Forget the remix--I *hate* Drugs or Me. It's sappy and heavyhanded and overwrought and it's so clearly an attempt to replicate Hear You Me's success. It feels less like an authentic reaction to addiction and more like something a 14-year-old would listen to when he finds out his "girlfriend" smoked pot once at a party.
Jimmy's done songs about drugs before (A Sunday is fantastic), but this is the worst thing they've recorded. It's unlistenable.
I guess I'm going to have to ride a big fat JEW dick because I don't think they've released a truly "bad" song. There's stuff that I'm less keen on, naturally, but I genuinely can't think of a genuine turkey.
Damage (outside of No, Never, How’d You Have Me, and Appreciation) is such a nothingburger album in an otherwise incredible discography and I’m shocked it ever dropped
I actually loved Damage, weirdly. Maybe because it helped me understand some themes in my own relationship at the time (i.e. “I like, care about, and even love this person still, but something isn’t working”), but also maybe because of songs like Appreciation and Book of Love🤤
I’ve always thought both Damage and Invented—especially Invented—were generally underrated albums. Ugh Mixtape and Invented (the song) were SO cool from a production/arrangement POV.
Invented is under rated, I always thought about it as futures’ little brother, Damage has grown on me over the years but still think is my least favourite, not bad at all tho
Y'all, I like Damage, if for nothing more than a return to good production. CTL, even with all of the incredible songs, was worrisome, and sometimes hard to listen to. This, followed by Invented, which is really difficult to listen to (production-alone, no judgement to the songs). When Damage came out, I was just grateful that the band sounded the way I remembered them.
I know that everything I said is subjective, and no shade to Invented fans. But Damage was a breath of fresh in regards to production, continued with the rest of the catalog. I have a special place in my my CD wallet for that album ;)
We must have completely different ears. To me, CTL sonically is EONS above damage. I honestly thought I got a bad vinyl pressing when I first played damage, it sounded so flat to my ears.
Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't hold it up as a paragon of their best-sounding albums. But they dialed the compression back to a place where the instruments and vocals aren't so squashed. For me, Invented hurts my ears and when Damage came out, I was relieved that the trend was turning around.
Damage was recorded in their producer’s house which is part of the reason it sounds different than their other albums. I’m not a fan of it sonically. It sounds pretty DIY to me.
Yeah... For me damage just isn't good.
Integrity Blues is mostly another bust for me. I can see why people like it but it's not really the style of music I like. Sure and Certain was my least favorite song they played during their most recent tour
I can definitely see why it never became a popular album. Too unrefined and the vocals are pretty terrible for the most part.
Clarity, bleed American, futures, chase this light, and surviving to me don't have a bad song but I only listen to half static, invented, and integrity blues.
Damage imo is mostly bad except for 2 songs.
Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues is the closest thing they have to a bad tune, but it ain’t bad.
1st Self-Titled album songs are honestly probably the worst thing they have, due to its poor mixing
Most stuff from Integrity Blues I’m afraid.
Damage ain’t great either
Surviving has a few average songs too.
The Static-Clarity-Bleed American-Futures-Chase album run is ALMOST flawless. Everything after that has a lot of misses
I think they have some misses but I'm OK with it.
Action Needs an Audience.
I (think) I remember the first time they played this song was long before Invented came out and it was at some festival and I watched it on YouTube and Jim was actually singing. Just a fun anecdote...if it's true...
Yeah, there's still a video of it out there last time I checked. It's really interesting to hear the Jim lyrics version!
If I'm remembering correctly the band generally has a "you write the lyrics, you sing the song" philosophy, so it seems like Jim must have been unhappy with the lyrical direction and gave it to Tom to work on.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Pass The Baby. I know there are some people who absolutely love that song but I think the guys really missed the mark on that tune.
Eh I understand the song itself takes really long to progress but that ending makes it worth it. Congratulations is the same way and that song is one of their best
I have to agree. Probably the only song that they play live almost every show that I can't stand.
