Riot Act: Official Album Thread

[KurtLeon]

"I was a fool because I thought" is one of my favorites to.

[bodysnatcher]

Can't believe it's been over 10 years since this album came out

[Norris]

"the North is to South like the clock is to time" is a close 3rd.

That's not the lyric. The real lyric is even worse.

[Birds in Hell]

"All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our lives, choosing the shiny ones instead."

That's one of my least favourite lines in the Pearl Jam catalogue. The second half of the line is so clumsy and pointless. It would have been much more effective to have left the vocal line hanging after the first half.

I love "I never knew soap made you taller."

[Bob Loblaw]

I love "I never knew soap made you taller."

That may be the worst line in the history of lyrics.

[EJ]

I'll see your soap, and raise you a columbus decanter.

[Norris]

I love "I never knew soap made you taller."

I'm a fan too.

[Jorge]

That is a really terrible line.

Like, I get it. Soapboxes and also advertisement. That's fine. But geez, come up with something a little wittier, a little more musical, less hammy. The line is just awkwardly ctrl+v'd into the end of the verse.

But I still like "Ghost". Just like I love "Cropduster" even though the entire third verse is garbage.

[WtOB?]

I like the soap line, it's bitter and sarcastic, perfect for Riot Act. The rusted signs line not so much. I'm not the biggest fan of the Save You lyrics either. Love the rest.

[VinylGuy]

"Bring it on cause I'm no victim" is proprably one of my favorite lyrics ever.

i love that moment in Ghost. Specially how Eddie delivers that line.

Most of the I Am Mine lyrics are great too.

[PJfighter]

Riot Act is the best album of 00's in my opinion. It's so rich, it has 15 songs! more than any other Pearl jam record. There are some nice experimental songs as You Are. I don't care if the album is so political oriented, they were dealing with a lot of things post Roskilde, post 9-11, Irak and Afghanistan wars. This album never disappoints it is still in #5 behind the classic 4 in my opinion: The first three and yield

[Norris]

You mean the best Pearl Jam record of the 00s, right?

[verb_to_trust]

I have mixed feelings on Riot Act. On one hand, LBC is one of the better songs they have put out musically since in the 00's. On the other hand: "Love Boat Captain"

LBC
Help Help
All or None
Can't Keep
Thumbing My Way
1.2 Full
GD

Cropduster just reminds me of farting in a covert way and the music doesn't help this association. I see Ghost and Get Right as really average songs as well. Save You is a decent attempt at rocking out but sounds too by the numbers if that makes sense.

[verb_to_trust]

Given how it was supposed to be a political album the cause probably would have been helped if Ed sounded more....inspired. Even as I sit here and listen to Cropudster i'm thinking "spit that out with some venom, man!" Also, that song doesn't sound as much like farts as what I remember.

[PJfighter]

Yes. I know a lot of people are going to say Binaural was the best of 00's. I feel Binaural could have been in the top 3 if they added the songs that end up in Lost Dogs and better production. I recently rediscovered Riot Act, it has many good songs, maybe some average but for god sake it has so many songs, 4 more than Backspacer and 20 minutes of more music than Backspacer.

[EJ]

Yes. I know a lot of people are going to say Binaural was the best of 00's. I feel Binaural could have been in the top 3 if they added the songs that end up in Lost Dogs and better production. I recently rediscovered Riot Act, it has many good songs, maybe some average but for god sake it has so many songs, 4 more than Backspacer and 20 minutes of more music than Backspacer.

So, a longer album= better?

[verb_to_trust]

Yes. I know a lot of people are going to say Binaural was the best of 00's. I feel Binaural could have been in the top 3 if they added the songs that end up in Lost Dogs and better production. I recently rediscovered Riot Act, it has many good songs, maybe some average but for god sake it has so many songs, 4 more than Backspacer and 20 minutes of more music than Backspacer.

So, a longer album= better?

I can think of a lot of 10 song albums that are among my favorites. I actually think Riot Act suffers from being a little too long.......that or the band not including Down and Otherside. Sub Otherside for Cropduster and Down for Get Right. Boom

[dimejinky99]

Swallow a seed on my deathbed, dig a hole in the garden.

Love that lyric. Cool image. No idea what song it's in. Ghost of Cropduster. Always get the two confused.

[stip]

"All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our lives, choosing the shiny ones instead."

That's one of my least favourite lines in the Pearl Jam catalogue. The second half of the line is so clumsy and pointless. It would have been much more effective to have left the vocal line hanging after the first half.

I love "I never knew soap made you taller."

agreed on both. Well I don't love the soap line but it's not a bad lyric.

[LetMeSleep]

Riot Act
Can't Keep
Save You
LBC
Cropduster
Ghost
I Am Mine
TMWay
You Are
Get Right
Arc
Down
All Or None

Bushleaguer EP
Bushleaguer
Green Disease
Help Help
1/2 Full
Other Side
Undone

I love Riot Act until Get Right which is an okay track, as is Green Disease. But those two back to back and then into Help Help leaves me cold. Bushleaguer was okay on the first listen and it's one of those risky songs that is easily dated and ages an album. For that reason alone I would have pushed for a Bushleaguer EP/mini album. And GD, HH, 1/2F and Undone would have fitted that perfectly. I've thrown Otherside into that playlist as I really love that song and I think the vibe of it matches the rest of the 'ep'. also, the line about New York streets may be significant.

4 stars till GD so I'll give it 3 stars. But it was really nice to hear a few experiments like Help Help and Bushleaguer.