Monday saw the release of "The Fixer," the lead single from Pearl Jam's upcoming ninth album, "Backspacer," due out September 20th. In celebration of the new PJ, I am going to work my way back through the hugely influential band's glorious catalogue and rank their songs, albums, live moments, etc.
I will attempt to pay tribute to the greatest band of this generation every day, and if I happen to miss one or two, I promise to make up for it. If any of my readers are unfamiliar or only vaguely familiar with the band, my wish is to provide an introduction to the band and demonstrate why their following is so devoted, why their shows continue to sell out and why they were voted by USA Today readers as the greatest American band of all time.
To begin, I am going to rank and review all of Pearl Jam's original songs, in descending order of course. This list will exclude anything released under any name other than Pearl Jam, hidden tracks (with one sole exception), solo material and songs from "Backspacer." It will include cover songs recorded in the studio and released to the public, such as "Crazy Mary" and "Love Reign O'er Me." We begin with the bottom ten, the lowest of the low for the best of the best.
160. Sweet Lew (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 2000 during Binaural sessions) - Bassist Jeff Ament's poor attempt at a diss song toward Mr. Lew Alcindor, a.k.a. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. How they managed to include this on Lost Dogs, their 2003 B-sides collection, but leave off "Angel," remains a typical PJ-esque mystery.
159. Olympic Platinum (Christmas Single, 1996) - Bizarre, off-key cover of Nick DiDia's strange song that appeared on the band's 1996 Christmas Fan Club single. Not much to say except that it belongs right here.
158. Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me (Vitalogy, 1994) - An avant garde sound collage a la John Lennon's "Revolution 9," from the Beatles' White Album. The track cannot fairly be called a song, although the band does play instruments on it. "Stupid Mop," as it is alternately called, is mostly known for the creepy kid who repeats disturbing phrases throughout, such as "My spanking...that's the only thing I want so much." Vitalogy was a weird album, but "Immortality" should have been the closer. This was just unnecessary.
157. Red Dot (Yield, 1998) - Another song that's not really a song, this one minute, seven second Jack Irons' composition is silly but fun, and largely out of place on the otherwise perfect "Yield."
156. Evil Little Goat (Ten Redux, 2009 - Recorded 1991 during Ten sessions) - I contemplated not including this minute and a half jam, but included it due to its mass release on this year's "Ten Redux." It is obviously just a joke Vedder was muttering into the mic that turned into a jam, and nothing more. Many fans considered it a serious find, but only because it went unreleased until this year.
155. Gremmie Out of Control (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 1996 for Music for Our Mother Ocean, Vol. 1) - Once again, silly and fun, this cover of the Silly Surfers track is easily forgotten in the midst of so many brilliant tracks on Lost Dogs.
154. Jingle Bells (Christmas Single, 2007) - A decent instrumental version of the holiday classic, but nothing special for the mighty PJ.
153. Bugs (Vitalogy, 1994) - An interesting but difficult meditation on the annoyance of media attention. Vedder wrote this sardonic, accordion-based song about the intense scrutiny he was facing in the midst of being the leader of the biggest band in the world at the time of its release.
152. Whale Song (Lost Dogs, 2003, Recorded 1996, Orig. Released 1999 for Music for Our Mother Ocean, Vol. 3) - Just like the title indicates, this Jack Irons-penned song is about whales. Its heart is in the right place, but the trite lyrics and mediocre music just plain fall short.
151. Pry, To (Vitalogy, 1994) - Vedder repeats "P-R-I-V-A-C-Y is priceless to me" in a tired drawl before screaming "P-R-I-V-A-C-Y" over and over in a sort of distorted climax, all while the band jams dissonantly in the backgroud for one minute and three seconds. The third Vitalogy non-song on this list.
