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15 albums: vitalogy


next on my list of the 15 best albums of my life, is pearl jam's vitalogy. you need to understand that i have this whole love/hate relationship with pearl jam that has been an ongoing affair ever since i first heard "alive" in high school. i love vedder's voice. i love the guitar work. i love the drums. i love the way i can so easily get lost. i love the aggression. i love the social conscience. however, i'm not a fan of the antagonism towards religion and the sometimes inflammatory political rhetoric. still, of all the 'grunge' bands from seattle and the early '90's, pearl jam has proven to be the most enduring. while i like every album they've ever put out, vitalogy for me has the best collection of songs that i really love. plus, in a synergistic way, this album represents something more than just the sum of the songs. listening to the album (minus a couple of the tracks) is a spiritual experience for me. tracks like "not for you" and "corduroy" and "immortality" just speak to my soul. but my favorite tracks are what i call the "man" songs: "nothingman" and "better man," the latter of which you can listen to below.



any thoughts out there on pearl jam? do you love or hate them? or this album? my second fave pj album is no code, and my all time favorite pearl jam song is "yellow ledbetter."
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Comments

Crafty P said…
absolutely agree with the love/hate relationship here. I still have this awful image of eddie with the words Pro Choice written in indellible ink up his arm. shudder.

gosh it's been forever since I listened to Pearl Jam. I think it's b/c of the kids, there are some things I'm not ready for them to hear. Corduroy is a favorite and I still get chills whenever I hear Yellow Ledbetter. And I love Alive... still.

Seriously great memories attached to Pearl Jam songs- some involve a long road to barkeyville with cows that moo and eggel bagels without the eggel.

i heart music.
7:48 AM
Anonymous said…
at least i've heard of this one. i know i'm old as dirt, but so far i'm not recognizing any of your choices. gee, there's a shock. but it's been fun hearing some new stuff...i'll send you an e-mail with my list when i have time. keep 'em coming - something from the 60s would be nice to see. julid
1:51 PM
greg milinovich said…
hahaha juli. sorry you haven't heard of them. i wasn't really into music in the 1960's, seeing as i wasn't born yet.

crafty - thanks for the drive down memory road. i'm dying for a k-boy or some biscuits and gravy.
8:20 PM
Anonymous said…
I think you know that i love Pearl Jam. More than chocolate or puppies or the new leaves in springtime.

They are just that awesome.

- Nelson Mandela
10:21 AM
Emoly said…
love/hate yes. love this album. Then dated a DB in college who's school is the one they're talking about (Dundee, Mi). It was like he was proud of the fact that some poor girl had a baby in the bathroom on the night of prom...

But I still love the album. Better Man is one of my favorites... yup, gonna go jam that on the stereo now. :)
9:22 AM
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