DaveA16: Spin the Black Circle vs Satan's Bed

Post by **stip** » Sun March 15, 2026 11:27 pm

Spin the Black Circle vs Satan's Bed

Post by **stip** » Sun March 15, 2026 11:28 pm

Good matchup. These are the two bottom songs on Vitalogy for me (of the core songs), but I still love them both. Vitalogy is that good. Satan's Bed gets the nod its weird pseudo-whimsy, but I'll never forgive the studio version for not having the snap of that Atlanta 94 version. That's the danger of falling in love with a live track before you know the studio.

Matters · Post by **Matters** » Mon March 16, 2026 1:28 am

Toughest choice in this round for me. Out of respect for the drummer format, STBC.

Post by **96583UP** » Mon March 16, 2026 1:37 am

would be funny if satan's bed wins it all

given that it was played by no actual pearl jam drummer

Birds in Hell · Post by **Birds in Hell** » Mon March 16, 2026 9:16 am

Spin! Spin!

Anders · Post by **Anders** » Mon March 16, 2026 12:01 pm

Satan's Bed

Farmer John · Post by **Farmer John** » Mon March 16, 2026 2:14 pm

96583UP wrote:would be funny if satan's bed wins it all

given that it was played by no actual pearl jam drummer

Yes, shouldn't Satan's Bed be in the Jimmy Shoaf bracket?

Post by **96583UP** » Mon March 16, 2026 2:25 pm

Farmer John wrote:
96583UP wrote:would be funny if satan's bed wins it all

given that it was played by no actual pearl jam drummer
Yes, shouldn't Satan's Bed be in the Jimmy Shoaf bracket?

25-time undefeated Jimmy Shoaf March Madness winner: Satan's Bed

VinylGuy · Post by **VinylGuy** » Mon March 16, 2026 2:29 pm

Spin for me

Knabetnuom · Post by **Knabetnuom** » Mon March 16, 2026 2:40 pm

Two of their greatest songs.

Satan's Bed has everything I love in a rock song, neat drum intro, incredibly catchy riff and chorus, great lyrics and a chugging full steam ahead energy with another great emotional climax.

Spin The Black Circle is the greatest paean to vinyl records ever written. All right, maybe there's not much competition but even if there were, Spin would be at the top. Great riff, endearing lyrics with heartfelt sincerity and a fantastic bridge. I love the slightly atonal breakdown right before the ending too.

Satan's Bed takes it but Spin is just behind.

*
When I learned about the band/Brendan using some of the live performance of Better Man I wondered why they didn't use it with Satan's Bed. Maybe it never occurred to them or would've been beyond the technology of the day, but they could've used Dave's drums as the spine of the album version.

The two times Dave played it with them, he did a unique variation on the first drum beat, in Atlanta he does it once, in NYC he repeats it, I wonder if they'd used his drumming it would've always been played live that way.

It was disappointing to go from the Atlanta version to the studio take and it took a while to eventually grew on me, with it's madcap energy, different from the live version. Another difference is it sounds like the chords in the chorus vary on the album, versus the live versions where they stay the same. I think it's more effective the way they play it live but just the sort of minutiae to bring up with fellow hardcore fans.

Knabetnuom · Post by **Knabetnuom** » Mon March 16, 2026 2:42 pm

stip wrote:I'll never forgive the studio version for not having the snap of that Atlanta 94 version. That's the danger of falling in love with a live track before you know the studio.

I understand, it took me a while to accept it.

Post by **stip** » Tue March 17, 2026 1:38 am

I am still waiting...

Red Mosquito