Track Listing

1. Breakerfall
2. Gods' Dice
3. Evacuation
4. Light Years
5. Nothing As It Seems
6. Thin Air
7. Insignificance
8. Of The Girl
9. Grievance
10. Rival
11. Sleight Of Hand
12. Soon Forget
13. Parting Ways
14. Typing

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32555 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-11
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Pearl Jam lowered its profile after becoming a worldwide musical phenomenon in the early '90s, pulling back from the touring, radio, and press fronts. And this diverse 13-song outing, lacking another "Alive" or "Better Man," isn't the album to thrust Pearl Jam back into the limelight. Binaural kicks out the jams with a grandiosity worthy of the Who, as Pearl Jam roars through the loose, raucous two-minute-plus opener "Breakerfall" and into another brief rave-up, "God's Dice." Quickly, though, the loud MC5-style guitar outpourings that begin PJ's seventh album (and first to feature former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron) morph into the edgy, taut "Evacuation" and the midtempo "Light Years." The spare, mournful "Nothing as It Seems" (with lyrics and music by bassist Jeff Ament), "Thin Air," and the lilting "Parting Ways" all reflect romantic introspection. Eddie Vedder's poignant ukulele-accompanied "Soon Forget" is an affecting aside, and the rollicking "Insignificance" and Middle Eastern-tinged "Of the Girl" are all noteworthy. That's a strong lineup, but Binaural nevertheless falls short of the heights this talented group scaled in the past. --Katherine Turman

Review
Pearl Jam lowered its profile after becoming a worldwide musical phenomenon in the early '90s, pulling back from the touring, radio, and press fronts. And this diverse 13-song outing, lacking another "Alive" or "Better Man," isn't the album to thrust Pearl Jam back into the limelight. Binaural kicks out the jams with a grandiosity worthy of the Who, as Pearl Jam roars through the loose, raucous two-minute-plus opener "Breakerfall" and into another brief rave-up, "God's Dice." Quickly, though, the loud MC5-style guitar outpourings that begin PJ's seventh album (and first to feature former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron) morph into the edgy, taut "Evacuation" and the midtempo "Light Years." The spare, mournful "Nothing as It Seems" (with lyrics and music by bassist Jeff Ament), "Thin Air," and the lilting "Parting Ways" all reflect romantic introspection. Eddie Vedder's poignant ukulele-accompanied "Soon Forget" is an affecting aside, and the rollicking "Insignificance" and Middle Eastern-tinged "Of the Girl" are all noteworthy. That's a strong lineup, but Binaural nevertheless falls short of the heights this talented group scaled in the past. --Katherine Turman --Amazon.com

Customer Reviews

the most developed pearl jam album
This album more than met my expectations...Although it may be a fruitless effort to compare pearl jam albums with one another, I can't understand why people have such negative things to say about Binaural. The tracks on this album individually show more development than those on any other album. Just because there isn't a song that sounds like Even Flow or Alive, does that make it a bad album? Does that make it "fall short"? What other comments have I heard? "Not fun"..what are you talking about? If any album isn't fun, it's Ten (not much variation between songs and very little risk was taken). "The songs don't stick in my head"..isn't that kindof a good thing? The less developed a song is, the easier it will stick in your head. Example: Green Day -vs- Soundgarden. 3-chord junk songs versus actual skill. Give the album a few more listens. In addition, if the songs don't stick in your head, then they will age well as a consequence. You won't get tired of them as easily as you would "Jeremy." Binaural also can boast the most equal contributions amongst band members in terms of song composition. Jeff, Stone, and Eddie have really made an effort to work together on this album. Matt Cameron on drums also gives this album alot of energy, and a different feel from the previous albums. While Ten did not take enough risks, Vitalogy (one of my other favorite albums) peaked with creativity; however, take note of all the filler songs, including pry to, aye davinita, and heyfoxymophandlemamathatsme. No Code was very searching and reflective, but didn't rock in the way that many people liked. Yield was diverse and rocking, but exhausting to listen to the whole way through. Binaural pulls it all together, and while it may not contain an "anthem" that you and your buddies can sing along to, I ask once again, isn't that a good thing?

Pearl Jam: at their very best - growing, learning, sharing.
Some say Pearl Jam are finished. Some say they went long ago when Vitalogy became the epitome of what Grunge had become - confused, muddled and dark. Some say they went with No Code, when the brash classic rock meets punk anthems of Ten and Vs. flew out the back door in favour of eastern-influenced singalongs such as Who You are and the rockers on it seemed unfocussed. Some said they died with Yield.

No matter when people say Pearl Jam 'died' or 'sold out' (and there is many a PJ fan who would dispute that last comment to the day they die), the fact remains that Pearl Jam have the potential to create some of most emotional, passionate and beautiful rock music ever made. On this album, they get there.

The album opens quickly, with Pete Townshend like riffs exploding into the speakers - its 'I can see for Miles' except this time it breaks into rapid fire bass and guitar - Breakerfall - the perfect opening for the album, and PJ sounding in fine form. That moves quickly onto 'Gods Dice'- the perfect one-two to floor this listener at the start of the album. Then comes the jilted 'Evacuation' - the Matt Cameron penned piece, filled with sparkling fills.

Then the album sparks into top gear. 'Light Years' follows - the albums mix of the best of Pearl Jam over the past ten years - its Given to Fly, Wishlist, Alive and Immortality all rolled into one and the result is one of the most beautifully crafted pop songs ever made. Stunning. 'nothing as it seems' continues in the same mold, all McCready wailing over the strum of the acoustic.

Still only five tracks in, and already we're knocked out by the sheer BEAUTY of the writing. 'Thin Air' recalls Daughter but never plagiarises it, while Insignificance is possibly the best true rock song PJ have written since their early days. A fullisade of riffs crashes down before its the sparse Of the Girl - perhapsthe song that best shows PJ's versatility. Grievance follows - the line 'Pledge my Grievance to the flag' - proving PJ still have the political roots in them. Then weve got the album closes - the lovely 'Sleight of Hand,' all aural texture, and a quirky Vedder ballad on the ukelele. 'Parting Ways' sounds a little too much 'Long Road' for my liking, but overall its a lovely ending to a magnificent album. They haven't sold out. They're not dead. They always have, and always will be, Alive.

Pearl Jam continue to get less anthemic and more interesting
There seems to be a strong sentiment that Pearl Jam has gone downhill since "Ten" and "Vs." I can't disagree more. Growing up in the early 90s, the early albums were certainly the soundtrack to my youth due to the classic songs and angsty feel. There are no monster smash singles on "Binaural" like there were with "Jeremy" and "Alive." But that's fine, because the band is more interesting, diverse, and frankly, better. Where an album like "Ten" relied on a basic hard rock format, replete with massive guitar solos and anthemic songs, Binaural relies on texture, hooks, and a greater sense of songcraft. I have never heard a band mature as much as Pearl Jam has over the course of six albums. They incorporate punk, pop, hard rock, and a ukulele for God's sake. Binaural is absolutely their best album. Buy it to hear a great band at the absolute top of its form.