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Old 07-29-2009, 09:45 PM   #511
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Pearl Jam is a band that demands one's attention. The listener cannot just put it on in the background and expect to do this music any justice. From all the appreciation, fervor and pure anger I have read in response to my countdown, it easy to tell that this band's fan base pays attention like few other artists' followers can claim. "1/2 Full," "Satan's Bed" and "World Wide Suicide" were yesterday's biggest funerals, and inspired just as many eulogies, with Gernier referring to the outro of "1/2 Full" as "pure PJ bliss," and noting that, "live, well, you forget where you are for a few minutes." I can attest to that, especially when I consider my experience seeing the band at Madison Square Garden last year.

In regards to John's comment about my referring to "Dirty Frank" as "inspired," I must defend myself and state that I never used such a word, but instead deemed the song "infectious."

Today's list is once again just the way the cards fell and the way I see the Pearl Jam universe. I appreciate people who cling to their favorites the same way I do - like old blankies, begging me to hold off on listing certain tracks. However, each song will make its appearance where it does, and while some fear I will get stuck in the rut of ranking clichéd songs higher, I also guarantee some of my future choices will thoroughly surprise many of you. I am sure sometimes that will be a good thing, and just as often it will frustrate some of you to no end. But, hey, at least you get another good list to sift through, right? I like Einat's philosophy: "I really don't care in what order you arrange these, as long as you throw them all together. Thank you for a great playlist!" Thank you for sharing the Pearl Jam experience with me, and thank you all for reading.

 
110-101:

110. Green Disease (Riot Act, 2002) - A rousing, punk-tinged Vedder composition opens today's list, marked by Eddie's great opening riff and a marvelous bassline from Jeff Ament. Cameron's drumming is also key here, as it provides much of the fuel for the fire of the song. While Vedder's vocals (as on much of the rest of Riot Act) are somewhat lacking, it is his lyric that is the star of the show here. E.V. has had a knack for dark imagery throughout his career in Pearl Jam, and with "Tell the captain 'this boats not safe and we're drowning,' turns out he's the one making waves," he delivers one of my personal favorite themes, obviously commenting on U.S. leaders at the time, but in a way anyone can relate to and understand.

 
109. Thin Air (Binaural, 2000) - Stone Gossard's "Thin Air" is a sweet, simple little love song, and thus far in the comments I have perused during this countdown has appeared to be even less popular within the fan base than I previously thought it to be. But to me, it is a dazzling display of the band's versatility. Sticking "Thin Air" between "Nothing as it Seems" and "Insignificance" guaranteed it to stand out and be a unique entry on the album, even in the midst of several other soft tracks. Gossard plays a warm acoustic guitar, providing the backbone of his song, while Vedder sings Gossard's lyrics earnestly, bringing his voice down to just the right volume and tone when the song reaches its breakdown and the key changes first to a lower level, then rises back up for the grand finale. The song probably receives most of its criticism due to its one-dimensional "my baby's in my arms" lyrics, but it remains a nice little treat from a band known more for its edge.

108. Whipping (Vitalogy, 1994) - The stomping punk rock of Eddie Vedder just will not stop. There has already been, and will continue to be, a large group of songs representing Vedder's love for the short, fast and angry raucous rock 'n roll romp. "Whipping" is Eddie Vedder, the vocalist, lyricist and performer at his indignant best, spitting his way through the song with nasty bitterness and sarcasm. Speeding the song up and adding the stop and start near the end during live performances infuses it with even more of a frenzy than it contained in its original incarnation on the Vitalogy LP. The thickness of the band's three-guitar attack provides much of the aggression, Vedder's voice barely able to make its way through the mix - which is just the way it should be in punk rock.

107. Around the Bend (No Code, 1996) - Demonstrating the various styles Pearl Jam has tried on, we move from the craziness of "Whipping" into the lullaby of "Around the Bend." Another Vedder song, "Bend" is rich with grace and sweetness, the acoustic guitars and piano supplying the bulk of the melody, until McCready steps in and plucks a perfect little sleepy, jazzy, barely-there solo. The lyrics are gentle and loving, with the sole exception of "how I want your soul to keep," a somewhat creepy idea when watching your significant other drift off into slumber.

106. Dead Man (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Off He Goes single, 1996) - Intended for the soundtrack of the Tim Robbins film "Dead Man Walking," this haunting Vedder tune is a dark, unsettling piece written from the shoes of a man facing the death penalty. "The hammer that I once brought down now hovers over me," the man laments, Ed's delivery flawlessly reflecting the speaker's fear, self-loathing and acceptance. The song does not seem to be too sure of itself, however, as it has been titled both "Dead Man" and "Dead Man Walking" in different listings. Under either title, Vedder rises to the challenge of writing an incredible song about a nearly impossible subject, reaching inside the listeners' minds and helping us find parts of our souls we may not have known existed.

105. Severed Hand (Pearl Jam, 2006) - Pearl Jam has never been known as a drug band, but here Vedder explores the world of hallucinogens and psychedelics, responding to the question "'Got some kicks, wanna take a ride?'" with a celebratory "Yeeaeaahhh!" Musically, the song is a powerhouse, the trio of guitarists once again juicing up the track with distortion and syncopated shredding. McCready particularly shines here, his lead lacing the second verse and chorus, sounding a sort of alarm during the key change and breakdown, all before exploding for over a minute of soloing, jamming madness, giving the song an exciting, commanding climax. My one complaint here that cost the song some points is that the lyrical, druggie journey just comes across as shallow and somewhat dull. If Vedder had written the entire piece from the angle of the middle eight, i.e., "Like a tear in all we know, once dissolved we are free to grow," the lyric would have been far superior. It can be funny at times, depending on one's mood, but is just missing that special Vedder verbal magic.

104. Hold On (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 1991 during Ten sessions) - An obvious Ten-era composition, this Stone Gossard song is anthemic, mournful and yet somehow triumphant in a reluctant way. Vedder seems to be giving himself credit, saying that "I know I could be something if I held on," but in his voice and in other lines he seems resigned to the concept that he probably does not know how to hold on and therefore has little promise for "life (to) be different." The band re-recorded and altered many parts of their songs for the Lost Dogs release, but it is never more apparent than here, as Vedder's vocals are distinctly 21 century Eddie, as opposed to his raw, fantastically uninjured Ten-era sound.

103. Santa Cruz (Holiday Single, 2008) - Featuring a 12-string guitar, prominent harmonica and an outstanding piano melody, last year's A-side of the annual holiday single (which arrived in Spring of this year, of course) comes across as an ode to the classic mid-1960's folk rock of The Byrds, Bob Dylan and The Beatles. Not only due to the music, but also because of the somewhat grainy production, if one was unfamiliar with Eddie Vedder's voice, he or she might be inclined to think this song was actually recorded back in the classic rock era. The lyrics reference Neil Young, but seem more Springsteen-inspired than anyone else: "I got an old friend, he remembers me from way back when we were seventeen. We got kids and we're older now, but when I see him, we're still seventeen." Hey, throw Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, The Byrds, Bob Dylan and The Beatles together in a melting pot and I'll listen any day, any time.

102. Nothing as it Seems (Binaural, 2000) - Mike McCready's lead guitar is prominent once more in this Jeff Ament song, bluesing its way through the introduction, then taking a wild journey through the solos, wah-wahing, screeching and wailing. It is some of the guitarist's finest work, an adornment without which the lead single from Binaural would be quite empty. Ament's downtrodden lyrics, which Mr. Vedder delivers in appropriate downtrodden fashion, are abstract and colorful - which the music echoes - but lack direction and focus and are difficult to decipher, but remain fascinating nonetheless. I know I have said it a few times already, but once again a Binaural track makes an appearance and I must admit that it took a very, very long time for this one to sink its way into my skin, but since it grew on me I look forward to it every time.