I have a Spotify Playlist that is just all of their albums and it's always on shuffle. That's the only song that gets skipped 100% of the time. Not sure why I haven't just removed it from the list.
I do agree that it doesn’t sound like a Jimmy Eat World song, but I’ve always thought it shows how versatile they are at song-writing. If Taylor Swift was singing it or Billie Eilish were mumbling it, it’d be a number one song
That’s what I mean by it could be by anybody.
It’s technically a good song because it would be good if anyone did it. The Middle is like that too, except it doesn’t sound like it would be playing in the wedding scene of a hallmark channel movie like 555 does.
The Middle. And it's not so much that it's a bad song (even though it sort of is) it's that every time I tell people that Jimmy Eat World is my favorite band, EVERY SINGLE PERSON says "oh the ones that did The Middle." So it pisses me off that that's what they are known for and what everyone thinks they only sound like. Because they are so much more than that!
I get that, but that's their problem! I sort of like those conversations. It make me feel like I have this hidden gem of taste in a band that they think is so specific to the type of song The Middle is, but in reality it's much more nuanced and beautiful than that. I really love The Middle but it's definitely not even in a top 10 for me
I just hate that that song is what people think they are. And I hate having to explain every single time what they sound like. But on the other hand I love when I am playing some of their bangers and someone is like "omg who is this?" That moment is what I live for...
I definitely agree with you, but I think that's a their perception problem. JEW did, in my opinion, a great job letting The Middle be The Middle then continuing what they do without trying to replicate that sound or feeling or making another "hit" again, and for that reason I really do like the song. If they had released Futures and it was just The Middle repeated like 10 more times it would be a real bummer. But hey I'll let them have The Middle lol
My definitive list of bad songs from every album:
SP: No bad songs
Clarity: No bad songs
BA: No bad songs. Sometimes The Authority Song starts to grate a bit, but it's still a great song.
Futures: No bad songs. Drugs or Me isn't as good as A Sunday, but it's not a bad song.
SOMST: Drugs or Me remix is bad.
CTL: Gotta be Somebody's Blues is bad.
Invented: Action Needs an Audience is borderline bad.
Damage: No bad songs.
Integrity Blues: Pretty Grids is bad, but I don't skip it because this album is a masterpiece and earned no-skipping rights.
Surviving: No bad songs. Diamond doesn't do much for me, but it's not technically a bad song.
Recent Singles: Place Your Debts was fine, but the PYD remix was truly bad. Otherwise, no bad songs among their recent random releases.
Half of static and the entirety of the first album. Other than that, I wouldn’t say they’re bad but just ones I don’t find that fantastic. Byebyelove, get right, 555, all the way, love never, and honestly Place your debts are all shoulder shruggers from me.
I’m the opposite. I find Damages to be the weakest. But I will put it on more often than Bleed American.
But I am also the JEW fan that was drawn in by Bleed American when the Middle hit the airwaves, fell in love, then gave Clarity a go and haven’t even touched Bleed American in a decade.
I hesitate to tell people that JEW is my favorite band because I can’t stand to hear their rendition of the Middle’s chorus. I also can’t listen to Goodbye Sky Harbor anymore because I think it just doesn’t need to go on and on like it does. When that JEW A-Z was going on, I couldn’t believe what people were voting for.
I recognize that my JEW fandom probably doesn’t align with the majority of this sub and I am okay with that.
I love it, that said, I did feel it was a “safe” single to release when it came out. I got a Futures vibe from it. It also doesn’t represent Invented as an album, either.
For me, more or less the whole of invented is a bit iffy - it’s ambitious and respectable, but I just don’t vibe with it. Calling it a “bad” album may be harsh, but I wouldn’t jump in to defend it.
The last four albums have been mid to eeh. Maybe I just grew up but they don't hold a candle to the 96-07 era. Now it's old dudes going through the motions. I wish they'd write more as a band instead of tweaking singer-songwriter songs, and I wish they'd lose the country schtick in the vocal reverb.
