album, and Corduroy breaks free by the end whereas Insignificance hasn't given up, but isn't quite there yet. That's not a critique since it's how the songs are constructed but the former, in Pearl Jam, is almost always more appealing to me than the latter.

Of all the PJ songs I've come to take for granted, "Corduroy" is probably the one with the most potential to still occasionally knock me out. Oftentimes, when I feel the itch to listen to Pearl Jam after a long period of time away from them, I'll just grab a random bootleg off the shelf (usually something from 2000 or 2003), and "Corduroy" usually ends up being among the first few songs to welcome me back in; it doesn't have this effect every time, but on the right day it really can feel like a homecoming, feeling completely new again while simultaneously functioning as a capsule of my 26 year-long relationship with PJ's music. As more and more of my PJ listening moved in the direction of live recordings over the years, even as I would skip other warhorses like "Even Flow" and "Small Town" and sometimes entire encores' worth of familiar heavy-hitters, I've rarely felt compelled to skip over "Corduroy" -- its traditional place in the set, right as the excitement of a performance is ramping up, has probably heightened its ability to still feel essential to me, rather than obligatory. It's almost certainly the PJ song that I have heard the most number of times, yet many others have gotten older faster.

That said, I think "Insignificance" is the more compelling composition. I like this comparison between the songs:

stip wrote:these are another two songs that feel more similar than I usually credit them for. Mid tempo intensity, a defiant fight for control and agency amidst a world that feels too big and too claustrophobic at the same time, a slight distancing in the sound and performance.

I think there are purely musical similarities that add to this too, specifically the main progressions, built around simple power chords remaining suspended as Eddie moves around to different bass notes, creating a sort of anxious drone. However, where "Corduroy" eventually arrives at a musically satisfying release (the simple major key strum of the chorus, which breaks the tension of the main riff beautifully, even though the song ultimately goes out on more tension), "Insignificance" never really does -- it just moves into more anxiety, but also adds layers of dissonance and rhythmic unpredictability, plus that spacey, mournful instrumental bridge that is arguably the best in their whole catalog (Binaural is full of these, actually). It's just a song that's a little bit harder for me to wrap my brain around, and that type of composition almost always wins the day for me. Both are great, though -- a fair and balanced late-round matchup.

Very very difficult.

Insignificance

Insignificance.

Stip and KD both delivered moving tributes but Corduroy has just never worked on me the way it works on other fans. It's by no means a bad song. If it's the one piece that best represents the band, I can live with that; wouldn't be an insult out a slight in any way. But it's not a highlight of Vitalogy or if any love show, for me. I always enjoy hearing it but it's not one I seek out or look forward to. I'm in the middle of ranking the catalog and Corduroy isn't top 50 for me.

Insignificance is top 5.

I may not have been entirely clear, but I voted for "Insignificance" too.

LoTL was in many ways my entry to PJ megafandom. I knew of PJ, and had a passing interest in their stuff, but I remember buying LoTL at "Western World" (I shit you not, that was the name of the shop) in outback NW Oz back in '01 or' 02. A mate had lent me Vs and I knew they had a decent live rep. And I liked the cover.

The intro to Corduroy just grabbed me and I realised pretty quickly that I needed to pay these guys a bit more attention. Haven't looked back since.

Ed has really written some incredible songs, huh?

Could go either way on this one but these days i think im more excited by insignificance. No particular reason why.

Kevin Davis wrote:Of all the PJ songs I've come to take for granted, "Corduroy" is probably the one with the most potential to still occasionally knock me out. Oftentimes, when I feel the itch to listen to Pearl Jam after a long period of time away from them, I'll just grab a random bootleg off the shelf (usually something from 2000 or 2003), and "Corduroy" usually ends up being among the first few songs to welcome me back in; it doesn't have this effect every time, but on the right day it really can feel like a homecoming, feeling completely new again while simultaneously functioning as a capsule of my 26 year-long relationship with PJ's music. As more and more of my PJ listening moved in the direction of live recordings over the years, even as I would skip other warhorses like "Even Flow" and "Small Town" and sometimes entire encores' worth of familiar heavy-hitters, I've rarely felt compelled to skip over "Corduroy" -- its traditional place in the set, right as the excitement of a performance is ramping up, has probably heightened its ability to still feel essential to me, rather than obligatory. It's almost certainly the PJ song that I have heard the most number of times, yet many others have gotten older faster.

That said, I think "Insignificance" is the more compelling composition. I like this comparison between the songs:

stip wrote:these are another two songs that feel more similar than I usually credit them for. Mid tempo intensity, a defiant fight for control and agency amidst a world that feels too big and too claustrophobic at the same time, a slight distancing in the sound and performance.

I think there are purely musical similarities that add to this too, specifically the main progressions, built around simple power chords remaining suspended as Eddie moves around to different bass notes, creating a sort of anxious drone. However, where "Corduroy" eventually arrives at a musically satisfying release (the simple major key strum of the chorus, which breaks the tension of the main riff beautifully, even though the song ultimately goes out on more tension), "Insignificance" never really does -- it just moves into more anxiety, but also adds layers of dissonance and rhythmic unpredictability, plus that spacey, mournful instrumental bridge that is arguably the best in their whole catalog (Binaural is full of these, actually). It's just a song that's a little bit harder for me to wrap my brain around, and that type of composition almost always wins the day for me. Both are great, though -- a fair and balanced late-round matchup.

Extremely well said about the bridge comparisons between the two. Insignificance builds to a huge moment, but it's not a 'relief' in the way that corduroy's bridge leads to.

Corduroy is the better one, but ill choose Insignificance because thats what i wanna hear right now.

Corduroy

Probably the toughest match for me yet.

wease wrote:Probably the toughest match for me yet.

Great! If it has no insignificance, then you gotta vote corduroy

Two perfect studio recordings, but going with Corduroy because of its power in a live setting. As Kevin Davis said, I never ever ever skip Corduroy when listening to a show.

Bombs dropping down...

I've never heard the alternate take of "Corduroy" before. I guess it was on the remastered version of Vitalogy? Some interesting changes to the lyrics and some differences to the instrumental mix, though it's overall the same song. The song is the centerpiece to Vitalogy, definitely a load-bearing position, and it's suitably strong enough to hold that weight and anchor the record as it winds into its weirder second half. It's been tagged as the quintessential Pearl Jam anthem and it deserves high praise for its quality.

Kevin and Stip highlight the similarities between "Corduroy" and "Insignificance," not the least of which is their similar position as the central linchpins of their respective albums. "Insignificance" has long been the song that interests me more, though. Despite its weight, it also feels like there's a lot of open space between the interplay of its notes which has always given it a sort of wry swagger to contrast its heavy subject matter. Kevin also highlights the song's bridge, an aspect of Pearl Jam's writing that is often notable and this might be one of their very best. Those sorts of things endeared me to the song in the early days of owning Binaural (circa late 2001-early 2002, I think), and they've also allowed the song to settle in near the very top of my Pearl Jam best of, right alongside "Sleight of Hand" and "Light Years." I don't know if that says anything more than the obvious that Binaural is my favorite of their albums.

Insignificance is my clear personal favorite going into the round of eight. If it’s gone, I don’t even know what comes next.

No slight to Insignificance...Corduroy is pretty much a perfect song.

Still tight.

Based on the last time I ranked their catalogue this is # 9 (Corduroy) vs #11 (Insignificance).

Can't argue with that. It still seems too hard to pick one.