101. Save You (Riot Act, 2002) - It is credited to all five members of the band, is lyrically sort of a flip side to "Habit" (# 112) and it is a hell of a way to get a crowd moving near the opening of a concert. "Save You" is the kind of song one puts on if he or she is on a mission. Its music is a big sound, moves like a jungle animal and has no regard for victims left in its wake. The lyrics reflect the sort of intervention mercenary mentality one can catch on an episode of "The Cleaner." Vedder lets his struggling friend have it, viciously telling him "I'm gonna save you, f***er." If not for the repeated profanity, the song probably would have been a more apt lead single from the Riot Act album, but the band is known to make odd choices. Although the song is not even a mere seven years old, the bass break in the middle is the stuff of legend at live concerts, Ament's bass and Vedder's double time clap joining together to energize and prepare the audience for the best show on the planet.


We enter the Top 100 tomorrow with 100-91.

The archives of the countdown, just a click away:





 
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Old 07-30-2009, 01:59 AM   #512
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would have had whipping, dead man and hold on higher. probably nothing as it seems as well.


the new song, "speed of sound" is okay. I'm hoping they really jazz it up, a la Given to Fly or something.

 
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Old 07-30-2009, 04:02 AM   #513
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wow i actually think speed of sound is a beautiful song

 
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Old 07-30-2009, 10:16 PM   #514
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                 "Vs." makes its first appearance today

As we enter the Top 100 Pearl Jam songs, not only does the quality of the music climb a few rungs up, so does the level of nastiness and passion in the fan response. Since I posted 110-101 yesterday, I have been told, "Enough is enough," that my "tastes are certainly warped," and "please stop, you have no clue." Ah, but the countdown does not stop. Instead, it only gets more intense and apparently maddening for a few of you. A college writing professor of mine preached to our class over and over, "Kill. Your. Babies!" referring to some of our favorite words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, pages, etc. that had to be eliminated to improve the overall work. Well that's what this feels like at this point. It is much more gruesome than picking the favorite child. It has officially become killing our babies.

But, oh, are we not having fun? For every enraged fan that leaves a comment, there are at least two letting me know how much they are enjoying the countdown. "This is just too much fun to let it end," said Bart from The Netherlands, also exclaiming, "Man o man...the joy you give with something (as) 'simple' as a list with songs." Well, Bart, I think we can both agree that it is not my list that is providing the joy, but rather the brilliant musicians that created the songs that make up the list. However, I am grateful to be a catalyst for people's re-discovery of this band and its incredible back catalogue. One comment, left by Vital73, says it all for me, and while it is lengthy, I think it deserves the final word before today's list. Keep on rockin' in the free world, everyone.

"The thing about this band is that their music has a way of touching people very differently. Everyone has their "PJ moment" that they can reflect on where they realized that they had fallen in love with this band and that there would never be another band that will mean as much to them as they do. Mine was when I listened to "Ten" the first time at Silver Platters, after getting a tip from a friend to check PJ out. I was there for like 2.5 hours just listening to it over and over again simply amazed at what I was hearing. Others' moments are unique and solely their own, but what binds us all, I trust, is that it's the music that matters. The music that moves us. In life, as with this list, the destination is not the prize, it's the journey itself. Thanks for your list, your thoughts and for allowing me some reflection on my life with Pearl Jam ~ My best friend I have never met but who is always there for me. All I have to do is press play." - Vital73


100-91:

100. Wishlist (Yield, 1998) - A direct, simple and warm song solidifies its spot at #100. Eddie Vedder's "Wishlist" is delightful. Regardless of all the hatred it receives for being corny, easy or poppy, it is about as uplifting as Pearl Jam gets. Vedder sifts his way through a long list of circumstances, fantasies, etc. he desires, backed by ringing major chords and three different lead guitar opportunities for Gossard, McCready and Vedder, respectively. Another song obviously infused with and influenced by 60's pop rock, "Wishlist" helps the listener cope with the concept that everyone suffers with always wanting more, and although Vedder never comes out and says it, the music lets us know that even without getting what we want or always being satisfied, we will all be okay.

 

99. I Am Mine (Riot Act, 2002) - Riot Act's lead single is one part foreboding darkness, one part hopeful overcoming and one part classic rock anthem. It takes a while for the song to really reach its greatest heights, first traveling through composer Vedder's troubled thoughts - "The ocean is full 'cuz everyone's crying" - then reaching an instrumental break that explodes into the final chorus that somehow sounds better than the first two, especially as it transitions into Mike McCready's "Daughter"-esque guitar solo finale. Check out Vedder's solo bootlegs for the finest versions of "I Am Mine" that this listener has heard.

98. Glorified G (Vs., 1993) - So the story goes that former drummer Dave Abbruzzese bought a gun and it so intensely angered Ed that Mr. Vedder immediately wrote the lyrics to "Glorified G," a satirical send-up of the NRA and causeless defenders of the Second Amendment. The song is based around a McCready-penned country rock riff, exploding into screaming verses and culminating in a rocking solo coda that mimics the machismo Vedder seems to associate with gun ownership. The song contains one of Stone Gossard's most well known background vocals, his voice doubling with Eddie's for the chorus: "Glorified version of a..." as well as his "life comes" refrain during the bridge prior to the outro solo. This was one of my favorites during my initial Pearl Jam discovery period, but has since dropped and now enters the countdown as the first track from 1993's classic LP, Vs.

97. I’m Open (No Code, 1996) - World music, spoken word and Tibetan monk-influence all make a mesmerizing impact upon the soft and hypnotic meditation of "I'm Open," composed by Jack Irons and Eddie Vedder. I find it unfortunate but unsurprising that Vedder omits the spoken word bookends of the song when performing it live. Out of all non-singing deliveries he has given on record, this is probably his finest, due somewhat to the tone of his voice during the No Code era, but largely as a result of a blinding piece of poetry. Between the swirling guitar work and the tribal drumming, the song grows on the listener not just over time, but also over one play, digging its way into the subconscious.

"When he was six he believed that the moon overhead followed him/ By nine he had deciphered the illusion, trading magic for fact...No trade-backs...So this is what it's like to be an adult / If he only knew now what he knew then"

96. Crazy Mary (Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams, 1993) - "Crazy Mary" is a cover that has become legendary live, a song most people think of as Pearl Jam, rather than a song the band consistently covers. The studio version pales in comparison to most of the group's live renditions, particularly since the 2003 tour. Stone's addition of the acoustic guitar, Boom Gaspar's organ and his instrumental battles with Mike McCready's electric lead, and especially Vedder's vocals have given the song new life. "Crazy Mary" has evolved into an entirely new breed, Vedder using its "take a bottle, drink it down, pass it around" refrain and extended live jam as cause for celebration, offering his signature wine bottle to the front of the audience while the band lifts the song out of the so-called "grunge" era and into its own unique version of a modern rock jam band. It would probably be higher on this list if not for the so-so (in comparison) studio outing.

95. Parting Ways (Binaural, 2000) - Binaural's closing track, "Parting Ways" is a Vedder composition loaded with strings, its cello a chilling tribute to the subject at hand - loss. The first verse narrates a split from the woman's point of view: "She knows their future's burning, but she can smile just the same/ and though her mood is fine today, there's a fear they'll soon be parting ways." The second verse switches to the male perspective, who is "standing, like a statue, a chin of stone, a heart of clay/ and though he's too big a man to say, there's a fear they'll soon be parting ways." Once the song hits the coda, the strings mourn achingly and Vedder wails the song's final refrain of "drifting away" into listeners' hearts, leaving us all wounded but a bit wiser.

94. Rats (Vs., 1993) - "Rats" is a political social commentary song driven by a funky yet melodic Jeff Ament bassline, some raunchy, nearly southern yet still 70's funk-inspired guitar work, some mean and nasty Vedder vocals and a repeated Michael Jackson shout-out ("Ben, the two of us need look no more...") throughout the slow, long fade-out. That sounds to me like it would not work, but somehow, it does when played through the lens of Pearl Jam. Vedder's lyrical theme of comparing rats to politicians is a stroke of genius, powered by their positioning in paralleled verses and built upon the foundation of the singer's gritty delivery. Abbruzzese's drumming deserves some credit here, too, as his fills maximize the funk of the rhythm section and create that nasty feeling for the listener to match the image of thousands of underground urban creatures that run our universe.

