Riot Act was my first Pearl Jam release with the wonders of the internet. I think I may have discovered RM by this point, although I was an infrequent poster at best. But I was using programs like grokster and the like, and so this was the first album that I discovered piecemeal as songs leaked, which makes for a very different first time experience. In the past I knew two-three songs prior, which served as my window into the album—the familiar stopping points as I tried to digest the whole. Here I absorbed the whole thing one song at a time, making new mix cds for myself each time I was able to find a new leaked song. I still remember most of my first reactions, and the basic order I heard them

I Am Mine—I first heard this as an AOL first listen kind of thing, and was immediately taken with it. On first listen it reminded me a bit of a sea shanty the way the song rolled. But it was striking and by the second or third listen I was in love with it and very optimistic for the new album, especially with the bad ass cover art (I was picturing something much more aggressive with the skeletons and fire representing anger more than exhaustion—a call to arms rather than surverying the aftermath of a battlefield)

Next I heard you are and save you on a radio station promo. They were both a let down after how much I loved I am Mine. Musically they were okay—Save you felt a bit generic but I could recognize that they were doing something new with You Are. The real let down here was Eddie’s voice which never had the power and lift I had come to expect on two songs that really needed it. Interestingly enough Save you has since become my second favorite song on the record after I am mine, and both of these have definitely grown on me

I got everything else piecemeal on file sharing programs. I really liked Ghost from the beginning (for the solo) and Green Disease (for its energy). In an opposite move from You are and Save You both of these have since gone down quite a bit in my estimation. I wanted to like ½ full and All or none a lot more than I did and looking back I forced myself to be more into those songs than I was since they were both stylistically similar to some of my favorites from past records. Thumbing my Way was a powerful first listen, but was so dark I knew I wasn’t going to play this one that often. A work I could respect but would never enjoy. The rest of the album was fun because it was new (except for Bushleaguer, which was a huge letdown) but I think I knew even then that few of these songs would stay with me.

I remember that the last song I actually found was Can’t Keep. I had heard the ukelee version and loved it so I was expecting a fast rocker, keeping with first song traditions, so I was really unprepared for how spacy and atmospheric it turned out to be. But it worked, and this was one of my early favorites, and one of the few songs on Riot Act I can say that I honestly love

I knew all the songs before hand so the first time I heard the official CD from start to finish didn’t quite have the mystery and magic it had for previous albums, but it was still great hearing a clean copy with headphones, reading lyrics, and taking it all in. I had no regrets approaching the album this way. I only wish the songs were better.

Oh yeah--and I remember wondering why none of the songss had that wave lyric from the fanclub newsletter and then being plesently suprised to discover it when I heard Undone on the I Am Mine single. A disappointing record once I got past the new album discovery phase, but what a great set of b-sides!


You Never Forget Your First Time: Ten
You Never Forget Your First Time: VS
You Never Forget Your First Time: Vitalogy
You Never Forget Your First Time: No Code
You Never Forget Your First Time: Yield
You Never Forget Your First Time: Binaural

I gotta split in a couple of minutes, but just to get something in, I'll say that my first listen to Riot Act was underwhelming. I've grown to love the album for all of its flaws, but it took some time. I'll post more in-depth later.

riot act = pearl jams finest work

look it up

Back in 2002, I was a Pearl Jam fan again after falling out of touch with the group from 1997-2000. It was the first time I was looking forward to a PJ album release since No Code. When I first heard Riot Act, I thought it was average at best. Some good songs, mostly average songs, and 1 or 2 bad songs. Not my favorite PJ album, but I'll pop it in from time to time.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but I was super-excited for the release of Riot Act. Like Stip, I already had the I Am Mine/Down single, and had heard Save You and You Are on a radio broadcast. I wasn't so sure about You Are, but the other 3 tracks were stellar, even the b-side Down. So I had high hopes.

