Riot Act is my favorite album of theirs to just press play on track one and let the thing run...I absolutely love how the band sounds on this album. And while I think it's a good to very good collection of songs, I definitely feel it is greater than the sum of it's parts.

I said it in the Get Right SOTM, but one of the things about Riot Act is the truly wonderful production. I think it was Jeff in the PJ20 book describing the process of the band just kind of jamming through the songs while the engineers would move mics around and then when the band was ready to record a take, the engineers would say it's already in the can. So every song has a real live feel because it basically was. And the mix is balanced so perfectly. You can always hear the whole band and each instrument has its own space in the spectrum so they're all clear as a bell.

A lot of people mention Eddie Vedder's singing, which does sound tired. It reminds me of The Ground Beneath Her Feet a bit. In that novel, Salman Rushdie is writing about a singer who's girlfriend and collaborator

Spoiler: show

dies

. The final tour, he describes the singer going full afterburner, not saving anything for the return journey. Kind of an end.

Anyway, I think Eddie Vedder sang the American leg of the 2000 tour like there would be no tomorrow. I think his singing on Riot Act is trying to find a way to use his voice in a way that will hold up to another 20 years. I mean, stopping smoking might have helped too but you can only ask so much of a man. Anyway, that pacing sort of mindset also attaches to the politics. I think he has to turn the corner into a sustainable burn. What scans as weariness I think hits more like maturing. Waking up a bit to reality that you can't just strongarm the world into the shape you want. Undone, of all the songs, captures this best.

Riot Acts vocals shot up in my estimation once it was clear they were a choice. I struggled with the notion that Eddie lost his power and passion

That's a good point. Doesn't change the product itself, but it does give it the understanding of it added meaning.

Riot Act is a great example of a record where emotional delivery choices were taken other than "let's rawk"; there's a story to it that deepens Pearl Jam's overall emotional range

Couldn't agree more. Every album has some of that, but it really started with No Code.

That's a great point. It's one thing I can certainly admit to being insensitive to, until someone here pointed it out.
One of the many times someone here put me in my place where I it caused me to think about something from a different POV.

It's aged very well, and I really like it, but I'm keeping the 3 out of 5 stars.

Too long.

So happy to say that this no longer Pearl Jam's last great album. Gigaton and DM have picked up the baton that was dropped somewhere in late 2005.

I agree with the first part and have always loved the early Matt years (1998 - 2003). This album and tour are both great, but not the best from PJ; 4 out of 5 stars.

I love this record and I really like all of the tunes on it, but I agree it's too long.

I know stip breaks down their career into smaller pieces; one record directly responding/reacting to a previous, etc. But I think now there's a clear delineation between everything pre and then post Riot Act. It's almost two different bands. Sonically more than thematically.

From S/T on it's a different band. And there is such strong shared DNA in the sound/structure/aesthetic of the band running through these past five records.

thats fair. i tend to think thematically but sonically that is present. i think the 2003 tour was such a delight (that is the first real ‘modern’ pearl jam tour) that they began writing less dense compositions that would translate live. it evolved from then, but i think thats the big
shift

Not being glib or throwaway but 9 kids dying in front of you will do that.
They suffered and really hurt after roskilde almost to an end.
Riot act is a deserved long lament in that tragedy and loss. It hard to listen to with that in mind.
ST is the pulling their pants up and going for it. (Mileage may vary)

Went to find those kids names. I met a few of them only the week before. (Cardiff ffs)
Their names aren’t there

yep

I agree and you gave me an - It's time for a "Reaviewmirror", best of album for Avocado through Dark Matter. Do we already have a thread for that?