93. Can’t Keep (Riot Act, 2002) - When Eddie Vedder performed a monumental version of "Can't Keep" at their 2003 Benaroya Hall show in Seattle, Washington, the singer introduced the song by simply stating, "This is for Elliott." Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith had passed away the day before the performance, and Vedder sent him off with his ukulele and the lines, "I've lived all this life like an ocean in disguise/ I don't live forever - you can't keep me here." This live recording trumps the studio version magnificently, outweighing its passion, emotional mood and listener response. The opening cut from 2002's Riot Act is still a marvelous one, however, and rests its head between two classic Pearl Jam cuts on this countdown.

92. Lukin (No Code, 1996) - The quintessential Pearl Jam punk song. When No Code was first released in 1996, MTV went out on the streets and tested the band's new sound on random listeners. After hearing the glorious one minute, two second "Lukin," one snotty girl remarked that "He (Vedder) sounds like a dog - I can't understand anything he's saying." Something tells me that girl had never listened to hardcore music. But Vedder's lyrics in "Lukin" represent his hatred for fame maybe better than any other song, telling the story of a crazed fan who harassed him and informed him he did, in fact, "father by rape her own son." "Lukin" fits on No Code because the album is purposely scattershot and all over the board, i.e. it has "No Code." In live shows the band tears through it, usually taking ten seconds even fewer than its short appearance on the record, whipping the audience into a furious frenzy in the process.

91. Life Wasted (Pearl Jam, 2006) - For those wondering where in the world "Wasted Reprise" is (it's been commented on at least three times thus far), the answer is just that I have not listed it yet and that, yes, I believe the reprise to be superior to "Life Wasted" itself. But don't get me wrong - I love this song. Stone Gossard's composition served as a great opening track to 2006's self-titled album, a ferocious dual guitar attack and one of Vedder's fine lyrical tributes to the late, great Johnny Ramone. The bridge is particularly brilliant, with Vedder posing important questions while Cameron's drums rumble beneath the chiming guitars of Gossard and McCready:

"Darkness comes in waves/ Tell me, why invite it to stay? You're warm with negativity/ Yes, comfort is an energy, but why let the sad song play?"

A final chorus sounds, the band builds and McCready lays down a great solo to round off the track, Pearl Jam back in the forefront of rock in spring of 2006.

 

Drifting away...'til tomorrow, for 90-81.

160-151

150-141

140-131

130-121

120-111

110-101

The Fixer






 
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Old 07-30-2009, 10:18 PM   #515
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Old 07-31-2009, 06:54 PM   #516
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hahaha

 
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Old 07-31-2009, 07:32 PM   #517
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You lost me with Thin Air and Nothing As It Seems being below anything on the last two albums.

 
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Old 07-31-2009, 08:18 PM   #518
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Quote:
Originally Posted by McCollum View Post
You lost me with Thin Air and Nothing As It Seems being below anything on the last two albums.
Nothing as it Seems? Better than Gone or Inside Job?

 
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Old 08-01-2009, 01:59 AM   #519
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inside job phenomenal, probably top 25 all time Pearl Jam. Gone I liked better with the demo version.

seriously though, life wasted and can't keep are fucking most definitely lower than the others.


listening to breakerfall, pretty awesome song.

 
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Old 08-01-2009, 02:17 AM   #520
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could some please re-up Speed of Sound? It would be much appreciated.

 
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Old 08-02-2009, 02:48 AM   #521
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Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son View Post
Nothing as it Seems? Better than Gone or Inside Job?

yes definitely, to me.

 
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Old 08-02-2009, 03:12 AM   #522
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Originally Posted by McCollum View Post
yes definitely, to me.
you live in a crazy town

 
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Old 08-02-2009, 03:12 AM   #523
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wait, are you a No Coder?

 
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Old 08-02-2009, 02:27 PM   #524
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...And so we drift back in for today's list, the top ten of the bottom half of the Pearl Jam catalogue. Many readers have recently noted the absurdity of the challenge I have given myself, and how that absurdity is most apparent in the extremely high quality of the songs that have constituted the last three days' lists. Yes, it has been a taxing process to put some sort of order to these works of genius, and occasionally I have asked myself how I could rank such songs as "Dead Man," "Life Wasted" or "Parting Ways" in the bottom half of the countdown.

The answers to such questions have come to me in the form of many of your comments, particularly from Brian, who wrote, "As I read the list, I think the same thing to myself every time I get to the next song: 'That's definitely in my top 20.' So now while I'm completely aware that it's not actually possible to have hundreds of songs in my top 20, that is indeed about how I feel about all of PJ's music." Brian goes on to state that the band's entire library has entered his Top 20 at different points in time. I hear you, Brian, as I am certain many of your fellow readers do.

"When I read your list," commented Matty, "I firstly find it amazing that any writer, one who clearly knows music for one, is able to show a sense of intelligence about Pearl Jam." I appreciate your kind words, sir, and I hope I am doing justice to the sheer marvel in which we all engage when listening to and/or watching this band. Every time I go through a list of ten on a given day I find myself in the midst of such marvel and am grateful to have found this band that has done so much for me in my life. Describing these songs and having you all not only read my descriptions, but also engage in dialogue about them has been a wonderful experience for me, and I look forward to seeing it through to the end, hopefully with each and every one of you...even the guy that called me an "a**hat."

 

90-81:

90. Soon Forget (Binaural, 2000) - Inspired by (and basically ripped off from) The Who's "Blue, Red and Grey," "Soon Forget" is reportedly the song that broke Eddie Vedder's writer's block during the Binaural sessions. Ed's ukulele chords are a teensy bit different from Pete Townshend's (whom Vedder thanks in the album's liner notes), but follow a similar pattern. Within the pretty melody, Vedder tackles a story about a man who indulges himself in his money and shuns the rest of humanity and the world at large, cleverly paralleling the life of the richest man in town to the normal story of the town drunkard. After all, it seems, each man often ends up sharing the same destiny.

 

89. You Are (Riot Act, 2002) - Binaural and Riot Act both saw the band delving deeply and earnestly into the realm of experimental art rock. The opening guitar riff to "You Are," filtered through a drum machine, demonstrates the band's fascination with progressive rock and venturing into new territories, as the Matt Cameron-penned composition travels leaps and bounds past anything the band had attempted previously. Vedder and Cameron co-wrote the lyrics about love and near worship. Vedder sings beautifully, encapsulating the power of lines such as "Love is a tower of strength to me/ I am the shoreline, but you're the sea" in a soaring vocal. One of the finest songs from Riot Act, "You Are" is a prime example of what Pearl Jam can do when it lifts its stubborn head out of its ways and stretches itself beyond its normal patterns, fears and insecurities.

 

88. Of The Girl (Binaural, 2000) - It was listening to "Live at Benaroya Hall" that really sold this song to me. "Of The Girl" was the show's opener and never before had it been so obvious to me how rich and colorful this Stone Gossard tune really is. When I traveled back to the studio version on "Binaural," I felt as though I had been wearing blinders when first encountering the song and had somehow missed all that it has to offer. Gossard's layered acoustic guitars and McCready's bluesy lead, underscored by inventive percussion by Cameron, along with distant and foggy sound effects reaching forward and backward in the mix, all make for a listen marked with intensity, passion and bare-bones honesty. In hindsight, the song is hypnotic, the soundscape so broad and spatial that it never at all feels close to its five-minute length.

