I'd like this discussion to be completely separate from their parade through the 90s which, if you ask me, is as good a five-album run as any rock band is going to produce within a decade.

Looking at the ten year period from 2000-2010, PJ has given us Binaural, Riot Act, Avocado, and hopefully one more record in the next 4 years. PJ gets a lot of criticism for their guitar-bass-drums "we're going to be a rock band until we can't be a rock band any longer" attitude. But, they are still one of the most demanded live acts in the world.

My question is, now that we are six years into the new millennium, are PJ's Matt Cameron era albums holding up against the other rock giants of today? Is Ed Vedder currently one of the best songwriters in music? The PJ fan in me says "fuck yes!" but the music fan in me wonders...

they are too hard to answer without being biased.. I'm sorry. Exculding RA the 2000 onwards albums have been really stong and as good if not better than other "rock giants." Let's face it, the music PJ is producing is a lot better than most of the other shit going around these days anyway.

And Ed is one of the best songwriters around.

I'm not a fan of the garage rock/indie style of music that seems to have dominated rock this decade (although it is better than rap-rock), so I'm not a good judge of this either. I would stack avocado up against any other rock record of this period and do so with confidence and pride, which I would not have said about Riot Act or Binaural. It is my favorite record of the decade thus far (beating out mark lanegan's bubblegum and Tom Waits' blood money)

totally agree about avo but...
still only 14 days until Clay Aikens Thousand Different Ways is released which could possibly takeover as best album of all time!!!
he is sooo hot!!!

I agree with the fact that Avacado is right there in terms of rock records. But music has changed. In the 90's when PJ was releasing Ten and Vs. alot of people were comparing that to Arena rock and 80's Metal, and those that preferred that type of music would be saying that Poison or G&R were the best albums of that decade. It's all subjective, PJ is a different sound, and a different outlet than most of the music today.

im sorry but if you think avacado is 'up there' in terms of rock records you are an idiot. great records are interesting - avacado is boring shit. out of the last 3 lp's only binaural is worth a shit. its a great great forward thinking records. riot act is fucking pathetic.

In terms of what is popular today, Avocado does not stand up. Its too heavy for the indie scene. The vocals aren't raw enough for the metal scene. Who cares about the pop scene? There really has not been anything in the post 90s era that has wowed me, so I'm pretty biased in my thinking. If you grew up with Pearl Jam and the 90s, then it would most likely be up your alley, but it seems like the people born after the year i was born (87) dont really have the same experience. They tended to latch onto the pop-punk era that came to fruition in 94. The logical progression from pop-punk is now emo and bands like fallout boy, so those bands are the ones that are popular. IMO post 90s PJ is better than what is topping the charts these days.

See...I take a band like Radiohead, who I would consider one of the most important bands making music today. Their post-2000 catalogue is far more impressive than that of PJ's. Ditto for Wilco.

Then again, these act aren't nearly as rocky as Pearl Jam.

everything after ok computer is easily on the same level as PJ's post 2000 stuff. Wilco while a cool band isn't even the best band Tweedy has been in...no band in the history of music is able to string together one great album after another...a band has 10 years then things go down hill...always...maybe they have moments here and there but they are never the same as those early years when they are young and hungry...

I don't know wilco but I'd take PJ's post 00 catalogue over Radiohead's. But then again I really don't like Kid A

I will say that of all the important 90's artists still making music today PJ's is the best, even if U2's is the most succesful.

I'd argue that U2 is more an 80's band than a 90's band(they only had one stellar 90's record)...I do think if you combined the last two U2 records you'd have one great album...

I don't like Radiohead's catalog in the 2000 compared to 90's. Their last two albums, although good, don't live up to there past albums (OK Computer mainly)

I do think Eddie's lyrics still hold up as one of the best (the best in my opinion). Avocado is definetely one great album, and Binaural is good. I would a hard time finding better rock bands this decade.

Although commercially they had a drop off... I don't think you can be base this decision on records sold. Even in that case Avocado will probably sell around 750K which is good for a band 16 years in their career and considering sales are much lower now than they were in the early PJ years.

ranking pj's records of this decade

1. binaural


2. avocado

































3. riot act

Pearl Jam is probably the only band in the world to bring good quality straight-up rock and roll to the masses.

-Sunny

I'm too biased and could never make an objective claim to this question.

But zooropa and pop were still hit factories and how many bands in the 90's had albums better than Achtung. Not too many. U2 have been major players across three decades, which is pretty amazing. Has anyone ever stayed that huge that long with NEW material?

Not too many. You've inspired a thread for OB.

well then I shall go check it out

Binaural is my favourite album...of all bands from all time.