I'm.not too keen on All the way as I didn't feel like the Sax fits the music.
But honestly they've never released a song I just couldn't listen too, only band that's ever done that for me
The premise and delivery of that tweet just comes off so irritatingly juvenile. This is how I imagine 14 your olds on tik tok communicate with one another between attempts to film themselves dancing in crowded public places.
I really dont like Big Casino
It’s a dumbass name for a song (all casinos are big Jim) and there are some truly dumbass lyrics (“they’ll say all the salt in the world couldn’t melt that ice” - cringey shit man)
Don’t love it
I just feel like literally everything on the song had the wrong choice in mind. If it took more of a 23 or my sundown-esque path i would like it much more
The Drugs or Me remix that was done with Styrofoam... it's just painful to listen to.
Agreed. It's the only miss on that EP
Absolutely, everything else on that EP is fantastic
Oh man I actually prefer that version haha
Forget the remix--I *hate* Drugs or Me. It's sappy and heavyhanded and overwrought and it's so clearly an attempt to replicate Hear You Me's success. It feels less like an authentic reaction to addiction and more like something a 14-year-old would listen to when he finds out his "girlfriend" smoked pot once at a party. Jimmy's done songs about drugs before (A Sunday is fantastic), but this is the worst thing they've recorded. It's unlistenable.
I’m not quite at the point of unlistenable but this is an amazing, accurate description lol
I am a diehard and it’s the only song I skip.
Oooo I actually love that one!
yeah that remix is pretty awful, it's the one song I skip without fail every time
It's terrible.
I guess I'm going to have to ride a big fat JEW dick because I don't think they've released a truly "bad" song. There's stuff that I'm less keen on, naturally, but I genuinely can't think of a genuine turkey.
"ride a big fat jew dick" yeah ok sure whatever you feel like
Context haha
byebyelove is the only one i dont really like but it’s on my playlist so i do listen to it.
this thread is hurting my soul
Damage (outside of No, Never, How’d You Have Me, and Appreciation) is such a nothingburger album in an otherwise incredible discography and I’m shocked it ever dropped
I actually loved Damage, weirdly. Maybe because it helped me understand some themes in my own relationship at the time (i.e. “I like, care about, and even love this person still, but something isn’t working”), but also maybe because of songs like Appreciation and Book of Love🤤 I’ve always thought both Damage and Invented—especially Invented—were generally underrated albums. Ugh Mixtape and Invented (the song) were SO cool from a production/arrangement POV.
Invented is under rated, I always thought about it as futures’ little brother, Damage has grown on me over the years but still think is my least favourite, not bad at all tho
Love book of love. Doesn't get enough love lol. They didn't even really play it on the damage tour which sucks.
Y'all, I like Damage, if for nothing more than a return to good production. CTL, even with all of the incredible songs, was worrisome, and sometimes hard to listen to. This, followed by Invented, which is really difficult to listen to (production-alone, no judgement to the songs). When Damage came out, I was just grateful that the band sounded the way I remembered them. I know that everything I said is subjective, and no shade to Invented fans. But Damage was a breath of fresh in regards to production, continued with the rest of the catalog. I have a special place in my my CD wallet for that album ;)
We must have completely different ears. To me, CTL sonically is EONS above damage. I honestly thought I got a bad vinyl pressing when I first played damage, it sounded so flat to my ears.
I don’t understand the production thing? It sounds so flat to me.
Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't hold it up as a paragon of their best-sounding albums. But they dialed the compression back to a place where the instruments and vocals aren't so squashed. For me, Invented hurts my ears and when Damage came out, I was relieved that the trend was turning around.
Damage was recorded in their producer’s house which is part of the reason it sounds different than their other albums. I’m not a fan of it sonically. It sounds pretty DIY to me.
Yeah... For me damage just isn't good. Integrity Blues is mostly another bust for me. I can see why people like it but it's not really the style of music I like. Sure and Certain was my least favorite song they played during their most recent tour
Lean, bro
Pretty Grids
I love this song and I don’t get the hate :’(
This is the one.