 

87. Drifting (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Holiday Single, 1999) - Another I-dare-you-not-to-smile-while-listening recording. Eddie Vedder's "Drifting" is his take on John Lennon's "I'm Only Sleeping" (from the Beatles' classic album Revolver), only much more uplifting and less bogged down by marijuana, leaving no sign of the bitterness for which Lennon was so infamous. Playing a simple chord progression on his acoustic guitar and adding a bluesy harmonica, Vedder essentially performs solo, singing about defying the “suitcoats” of the status quo by simply “drifting away,” and not worrying about the “money to be made.” One of Ed’s finest lines appears at the end of the first verse, as he declares, “it’s not the world that’s heavy, just the things that you save.” A profound thought indeed, but the ultimate superstar of this show is Eddie’s own harmony vocal, wailing hoarsely in the background through half of the song and containing all of the freedom, loneliness and peace found within the song itself.

 

86. 4/20/02 (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 2002, during Riot Act sessions) – A song I believe has never gotten its due, “4/20/02” is a desperate, stinging and heart-wrenching eulogy for the late lead singer of Alice in Chains, Layne Staley. Consisting of only Vedder’s electric guitar and almost crying vocal, the song is hidden at the end of “Bee Girl” on Disc Two of Lost Dogs, beginning just after the six-minute mark of the track. Vedder wrestles with two difficult themes lyrically in the song, one being artists who steal and will continue stealing from Mr. Staley’s vocal style, the other being the idea of drug addiction in loved ones and how “the using takes toll.” Ed recorded the song the day he found out the news of his old friend’s death, hence its title, and his voice is so pained that it is impossible not to feel much of the same. For anyone who appreciates the anguish and loss of this subject, and/or has his or her own personal experience with it, this song is purely essential.

 

85. Wasted Reprise (Pearl Jam, 2006) – This song’s placement has a handful of people thinking I am just a nut job, but I believe it to be one of the most beautiful things the band has ever recorded. Once again only a single instrument accompanies a Vedder vocal, this time in the form of Boom Gaspar’s breathtaking organ. Ed delivers the “Life Wasted” chorus in a lower register, the hope of the original song more apparent and believable than in that original form. Since the song’s release in 2006, the band has placed the reprise in effective spots in concert setlists, using it to open shows and encores, as well as the introduction to perfect pairs, such as its song of origin, “Life Wasted,” “Better Man,” “Man of the Hour,” and my personal favorite (as witnessed at Night One of last year’s two nights at Madison Square Garden), “Porch.” “Wasted Reprise” is everything that this band is about, all in a mere four lines and 50 seconds.

 

84. Army Reserve (Pearl Jam, 2006) – On the Avocado record, “Wasted Reprise” arrives mid-way through side two, giving away perfectly to the anti-war glory of “Army Reserve.” A Jeff Ament composition with lyrics by Vedder and Damien Echols, a member of the controversial West Memphis Three, the song is funky without the funk and rocking without a really driven rock presence. The true soul of the song is in the lyrics, which address the loved ones of soldiers away in Iraq in a war with which the speaker obviously disagrees. Vedder’s vocal delivery of the lyrics is phenomenal, sending chills up my spine every time I hear him sing, “And mom, she reassures to contain him, but it's becoming a lie/ She tells herself and everyone else father is risking his life for our freedoms.” The yearning feel of the song culminates in the end with a minute-long instrumental jam full of intricacies the band saves for only its most emotional outings…and this is one.

 

83. Spin The Black Circle (Vitalogy, 1994) – Vedder’s devoted dedication to his favorite way to experience music – vinyl. “Spin the Black Circle” won a Grammy Award for “Best Hard Rock Performance,” although the song is pure post-punk spitfire. Based around a mean, amped-up riff by Stone Gossard, “Spin the Black Circle” is another one of those Pearl Jam songs that beats the crap out of the audience at live shows. Vedder lays out the lyrics giftedly, painting a dichotomy between a music fanatic’s love for vinyl records and a drug addict's obsession with his or her substance(s). His yelling vocals are hoarse as he screams, often breaking mid-note to great effect. A special shout-out to the barely audible “Wow!” at the tail end of the song.

 

82. Undone (Lost Dogs, 2003 – “I Am Mine” b-side, 2002) – Played live a mere three times, “Undone” is a pretty little gem of a song regarding the power of the individual in a voting booth. Vedder’s songwriting is on full display here as he layers the track with creative chord progressions and dazzling background and harmonies vocals. His lyrics are humble and hopeful: “Everybody, they know me there/ Don't get any second glances/ Chances are that they don't care,” and “Can't wait for election day/ Witness the occupation/ Corporations rule the day/ Well you know the pendulum throws/ farther out to the one side, swinging/ has to sweep back the other way.” After all the hope and prettiness of the first 95% of the song, Vedder lays down a surprising, awesome little mini-jam at the end, drums crashing and guitars rockin’.

 

81. Gone (Pearl Jam, 2006) – Vedder’s getaway ballad tops off the bottom half of the countdown appropriately, sending us off in glorious fashion. Another song demonstrating the direct lineage of The Who to Pearl Jam, “Gone” once again points right to Mr. Pete Townshend. As with “Soon Forget,” Vedder thanks “P.T.” in the liner notes. Opening with a soft acoustic guitar and light electric accompaniment, the song begins like a folk rock requiem, soon roaring into life as a classic rock anthem as it enters its chorus, Vedder wailing and singing “I’m gone, long gone, this time I’m letting go of it all…so long, this time I’m gone.” McCready’s riffing sounds like it could have been on any Zeppelin album and melds nicely with Gaspar’s background organ. Although Vedder admitted at an ’06 show in East Rutherford that it was originally Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” that got “Gone” going, the “P.T.” reference becomes clear in the song’s coda, when Vedder quotes The Who’s “Let’s See Action,” with the line “nothing is everything.” Vedder expands it and raises the bar, exclaiming, “If nothing is everything, I will have it all.”

 

So long...this time I'm gone...see you soon for 80-71.

100-91

110-101

120-111

130-121

140-131

150-141

160-151

The Fixer






 
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Old 08-03-2009, 11:45 AM   #525
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wait, are you a No Coder?
I never really considered myself one but it did grow on me quite a bit and I do like most of it. Present Tense, Off he goes, Smile, Sometimes, and Lukin are my favorites from it. My favorite album is vs i guess if i were to pick one.

I just really like the guitar in those two songs. Nothing as it seems is epic and McCready's solo is excellent.

To be honest I haven't listened to the avocado album nearly enough. The rockers on binaural really weren't great and then riot act following that up did little for me. I guess i need to revisit the last couple. It does seem their ballads or softer songs are their better ones these days.

The Fixer is great though.

 
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Old 08-03-2009, 12:44 PM   #526
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never got the love for army reserve.

 
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Old 08-03-2009, 01:32 PM   #527
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I never really considered myself one but it did grow on me quite a bit and I do like most of it. Present Tense, Off he goes, Smile, Sometimes, and Lukin are my favorites from it. My favorite album is vs i guess if i were to pick one.

I just really like the guitar in those two songs. Nothing as it seems is epic and McCready's solo is excellent.

To be honest I haven't listened to the avocado album nearly enough. The rockers on binaural really weren't great and then riot act following that up did little for me. I guess i need to revisit the last couple. It does seem their ballads or softer songs are their better ones these days.

The Fixer is great though.
The No Coders are that subset of fans who think No Code is the best album the band ever made. Usually I 100% disagree with all of their tastes.

You really need to give the self-titled another chance. I can see how Riot Act was lack-luster, but don't let it put you off of avocado.

Also FWIW I loved Binaural. I don't get why it's so universally derided.

