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I can't imagine Dark Matter displacing anything in my top 7 (the first 7, though not in that order). To me that stuff is just a whole different life experience, foundational and personal in ways that I just don't even know how to compare to an album that came out less than a week ago.
I'm not sure where it will land among the most recent five. I'm really hyped about it now but I was also really hyped about Backspacer and Gigaton when they were new (S/T and LB I had much more measured reactions to; S/T has grown on me a lot, LB not so much). I know I put LB at the bottom of this group, but the rest of them move around depending on the day, even Backspacer.
Honestly, though, the bigger it gets, PJ's catalog just feels more and more like one big super-album to me, with the distinctions between album, era, etc., feeling increasingly insignficant. Part of this is probably down to me listening to live stuff more than studio stuff, and experiencing the songs in a variety of combinations besides just their original album contexts. But part of it is that, when all is said and done, with the odd exception here and there, I kind of just dig it all.
Honestly, though, the bigger it gets, PJ's catalog just feels more and more like one big super-album to me, with the distinctions between album, era, etc., feeling increasingly insignficant. Part of this is probably down to me listening to live stuff more than studio stuff, and experiencing the songs in a variety of combinations besides just their original album contexts. But part of it is that, when all is said and done, with the odd exception here and there, I kind of just dig it all.
I don't remember who said it, but one critic's assessment of their discography that has always stuck with me is that they're better understood as chapters in a book as opposed to the entire book. That resonates with me, particularly in their first decade, where to me it feels like each album is a fairly direct continuation of the emotional and musical story chronicled on the one before it. That's a bit harder with more time passing between each album, but I do think it continues to hold true for me.
Last edited by digster on Tue April 23, 2024 8:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Joined: Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm Posts: 40083
digster wrote:
Kevin Davis wrote:
Honestly, though, the bigger it gets, PJ's catalog just feels more and more like one big super-album to me, with the distinctions between album, era, etc., feeling increasingly insignficant. Part of this is probably down to me listening to live stuff more than studio stuff, and experiencing the songs in a variety of combinations besides just their original album contexts. But part of it is that, when all is said and done, with the odd exception here and there, I kind of just dig it all.
I don't remember who said it, but one critic's assessment of their discography that has always stuck with me is that they're better understood as chapters in a book as opposed to the entire book. That resonates with me, particularly in their first decade, where to me it feels like each album is a fairly direct continuation of the emotional and musical story chronicled on the one before it. That's a bit harder with more time passing between each album, but I do think it continues to hold true for me.
Binaural Yield Vitalogy No Code VS Dark Matter Riot Act Ten S/T Gigaton Backspacer Lbolt
Subject to change at any given moment. Riot Act saved my life but i totally appreciate that is a mood record for me these days and can be a slog/commitment.
Ten being so low is probably a sin but i cant remember the last time i ever cared to listen to it, knowing full well its importance.
DM is new and exciting and that could fall/rise at any moment.
Joined: Mon March 30, 2020 11:59 pm Posts: 1721 Location: sleep sac in a bivouac
Funny, I always put Ten first, even though I listen to it once every year or so if that. But it was that glance from across the room that told me I was in love, and for my personal taste I can't find any real weakness on it.
_________________ Be mighty...Be humble...Be mighty humble...
The second half of Lightning Bolt is the only thing that I thought was meh from them on any album. The songs aren’t horrendous by any means but the fact they all run one right after the other I think weighs them down even more than if they were randomly surrounded by a better song. That second half of Lightning Bolt felt like a band that was bored and just felt they had to release a full album.
likes rhythmic things that butt up against each other
Joined: Wed February 26, 2020 8:43 am Posts: 776
digster wrote:
With the caveat that it's way easier for me to think of these in tiers, and within those tiers things tend to move around....
Yield Vitalogy Binaural No Code
Ten Vs.
Gigaton Riot Act
S/T
Lightning Bolt Backspacer
I feel like at the moment Dark Matter slots in right above S/T, but that could change. They've got a lot of strong records.
Tiering works better for me as things move around. My one constant is that Yield is always my number one. Also, things have shifted over time based on where I’m at in life and what resonates with me at the time. Gigaton would have not resonated with me as much had I heard it 10-15 years ago. Similarly, the somberness of Riot Act and the unsettling nature of No Code are so powerful and timeless, but that’s not what I am needing right now. Dark Matter is making me feel all the feels, so it’s riding high right now. It may drop after the sugar high and reveals if it truly can be as timeless as No Code. That’s the other thing about judging these albums; Ten may be a more complete album with higher quality songs start to finish than no code, but I just don’t care to listen to it as much, and it sounds old. No Code and Yield sound like the two most timeless albums to me, followed closely by Vitalogy then Binaural. Gigaton should probably join the 2nd tier below…
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