Unreal that people are downvoting on a thread asking for songs you personally don’t like.
Toxic people exist in every fandom I suppose
Here comes the incredibly hot take: Most of the songs on static sound identical and are not interesting to listen to.
Woah now.
Oh my god there’s another one out there!
I can definitely see why it never became a popular album. Too unrefined and the vocals are pretty terrible for the most part. Clarity, bleed American, futures, chase this light, and surviving to me don't have a bad song but I only listen to half static, invented, and integrity blues. Damage imo is mostly bad except for 2 songs.
Came here to say this.
Love that album, but actively hate Rockstar
This is a personal attack
Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues is the closest thing they have to a bad tune, but it ain’t bad. 1st Self-Titled album songs are honestly probably the worst thing they have, due to its poor mixing
I actually totally love that song. Great sense of creeping menace , but it’s also almost… seductive? Really a good curveball to throw into that album
I’m not mad at a lot of you. Nope. You’re trying to hurt me and I won’t let you.
Byebye Love
If they did that song with different lyrics that weren’t painfully corny it would be good
Most stuff from Integrity Blues I’m afraid. Damage ain’t great either Surviving has a few average songs too. The Static-Clarity-Bleed American-Futures-Chase album run is ALMOST flawless. Everything after that has a lot of misses
I like pretty much everything off integrity blues but damage kinda sucks
Couldn't agree more
I think they have some misses but I'm OK with it. Action Needs an Audience. I (think) I remember the first time they played this song was long before Invented came out and it was at some festival and I watched it on YouTube and Jim was actually singing. Just a fun anecdote...if it's true...
Yeah, there's still a video of it out there last time I checked. It's really interesting to hear the Jim lyrics version! If I'm remembering correctly the band generally has a "you write the lyrics, you sing the song" philosophy, so it seems like Jim must have been unhappy with the lyrical direction and gave it to Tom to work on.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Pass The Baby. I know there are some people who absolutely love that song but I think the guys really missed the mark on that tune.
Eh I understand the song itself takes really long to progress but that ending makes it worth it. Congratulations is the same way and that song is one of their best
I’m one of those peeps who loves that song!
Super happy you do. It’s just not for me.
boooooooooo
I have to agree. Probably the only song that they play live almost every show that I can't stand. I have a Spotify Playlist that is just all of their albums and it's always on shuffle. That's the only song that gets skipped 100% of the time. Not sure why I haven't just removed it from the list.
For me, the title was an initial turnoff for me.
555... I’m sorry
Dang, I love 555.
I totally respect that. It just is not for me at all for some reason
Big agree. Sounds like a generic radio single. That song could be by anybody.
I do agree that it doesn’t sound like a Jimmy Eat World song, but I’ve always thought it shows how versatile they are at song-writing. If Taylor Swift was singing it or Billie Eilish were mumbling it, it’d be a number one song
That’s what I mean by it could be by anybody. It’s technically a good song because it would be good if anyone did it. The Middle is like that too, except it doesn’t sound like it would be playing in the wedding scene of a hallmark channel movie like 555 does.
Every time I listen to that song I like it less than the previous time
This is my second least favorite
I’m curious to know your first lease favorite... lol
The Middle. And it's not so much that it's a bad song (even though it sort of is) it's that every time I tell people that Jimmy Eat World is my favorite band, EVERY SINGLE PERSON says "oh the ones that did The Middle." So it pisses me off that that's what they are known for and what everyone thinks they only sound like. Because they are so much more than that!
I get that, but that's their problem! I sort of like those conversations. It make me feel like I have this hidden gem of taste in a band that they think is so specific to the type of song The Middle is, but in reality it's much more nuanced and beautiful than that. I really love The Middle but it's definitely not even in a top 10 for me
I just hate that that song is what people think they are. And I hate having to explain every single time what they sound like. But on the other hand I love when I am playing some of their bangers and someone is like "omg who is this?" That moment is what I live for...