 
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:01 PM   #528
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               The first track from the iconic "Ten" shows up on today's list

The upper half of the Pearl Jam song countdown is riddled with contradictions, much like the band itself. Many of my readers have noted such contradiction in some of the language I have used throughout my earlier analyses and I can only concur and wonder how it would even be possible not to fall into this trap. After Brandon posted a comment wondering where this list was over the weekend and signed off as "B, theskyiscrape.com," I quickly remembered that I had not visited the aforementioned site in a long time. I jetted over there and humbly discovered yet another thread devoted to my countdown, one in which I soon learned I was "anti-melody," "a moron" and "an idiot," that I "hate" Binaural, that I will have six songs from the Ten album in my Top Ten and that my top three songs are going to be "Alive, Evenflow and Jeremy." Hmm... I am going to keep everyone guessing when it comes to my Top Ten, but I enjoyed my discovery of new commentary from my fellow PJ-crazed community. Some of those remarks are pretty entertaining. But back to the contradictions.

"Cutuphalfdead," from the theskyiscrape.com forum (who was coincidentally the one who called me a moron) noted that "no matter HOW he ranked the songs people would disagree," adding, "(Pearl Jam is) such a varied band that everyone has a different opinion on what songs are the best and what songs are boring." This is an idea that has been repeated throughout the countdown and I believe it to once again be a testament to the band itself.

Referring to Friday's list (#90-81) and particularly my description of "Wasted Reprise," Stip asks, "How can one of the most beautiful things the band has written be ranked #85?" I have three answers for that: 1) I over-use superlatives in my writing, especially when it comes to something I love, like Pearl Jam, and 2) Lots of the band's catalogue is that beautiful. 3) Not everything in my Top 25 is beautiful, but is better than some of the more beautiful pieces that are ranked lower, for other reasons. For example, I believe "Blood," from today's list, to be a better song than "Wasted Reprise," but not as beautiful. Great questions, and I do absolutely appreciate the criticism. The responses have been as contradictory and as varied as this list and the band's songs, and provide character in the spaces I lack it. Thanks again, readers.

P.S. - You Ten haters finally get your first wish today.

 

80-71:

80. Unemployable (Pearl Jam, 2006) - This song has been compared to Bruce Springsteen, to new wave and pop music and to dog crap. I guess that is as good an example as any of the diversity of Pearl Jam. "Unemployable," as I mentioned during my analysis of its A-side, "World Wide Suicide," interested me more as a b-side, primarily because it contained a distinct and unique sound, unlike anything I had ever heard before. I can hear the Springsteen influence in the "Oh-oh-oh-ooohhh!" woops of the chorus, but the music drummer Matt Cameron and guitarist Mike McCready composed for this song stands alone as a PJ track. Unfortunately the song has not translated well live, perhaps because it is admittedly a heavily-produced pop/rock song, and the band's rawer songs usually have a greater shot of making a successful conversion from the studio to the stage. Vedder's lyrics are concerned with the American workingman and his struggle to take care of his family in the modern world. No matter how much this track gets blasted, it remains one of my highlights from 2006.

 

79. Fatal (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 2000, during Binaural sessions) - Stone Gossard's "Fatal" was left off of 2000's Binaural, leaving many of us scratching our heads in confusion ever since. Many explanations have been given for the reasons the band chose to discard so many excellent songs from that record, but "Fatal" likely would have fit the tone of the album perfectly, so my brow is still crooked over this one. The music is low-key and brooding, beginning with an acoustic guitar then stretching out into electric territory, the guitars and drums joined by a gleaming organ during the instrumental bridge. The composition's format calls for notice, as it is structured with two verses up front, then a varied but similar chorus repeated throughout the the rest, broken up only by instrumental passages. The band has played with unusual song structuring elsewhere ("Faithfull," "Sometimes," etc.), which will be discussed more as we make our way down the line, edging ever closer to number one.

 

78. Education (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 2000, during Binaural sessions) - One of many Eddie Vedder songs that have made me stop and take a serious moment to ponder my existence, "Education" is a funky rocker with a big brain. The rhythm section is alive and well here, as Matt Cameron's drumming and Jeff Ament's bass have a mean groove to match Vedder's chord progression. Vedder's harmonized vocals are pretty and pretty eerie, much like the entirety of the song itself. Once again, the band has created a sound here that forces the listener to take pause and dig deep into the music and the lyrical subject at hand. "Education" focuses on how what we learn during childhood affects the rest of our lives. The song is not so much concerned with academia as with emotional and spiritual education, as evidenced by the culminating lyric of the two verses, "If I'd been taught from the beginning, would my fears now be winning?" Another astounding outtake from the Binaural sessions.

 

77. No Way (Yield, 1998) - A huge chunk of Stone Gossard hard rock funk makes its appearance at #77. Many songs have at some point been the most requested of the band's catalogue for live shows, and the current champion seems to be "No Way," played only three times since its 1998 release, all in a two week period of that very year, according to pearljam.com. The song features one of the heaviest bridges of any PJ song, giving way to a dark, interplaying instrumental break, in which Gossard's riffing, McCready's flavorful tinkering and Ament's drooping bass all build their way back to the insistent chorus, their final passage coming in the form of some fantastic drumming from Jack Irons. Here's to our hope for a return of "No Way" to the setlists in 2009.

 

76. Other Side (Lost Dogs, 2003 - "Save You" single, 2003, Recorded 2002) - Yet another "Lost Dog" finds its way home to our list, Jeff Ament's "Other Side" clocks in at the bottom of the top half. The tune reflects the mood of the Riot Act sessions, both in sound and in content, as Ament's speaker mourns his/her own death and separation from a long-time loved one, the other side of the story told in Vedder's "Sad," as noted in the Lost Dogs liner notes. One of Jeff Ament's finest career moments arrives in the soft break mid-song, when Vedder moans, "Ooh-ooh" over a minor chord-strumming acoustic guitar. A striking moment amidst an album and career full of them.

 

75. Parachutes (Pearl Jam, 2006) - Another song that has earned a huge amount of hatred that I simply cannot comprehend, "Parachutes" is the most poignant of all the ballads on the self-titled album. Stone Gossard's piece fits in with his handful of songs ("All Those Yesterdays," "Thin Air," etc.) that significantly recall The Beatles. "Parachutes" is basically semi-psychedelic acoustic folk pop rock, a label that does not do the song justice and makes it sounds more complicated than it truly is. The chord progression is another one that goes places no other band can, while the lead guitar is delicate enough to barely be there until the song's coda. Vedder sings about love, appearing to combine the concepts of romantic boy-and-girl storytelling with his grander wishes for a loving, peaceful world at large. Boom Gaspar's organ rides quietly behind much of the song, becoming more prominent as "Parachutes" climbs, while the aforementioned lead guitar explodes in Abbey Road fashion when Vedder sings, "Break the sky and tell me what it's for," providing a heart-warming moment, goosebumps and all.

 

74. Once (Ten, 1991) - "Once" is the first track from the band's iconic Ten album on this list, as well as the first cut on the album. It is also the first appearance of a song from the Mamasan Trilogy, a concept to be discussed later in this countdown. The song opens with the instrumental "Master/Slave," which bookends the Ten record, appearing again after "Release" ends. Telling the story of a serial killer, Vedder sings passionately and almost violently, nearly screaming and nearly crying each repetition of the word "Once." The bridge is paranoid and frightening, Ed's barely audible voice muttering, "You think I got my eyes closed but I'm looking at you the whole f**king time." As with most of the early songs, "Once" is a Stone Gossard composition with lyrics by Eddie Vedder and a lead guitar by Mike McCready (including a rip-roaring solo here), a combination that would prove to be earth shattering.

 

73. Blood (Vs., 1993) - "Blood" opens up side two of Vs. with no holds barred and no regard for the ears of the listener. Power chords and Dave Abbruzzese's crashing drums beat their way through a gutsy and nasty introduction, before a funky wah-wah chika-chiks its way through the song's first verses, Vedder singing about critics and journalists putting his life on paper as if they know him, i.e. drawing "blood." As with much of Ed's earlier lyrical content, "Blood" is scarce, concise and abstract, but there is no mistaking his bitter rage toward those who were writing about him at the time, the music reflecting his anger with a harsh, pounding sound and a throat-tearing delivery from Vedder himself. The song's outro serves as a catharsis, as Ament's bass rumbles madly and Abbruzzese's drumming claws its way around like a reflection of Ed's troubled emotional state.

