Binaural: Official Album Thread

[stip]

the original thread is archived here

[bodysnatcher]

Was doing a house project on Saturday, listening to iTunes on shuffle when "Sleight of Hand" came on. Made me just stop what I was doing. Not many songs can stop me in my tracks and ruminate about life like this song can.

[VinylGuy]

been a while since i blasted this one. Might be the day.

[Bob Loblaw]

The last relevant statement this band ever made.

[epilogue]

The last relevant statement this band ever made until Riot Act came out.

[McParadigm]

Breakerfall is, in many ways, very near the exact center of that vast musical space between Vitalogy and Backspacer.

[stip]

that's not a bad observation. I think I like both poles more than the center, though. Breakerfall seems to be straddling, someone uncomfortably, those two spaces. I think you may have nailed what doesn't sit right with me about that one.

[Strat]

The playing and prodution on it is so much more interesting than any other textbook rocker of theirs since. They are not all just banging away at their instruments. They are playing off eachother. There is space within the different parts that allows for them all to shine while creating an interesting vibe. The instruments, melody, lyrics and vocal delivery all feed and bounce off eachother.

unlike stuff on S/T and Backspacer where I feel they all got together....whoever wrote the song showed them all the chords and changes and they all went off hammering away at them without adding anything unique to the songs.

[digster]

I always associate this album with Vitalogy...I think for no other reason than that these two albums seem to establish a relatively similar mood.

[epilogue]

Breakerfall seems to be straddling, someone uncomfortably,

This is an even more accurate description.

[McParadigm]

Breakerfall seems to be straddling, someone uncomfortably,

This is an even more accurate description.

It did get kind of warm in here for a while, didn't it?

banging away at their instruments

feed and bounce off each other.

I feel they all got together....and they all went off hammering away...

right in the goddamn butt

[MadTIGERmaN]

Breakerfall and Save You have always seemed liked before and afters to me...
Girl on the ledge with no where to turn...
...let yourself fall, im right below you now


still love this album...

[bodysnatcher]

Breakerfall is, in many ways, very near the exact center of that vast musical space between Vitalogy and Backspacer.

Great call. In terms of first album tracks, it's like Last Exit and Life Wasted mashed into one song.

[EJ]

Breakerfall is, in many ways, very near the exact center of that vast musical space between Vitalogy and Backspacer.

Great call. In terms of first album tracks, it's like Last Exit and Life Wasted mashed into one song.

If only it had the similar recording style as anything from Vitalogy. There's something muted about the recording of this song that diminishes its impact.

[pnjguy]

Clearly their best IMO. The album is heavy without being loud and Vedder is powerful without being screamy. Much like Vitalogy, this album takes you into a dark abyss of the unknown without compromising melody and direction. And not particularly surprising, the band was in the same dark mindset during the recordings of both albums. I hear something new every time i put Binaural on.

[Hatfield]

Breakerfall is, in many ways, very near the exact center of that vast musical space between Vitalogy and Backspacer.

Great call. In terms of first album tracks, it's like Last Exit and Life Wasted mashed into one song.

If only it had the similar recording style as anything from Vitalogy. There's something muted about the recording of this song that diminishes its impact.

Bingo. Mike's guitar is doing great stuff, but you can't really hear it and you surely can't feel it.

This album has always felt sterile to me, like there was something between me and the music. I love the songs live though.

[VinylGuy]

NEED THIS ONE ON VINYL FUCKERS, RELEASE IT.

[Norris]

NEED THIS ONE ON VINYL FUCKERS, RELEASE IT.

It's overrated on vinyl. CD sounds exactly the same.

[pnjguy]

Breakerfall is, in many ways, very near the exact center of that vast musical space between Vitalogy and Backspacer.

Great call. In terms of first album tracks, it's like Last Exit and Life Wasted mashed into one song.

If only it had the similar recording style as anything from Vitalogy. There's something muted about the recording of this song that diminishes its impact.

i'm the opposite, the recording lends my ears to hear different things which makes it more impactful. The Last few albums, its a lot about loud guitars and Vedder out in front of the recording which amplifies his deficiencies. It's hard to hear anything else which diminishes its impact for me.

[pnjguy]

NEED THIS ONE ON VINYL FUCKERS, RELEASE IT.

It's overrated on vinyl. CD sounds exactly the same.

Have you tried on vinyl with headphones?