No Code
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| No Code | ||
 |
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| Studio album by Pearl Jam | ||
| Released | August 27, 1996 | |
| Recorded | March - May 1996 in Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Studio Litho, Seattle, Washington | |
| Genre | Alternative rock | |
| Length | 49:37 | |
| Label | Epic | |
| Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pearl Jam chronology | ||
| Vitalogy (1994) |
No Code (1996) |
Yield (1998) |
No Code is Pearl Jam's fourth album, released on August 27, 1996 through Epic Records.
It stayed at #1 for two weeks, despite being one of Pearl Jam's worst received albums. No Code sold 366,000 copies in its first week of release. This was significantly less than what their previous two albums sold in their respective first weeks of release. It was, however, the biggest-selling debut of what was a slow year for the industry. There is much evidence that the album was, among other things, designed to destroy the band's popularity, ironically it still remains a favorite among die-hard fans of the band, claiming it's one of the band's most honest work. Indeed, while Vitalogy had shifted away from the earlier albums' accessible compositions and polished production, No Code represented a deliberate break from Ten's anthemic stadium sound, favoring experimental ballads and noisy garage rockers, and this is the reason why this album is a divider between fans who favor the band's early days and hardcore fans who favor the early and latter days. This was Pearl Jam's last album to hit #1 on the Billboard 200.
The sessions for the album were filled with strife and tension, with bassist Jeff Ament walking out at one point. However, by the time the album was done the band seemed to have found a calmer place in which to exist, and gave credit for this to new drummer Jack Irons.
"Lukin" is named after former Melvins and Mudhoney bassist Matt Lukin.
Contents |
[edit] Polaroids
The album package consists of 144 polaroid photos that unfold into a 2x2 square, and the pictures, when viewed from afar, blend to form the No Code triangle/eyeball logo that is the theme throughout the album. Later pressings of the album fold into a 1x4 strip, thus losing the 'hidden message' effect. These later pressings also include the band name and album title printed directly onto the album cover - the original release contained this information on a removable sticker. Hidden allusions to the central packaging concept are a common trait among many Pearl Jam albums.
There were nine different covers for the cassette, each one a different Polaroid found on the CD and vinyl.
The CD and vinyl came with lyrics printed on the back of replica Polaroids. Only nine Polaroids came in a set, leaving one to have to raid another set to accumulate all thirteen songs. Even for the same songs, there were different pictures on some of the Polaroids between the different sets. The sets are divided into four groups:
- 1C: Hail, Hail
- 2C: Smile
- 3C: Off He Goes
- 4C: Mankind
- 5C: Around the Bend
- 6C: Sometimes
- 7C: Red Mosquito
- 8C: Present Tense (no lyrics printed)
- 9C: Habit
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- 1O: Hail, Hail
- 2O: Smile
- 3O: Off He Goes
- 4O: Mankind
- 5O: Around the Bend
- 6O: Sometimes
- 7O: Red Mosquito
- 8O: Present Tense (no lyrics printed)
- 9O: Habit
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- 1D: Hail, Hail
- 2D: Smile
- 3D: Off He Goes
- 4D: Mankind
- 5D: Around the Bend
- 6D: Who You Are
- 7D: I'm Open (no lyrics printed)
- 8D: In My Tree (no lyrics printed)
- 9D: Habit
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- 1E: Hail, Hail
- 2E: Smile
- 3E: Off He Goes
- 4E: Mankind
- 5E: Around the Bend
- 6E: Who You Are
- 7E: I'm Open (no lyrics printed)
- 8E: In My Tree (no lyrics printed)
- 9E: Lukin
[edit] Track listing
- "Sometimes" (Vedder) – 2:40
- "Hail, Hail" (Gossard, Vedder, Ament, McCready) – 3:41
- "Who You Are" (Gossard, Irons, Vedder) – 3:50
- "In My Tree" (Gossard, Irons, Vedder) – 3:59
- "Smile" (Ament, Vedder) – 3:52
- "Off He Goes" (Vedder) – 6:02
- "Habit" (Vedder) – 3:35
- "Red Mosquito" (Pearl Jam, Vedder) – 4:03
- "Lukin" (Vedder) – 1:02
- "Present Tense" (McCready, Vedder) – 5:46
- "Mankind" (Gossard) – 3:28
- "I'm Open" (Irons, Vedder) – 2:57
- "Around the Bend" (Vedder) – 4:35
[edit] Singles
- "Who You Are" / "Habit" (1996)
- "Off He Goes" / "Dead Man" (1996)
- "Hail, Hail" / "Black, Red, Yellow" (1997)
[edit] Album charts
| Album | Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
1996 | The Billboard 200 | No. 1 |
| 1996 | UK Albums Chart | No. 3 |
[edit] Singles charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Who You Are" | UK Singles Chart | No. 18 |
| 1996 | "Who You Are" | Irish Singles Chart | No. 19 |
| 1996 | "Who You Are" | US The Billboard Hot 100 | No. 31 |
| 1996 | "Who You Are" | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 1 |
| 1996 | "Who You Are" | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 5 |
| 1996 | "Hail Hail" | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 9 |
| 1996 | "Hail Hail" | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 9 |
| 1996 | "Red Mosquito" | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 37 |
| 1997 | "Off He Goes" | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 31 |
| 1997 | "Off He Goes" | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 34 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA | Gold | January 8, 1997 |
| RIAA | Platinum | January 8, 1997 |
[edit] Credits
Pearl Jam:
- Mike McCready - Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
- Jeff Ament - Bass Guitar, Guitar, Chapman, Vocals
- Stone Gossard - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Vocals
- Jack Irons - Drums
- Eddie Vedder - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Additional Musicians:
Additional Personnel:
- Produced by Brendan O'Brien and Pearl Jam
- Mixed by Brendan O'Brien and Nick DiDia
- Recorded by Nick DiDia
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig
- Assistant Engineers - Matt Bayles, Jeff Layne, Caram Costanzo