 

72. Sleight of Hand (Binaural, 2000) - Out of the huge batch of songs from Binaural that had to take serious time to work their way into my consciousness and slowly grow on me, "Sleight of Hand" is the king. Arty, experimental and different, the song is a cousin of songs like "You Are," examples of the band expanding and taking risks, moving in unconventional directions with determination and earnestness. A Jeff Ament composition with lyrics by Eddie Vedder, "Sleight of Hand" stakes its claim in the ordinary, taking a long look at a man stuck in structure and routine with room for little else, a man broken by the patterns that have become his life. Like much of the rest of the Binaural album, "Sleight of Hand" is heavily layered and contains sounds that drift in and out of focus and can only fully be realized through the use of headphones. Look out for that delivery of the "I'll see you on the other side" lyric - it has the power to take you somewhere far away from your actual physical location.

 

71. All Or None (Riot Act, 2002) - While "Bushleaguer" is the personification of Pearl Jam's mood during the Riot Act sessions and blunt response to the first term of George W. Bush, "All Or None" is the true culmination of the band's sound in this era. The song is so utterly downtrodden that after opening with a dropped-tuned, minor chord introduction, the first line is "It's a hopeless situation." The rest of the lyric, co-written by Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder, delves into an examination of self, as the speaker comes to understand some hard truths about himself, especially the tendency to see and react to the world only in extremes, hence "All Or None." Vedder practically mumbles the first two verses and choruses, matching the somber tone of the music, but raises the bar for the final verse and chorus, wailing, his voice barely cracking, one of his signature human moments on record. Gossard composed the music, and the arrangement is breathtaking, from his acoustic guitar to Boom Gaspar's soft piano styles, and especially Mike McCready's shining, bluesy lead guitar.

 

70-61 coming at you tomorrow.

 

All links for the rest of the countdown can be found here: www.examiner.com/x-3940-Indianapolis-Pop-Culture-Examiner Feel free to review 160-81 and comments are encouraged. Thanks!





 
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:01 PM   #529
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               The first track from the iconic "Ten" shows up on today's list

The upper half of the Pearl Jam song countdown is riddled with contradictions, much like the band itself. Many of my readers have noted such contradiction in some of the language I have used throughout my earlier analyses and I can only concur and wonder how it would even be possible not to fall into this trap. After Brandon posted a comment wondering where this list was over the weekend and signed off as "B, theskyiscrape.com," I quickly remembered that I had not visited the aforementioned site in a long time. I jetted over there and humbly discovered yet another thread devoted to my countdown, one in which I soon learned I was "anti-melody," "a moron" and "an idiot," that I "hate" Binaural, that I will have six songs from the Ten album in my Top Ten and that my top three songs are going to be "Alive, Evenflow and Jeremy." Hmm... I am going to keep everyone guessing when it comes to my Top Ten, but I enjoyed my discovery of new commentary from my fellow PJ-crazed community. Some of those remarks are pretty entertaining. But back to the contradictions.

"Cutuphalfdead," from the theskyiscrape.com forum (who was coincidentally the one who called me a moron) noted that "no matter HOW he ranked the songs people would disagree," adding, "(Pearl Jam is) such a varied band that everyone has a different opinion on what songs are the best and what songs are boring." This is an idea that has been repeated throughout the countdown and I believe it to once again be a testament to the band itself.

Referring to Friday's list (#90-81) and particularly my description of "Wasted Reprise," Stip asks, "How can one of the most beautiful things the band has written be ranked #85?" I have three answers for that: 1) I over-use superlatives in my writing, especially when it comes to something I love, like Pearl Jam, and 2) Lots of the band's catalogue is that beautiful. 3) Not everything in my Top 25 is beautiful, but is better than some of the more beautiful pieces that are ranked lower, for other reasons. For example, I believe "Blood," from today's list, to be a better song than "Wasted Reprise," but not as beautiful. Great questions, and I do absolutely appreciate the criticism. The responses have been as contradictory and as varied as this list and the band's songs, and provide character in the spaces I lack it. Thanks again, readers.

P.S. - You Ten haters finally get your first wish today.

 

80-71:

80. Unemployable (Pearl Jam, 2006) - This song has been compared to Bruce Springsteen, to new wave and pop music and to dog crap. I guess that is as good an example as any of the diversity of Pearl Jam. "Unemployable," as I mentioned during my analysis of its A-side, "World Wide Suicide," interested me more as a b-side, primarily because it contained a distinct and unique sound, unlike anything I had ever heard before. I can hear the Springsteen influence in the "Oh-oh-oh-ooohhh!" woops of the chorus, but the music drummer Matt Cameron and guitarist Mike McCready composed for this song stands alone as a PJ track. Unfortunately the song has not translated well live, perhaps because it is admittedly a heavily-produced pop/rock song, and the band's rawer songs usually have a greater shot of making a successful conversion from the studio to the stage. Vedder's lyrics are concerned with the American workingman and his struggle to take care of his family in the modern world. No matter how much this track gets blasted, it remains one of my highlights from 2006.

 

79. Fatal (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 2000, during Binaural sessions) - Stone Gossard's "Fatal" was left off of 2000's Binaural, leaving many of us scratching our heads in confusion ever since. Many explanations have been given for the reasons the band chose to discard so many excellent songs from that record, but "Fatal" likely would have fit the tone of the album perfectly, so my brow is still crooked over this one. The music is low-key and brooding, beginning with an acoustic guitar then stretching out into electric territory, the guitars and drums joined by a gleaming organ during the instrumental bridge. The composition's format calls for notice, as it is structured with two verses up front, then a varied but similar chorus repeated throughout the the rest, broken up only by instrumental passages. The band has played with unusual song structuring elsewhere ("Faithfull," "Sometimes," etc.), which will be discussed more as we make our way down the line, edging ever closer to number one.

 

78. Education (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 2000, during Binaural sessions) - One of many Eddie Vedder songs that have made me stop and take a serious moment to ponder my existence, "Education" is a funky rocker with a big brain. The rhythm section is alive and well here, as Matt Cameron's drumming and Jeff Ament's bass have a mean groove to match Vedder's chord progression. Vedder's harmonized vocals are pretty and pretty eerie, much like the entirety of the song itself. Once again, the band has created a sound here that forces the listener to take pause and dig deep into the music and the lyrical subject at hand. "Education" focuses on how what we learn during childhood affects the rest of our lives. The song is not so much concerned with academia as with emotional and spiritual education, as evidenced by the culminating lyric of the two verses, "If I'd been taught from the beginning, would my fears now be winning?" Another astounding outtake from the Binaural sessions.

 

77. No Way (Yield, 1998) - A huge chunk of Stone Gossard hard rock funk makes its appearance at #77. Many songs have at some point been the most requested of the band's catalogue for live shows, and the current champion seems to be "No Way," played only three times since its 1998 release, all in a two week period of that very year, according to pearljam.com. The song features one of the heaviest bridges of any PJ song, giving way to a dark, interplaying instrumental break, in which Gossard's riffing, McCready's flavorful tinkering and Ament's drooping bass all build their way back to the insistent chorus, their final passage coming in the form of some fantastic drumming from Jack Irons. Here's to our hope for a return of "No Way" to the setlists in 2009.

 

76. Other Side (Lost Dogs, 2003 - "Save You" single, 2003, Recorded 2002) - Yet another "Lost Dog" finds its way home to our list, Jeff Ament's "Other Side" clocks in at the bottom of the top half. The tune reflects the mood of the Riot Act sessions, both in sound and in content, as Ament's speaker mourns his/her own death and separation from a long-time loved one, the other side of the story told in Vedder's "Sad," as noted in the Lost Dogs liner notes. One of Jeff Ament's finest career moments arrives in the soft break mid-song, when Vedder moans, "Ooh-ooh" over a minor chord-strumming acoustic guitar. A striking moment amidst an album and career full of them.

