No Code is “weird”, stripped down, and different and for good reason. It’s a journey that’s not meant for everyone, from a band who was fed up with the spotlight, tired of the soul sucking music business and fresh off of their doomed but noble fight against the behemoth, Ticketmaster. They were on the ropes and desperately in need of something real.
According to guitar.com, “When you fold out the liner notes,” Ed has said of this album, “you get the ‘No Code’ triangle, which means ‘Do not resuscitate’. I thought that was symbolic of where we were with the group: if we’re dying, let us die. Don’t try to save us. We don’t want to live as vegetables.” From that death a new sound, a new band and a new mode of being was born.
I am not going to mention the G word and all of the ludicrous fanfare that came with the Seattle scene in the early ’90s. I think the song Not for You on Vitalogy sums it up best. If Vitalogy represents a turning point in their musical maturation, then No Code is seemingly the bridge, carrying their true fans from their angsty youthful heritage to the grounded, sustainably magnificent band that they would become today. The record is atmospheric, raw and a fucking masterpiece, with songs that have become the most coveted to hear live. Veritable staples of the catalog.
Sometimes- A vibey baseline opens this laid-back prelude with a sense of sensitivity and vulnerability unheard in previous recordings. The lyrical performance almost has a childlike fragility to it. The lyrics, “Large fingers pushing paint, your god and you got big hands”, as though the world and our experience are God’s finger painting, is quite striking.
Hail Hail is a quick reminder that you are listening to a Pearl Jam record. This straightforward, kick ass rocker adds some buoyancy to a very heady release. This power punk style would be seen time and again in future songs.
Who you are always conjured up visions of the 60s. A hippy commune drum circle to be specific. It features a wall of percussion and has a vague give peace a chance vibe. The lyrics “Transcendental consequence, is to transcend where we are” add to that feeling.
In my tree is a triumph musically- it seems to share some DNA with VS track, WMA. In my tree feels like it is written about a happy place where you are insulated from the world and safe from the pressures of life.
Smile- You can detect the Neil Young influence all over this heavy-hearted, harmonica laden track. This track was rumored to have been Jeff Ament’s gift when he showed up to the No Code recording sessions. Smile has only been played live 86 times to date and is the type of rare gem that will make a true fan’s evening. I was fortunate to have heard it live at the Bridgestone Arena on the 2022 North American tour and the crowd went ape shit.
Off He Goes- A scaled back, acoustic classic that was recorded live in September 1995 at Kingsway Studio in New Orleans.David Fricke of Rolling Stone says it best- “At first, “Off He Goes” sounds like another page torn from the Neil Young hymnal. Its elegant, acoustic simplicity is deceiving, though. With a humor and confidence that he rarely gets credit for, Vedder describes a man not unlike himself — at least, his public image — but from the point of view of an old, puzzled friend.”
Habit-I tend to not speculate on the meanings of song but it’s a pretty short drive to ascertain that this thunderous rocker is about a friend with a substance abuse issue which was all too common in the Seattle music scene. Mike McCready plays a scathing outro which is one of the only places on the record that features his signature wail.
Red Mosquito- This psychedelic blues opens with a fiery lead from Mike. The vocal track almost has a Gordon Lightfoot quality. It leaves you with the lyrics, “If I had known then what I know now”. Clearly not the Present Tense, not sure if this intentional.
Lukin- The unmistakable, 1 minute, hurricane force, Lukin adds some fire to the record. According to Mudhoney Bassist, Matt Lukin it was a song about laying low at his house amid Ed’s stalker issues.
Present Tense- From the soul of Mike McCready comes this sonic expression of the human condition. Easily the tent pole of this record, Present Tense is more of an affirmation than a song. Powerful lyrics, “you can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh. Or you can come to terms and realize you are the only one who cannot forgive yourself”. I remember being floored the first time that I heard those lyrics, I was moved by how truthful and real this song was. You will be hard pressed to find a song with better instructions for surviving life. This is undoubtedly why this song has come to mean so much to the fan base.
Mankind- This is Stone’s track, he takes the mic and does his thing on this passable punk tune. I have the utmost respect for Stone, his otherworldly writing talents make him an indispensable member of the band. With that said, this feels a bit like when the Beatles let Ringo sing.
I’m Open- A trippy journey through the mind features spoken word over a mystical track. A profoundly introspective song with heavy lyrics “When he was six, he believed that the moon overhead followed him. By nine he had deciphered the illusion, trading magic for fact. No trade backs. So this is what it is like to be an adult.”It conjures up the liberating eastern concept of dying while alive.
Around the Bend is the inverse of I’m open. It is a breezy acoustic track with light and positive quality, like the morning after a dark night. It radiates the feeling of freshness that one gets after a good massage or sauna session. I’m open is the climax of the record where the heavy mental shit is finally being handled and Around the Bend is the peaceful easy feeling after catharsis. Leaving you light as a feather and unburdened. It provides a very rich level of sonic imagery.
This record has a character arc, it is a vivid journey through burnout, pain, tragedy, and triumph. Like so many bands before, the trappings of success and fame could have easily torn them apart. Ed acknowledged that they were dying but this undeniable record seemed to reanimate them and set them on the path of building a career on their terms. The real heads would get it and the pretenders would not. 25+ years later that is exactly what has happened, the band has an army of diehard fans across the globe but they exist fully off the grid of popular culture. As a band, they have built a career that rivals the greats and everything is done on their, for the right reasons. This is a blueprint for sustained success, and it all started with this record.
