Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
conoalias wrote:
Angus wrote:
corduroy_blazer wrote:
all or none. one of pearl jam's finest songs.
+
I'm not such a big fan of Indifference.
+
Parting Ways is their best closer.
did i log in with your username? thats exactly how i feel. except i do like indifference quite a lot too, though since there is no Parting Ways i'm going with All Or None.
parting ways is a great song about a failing relationship, and it does close a record, but it doesn't really address any existential questions, so it doesn't belong here.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:18 pm Posts: 5622 Location: hiding amongst the chimpanzees
This is a very tough call for me. Even though both of these songs grapple with similar problems or questions they are very different, lyrically and structurally. I agree with Stip's comments on the lyrical content of Indifference, and the sheer beauty of the song, especially live. But All or None does have it's moments, though they are in the music, not the lyrics. Mike's solo absolutley makes this song, without it the song is 2 stars, at best. Because he puts so much emotion into it, his work becomes the lyrics of the song.
Indifference is more complete though, and the gorgeous lyrics combined with the fact that it's been a closer at two of the three shows I've been to, makes my vote go to Indifference.
_________________ Twenty years for nothing, well that's nothing new, besides, No one's interested in something you didn't do Wheat kings and pretty things, let's just see what the morning brings.
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
in_my_tree wrote:
The poll is actually closer than I thought it would be. Indifference is just too strong a closer to be matched by All or None...
me too, even though indifference is still running away with it.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
did i log in with your username? thats exactly how i feel. except i do like indifference quite a lot too, though since there is no Parting Ways i'm going with All Or None.
parting ways is a great song about a failing relationship, and it does close a record, but it doesn't really address any existential questions, so it doesn't belong here.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:14 am Posts: 37778 Location: OmaGOD!!! Gender: Male
LostDog1079 wrote:
I voted "All or None". I just like the mood in the music that the song gives out. Had the song gone on for another 3 minutes with jamming at the end, it could've been an epic.
But I do agree that Ed's vocals could be WAY better.
That's exactly how I feel about it. Seems like the song got cut off prematurely, although it may have been intentional to leave you feeling like that.
_________________ Unfortunately, at the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the Flower Children jerked off and went back to sleep.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:34 am Posts: 12700 Location: ...a town in north Ontario...
Indifference for me.
The lyrics, as mentioned before, are just amazing. It's the way they're sung that does it for me though... Eddie sounds so powerful in every line. At the start, you can hear the restraint in his voice, as if, in spite of the strength, he's holding back and singing softly. By the time he gets to the chilling "I will scream my lungs out" line, he's given up on holding back and he's putting everything in it... all of his emotion, strength... everything. That's another reason I can see this as such a positive song. In the end, he doesn't know whether or not he's making a difference, but he's not giving up.
_________________ I think we relinquished enough... and it's still dark enough... and it goes on and on and on...
I voted Indifference, but love both equally; I only voted for Indifference because I have more of a history with it than I do All or None.
I first heard Indifference as a teenager, so the question "How much difference does it make?" was pretty relevant to me back then. There was so much you don't understand when growing up, and that line encapsulated that for me.
That being said, the song still makes sense to me today. As a grown man, I still can't figure out a lot of things about life. This is the curse of being human: we can never truly understand our purpose.
Agree 100%. Love them equally but the history with Indifference makes the difference.
_________________ Why you going to the airport? Flying somewhere?
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 1:02 am Posts: 2560 Location: Dallas/Atlanta/Savannah
its like someone read ed the riot act and he was like 'shit' and gave up... I think what is nice about all or none that continues in life wasted is that we were sorta left on the edge of our seats waiting to see what would occur next.
the continuation of life wasted seems like a much better resolution, and just as jarring, as lets say, last exit. both songs feel like a human car crash.
indifference is a much better song by far. everything in the song feels like an integral part of the music. beautifuly performed, especially with ben harper. I like the little guitar part between the verses.
_________________ "is that a fucking pearl jam shirt?" Courtney Love
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
pb21 wrote:
Well I voted for Indifference, one of my favourites.
Also what makes Indifference existential, I dont think of it that way, more along the lines of Black.
Something is exististenstial if it deals with questions of meaning. In a world without constants and absolutes how do we figure out what has value and what is worth doing. That seems to be exactly what is going on in Indifference. I don't think the 'watch as she lies silent' is about missing a girl or even loneliness in the conventional sense. There is something much deeper here. There is no reason to think that the girl is leaving him immeidatiely or that a particular relationship is ending. He's talking about the deep impermenence of it all, that sooner or later he will end up alone.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:26 pm Posts: 736 Location: Sussex by the sea
I have always taken Indifference as a song about a 'relationship', not necessarily with a girl, failing.
If you look at it with thinking about how it is exististenstial in theme, I suppose it does make sense, pehaps much more.
Anyway this verse here is stong
'I will hold the candle, till it burns up my arm
I'll keep takin' punches, until their will grows tired
Oh I will stare the sun down, until my eyes go blind
Hey I won't change direction, and I won't change my mind '
From whatever perspective this was wriiten it is obviosly something important. To feel that stongly about being right and not prepared to change says a lot about some thing, not sure what though.
_________________ I Am Free - I Am Trapped My LastFM
Reading '06, Katowice '07, Wembley '07, Copenhagen '07, London O2 '09, London '10, Arras '10
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:47 pm Posts: 13660 Location: Long Island Gender: Male
All or None is by far my least favorite PJ song besides the obvious(Bee Girl, Sweet Lew). Compared to the other album closer All Or None is pretty awful
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum
did i log in with your username? thats exactly how i feel. except i do like indifference quite a lot too, though since there is no Parting Ways i'm going with All Or None.