 

75. Parachutes (Pearl Jam, 2006) - Another song that has earned a huge amount of hatred that I simply cannot comprehend, "Parachutes" is the most poignant of all the ballads on the self-titled album. Stone Gossard's piece fits in with his handful of songs ("All Those Yesterdays," "Thin Air," etc.) that significantly recall The Beatles. "Parachutes" is basically semi-psychedelic acoustic folk pop rock, a label that does not do the song justice and makes it sounds more complicated than it truly is. The chord progression is another one that goes places no other band can, while the lead guitar is delicate enough to barely be there until the song's coda. Vedder sings about love, appearing to combine the concepts of romantic boy-and-girl storytelling with his grander wishes for a loving, peaceful world at large. Boom Gaspar's organ rides quietly behind much of the song, becoming more prominent as "Parachutes" climbs, while the aforementioned lead guitar explodes in Abbey Road fashion when Vedder sings, "Break the sky and tell me what it's for," providing a heart-warming moment, goosebumps and all.

 

74. Once (Ten, 1991) - "Once" is the first track from the band's iconic Ten album on this list, as well as the first cut on the album. It is also the first appearance of a song from the Mamasan Trilogy, a concept to be discussed later in this countdown. The song opens with the instrumental "Master/Slave," which bookends the Ten record, appearing again after "Release" ends. Telling the story of a serial killer, Vedder sings passionately and almost violently, nearly screaming and nearly crying each repetition of the word "Once." The bridge is paranoid and frightening, Ed's barely audible voice muttering, "You think I got my eyes closed but I'm looking at you the whole f**king time." As with most of the early songs, "Once" is a Stone Gossard composition with lyrics by Eddie Vedder and a lead guitar by Mike McCready (including a rip-roaring solo here), a combination that would prove to be earth shattering.

 

73. Blood (Vs., 1993) - "Blood" opens up side two of Vs. with no holds barred and no regard for the ears of the listener. Power chords and Dave Abbruzzese's crashing drums beat their way through a gutsy and nasty introduction, before a funky wah-wah chika-chiks its way through the song's first verses, Vedder singing about critics and journalists putting his life on paper as if they know him, i.e. drawing "blood." As with much of Ed's earlier lyrical content, "Blood" is scarce, concise and abstract, but there is no mistaking his bitter rage toward those who were writing about him at the time, the music reflecting his anger with a harsh, pounding sound and a throat-tearing delivery from Vedder himself. The song's outro serves as a catharsis, as Ament's bass rumbles madly and Abbruzzese's drumming claws its way around like a reflection of Ed's troubled emotional state.

 

72. Sleight of Hand (Binaural, 2000) - Out of the huge batch of songs from Binaural that had to take serious time to work their way into my consciousness and slowly grow on me, "Sleight of Hand" is the king. Arty, experimental and different, the song is a cousin of songs like "You Are," examples of the band expanding and taking risks, moving in unconventional directions with determination and earnestness. A Jeff Ament composition with lyrics by Eddie Vedder, "Sleight of Hand" stakes its claim in the ordinary, taking a long look at a man stuck in structure and routine with room for little else, a man broken by the patterns that have become his life. Like much of the rest of the Binaural album, "Sleight of Hand" is heavily layered and contains sounds that drift in and out of focus and can only fully be realized through the use of headphones. Look out for that delivery of the "I'll see you on the other side" lyric - it has the power to take you somewhere far away from your actual physical location.

 

71. All Or None (Riot Act, 2002) - While "Bushleaguer" is the personification of Pearl Jam's mood during the Riot Act sessions and blunt response to the first term of George W. Bush, "All Or None" is the true culmination of the band's sound in this era. The song is so utterly downtrodden that after opening with a dropped-tuned, minor chord introduction, the first line is "It's a hopeless situation." The rest of the lyric, co-written by Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder, delves into an examination of self, as the speaker comes to understand some hard truths about himself, especially the tendency to see and react to the world only in extremes, hence "All Or None." Vedder practically mumbles the first two verses and choruses, matching the somber tone of the music, but raises the bar for the final verse and chorus, wailing, his voice barely cracking, one of his signature human moments on record. Gossard composed the music, and the arrangement is breathtaking, from his acoustic guitar to Boom Gaspar's soft piano styles, and especially Mike McCready's shining, bluesy lead guitar.

 

70-61 coming at you tomorrow.

 

All links for the rest of the countdown can be found here: www.examiner.com/x-3940-Indianapolis-Pop-Culture-Examiner Feel free to review 160-81 and comments are encouraged. Thanks!





 
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:23 PM   #530
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that live clip of once is fucking awesome. They had so much intensity back then.

 
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:34 PM   #531
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I can't believe Once is so low. I mean, lumped in with Parachutes and behind All or None?

the fuck

 
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:40 PM   #532
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I can't believe Once is so low. I mean, lumped in with Parachutes and behind All or None?

the fuck
exactly. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?

 
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Old 08-04-2009, 12:12 AM   #533
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there are definitely other songs from Ten I would have lower.

 
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Old 08-04-2009, 02:06 AM   #534
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there are definitely other songs from Ten I would have lower.
Garden, Deep, Oceans, Why Go, Alive, Jeremy, Evenflow

 
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Old 08-04-2009, 01:41 PM   #535
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I know it's not a popular position, but I'd still take Even Flow, Alive and Jeremy over Once.

 
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Old 08-05-2009, 01:43 PM   #536
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While many have called me crazy for taking on the task of ranking each and every one of Pearl Jam's classic songs, I have to admit that I am thoroughly enjoying my job at this point. As much fun as some of you say it is to read detailed descriptions of each track, it is an even bigger thrill to take the time to listen to each of them over and over and be able to dig into every piece of every song. To have people everywhere from here in the U.S. to Venezuela to Denmark to Indonesia listening along with me and sharing their thoughts and how this band has altered their lives is an amazing gift. I cannot say thank you enough to everyone for not only reading my own thoughts, but also partaking in the experience yourselves. Perhaps it is because "Untitled" is on today's list, I don't know, but my heart is full and this countdown is filling it up even more with the kind of love only we PJ fans share.

That being said, I have given up even considering the idea that my list will come close to pleasing anything representing a majority, and that is just fine by me. If I were to change the list I created before I published a single word of text to try to appease the masses, this thing would be an even bigger mess than it is now. Credit is due once again to the theskyiscrape.com forum, as it features easily the most entertaining thread on my countdown I have read thus far. Between yesterday and today, I found out I should be shot and that my dog should be raped. I am so grateful I do not have a dog.

Er...um...on to today's list!

 

70-61:

70. Untitled (Live On Two Legs, 1998) - Okay, so I am cheating here. But when considering this countdown, I just could not picture listing "MFC" without including its live lead-in track, "Untitled."  This is an essential song for any PJ fan, so although it has never been released in a studio-recorded format, it belongs on this list. It was officially released on 1998's Live On Two Legs, this author's first introduction to the magnificence that is Pearl Jam live, as well as my introduction to "Untitled." The Vedder song is a meditative, spiritual one, with strong hints of what is to come immediately after in "MFC." Vedder sings about escapism, "Let's get out of here, get out of here fast," but defines the nature of this journey as one of camaraderie and love, "I wanna go, but I don't wanna go alone." The guitar lines are simple and repetitive, but Vedder's vocal shines, charged by his tendency to improvise and change the lyrics during each performance. Nearly always, however, he ends with a line asserting that, "with you, I will never feel/be alone," as the final chord gives way to...