150-141 tomorrow...stay tuned
===================================
FULL LIST OF SONGS
160. Sweet Lew 159. Olympic Platinum 158. Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me 157. Red Dot 156. Evil Little Goat 155. Gremmie Out of Control 154. Jingle Bells 153. Bugs 152. Whale Song 151. Pry, To 150. 2,000 Mile Blues 149. Happy When I'm Crying 148. Don't Believe in Christmas 147. Don't Gimme No Lip 146. I Just Want to Have Something to Do 145. Last Kiss 144. Evacuation 143. I've Got a Feeling 142. Get Right 141. Hitchhiker 140. U 139. Leatherman 138. Big Wave 137. Leaving Here 136. Help Help 135. Santa God 134. Aye Davanita 133. Sonic Reducer 132. Mankind 131. Ghost 130. Bushleaguer 129. Breakerfall 128. Push Me, Pull Me 127. Bee Girl 126. In The Moonlight 125. Just a Girl 124. Pilate 123. Gods' Dice 122. All Night 121. Someday at Christmas 120. I’m Still Here 119. Dirty Frank 118. Black, Red, Yellow 117. The Golden State 116. World Wide Suicide 115. Cropduster 114. Satan's Bed 113. Rival 112. Habit 111. 1/2 Full 110. Green Disease 109. Thin Air 108. Whipping 107. Around the Bend 106. Dead Man 105. Severed Hand 104. Hold On 103. Santa Cruz 102. Nothing as it Seems 101. Save You 100. Wishlist 99. I Am Mine 98. Glorified G 97. I’m Open 96. Crazy Mary 95. Parting Ways 94. Rats 93. Can’t Keep 92. Lukin 91. Life Wasted 90. Soon Forget 89. You Are 88. Of The Girl 87. Drifting 86. 4/20/02 85. Wasted Reprise 84. Army Reserve 83. Spin The Black Circle 82. Undone 81. Gone 80. Unemployable 79. Fatal 78. Education 77. No Way 76. Other Side 75. Parachutes 74. Once 73. Blood 72. Sleight of Hand 71. All Or None 70. Untitled 69. MFC 68. Deep 67. Animal 66. W.M.A. 65. Angel 64. Grievance 63. Brother 62. Man of the Hour 61. Dissident 60. Strangest Tribe 59. Love Boat Captain 58. Alone 57. Let Me Sleep 56. All Those Yesterdays 55. Why Go 54. Down 53. Sometimes 52. Low Light 51. Garden 50. Comatose 49. Not For You 48. Brain of J. 47. Better Man 46. Hard To Imagine 45. Last Exit 44. Smile 43. Arc 42. Faithfull 41. Insignificance 40. Marker in the Sand 39. Red Mosquito 38. Even Flow 37. Hail, Hail 36. Yellow Ledbetter 35. Who You Are 34. Tremor Christ 33. Sad 32. Go 31. Thumbing My Way 30. Oceans 29. Love Reign O’er Me 28. Nothingman 27. Come Back 26. Daughter 25. Off He Goes 24. Leash 23. In My Tree 22. State of Love and Trust 21. Wash 20. Light Years 19. Inside Job 18. Do The Evolution 17. Jeremy 16. Breath 15. I Got Id 14. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town 13. In Hiding 12. Alive 11. Footsteps 10. Given to Fly 9. Porch 8. Long Road 7. Indifference 6. Corduroy 5. Immortality 4. Rearviewmirror 3. Present Tense 2. Release 1. Black
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Post subject: Re: Charles Peelle's 60 Days of Pearl Jam
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:53 am
Red Mosquito, my libido
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 2:02 am Posts: 91597 Location: Sector 7-G
B wrote:
160. Sweet Lew (Lost Dogs, 2003 - Recorded 2000 during Binaural sessions) - Bassist Jeff Ament's poor attempt at a diss song toward Mr. Lew Alcindor, a.k.a. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. How they managed to include this on Lost Dogs, their 2003 B-sides collection, but leave off "Angel," remains a typical PJ-esque mystery.
Indeed.
_________________ It takes a big man to make a threat on the internet.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Post subject: Re: Charles Peelle's 60 Days of Pearl Jam
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:22 am
Red Mosquito, my libido
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 2:02 am Posts: 91597 Location: Sector 7-G
B wrote:
157. Red Dot (Yield, 1998) - Another song that's not really a song, this one minute, seven second Jack Irons' composition is silly but fun, and largely out of place on the otherwise perfect "Yield."
What a moron.
_________________ It takes a big man to make a threat on the internet.
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
Post subject: Re: Charles Peelle's 60 Days of Pearl Jam
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 5:09 am
Stone's Bitch
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:06 am Posts: 3146 Location: Orange County, California
He's either never heard or completely erased "Rock Around Barack" from his memory.
_________________ I waited all day
you waited all day
but you left before sunset
and I just wanted to tell you
that the moment was beautiful
just wanted to dance to bad music
drive bad cars
watch bad tv
should have stayed for the sunset
if not for me
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