Up next on the chopping block is a band that I have been putting off and that’s mostly because I don’t really know any of their songs except the radio hits. That band is Pearl Jam and they are on the chopping block. Now I am also not the biggest fan of Eddie Vedder’s vocals but who knows perhaps this will change my mind. Let’s take a look…………
Ten- ah yes the 90’s where there was actually rock music being played on the radio. How I miss those times. Anyway this is the album that gave us songs like Even Flow and Jeremy. Now as far as the rest of the album is concerned, it’s pretty good. You really do have to go into it pretending like you have never heard any of the songs. I did that and the songs really are good. Overall, a 90’s classic that gets 8/10
Standouts: Porch, Deep, Once
Vs.- it’s not often that a band can put out two great albums in a row but here we are. I would say that this is definitely another classic album but the songs on here are better. This is also another album that gave us hits such as Go and Dissident. Definitely a classic and it gets 10/10
Standouts: Daughter, Blood, Rearview Mirror
Vitalogy- so this one feels very experimental and it is departure from the grunge type of sound that was on the last two records. Now I did read somewhere that it’s more punk and hardcore oriented but I guess you can kind of hear it. Anyway, it’s a good album and I feel it’s sort of overlooked in someway. I actually enjoyed this one more than I thought and maybe that’s cause some of the songs sound more aggressive. I’m giving this one 9.5/10
Standouts: Spin The Black Circle, Not For You, Last Exit
No Code- so this one is interesting because it’s got songs that has elements of world music and garage rock. It’s certainly not a grunge album (which I’m almost certain they’ve moved away from that) but it feels very diverse. Definitely a unique record for them and it gets 8/10
Standouts: Who You Are, Habit, Lukin
Yield- this one goes back to the rock sound that they had before. This is also the first to have Matt Cameron on drums and from what I understand, the writing on this one was more of a collaborative effort. What I like about this album is that there aren’t as many ballad kind of songs. This one gets 10/10
Standouts: No Way, Brain Of J, MFC
Binaural- there are certain albums that start off great then go downhill about 3 or 4 songs in. A perfect example is Soilwork’s A Predator’s Portrait and this album is another one of those. Like the first couple songs are great then the rest of it is just boring and not that great. Not much else to say except that this one is easily skip-able. I’m giving this one 4/10
Standouts: God’s Dice
Riot Act- this one is definitely more on the experimental side. Here we’ve got folk, art rock, and experimental rock. I actually liked this one more than I thought however I do feel like it dragged in parts. I’ll give it 7/10
Standouts: Save You, Ghost, Green Disease
Pearl Jam- this one goes back to being a straight forward rock record. It’s definitely not an experimental record. It also has kind of a classic rock feel to it. Definitely worth a listen and it’s getting 9/10
Standouts: Comatose, Severed Hand, Army Reserve
Backspacer- I remember the song Just Breathe always being played on KROQ and it is one of my least favorite songs from Pearl Jam. Aside from that, the rest of the album is a mix of ballad-y type songs and rock songs. This one is definitely one of their more underrated albums and it gets a 9/10
Standouts: The Fixer, Supersonic, Got Some
Lightning Bolt- the thing with this album is that it has more rock songs but they are longer songs. And again this is one of those where the first half is good but then gets boring. The problem I have with this one is that as this one goes on, the songs kinda tend to run together. It’s a good album just nothing special. I’ll give it 6/10
Standouts: Getaway, Lightning Bolt, Swallowed Whole
Gigaton- I don’t know this one to me is just kind of boring. Like it’s not bad or good just boring. The songs tend to drag and it’s just a whatever kind of record. I’ll give it 5/10
Standouts: Quick Escape
Dark Matter- with this one, I am reminded of the first two albums but with a modern flair. I wouldn’t say it’s a return to how they were when they started out but it’s a damn good album. I’ll give it 9/10
Standouts- Running, Scared Of Fear, Wreckage
In some way, these guys went for quantity over quality. I’d rather a band have less albums but really good albums. I put off reviewing these guys because of Eddie Vedder’s vocals but they actually aren’t that bad and fit the music. Definitely some great albums and definitely some skipable albums.
Final Grade: B-
Album Rankings:
- Vs.
- Yield
- Vitalogy
- Backspacer
- Pearl Jam
- Ten
- Dark Matter
- No Code
- Riot Act
- Lightning Bolt
- Gigaton
- Binaural
Sinister Reviews 