Riot Act opens with ‘Can’t Keep’, that is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Poor Tom’ which is a song I hold near and dear to my heart. The second track ‘Save You’ is a great example of the collaboration with the band. The riff was a brainchild of Mike McCready and the band then blossomed the song further around that including lyrics written by Eddie Vedder. McCready credits Matt Cameron’s drum fills as being one of his favorite parts of the song. Cameron had actually lost his headphones halfway through recording and played them just by watching Jeff Ament on bass. Just another example of what immense talent lies within Pearl Jam.
The third track introduces Kenneth “Boom” Gaspar to the Pearl Jam world who is a person I cannot imagine modern Pearl Jam without. He and Eddie Vedder wrote ‘Love Boat Captain’ after their first meeting in Hawaii. The lyrics reference the tragedy of the 2000 Roskilde Festival. During Pearl Jam’s set at the festival 9 people were trampled to death by a surge in the crowd. It was a difficult time for Pearl Jam as a band and changed who they were. Some of the lyrics read “Lost 9 friends we’ll never know… 2 years ago today.” The end of ‘Love Boat Captain’ also echoes The Beatle’s classic ‘All You Need Is Love.’ The whole song is very existential and weighs heavy on your heart.
‘Cropduster’ is a favorite Pearl Jam song of mine although compared to other tracks on Riot Act there isn’t a lot that makes it stand out. It’s just solidly a Pearl Jam song. The next song ‘Ghost’ picks up the pace a bit where ‘Cropduster’ left off. The song is simple lyrically but has great visuals despite that. The chorus which states, “I’m flying away, away/ I’m driving away, away” literally sounds like Eddie’s voice is flying away with the way in which he sings it. The last full statement of the song “Bring it on cause I’m no victim” set the tone for the next song ‘I Am Mine’ which is a definite highlight of Riot Act. The positive affirmation of “I know I was born and I know that I’ll die / the inbetween is mine / I am mine.” It may seem morbid putting birth and death so close together but it’s reassuring to know that the time in between those two definite of life that each and every one of us can do whatever we please. Once again ‘I Am Mine’ is another song focusing on existentialism and morality, which is a recurring theme throughout all of Riot Act. These themes I think relate a lot to the maturity of a band that has been together for over ten years and has been through a lot together.
From ‘I Am Mine’ the album turns mellow with the more acoustic and ambient track ‘Thumbing My Way.’ It could almost be considered the calm before the storm that is ‘You Are.’ This song is unlike anything else in the Pearl Jam catalog. It’s heavy and sort of strange. It takes the right environment to take in ‘You Are’ completely. Juxtaposed next to the soft track of ‘Thumbing My Way’ and a classically Pearl Jam song ‘Get Right’ it’s stark, and stands out like the tower mentioned throughout the song.
Although not necessarily existential, ‘Green Disease’ deals with life in a different matter. The pace of the album is quickened even more so in this song covering all things greed. To paraphrase Vedder on the song he says that it’s not exactly saying the system of our economy is wrong but there has to be something better to help deal with the greed in our country. Not to be a band quiet on their political stand points it’s fitting that this song and one titled ‘Help, Help’ are tracked right before the ever controversial ‘Bu$hleaguer.’
Eddie Vedder was never one to hide his distaste of our former president George H. W. Bush but when this song came out and he dressed in a silver suit and a Bush mask on stage, it took many people aback. The band was booed at their shows as Eddie would stick cigarettes or pour wine in the Bush mask’s mouth. The song itself is dark, sarcastic, and a little eerie. The lyrics Stone brought to the table “blackout weaves its way through the city” paints a visual of what it’s like to have someone unfit for leadership taking control over our country. A definite favorite lyric from the song for me is “The haves have not a clue” which can apply to a lot more than the Bush administration and is sadly still applicable today.
From ‘Bu$hleaguer’ ‘1/2 Full’ starts right off with a bluesy guitar from Mike McCready. It’s a quick, simple song but one of the small gems found in it is a reference to one of Pearl Jam’s earlier songs ‘Porch’ from their album Ten. Lyrics from ‘Porch’ read “There ain’t gonna be any middle any more” and with ‘1/2 Full’ the lyrics read “There aint gonna be/ no middle anymore/ it’s been said before.” It’s not the first nor the last time Eddie has made parallels in his lyrics between different songs. Following that is ‘Arc’ which is more of a vocal piece performed by Eddie Vedder and is sort of an intro for the final song on the album, ‘All or None.’ ‘All of None’ is another favorite of mine throughout the entire Pearl Jam catalog. It comes in with a soft guitar, which leads into Boom Gaspar on the keys, Cameron on the drums, and Eddie’s vocals. It’s a heavy song that leaves you thinking long after the album is over. I think it’s one of the greatest closing songs to an album out there. It’s a slower song that features another ripping solo from McCready that fades until the end.
Riot Act is a different side of Pearl Jam that not many people take akin to very quickly. It’s still the same band as before and that they continued to be afterward but this album is often lost in the conversation outside of hardcore Pearl Jam fan discussions. It may not be the easiest album in the band’s discography to get into, and it’s a lot to take on, but the album has incredible depth that shows the remarkable talents hidden within Pearl Jam.
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