lol

As is the actual mix. Dave is playing his normal toms thru the verses as well as those octoban things.

Like "Sad," "Fatal" was a song I had heard of in legend; Binaural's other lost gem. Again, there's some truth to it, even if that album remains my favorite Pearl Jam release, and I feel that it wouldn't be improved for an altered tracklist. "Fatal" presents a wonderful slow-burn of a song, it's spine being Stone's acoustic lines, embellished by some subtle accents from Mike and then some parts with full band arrangement that give the whole thing some thrust. It reminds me, in a way, of "Immortality," save for the song structure and thematic goals.

"Other Side" might be my favorite Riot Act castoff. It's moody, but not overbearingly so, with a significant helping of longing. The liner notes mention both Stone and Jeff playing bass on this track which leads to the thick and meaty tone of the chorus. The middle eight starts off a warbly Mike solo, and then transitions into a wordless duet of Ed's voice and Jeff's acoustic guitar. There's also this weird little percussion thing going on that I've heard used in other '90s-era music, but I don't really know how it's done. Anyone know the answer? Trag, I'm looking at you. Anyway, the ending is a slight reprise of this, only with no percussion and actual lyrics.

I have to agree with Kevin Davis that I'm not sure the rock side/ballad side was the appropriate way to approach this comp, but, man, does disc two start off great with these three quieter songs. "Hard to Imagine" is very evocative, though of vague things (perhaps there's a pun to the title?), and manages to convey both a cold yearning and a warm comfort. It's perfectly paced, from the laidback, cavernous intro, to the build up throughout that leads to the climactic finish. Special props go to Dave A.'s drum parts, especially the muted opening hits and the way he never overplays, even in the loudest moments.

I can't remember if I heard "Footsteps" or "Times of Trouble" first, but either way it was a surprising thing to see two different artists tackle the same core song and take it in two different directions. I like "Times of Trouble" better, I think, though "Footsteps" is alright. I think it's one of those Pearl Jam songs that seems to suffer a bit from being overly emotive and dramatic, but given the theme, it's forgivable. The harmonica additions are meant, it seems, to play up the forlorn prison theme, calling out to examples in film and literature, and of course directly back to old blues and country tunes. I don't think it's really pulled off effectively, coming across more as kind of hokey.

I think "Wash" features perhaps the best use of the copious reverb applied during the recordings of the Ten-era songs. All that echo just sounds like rainy streets and alleys; a perfect accompaniment to Ed's opening lyrics. I like the way Ed drawls out the chorus like he's too tired to bother until the end. Equally enjoyable is what they describe as Mike's 'anti-solo,' a good example of how he can add interesting and judicious lead parts, if so inclined, breaking from his stereotype of straight-laced blues-rock homages.

Oh, how I adore "Dead Man." No Lost Dog got more replay from me early on than this one, because it pressed so many of the right buttons for me. The baritone guitar is a rare timbre, especially for Pearl Jam, and in this song it twines perfectly with Ed's restrained vocal. These are the lead characters in this show in miniature, but there's excellent support from Jeff's string bass and Jack's assortment of accentual percussion objects. The whole affair is dark and moody, but more than that, it's also interesting from a songwriting perspective, with ending lines leaving ample space for the notes to ring out in contemplation before the next part picks up, as well as that false ending.

"Strangest Tribe": another favorite. I believe this is the first time I ever heard of Ed playing a keyboard instrument. The melody and song structure are both slightly askew in the fashion that draws the ear rather than challenges it, which is so apropos for the subject matter. The sparse arrangements contribute even further to the atmosphere: the way the guitar has a clanking aspect to its tone that pairs with the subtle percussion, the electric piano notes that flicker like starlight, and the way Ed and Stone harmonize the vocals, especially at the end of each chorus.

There are few examples in Pearl Jam's catalog where they emulate a simple campfire folk style and do it well. "Drifting," at least this version, is not one of them. While the slide guitar work in the instrumental break is wonderful, the rest of the arrangement is less so, from the simplistic strumming to the outright annoying blare of the harmonica (To be fair, that's almost an inherent quality of the instrument. I prefer when it drones as opposed to the pointed shrieking here.). Furthermore, I don't really care for the vocal delivery or the lyrics, though the former is immensely better on the single version.

I would love it if some PJ aficionado would make an OG Lost Dogs using only the original versions of the songs.

What's Ridley doing?

Are you talking about the "shh-shh-shh-shh" sound at the end of the bridge? That could be any number of things, but I'd bet money it's a afuche/cabasa with an envelope filter on top.

It's a little odd to consider just how old "Let Me Sleep" really is. The slit drum beat and the sitar imitation of the open-tuned electric guitar clearly draw influence from Asian and African styles, and though Pearl Jam had other early excursions into these forms, none were so open as this, and in many ways it sounds like it could have come from No Code. I've never had a real strong affection or distaste for this song in the past; it's always just kind of 'existed.' As of this listening, though, I'm really liking it. There's a sort of precious intimacy at play, with a longing for simplicity, and it's all the better for the way it contrasts with most of the band's early output.