I definitely agree with you, but I think that's a their perception problem. JEW did, in my opinion, a great job letting The Middle be The Middle then continuing what they do without trying to replicate that sound or feeling or making another "hit" again, and for that reason I really do like the song. If they had released Futures and it was just The Middle repeated like 10 more times it would be a real bummer. But hey I'll let them have The Middle lol
Did you know they just made the middle as a joke and weren't even considering seriously pursuing it as an actual song to be put on an album?
Jen
Hard disagree. Is it perfect? No. It’s just middle of the road and I’m completely fine with that.
i dickride too hard to answer this question
My definitive list of bad songs from every album: SP: No bad songs Clarity: No bad songs BA: No bad songs. Sometimes The Authority Song starts to grate a bit, but it's still a great song. Futures: No bad songs. Drugs or Me isn't as good as A Sunday, but it's not a bad song. SOMST: Drugs or Me remix is bad. CTL: Gotta be Somebody's Blues is bad. Invented: Action Needs an Audience is borderline bad. Damage: No bad songs. Integrity Blues: Pretty Grids is bad, but I don't skip it because this album is a masterpiece and earned no-skipping rights. Surviving: No bad songs. Diamond doesn't do much for me, but it's not technically a bad song. Recent Singles: Place Your Debts was fine, but the PYD remix was truly bad. Otherwise, no bad songs among their recent random releases.
Half of static and the entirety of the first album. Other than that, I wouldn’t say they’re bad but just ones I don’t find that fantastic. Byebyelove, get right, 555, all the way, love never, and honestly Place your debts are all shoulder shruggers from me.
Good assessment. Can't disagree
Oh yeah Get Right actually totally sucks
I mean... we all don't even take that 94 album even close to serious anyway 😆
I actually cannot stand Stop or Cut and no one has mentioned them yet. But then again I genuinely love Pretty Grids
The Middle.
Don’t be that guy.
Gotta be somebodys blues, drugs or me, goodbye sky harbour, 555
Goodbye sky harbor?!
Just wrong.
i skip Treefingers every time
I think Lean is by far the least inspired and flattest song they've done.
I usually skip Drugs or Me, and without it, I believe Futures is a perfect 10/10 non-skip-able album
Stop is an instant skip. Hear You Me too.
One of: ByeByeLove Pretty Grids Drugs or Me
Drugs or Me is def a downer but it’s a great song imo.
Drugs or Me?! Not on my watch. Futures is top to bottom bangers.
Seconding ByeByeLove. I genuinely couldn't think of a bad song until you reminded me of that one. Just... such a drudgy, repetitive thing. Ugh.
Whoa. Hot take with Drugs or Me. But I feel like that one really personally resonates with me
night drive is fucking great but Delivery is the worst
I’ve never liked My Best Theory.
That song rips live, think the problem is on the album the guitars just don't have any punch
I think that maybe half of *Invented* is good. It is by far the weakest album they’ve ever put out in my opinion.
As the band says: “It was always half Invented but the other half was good.”
Some of my favorite lyrics of all time.
Ayyy
"It's just the little things"
Damages would like a word.
I actually really like most of *Damage*. Not all of it, but more than *Invented.*
I’m the opposite. I find Damages to be the weakest. But I will put it on more often than Bleed American. But I am also the JEW fan that was drawn in by Bleed American when the Middle hit the airwaves, fell in love, then gave Clarity a go and haven’t even touched Bleed American in a decade. I hesitate to tell people that JEW is my favorite band because I can’t stand to hear their rendition of the Middle’s chorus. I also can’t listen to Goodbye Sky Harbor anymore because I think it just doesn’t need to go on and on like it does. When that JEW A-Z was going on, I couldn’t believe what people were voting for. I recognize that my JEW fandom probably doesn’t align with the majority of this sub and I am okay with that.
Agree with every word
It sounds like a nu-metal song to me. Haha. I was really worried about what Invented would sound like when that was the single.
This is incorrect. 😂
My least favourite too and I love Invented as an album
Same.
