I’ve always preferred Last Exit - although less aggressive than go it feels more raw, naked, desperate, and yet somehow considered. Go is a bit of a one trick pony, albeit a great trick.
RVM/Last Exit would have been tough. But this is a clear choice. Last Exit
Anders wrote:Think I’ll vote Go. Wouldn’t like to see Last Exit as the winner.
Why is that?
Don’t feel it’s anywhere close to being the best Pearl Jam song, middle of the road Vitalogy song. If I made a general Pearl Jam playlist of 20-30 songs, I would never add it. Tried listening to it now, but turned it off halfway through.
I'm going "Last Exit" here. I might even ride it to the winner's circle, though I don't believe it's truly deserving of the title of "Best Pearl Jam song." I think it's the better song to open the better album. The way the goofy pseudo-jazz noodling suddenly drops out in place of the thick, aggressive main riff is engraved in mind from the time period where Vitalogy completely dominated my music listening. It feels like the whole thing wants to careen off the rails and it pretty much does before it ends.
"Go" has a lot of similarities to "Last Exit" with a similar loose and playful intro that transitions to an uptempo, aggressive main song. The two differ in their stylistic lineages, with "Go" descending directly from the band's earlier ties to metal and funk and "Last Exit" taking on aspects of punk music and the influence of the band's burgeoning relationship with Neil Young. "Go" is desperately grasping at whatever is leaving it behind in a plea to regain control, while "Last Exit" is firmly in the driver's seat with the destination in mind, even if that ends up being that brick wall ahead.
Last Exit. Equally great songs to me, but the difference for me being feel. Go has that breakaway thousand miles an hour feel to it, which I love but maybe less my cup of tea at track 1. Kind of like blowing it all in the first 3 minutes with now inevitably 44 more minutes of recovery from that. Vs. I think has songs that are better (in my mind), but nothing rips as hard as this.
Last Exit is the better opener. If Tremor Christ always felt to me like you are rocking on a boat such that you get sea legs, Last Exit always felt like the bracing of yourself while the boat leaves the dock. It rocks but it’s not so straight away, and doesn’t blow the album up right at the outset. It’s the moment when the boat jerks out from the dock and that new center of gravity has to kick in. And by the time you’ve reached the end of the song, you are now out to see and ready for the blitz of Spin the Black Circle.
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Last exit takes more twists and turns and is sexy.
It was 2003. I was home for a couple of weeks from the Middle East, in the height of the Iraq conflict. Before heading back, i flew to Vegas to see Pearl Jam. I was young, mad about going to war, ready to forget about shit for a few hours. The lights went down, the band came on stage, the crowd was cheering, and then they blew up in our faces opening with Go. My single favorite moment of any Pearl Jam show I’ve been to. Insanity. (Sorry could only find video of whole show)