I'm actually rocking out to "Help Help" at work right now.
I think this record is severely misunderstood. There's something so wonderfully off-kilter about it.
I used to think the album was really half-assed. A couple days ago I pulled it out of my collection, dusted it off and listened to it again... ugh. Some of these songs are fantastic.

Has this ever happened to you?

It's better than I remembered it being.

help hellp is incredibly good

The song "1/2 Full" best describes Riot Act for me. Part of the album I really like, and part, not so much.

It has its moments, but its not something worthy of regular rotation. Sometimes a record like this can age well. Most of the time they don't.

I went without listening to Pearl Jam for about a year, ending yesterday. It was surprising to me to discover that...

A. Binaural was a much bigger step away from their usual style than I remembered
B. Riot Act was a much more unique and enjoyable listen than I remembered
C. Live, they were sounding a lot better post-2000 than I recalled

I could see, if they would stop taking 4 years between releases, how albums like Riot Act could become Pearl Jam's Zuma or Desire....not necessarily all that loved by critics, but highly valued strange side-trips by a great artist.

f o,
c

Good thread, this.

There are some average-good songs on Riot Act, but I Am Mine is a fucking gem.

I just wish they had left "Bushleaguer" and "Arc" off the record. It just would've flowed a lot better. They would've made interesting Lost Dogs.

Songs from RA I dig:

Can't Keep, Ghost, Help Help, Green Disease

Songs I kinda like:

I Am Mine, 1/2 Full, All Or None, Get Right, You Are, LBC, Save You

Songs I'm not too wild about:

Thumbing My Way, Bu$hleaguer, Arc, Cropduster

i still find this album to be terrible

I really love "Help, Help" as well. The album version honestly didn't do too much for me, but the live versions are killer. The version from Boston 1 comes to mind. I think that they should have honed in on that live sound for the studio recording of Help, Help and maybe even released it as a single. The live vocal performance and guitars are just way catchier, powerful and more dynamic to my ears.

I really dig the record as a whole. I can remember feeling a bit unsatisfied and disappointed with it when it was first released though. I am a huge fan of Binaural and it is the record that makes Pearl Jam for me, so I think I was expecting something really intricate and textured as a follow up to Binaural. Riot Act is more straight forward rock songs without a ton of experimentation (though it is certainly unique in its sound). But what was I expecting, Binaural 2?

For what it is, I dig it and respect it as a solid Pearl Jam album. I'd pop it in my cd player before Ten anyday.

thats out of question.But,actually,is cause i look the like 2 diferents bands at this time.In a musical way and cause Mell Gibson was singing in the band at this time.So i cant compare.

It's the Pearl Jam cd I currently have in my car. I Am Mine is great driving music.

i never saw what was special about save you and i am mine gets old. the rest isn't bad though. i like a majority of the album

Save You is a lot better now that I think of it in terms of Ed talking to Mike.