I like to think I'm above the notion of 'guilty pleasure,' but there's times where I have to admit that they seem to exist. "Last Kiss" is one of those. The band's performance on the song is top notch. They remain faithful enough to the original to be recognizable, but add in enough of their own flair and muscle to make it feel like they 'own' the song. The song itself is kind of dopey, even in the face of its sad subject matter, and that, combined with hearing the tune a lot on the radio before Lost Dogs was released, made it easily skippable for a long time. Nowadays, I certainly don't seek it out, but I won't skip past it either. An enjoyable throwaway, I suppose.

"Sweet Lew": What the actual fuck is up with this song? It actually fits, stylistically, alongside some of Jeff's other tunes. "Pilate" is a good example, since they both have moments of an awkward, loopy sway, but "Pilate" at least manages to turn that into a good song. Actually, from a musical standpoint, it's rather interesting, especially the bent note swerving that occurs anytime the title is mentioned. But Jeff's vocals are probably his worst offering in a lead position (not that there are many examples to choose from), and the lyrics are an absurd drivel. Occasionally fun, but not a lot of replay value.

Okay, I don't really like "Sweet Lew," but it might be better than "Dirty Frank" (Ready those pitchforks!). A Red Hot Chili Peppers imitation is one of the last things I would have ever wanted from Pearl Jam, and even as tongue-in-cheek as this is, it's still a pile of "ugh." Except for the part where Mike falls victim to Frank; that part's funny. Funk has always had a place in Pearl Jam's stew of influences, and it's all over portions of Vs., so the song fits its time period, and they even do a good job of letting loose in the instrumental breaks. Still, I never really enjoyed the song, and I don't think I ever will.

Maybe? It's the part where Ed's just vocalizing wordlessly, and there's that percussive sound going on behind him.

Yea, same part. Anyway, this is my best guess, but they don't list any percussion credits for the song, so I'm not 100% confident. But that's how I would make that sound.

I would make that sound....

Spoiler: show

WITH MY BUTT!!! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

But, no seriously, I think trag's right.

As evidenced earlier in this thread, I'm probably one of the few people to prefer the instrumental "Brother" to the version with vocals. The instrumental was my introduction to the song, and when I sought out the 'original,' it was clear there was no good reason to have Ed on these proceedings. I think the guitar overdubs for this were recorded specifically for Lost Dogs, but correct me if I'm wrong. Mike's got a bit of a Joe Satriani thing going on with the melodic, echoing shreds, and I think it's a style that they could have stepped into more than once and not be overdone. Not a 'best of' by any means, but enjoyable enough.

"Bee Girl" is a weird little tune. Jeff's strumming riff is pretty, but Ed's vocals start out awkward, which I think can be chalked up to the off-the-cuff nature of the recording. Soon enough, he settles in, and though the song is simplistic and half-formed, it accomplishes quite a bit in a short time. I even find it kind of endearing that they left in the incidental sounds like the shuffling note paper and Ed's little "thank you."

"4/20/02" is an emotional wallop of a song. From Ed's blunt approach to the beginning of the song where one can hear the way his voice shakes and threatens to break, to the frantic capoed notes in the 'chorus' that accompany his exasperated strains, the song is stark and chilling. It's weird to talk about songs like this in terms of 'like' and 'dislike,' but I've always thought this was a strong piece, even if it's difficult to listen to at times.

I love Bee Girl so much, but I'm happy that it's never played a big role in their catalog. One of those great little numbers that is best left for the die-hard fans.

As much as I loved Lost Dogs when it came out, I come back to it quite a bit less frequently than most of the band's other material. I think some of that comes down to the somewhat haphazard construction of the set despite the band's efforts to make it otherwise. Yet, in doing this listen through, I realize there's still a lot of songs on here that I quite like, some even in the territory of catalog favorites. There were also a number that were just fun to try to approach with a 'fresh set of ears' and the kind of insights that time and distance can bestow. All in all, it's been a pretty delightful and satisfying exercise.

My experience as well. I was really struck by how much I like several of these tunes.

that was a great read Brett. Thank you

I think Eddie only knows one riff on the harmonica -- the one he uses here and the one he uses on "Smile" are pretty much identical, despite the significant musical differences between the two songs. Proceed directly to the 2000 tour for some less dramatically emoted versions of "Footsteps" -- the full band arrangement and the eight years of vocal mileage gives it a fatigued, road-worn feel that the original versions lacks and could benefit from.

Ok, since most of us like LD but feel that the tracklist feels weird. Let's retrack Lost Dogs.
Oh, and you may include songs that were known in 2003 but not on LD

My try:

Disc 1)

- All Night
- Education
- Alone
- Brother
- Down
- Undone
- Hitchhiker
- In the Moonlight
- Sad
- Hold on
- Just a Girl
- Hard to Imagine

Disc 2)

- Wash
- Footsteps
- Otherside
- Fatal
- Deadman
- Strangest Tribe
- Driftin
- Bee Girl
- Angel
- Let Me Sleep
- Long Road
- Crazy Mary

Disc 3)

- Sonic Reducer
- Black Red Yellow
- Dont Gimme No Lip
- Leatherman
- U
- Whale Song
- Cremmie out of Control
- Leaving Here
- Last Kiss
- Happy When Im Crying
- Sweet Lew
- Dirty Frank
- Yellow Ledbetter

Well done. On paper, that looks pretty good.