69. MFC (Yield, 1998) - ...Mini Fast Cars, or "MFC." One of Vedder's patented songs about getting away from it all, including several classic phrases, such as "Ask, I'm an ear," "There's a lot to be said for nowhere," and, of course, "F**k it, we'll disappear." The song is somewhat punk-influenced, but carries much more melody than the average sped-up Vedder punk rock track. The harmony vocal during the chorus does wonders for the tune, adding a layer of light and color, much like the image mentioned in the lyric, "off in the sunset she'll ride." The guitar work is another interwoven treat from the three six-string wielders, including everything from what sounds like backwards recording, siren-like sounds, power chords and various pedal effects. Stone Gossard's lead guitar and solos are a real treat, integrating classic rock, blues and rockabilly. "MFC" is one of those songs I do not necessarily think of when pondering what I want to hear at my next Pearl Jam show, but once the band storms through it, I wonder why it was not on my wishlist.

 

68. Deep (Ten, 1991) - Nasty, intense and dark, "Deep" is Ten's heaviest track. Once upon a time I would have ranked the song as low as a handful of people have suggested I should have during this countdown, but the song has since dug its claws, for lack of a better word, "deep" into me. Musically, the song is a sort of metal blues, but certainly not of the same variety as Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. Mike McCready's guitar playing is rockin', as he grinds the line between noisy and melodic soloing and riffing. Lyrically, the song points toward heroin addiction with the obvious line, "He sinks the needle deep, can't touch the bottom, in too deep." Along with "Garden" and "Jeremy," "Deep" is one of Jeff Ament's earliest musical contributions to the band, co-written with Stone Gossard. It was the first of many shuffling, mid-tempo blues songs that the band turned into something completely different, i.e. "1/2 Full," "Red Mosquito," and another song in today's section of the countdown.

 

67. Animal (Vs., 1993) - While Ten was passionate and hard, Vs. took the band's fury and intensity to a whole new level, first apparent in the album's opening track, "Go," but most prominent in the almost painfully loud introduction to "Animal," the record's second song. A Stone Gossard composition that outdates Ten, "Animal" is hard rock that insists itself upon the listener, integrating funk and containing a classic McCready solo - one which he barely and rarely messes with during live performances. Some have accused Vedder's lyrics of being about gang rape (why is rape so involved in today's countdown?), but I take the other side of the argument, believing it to be yet another angry rant against the people Eddie considered the band's enemies at the time: the press, record company executives and huge corporations, hence "five against one," which nearly became the album's title. Vedder's growling, screaming vocal is a fine one, matching the music and lyrics perfectly.

 

66. W.M.A. (Vs., 1993) - Racist police brutality is the subject at hand in "W.M.A.," or "White Male American," a tribal funk rock song with another angsty vocal from Vedder (this one reverbing like crazy and almost in the background), a jangling tambourine deep in the mix and all the space of the studio somehow transferred to each listener's headphones. Dave Abbruzzese's drums are in the forefront, incessantly pounding home the aforementioned "tribal" feel of the song, along with Jeff Ament's bulky bass and Vedder's repeated moaning, wailing and chanting, particularly present as the song fades. The funk, however, mostly comes from the choppy guitar playing of McCready and Gossard, the former occasionally screeching and squalling, the latter bending and ringing. A true ensemble performance and a true masterpiece, "W.M.A." is the most underrated song from "Vs."

 

65. Angel (Holiday Single, 1993) - Former drummer Dave Abbruzzese wrote the music for this one, while Vedder assumed his usual position writing the lyrics. They are also the only two band members present on the recording, Abbruzzese playing a lone acoustic guitar, while Vedder's vocals are layered over the two and a half minutes. "Angel" is one of the highest ranked Holiday singles, and with good reason. A stirring acoustic ballad, the song is a rarity in the catalogue for both its lack of availability and its odd, different sound. Vedder's vocals soar and howl on the record, his harmonies vivid. When Eddie delivers the "I am by your side" refrain near the end of the song, one wonders why the band has never made a bigger deal out of this song. Perhaps their love for it faded once they kicked Mr. Abbruzzese out of the band, but it is surely worthy of a comeback today.

 

64. Grievance (Binaural, 2000) - Eddie Vedder can write a mean protest song, and his pledging "Grievance" is a fine example. An up-tempo hard rock/post-punk composition, the track relies on fantastic drumming from Matt Cameron and a rolling bassline from Jeff Ament. The three guitar attack arrives again, this time with one guitar trailing Vedder's vocal melody, another scratching and scraping its way through the track, and the other lightly riffing throughout. Ed's lyrics find themselves immersed in one of his favorite subjects, and can be summed up with just a few lines, such as, "Progress laced with ramifications, freedom's big plunge," "For every tool they lend us, a loss of independence," and "Break the innocent when they're proud/ Raise the stakes, then bring 'em down/ If they fail to obey." "Grievance" is merely nine years old and is already a classic live Pearl Jam song, the kind that can pick up any show and push the crowd's energy, kicking the audience into a higher gear.

 

63. Brother (Ten Redux, 2009 - instrumental version on Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 1991 during Ten sessions) - A different, instrumental version of "Brother" appeared in 2003 on Lost Dogs, while a low quality version of the early track had been making its way around the internet for a while before this year's Ten Reissue. It has been surreal for some of us to hear the tune on the radio this year, but in the best way possible. The Stone Gossard composition is a rocker and features another haunting melody and chord progression. Eddie Vedder's harmonized vocals add to the eeriness, while his lyrics come across as claustrophobic and paranoid, an example being, "brother don't wanna just let me be," along with the repetition of the phrase, "back, back, back, oh better back on up." The "hey now" bridge is wonderful, along with the song's breakdown, arriving immediately after said bridge. Another fine example of how nuanced a songwriter Gossard was and still remains.

 

62. Man of the Hour (Big Fish Soundtrack, 2003) - Never has a Tim Burton movie sounded so good. Eddie Vedder's "Man of the Hour" played over the credits of Burton's tender, surreal fantasy film, "Big Fish," and although Burton and PJ sound like a strange combination, the song fit like a glove. Disregarding the film, Vedder's ballad is one of the finest of his career, a tender tribute to important men in our lives, particularly fathers. It opens with Ed's guitar, before Ament joins in with a soft bassline and McCready's light slide guitar sweetly backs up the first verse. Once the drums kick in and open the second verse, a harmony vocal joins Vedder's lead. It takes until after the second chorus, just prior to the song's middle eight before one can distinguish Gossard's acoustic rhythm, soon playing alongside Boom Gaspar's organ. A slow builder, "Man of the Hour" is a gorgeous tune and stands as a sweet but deep eulogy for anyone's loved one.

 

61. Dissident (Vs., 1993) - Another hard blues-rock song that gets tagged with the word "grunge" way too many times a day, "Dissident" is the kind of song that is stuck in my consciousness and my subconscious forever, largely due to the fact that it was played on my local "alternative" radio station so much when I was first discovering the band back in the early to mid 1990's. McCready's lead is one of his trademark themes, a wailing near-solo that plays in the intro, choruses and outro. The verses heavily feature Stone Gossard playing a chunky, fat, distorted rhythm guitar, while Vedder softly croons about a girl who turns in a man wanted by the government, then explodes into the near-celebratory chorus. The bridge transitions powerfully into the final chorus, when Abbruzzese's snare drum takes center stage for the briefest of moments, before his trademark cymbals come crashing in and take the song home.

 

60-51 tomorrow, friends.

 

Behind on the countdown? Catch up here: www.examiner.com/x-3940-Indianapolis-Pop-Culture-Examiner





 
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Old 08-05-2009, 03:17 PM   #537
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wow. it's like he's just choosing random songs

 
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Old 08-05-2009, 10:00 PM   #538
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Yeah, what the fuck? I'm not huge into Pearl Jam, but I'm pretty sure my rankings would hold more water with diehard PJ fans than this dudes.

 
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Old 08-06-2009, 02:07 PM   #539
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While I like all those songs, there's no way Grievance is ahead of Animal and WMA.

Animal is probably in my top 20, although I've heard it 8 billion times by now.

 
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Old 08-06-2009, 07:39 PM   #540
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While I like all those songs, there's no way Grievance is ahead of Animal and WMA.

Animal is probably in my top 20, although I've heard it 8 billion times by now.
I think Grievance is better than Animal or WMA

 
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