Binaural is Pearl Jam's sixth studio album, released on May 16, 2000 through Epic Records. Following a full-scale tour in support of its previous album, Yield, released in 1998, the band took a short break. The band then reconvened toward the end of 1999 and commenced work on a new album. The music on the record featured an experimental sound, evidenced on songs that utilized binaural recording techniques. Binaural debuted at number two on the Billboard charts. The album became the first Pearl Jam studio album to fail to reach platinum status. The album's 2000 tour spawned an enormous collection Read more on Last.fm.
After the grunge boom of the early 90’s, most of its upper echelon died out (literally Nirvana), broke up (Soundgarden) or faded (Alice In Chains thanks to heroin). Pearl Jam, always intent (like Alice as well) on losing the insipid ( and unfair) grunge label, ventured out into the landscape of modern rock armed with Eddie Vedders socio-political angst dialed back. In its place, an experimental desire to speak of spirituality and science concurrently pervaded the drunken prose of his lyrics. This made for far reaching, sometimes pretentious statements (1996’s supremely confused No Code) and 1998’s attempt at philosophy (the hookless, joyless Yield).
2000’s Binaural was good because it rocked hard, pissed razors and read (lyrically) like a dying college professors thesis on life. The songs are broken up into varying levels of ferocity and strength. Still, most of the record manages to eschew any radio aspirations, kicking doors and slamming caskets along the way. What’s real is the torched emotions Vedder levels over Gossards riffs, the fluidity of McCready’s almost Sonic Youth esq solos. It’s a winner in more ways than one. Their best? No. A worthy entry? By far!