But when I played the album for the first time (I had an advance copy 2 weeks before the official date), I wasn't impressed. I loved Can't Keep and Save You. Love Boat Captain was a difficult first listen, but I knew it'd get better with repeated listens. Cropduster and Ghost felt generic and uninspired. I Am Mine and Thumbing My Way were the two best songs up to that point (and I'd probably claim them to be the two best on Riot Act, period). You Are was cool, but I didn't like the lyrics much. I liked Green Disease immediately, but really didn't care for Get Right or Help, Help. But the album closed strongly with Bushleaguer, Half Full, Arc and All or None.

As said, I was underwhelmed. Down was left off in favor of Help Help? Are you fucking kidding me? The sequencing just didn't feel right at all. I liked it, but expected a lot more, especially after some genius within Binaural. But more importantly, I was disappointed that this was the band's creative reaction to 9/11. I just felt like Ed had so much to say about the state of the world in 2002, but on Riot Act he didn't really say anything.

However, after repeated listens, the album started to make sense. It started to feel like a very mature reaction to 9/11 - the themes of the album were existentialism and self-preservation, as opposed to pointing fingers at world leaders (save for a couple of tracks). The production, sloppy at times, was done for a reason. Riot Act wanted the listener to look at the world through his/her own eyes, and not through Ed's. Nobody can save the world if they can't even save themselves. And maybe, just maybe, Riot Act is telling us that perhaps the world isn't worth saving because no one's up to the task yet.

I find Riot Act challenging, ugly, sloppy, powerful, redundant and beautiful. Warts and all, it is what it is. Just like you or I.

RA was the first album i saw released in my time of being a PJ fan, even though i didn't buy it on the first day (or first week even... no money) but i got it from the library and i was instantly in love.
I Am Mine and You Are immediately were my favorites (and they still are). i don't recall too much about the first listen to the whole (aside from the fact that i loved it) but as with any new album i got to know the songs over the next couple of weeks.
i do remember being completely blown away by Arc.. it was so haunting and just totally out there.. awesome.
Green Disease grew on me over the years. i think i didn't even realise how brilliant it is until over the past few months or so.
LBC is my least favorite by far.. (check my posts in the LBC hate thread...) i always skip it.
in fact i think it's the only one i don't like. i even like Help, Help better....

overall it's one of my favorite albums ever. i think it's absolutely wonderful, intruiging and at times intensly compelling, despite Ed's sometimes weary voice. great artwork too.

I got it for Christmas the year it came out, although I had heard I am Mine and maybe Save You prior. I loved I am Mine the first time I heard it, and was sad that I never heard it after that first time on the radio. I thought it had a really weird feeling; that feeling has gone away considerably with increased familiarity. I remember hearing it on a 49ers game on Fox around the comm break.
The album itself I think I instantly loved it, although I don't really remember my first listen too much... This one was a big influence on me in a lot of ways. It influenced me politically; got me into that at 12. Got me thinking about it, and visiting the Pearl Jam board, which had a lot of that too(and the Moving Train forum). Some favorites probably were IaM, LBC, TMW, All or None(although I really didn't grasp the lyrics or how they apply to me at that point, although I've realized that this is pretty much MY song over time). I remember You Are being pretty weird, maybe Help Help too... I remember writing the words to some of these songs all over my folders and book covers in 8th grade... Help Help's last verse or 2, I am Mine, maybe a couple others. Plus some other bands lyrics and DtE...
Was my favorite album, still is up there.

oh, forgot to mention, it was the 3rd PJ album I got(after Ten and Vs). I think I had gotten a live boot(Cincinnati 2000) prior to this though.

Another CD I took out of the library and made a burned copy of. It has some good songs and comes off underrated.

I remember listening to Save You 5 times in a row before leaving Best Buys parking lot...
It became my favorite song, from anyone, at that moment...

a few years later, I had a good friend, going through some bad things in life... and at that moment... the lyrics truely became incredible...
and it did pick my friend up and give her the kick in zee arse she needed.



the rest of the album... ahh... like all Pearl Jam albums... just doesnt flow well...

I cant really recall each songs first impressions... Save You kinda over powered me / the rest...
but today...

