Am I not correct in remembering that Of the Girl and a few other tracks first appeared during the Yield sessions? I would really like to know more about other album studio runs before making that call.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:00 pm Posts: 5364 Location: Wrigley Field Gender: Male
McParadigm wrote:
Am I not correct in remembering that Of the Girl and a few other tracks first appeared during the Yield sessions? I would really like to know more about other album studio runs before making that call.
But based on what we have...yeah.
yeah, I'm pretty sure neither Of the Girl nor other Binaural tracks had takes from the Yield sessions
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:33 am Posts: 8422 Location: Berthier-sur-Mer Gender: Male
it's a tough one, really. on the pro-binaural sessions side, i'd say that: - they were still on their Yield audio-trip, i.e. lots of reverb, echoes...an overall depth and inventivity in the arrangements - eddie's voice was still able to be powerful - they were trying out different things as far as songwriting was concerned - they've cut a lot of glorious tunes that didn't even made it on the final record - Jeff's bass work is awesome throughout
but here's my anti-binaural take: - ed began to care less about the melodies and the actual impact of his voice from this album on. - matt's drumming, although stellar, didn't properly gel with the rest of the band yet (but there are exceptions: Breakerfall (very Jack Ironesque if you ask me), Greivance, Insignificance, Education, Sad and most of the slower tunes). - the lyrics. even on the songs i like most from these sessions, i can't find one that really grabs me, that really speaks to me save for parting ways. a lot of them are really good but don't bear the proverbial kick in the nuts that many of their previous efforts lent. and afterwards, Can't Keep, All or None, Comatose and Guaranteed proved Ed could do better if he tried. - the half-assedness of the Binaural title. just fucking do a binaural album and call it that. not if only a handful of songs receive that treatment. - the artwork. visually, it is really appealing to me. people like to put down S/T because the artwork is horrendous - i agree. but galaxies etc.? it's just misleading and it doesn't fit. (btw, i did catch the Lightyears thing - it's just not enough a reference to make a sleeve from it). quite a stepdown from their previous ones.
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
So you guys really think the binaural sessions produced a better crop of songs than the Ten sessions?
_________________ "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
songs I dig: Of the Girl, Sad, Light Years, Grievance, Insignificance, Fatal, Rival, Sleight of Hand, and Parting Ways.
No other album's sessions has that much strength in my subjectives
Take out Rival and this is dead on.
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
I'm with those who think it's a missed masterpiece - they were definitely at a cool creative place. I think a few factors threw it off:
- Timing - I think they booked a tour that spring/summer and felt at the time that they had to just wrap it up. They probably regret this now. If they had not spent that summer touring, and just spent it finishing the album properly, it would have been much better. I think they found themselves in crunch time and had to get it out.
- Tracklisting - it's obvious. Bad group decision-making, being too accomodating and nice to each other. That's the only explanation for Gods' Dice taking crucial spot away from many deserving tunes on the album.
- Production - they must not have gelled w/ Blake, although I think they were onto something, the band just getting acclimated to Matt Cameron and the material itself just didn't fit. I don't think they needed to go w/ BOB, but a different producer could have worked better. What I really do appreciate, however, is that they dared to try something different.
- Bad finishing/lack of ambition - the band holds back alot from openly wanting to be the best or the greatest, during 2000 it was almost like they kind of just wanted blend in w/ other bands. Right now, in 2006-09, I get the sense they want to compete and be better than the top bands. In 2000, it was as if they were still embarrassed of their hugeness and didn't want to be the king of the hill just yet again. I think they were still a little to close to the madness of the 90s (just a few years prior) and were scared to go for the brass ring.
- As far as the public roll out of the album, making NAIS as the first single was a WTF? moment for me. They had just come off of Last Kiss, so maybe they thought they had to pull back again, but a better tracklisting and releasing something like Sad would have made this album a possible smash w/ great creative cred as well.
They really hit a cool songwriting vein there, and I think creatively it was a great time for the band. It will always stand in my mind as a "What if" moment.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:39 pm Posts: 9981 Location: NYC/Savannah
any thread about Binaural is cool with me. It is easily my favorite album, but Vitalology is probably the band's best. I love Binaural's lyrics, atmosphere, mood, lyrics, sound,and lyrics
_________________ I don’t understand a word of these emails and I am ok with that. -KC
I just try to ask as many questions as I can, and then I try to sit down and write a story that people will want to read. – Chris Jones
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 4:23 pm Posts: 17 Location: Canada Gender: Male
mastaflatch wrote:
- the artwork. visually, it is really appealing to me. people like to put down S/T because the artwork is horrendous - i agree. but galaxies etc.? it's just misleading and it doesn't fit. (btw, i did catch the Lightyears thing - it's just not enough a reference to make a sleeve from it). quite a stepdown from their previous ones.
I'd say Gods Dice and Insignificance have a direct connection to the artwork.
_________________ i know i was born and i know that i'll die the in between is mine
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
nesfan wrote:
mastaflatch wrote:
- the artwork. visually, it is really appealing to me. people like to put down S/T because the artwork is horrendous - i agree. but galaxies etc.? it's just misleading and it doesn't fit. (btw, i did catch the Lightyears thing - it's just not enough a reference to make a sleeve from it). quite a stepdown from their previous ones.
I'd say Gods Dice and Insignificance have a direct connection to the artwork.
how so?
_________________ "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
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