Welcome boys and girls, Welcome to Pearl Jam Week. OK. So Pearl Jam are on here a lot. But they’re such a big band for me I’m going to keep pushing back PJ related stuff unless we purge a bit of it here.
So PEARL JAM week. Here. We. Go.
Binaural. Possibly their least loved album. Possibly? It’s a close run thing to the bottom of the Pearl Jam barrel (Pearl Jam Jar, Jam Jar. Golden opportunity and I missed it). Could be Riot Act, for some they don’t ‘get’ No Code. But Binaural? It’s kind of the runt of the pack. Perfect place to start right?
I’m not going to pick the obvious stuff (well not in the obvious format) because everyone into rock music knows all that stuff any way and that’s not what SFTD is here to do.
So. I’m on to Binaural. And it’s opening number Breakerfall. It’s a belter. A real caffeine rush of a song
“There’s a girl on a ledge who’s got nowhere to to turn but all the the love that she has is just wood that she’s burned, Now her life is on fire, it’s no one’s concern, she can blame the world or prey ’til dawn”
Pearl Jam started life as a flat out high energy rock band. A screaming, thrashing punk metal hybrid. They went on to become the voice of a generation™ when they lead the charge of grunge in a two pronged attack which saw them match Kurt Cobain’s Beatles with Eddie Vedder’s Stones.
When Kurt left us they held the flame. They felt responsible for the Stain’d Puddle Of Muddy Bush’s that clogged up their utopia after the first wave. So they tried to give us Neil Young back. By the millennium year they had become a huge touring monster. They did 3 hours shows with long instrumental jams and there were lengthy lists of live guests and jam bands riding their wave.
Then they released Binaural and it started with this number.
“It’s like she lost her invitation to the party on earth and she’s standing outside hating everyone here, Yeah, she’s her own disease, crying to her doll but only love can break her fall”
Once a band of punks, always a band of punks.
Steve For The Deaf 
One of Pearl Jam’s great great tunes, this one. I love it.
As for Binaural, I’m pretty fond of it. One of my favourites, actually. I know that’s not the norm.
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My only real experience of Pearl Jam was the “Vs” album which didn’t do a whole lot for me. I feel that I must check out “Binaural” now.
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You didn’t love Vs? That might be my favourite ever album
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My mind works in mysterious ways. I liked the album, just didn’t love it.
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A whole week of Pearl Jam? Sign me the hell up! Punks indeed. I love when they ramp it up. It’s fun watching McCready in concert when they play stuff like this. He really goes for it.
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Gotta love them punks, and the more punk PJ gets these days, the more I love them. “Can’t Deny Me,” “Lightning Bolt,” and things like that are when I now find them at their best. This fits right in there. I love that you begin with Binaural and this particular song. It shows you just how true of a fan you are. Thanks for that. Peace.
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Cheers Paul. Glad you approve. This week is a necessity so I don’t end up looking like I only listen to Pearl Jam, Iggy and Ramones. It’s setting up the next theme week well too.
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Can’t wait to see what it is, Steve-o. Truly do get a break from life when I visit your site, man, and I’ve even told a few other non-writers about it recently. They probably won’t check it out–we’re not kidding ourselves here–but they might. Cheers.
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It always annoyed me a bit the flak that this album got. It is different. I suppose it doesn’t have the energy that other Pearl Jam records do, and that might be why. I do think it is an excellent record in its own way. It has a particular mood to it, and I think we’re not so far away of looking back on this era of Pearl Jam as influential for a lot of up-and-comers at the time.
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