Cant Keep - I like it... on occasion
1/2 Full and You Are Ive really grown to love the live versions... its kinda like Pearl Jam blues... which doesnt happen often.
Green Disease / Get Right... not so much... would have rather had Down and Sad (since it got cut from Binaural why not)
Love Boat Captain / I Am Mine / Thumbing My Way - good songs... I Am Mine the best of these 3...
Help Help / Bu$hleaguer - have grown on me... but well see once Bu$h is out of office
Cropduster / Ghost - I havnt listened to much at all recently, mostly because they werent played in 06/07... I like them over all better then GD and GR but yeah... they just didnt play them enough live, and i tend to listen to live stuff more lately so...
All Or None - great closer... It might be my fav PJ album closer... but Parting Ways and Inside Job are both great songs too so... its a toss up

I can never remember the order in which I bought my Pearl Jam albums. I know that I got Ten first, but I don't know if Vs. came next or if it was Riot Act. Either way, I got them probably within a week or two of each other, so this obviously led to me making comparisons between the two and deciding which one I liked better. I liked Vs. alright, but Daughter, RVM, EWBTCIAST, and Indifference were the only ones I would regularly listen to; the rest I would skip. With RA, it was much different. I found myself listening to this album constantly, and not just listening to it, but listening to it straight through. I was totally in love with Love Boat Captain, I Am Mine, Thumbing My Way, and Can't Keep. Arc was incredible the first time I heard it, and I still feel the same. Save You was the first song I really heard (that I can remember) that used the word fuck multiple times, but also used it in a sort-of meaningful way. I loved this album when I first heard it sophomore year - it was probably my most often played CD that year. While I don't listen to it nearly as much now, it's still one of my favorite PJ albums.

monday morning
listening to riot act
greatness like the very first time


still ...pearl jams finest album ever in the history ever

I guess my first exposure to this album was I Am Mine when they palyed it at Bridge in 2001. I really liked the song then. I still like the sentiment of the lyrics, but over time, the song has really worn on me. I'd rank it somewhere in the vast middle of PJ's tunes at this point.

When I heard that the I Am Mine single to be released in OZ was going to have four tracks instead of two (including one not on the album or American single), I was all over that. Got it for a pretty good price too, from an online Australian retailer for about $7.99 shipped. I loved Down and Undone, and still do. Down may be the best song to come out of this era, and the single made me very excited for the new album.

I took a very early lunch on the day of release and picked up the album at Best Buy. The first time I popped it in my car's cd player, it failed to play!! I was so pissed off. But luckily, it was just a bit of extra plastic in the hole in the center of the disc that I was able to quckly file off with my car key and then it worked fine.

I didn't hear the March Ed solo shows until after Riot Act was released (for some reason), so Can't Keep was a totally new song to me, as were everything except I Am Mine and Bu$hleaguer. I won't go through song by song, but I really liked Can't Keep, You Are, 1/2 Full, and All Or None. Save You gave me hope that this band could still write a really good rocking song, together as a band, and probably raised my estimation of the album more than it deserved at first.

I disagree with those who criticize the track ordering as being disjointed. The thing that I felt was the strongest about Riot Act was that it felt cohesive as a single piece. There was a common mood and theme running throughout it, and it didn't feel like a bunch of songs just thrown together because they were the ones that were finished at the time. Only later, after more listens did I start to hear Ed's vocals as being weak on the album. He really does sound like he phoned it in on many tracks. I think that's what he was going for, and why I didn't see it as a problem at first, but in the end, I don't think it really worked in the long term.

i could go on and on and on about this record. ive said it before but this album came out at the right fucking moment in my life. The disjointed flow of the record fit perfectly for the time of year it came out, the mood, my life etc...

this was probably the first pearl jam record that i completely and totally connected to on all levels. personally, ed was my fucking scribe. It was wierd. i skipped class and stayed in the library, found a back corner and pulled up a chair and listened on my discman over and over and over and over and over again...

Still love it. Still brings me back but reassures me that times are better.

I love this record and it was a great tour.

