There certainly is a marked difference, but unfortunately Matt's straight-ahead style is the turning point where my interest in the band begins to fade.

I'll never stop missing that amiable wandering.

the music in evacuation is fun and interesting. but i dont care for the melody in the dual bridges, Eddie’s pinched vocals, and of course that irritating chorus


this is easily the weakest 3 song start to any pearl jam album.

like I said in the no code thread, I dont think he is bad. but he isnt what I want

light years will always feel like a missed opportunity to me. They got it right in puzzles and games. the verses work okay, and I like the chorus music (and the bridge is great). I just think the chorus vocal melody underserves the sentiment. And the affectations and choices I dont like in some of Eddie’s Yield performances are front and center here.

what a slow start this album has

I HATE YOU

in part because i know what is coming, I still prefer this to no code - mostly thanks to matt and a group of 4-5 songs that eclipse almost all of no code

Puzzles and Games may be one of the more overrated pieces of music the band has, and I'm happy they salvaged the best part for the eventual song. I do think the chorus could be a part of something great, but the verses are just GTF-lite.

this threw me as a single, but NAIS has grown on me tremendously over the years. What a dangerous hibernating grizzly of a song

who overrates it besides me?

Tread carefully now, Stip.

Phew

Hm, maybe times and preferences have changed; I always felt like it was seen as this hidden gem, but that's just off the top of my head.

everyone is phenomenal on this, but Mike and Jeff deserve academy awards.


the atmosphere is so encompassing that some of jeff’s clunkier lyrics float past unnoticed while the best moments rise into view

Mike is so good on that bridge

i did really go to bat for this a lot. and all the people down on the binaural/riot act era migrated away from the board

same guitar tone as comes then goes, right.

really like the music but man I dont like these lyrics. Buckle Up and Rival are maybe the only two times Stone’s writing works for me.

On this listen the way this song is winking at its silliness is more apparent, which helps

these really are great headphones my wife got me. everything sounds incredible

I don't know, some of the couplets in this song are pretty powerful, albeit simple.

Insignificance sounds like it could have been on vitalogy, which is about the highest compliment I can pay a song.

Ive never thought about which pearl jam song had eddie’s best lyrics. It could be this one

I was alone and far away when I heard the band start playing

I've thought for quite a long time that this is PJ's best song, and as much as I love the rest of their catalog, I feel like I've never really deviated from that.