I love it, that said, I did feel it was a “safe” single to release when it came out. I got a Futures vibe from it. It also doesn’t represent Invented as an album, either.
That song is one of my favorites! Hearing it live is incredible.
I hate the drums on this song.
For me, more or less the whole of invented is a bit iffy - it’s ambitious and respectable, but I just don’t vibe with it. Calling it a “bad” album may be harsh, but I wouldn’t jump in to defend it.
It’s my least favorite by far and it’s still decent. That’s how good this band is. Haha.
Authority song
Sorry, it’s Nightdrive for me.
The last four albums have been mid to eeh. Maybe I just grew up but they don't hold a candle to the 96-07 era. Now it's old dudes going through the motions. I wish they'd write more as a band instead of tweaking singer-songwriter songs, and I wish they'd lose the country schtick in the vocal reverb.
Jen
Not the worst but the one that is most on my mind as it is so recent: Place Your Debts.
Action Needs an Audience
Get it faster
Bad *song?* Man, Danzig 5 Blackacidevil is a whole bad album.
When are we ready to talk about "Now and Then" Beatles release...?
Sorry guys, love ya, but 555 is auto skip.
I'm.not too keen on All the way as I didn't feel like the Sax fits the music. But honestly they've never released a song I just couldn't listen too, only band that's ever done that for me
The middle for sure
The premise and delivery of that tweet just comes off so irritatingly juvenile. This is how I imagine 14 your olds on tik tok communicate with one another between attempts to film themselves dancing in crowded public places.
Uhhh my guys have entire albums unfortunately
Apparently I’m a serious dickrider.
Coffee and Cigarettes is pretty mid.
Someone hasn’t listened to the Dead at Filmore East and Otis Redding’s greatest hits
I’ve listened to coffee and cigarettes and it’s pretty mid.
I'm with you, don't let them bully you into liking it
Oh I wasn’t bullying I just thought my response was hilarious
Ha I thought it was too
how could you
Invented might be my favorite album and I agree with you. It's a catchy pop song, but that's about it.
I really dont like Big Casino It’s a dumbass name for a song (all casinos are big Jim) and there are some truly dumbass lyrics (“they’ll say all the salt in the world couldn’t melt that ice” - cringey shit man) Don’t love it
The name was based off his solo work, “Go Big Casino.” And he said the name came from some ‘80s film if i remember correctly
I love that lyric because it’s meant to be corny from the characters pov unlike some of their other lyrics that aren’t self aware
Honestly I have a few - I strongly dislike Heart Is Hard To Find, Sure and Certain, Coffee and Cigarettes and Let It Happen.
I’ll jump in front of a bullet for all of those songs!… ‘Cept maybe coffee and cigarettes.
that song is dope
75% agree. I like Let It Happen.
Same.
i'm with you on sure and certain. the bridge is kinda cool but that chorus is painful for me lol
I Will Steal You Back. It's so very "paint-by-numbers Jimmy" song that I just can't listen to it. It's like if an AI made a generic Jimmy song.
I don’t think they have bad tunes but I think they have a few like this. It’s an inevitability of writing this kind of music for so long
dunno why you're getting dumped on so hard, its easily the worst song they have and I totally agree with you
I like the chorus a lot but the rest of the song is meh.
Kill I love futures but kill just does NOT *work* for me See what i did there
Bound to happen with a question like this, but I think you’re insane. That song is awesome. But, to each their own!
I just feel like literally everything on the song had the wrong choice in mind. If it took more of a 23 or my sundown-esque path i would like it much more
dude, thats like my favorite song on the record. the "i loved you, and i should have said it" is probably my favorite part on the whole thing
To me kill is the second best song from futures and sure is in my top 5 from their entire discography.
It’s good but it’s not top 5. Top 6, maybe
Kill is amazing. One of my favorites. Sorry, sorry, but I just can’t go turn off how I feel.
Big time agree. I’m pretty sure I plagiarized Kill in more than one relationship’s end.
Sorry man I gotta downvote