After becoming a fan only in 2001, Riot Act is the first PJ album i have bought when it came out. Needless to say i was excited. I got the I am Mine single with 4 songs new songs on it (I Am Mine, Down, Undone, Bu$hleaguer) and quite like I Am Mine and Down, the others were a-ok. I ordered the album online and it came with a free 7" vinyl that contained Bu$hleaguer and Down. For reasons unknown i thought it was a good idea to give that away to my ex .

When i finally got the album i listened to it twice and was underwhelmed. I was going to Nightschool at the time, and on the bus ride to school i listened to it almost every night and it sort of grew on me. But now, it's almost like i've outgrown this album. It's ok, but i don't really care for it all that much.

Stand out tracks: I Am Mine, 1/2 Full, Help Help, You Are, All Or None.
DO NOT WANT tracks: Thumbing My Way, Bu$hleaguer. LBC
meh tracks: rest.

Like Stip, I heard some of the tracks from this album piecemeal, via Internet leaks. I know I didn't get the whole album that way but the one song I really remember hearing the first time via download was "You Are." The beginning of that song was so heavy, so un-Pearl Jam that I at first assumed it was a fake track. I didn't much care, because I loved the song. But the vocals kicked in and it was clearly Eddie and the lyrics fit the title. It was great. I don't very often like PJ songs that don't fit their "mold," the more experimental they get the less I'm inclined to want to go along, but You Are did it for me (and still does). To this day it's my favorite track on the album.

Oddly, my next three favorite RA-era songs didn't even make the album. I'd heard Down via the single, and loved it. Then eventually I tracked down the 4-song single (with Undone) and then the Save You single gave us Other Side. As much as I love all three of those songs, I don't really have a problem with them not being on the album. Any other band, it might bother me. But Pearl Jam has a rich tradition of B-sides and rarities and I'm more inclined to see their albums as albums ... not collections of songs.

I got Riot Act (CD and vinyl) at midnight on the release date. I was living in an apartment at that time so I went home and listened with headphones. As with Binaural, I was underwhelmed ... but I liked Riot Act more than I liked Binaural, at least at first. Over time, I have come to respect Binaural more, but Riot Act seemed at least a little more accessible at first.

Part of this is because Riot Act really works as an album. It has a very consistent feeling, one that even matches the marvelous album art. This is why I don't complain about Down/Other Side/Undone not making the record; they truly wouldn't have fit. Unfortunately, Riot Act in the end works far better as a whole than as the sum of its parts. Very few of the individual songs are ones I can actually get excited about. I only dislike a handful of them, but by themselves they just don't do it for me (the only real exceptions are Can't Keep, You Are and, on some days, I Am Mine). Ed's vocal delivery is a part of this. In the end, it fits the album, but really doesn't serve a lot of the songs.

Overall, a disappointment, but it sure did yield a great tour.

the day it came out, i remember having this awesome plan to smoke a blunt and listen to the whole thing. my first thoughts were disappointing, and they still are. but the 2003 tour was fucking great

Ed went from a great head of hair, to a ridiculous mohawk, to it all shaved off ( billy corgan), to a little bit and not really being back until 2006 (in 2005, it wasn't quite there. The shows are always good. Sometimes, the band just needs an excuse to play their catalogue.) Waited up til a midnight release on Monday night. Was 1 of about a hundred males in line, with four females, total including one of the clerks. 2 of the females had on pajamas and were cluthching a teddy bear. Drivin Me Wild by Common feat. Lily Allen is better than every song on Riot Act.

I remember being pretty stoned when I listened to it the first time. I remember being stoned a lot when I listened to this one in the first months after it was released. I remember really loving it. I still do. I always especially loved the end of the album: Green Disease, Help Help, Bushleaguer, Half Full, Arc, All or None. WOW!

Agree except for Help, Help (poor placement - there's a fucking ton of energy in Green Disease that gets lost with HH). But it's nice to see that someone else thinks the end of the album is awesome. I think we may be in the minority, but I love how this album ends.

Help Help is probably my favourite song on Riot Act. And THAT's a minority that thinks that way.