No Code is “weird”, stripped down, and different and for good reason. It’s a journey that’s not meant for everyone, from a band who was fed up with the spotlight, tired of the soul sucking music business and fresh off of their doomed but noble fight against the behemoth, Ticketmaster. They were on the ropes and desperately in need of something real.
According to guitar.com, “When you fold out the liner notes, ”Ed has said of this album, “you get the ‘No Code’ triangle, which means ‘Do not resuscitate’. I thought that was symbolic of where we were with the group: if we’re dying, let us die. Don’t try to save us. We don’t want to live as vegetables.” From that death a new sound, a new band and a new mode of being was born.
I am not going to mention the G word and all of the ludicrous fanfare that came with the Seattle scene in the early ‘90s. I think the song Not for You on Vitalogy sums it up best. If Vitalogy represents a turning point in their musical maturation, then No Code is seemingly the bridge, carrying their true fans from their angsty youthful heritage to the grounded, sustainably awesome band that they would become today. The record is atmospheric, raw and a fucking masterpiece, with songs that have become the most coveted to hear live. Veritable staples of the catalog.
Sometimes- A vibey baseline opens this laid-back prelude with a sense of sensitivity and vulnerability unheard in previous recordings. The lyrical performance almost has a childlike fragility to it. The lyrics, “Large fingers pushing paint, your god and you got big hands”, as though the world and our experience are God’s finger painting, is quite striking.
Hail Hail is a quick reminder that you are listening to a Pearl Jam record. This straightforward, kick ass rocker adds some buoyancy to a very heady release. This power punk style would be seen time and again in+ future songs.
Who you are always conjured up visions of the 60s. A hippy commune drum circle to be specific. It features a wall of percussion and has a vague give peace a chance vibe. The lyrics “Transcendental consequence, is to transcend where we are” add to that feeling.
In my tree is a triumph musically- it seems to share some DNA with VS track, WMA. In my tree feels like it is written about a happy place where you are insulated from the world and safe from the pressures of life.
Smile- You can detect the Neil Young influence all over this heavy-hearted, harmonica laden track. This track was rumored to have been Jeff Ament’s gift when he showed up to the No Code recording sessions. Smile has only been played live 86 times to date and is the type of rare gem that will make a true fan’s evening. I was fortunate to have heard it live at the Bridgestone Arena on the 2022 North American tour and the crowd went ape shit.
Off He Goes- A scaled back, acoustic classic that was recorded live in September 1995 at Kingsway Studio in New Orleans.David Fricke of Rolling Stone says it best- “At first, “Off He Goes” sounds like another page torn from the Neil Young hymnal. Its elegant, acoustic simplicity is deceiving, though. With a humor and confidence that he rarely gets credit for, Vedder describes a man not unlike himself—at least, his public image—but from the point of view of an old, puzzled friend.”
Habit-I tend to not speculate on the meanings of song but it’s a pretty short drive to ascertain that this thunderous rocker is about a friend with a substance abuse issue which was all too common in the Seattle music scene. Mike McCready plays a scathing outro which is one of the only places on the record that features his signature wail.
Present Tense- From the soul of Mike McCready comes this sonic expression of the human condition. Easily the tent pole of this record, Present Tense is more of an affirmation than a song. Powerful lyrics, “you can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh. Or you can come to terms and realize you are the only one who cannot forgive yourself”. I remember being floored the first time that I heard those lyrics, I was moved by how truthful and real this song was. You will be hard pressed to find a song with better instructions for surviving life. This is undoubtedly why this song has come to mean so much to the fan base.
Mankind- This is Stone’s track, he takes the mic and does his thing on this passable punk tune. I have the utmost respect for Stone, his otherworldly writing talents make him an indispensable member of the band. With that said, this feels a bit like when the Beatles let Ringo sing.
I’m Open- A trippy journey through the mind features spoken word over a mystical track. A profoundly introspective song with heavy lyrics “When he was six, he believed that the moon overhead followed him. By nine he had deciphered the illusion, trading magic for fact. No trade backs. So this is what it is like to be an adult.” It conjures up the liberating eastern concept of dying while alive.
Around the Bend is the inverse of I’m open. It is a breezy acoustic track with light and positive quality, like the morning after a dark night. It radiates the feeling of freshness that one gets after a good massage or sauna session. I’m open is the climax of the record where the heavy mental shit is finally being handled and Around the Bend is the peaceful easy feeling after catharsis. Leaving you light as a feather and unburdened. It provides a very rich level of sonic imagery.
This record has a character arc, it is a vivid journey through burnout, pain, tragedy, and triumph. Like so many bands before, the trappings of success and fame could have easily torn them apart. Ed acknowledged that they were dying but this undeniable record seemed to reanimate them and set them on the path of building a career on their terms. The real heads would get it and the pretenders would not. 25+ years later that is exactly what has happened, the band has an army of diehard fans across the globe but they exist fully off the grid of popular culture. As a band, they have built a career that rivals the greats and everything is done on their, for the right reasons. This is a blueprint for sustained success, and it all started with this record.
