492 - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

[csberry]

I've been dreading this album. It is the first one on the list that I have some sort of prejudice or previous negative opinion about. I admit that most of my opinion of the album has to do with what was happening with Pearl Jam off the record than the actual music on the album. I just didn't get the album much of a chance after being disappointed with Vs., having endured the ideological stands of the band get more airplay than their music, and rolling my eyes at the posturing of the album as a release to make the most cultish of fans and the band happy (interviews where Eddie was channeling his friend Neil Young, releasing the album only on vinyl at first, and some focus on "Not For You" in the music press upon release).

It came as a great surprise to me how much I enjoyed listening to Vitalogy today. I wouldn't rate any of these songs higher than the singles off of Ten, but I think this may be a better overall album than their debut. There is a range of soft ballads and noisy rockers, but there isn't a great big pit of ballads and slow songs that caused me to lose interest as happens on the second half of Ten and some other Pearl Jam releases.

Although I think "Last Exit" is just a mediocre song, there is something about how the guitar and vocals support each other during the chorus that makes me stop what I'm doing and pay attention. "Spin the Black Circle" has great lyrics praising vinyl, but the song sounds more revolutionary in tone and my ears kept wanting to hear something more political and angry in the chorus. Not "Spin, spin, spin the black circle;" my brain wanted the lyrics to better match the music with something like "Kill, kill the greedy bastards!" or something else I could see any number of early 80's hardcore punk bands screaming. "Not For You" is a perfect mesh of lyrics and music. The temperament of the verses and chorus fit.

After that, the album sags for a few songs ("Tremor Christ," "Nothingman," and "Whipping"). I didn't have any luck finding a track listing for the vinyl, but I'm assuming that the one minute "Pry, To" was just fodder to finish off the first side.

Pearl Jam gets more experimental on the second side. From the accordion-led march of "Bugs" to the pseudo-Indian-influenced "Aye Davanita" to the final track (which is sometimes called "Stupid Mop" or "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me"). But what really frustrates me is that "Satan's Bed" is buried in the middle of the second half and the song screams Side 1 Song 1 to me. It is an anthemic song that helps to rebound the listener from "Bugs," but I gotta wonder how much more excited I would have been about the album if I heard it instead of "Last Exit" at the start.

Overall, I found the album enjoyable despite the fact that I spent most of the album convinced that Eddie (and maybe the rest of the band) were frustrated and were lashing out in every direction when not beating themselves up.

Songs I knew I liked: "Better Man" (I was also somewhat familiar with but only thought were okay: "Not For You" and "Spin the Black Circle")

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Satan's Bed" and "Corduroy"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Bugs" will never cross my ears again and "Stupid Mop" wasn't all that great when it was called "Revolution No.9" on the White Album.

Comments

[cosmosmariner.livejournal.com]

I've always liked "Corduroy" myself.