Let's go beyond the studio albums and include all of the b-sides and rarities. I think this is pretty much it (originals only):

Ten
Yellow Ledbetter
Footsteps
Wash
Dirty Frank
Brother
Girl
Breath
State of Love and Trust
Let Me Sleep
Alone
Hold On

Vs.
Bee Birl
Angel
Hard to Imagine

Vitalogy
I Got Id
Long Road

No Code
Dead Man
All Night
Don't Gimme No Lip
Black, Red, Yellow
Happy When I'm Crying

Yield
Strangest Tribe
Drifting
U
Whale Song
Leatherman

Binaural
Fatal
Sweet Lew
Sad
Hitchhiker
In the Moonlight
Education
Thunderclap
Foldback
Harmony

Riot Act
Other Side
4/20/02
Down
Undone
Man of the Hour
I'm Still Here

When considering all of the songs from the album and the rarities from that era, which is your favorite?

I think Ten dominates here and Vitalogy comes in second. Can you imagine if those tracks found their way onto Vitalogy and maybe some of the lesser songs from the album were removed?

I think No Code has a pretty hurting set of outtakes/rarities, and with the exception of possibly Dead Man, I'm glad they left the album the way they did. Yield's aren't much better.

I really like those instrumentals from Touring Band 2000, and I wish that maybe one or two of them could've been on Binaural. I'm not a big fan of the rockers they left out, except for Sad. Sad would've been a lot nicer than Evacuation or Gods' Dice.

Don't get me started on Riot Act outtakes. I mean, they could've used Undone and Down, but noooo...they had to go with a 15 track album and include pieces of crap like Help Help and Get Right.

tough choice. between binaural and riot act, probably.

i guess i got shit and long road aren't being counted in the no code era?

No Code ---------> Riot Act

Well...they were released before No Code.

but after vitalogy.

Yield/Binaural

Exactly...Breath and State of Love and Trust came out after Ten before Vs. Therefore, shouldn't they be included in the Ten era?

I think the release of a new album is what really defines the start of a new era.

the yield/binaural/riot act outtakes rock.

No Code

navy bean!

the ten-vitalogy era reminds me of the beatles. b-sides then end up being hits.

leatherman is probably my favorite bside though, that and down

ten -> vitalogy

Ten without a doubt. Just for Breath and SOLT.

I would say I got shit and Long road are more from the No code era. They have Jack Irons drumming and the songs fit more with No code than vitalogy.

Anyway I would say No Code

looking at it this way, I'd have to go with No Code era - love All Night, BR&Y, and Don't Give the Man Lip.

You know what I'm realizing? The non album tracks from the Ten era would make a great album on its own. We'll throw I've Got a Feeling in there for shits and giggles:

1. State of Love and Trust
2. Girl
3. Wash
4. Alone
5. Footsteps
6. Brother
7. Dirty Frank
8. Let Me Sleep
9. Breath
10. Yellow Ledbetter
11. I've Got a Feeling

by the way, i've never heard these songs:

Happy When I'm Crying
Thunderclap
Foldback
Harmony

If you ask me, you're not missing much with Happy When I'm Crying, but I'm sure there are some Jack Irons fans who would tell you otherwise.

Do you have the Touring Band 2000 dvd? If so, you can hear the other songs under the "Europe Montages" section in the bonus features.

The Cities - Thunderclap
The Band - Foldback, then Harmony

I think Alone has to go with the Ten songs. They played this months before "Ten" was released.

Also, "Hold On" was from the Ten sessions.