“ still has the rights to some things,” Curtis says. Last year’s Riot Act was the last studio album under their ten-year-plus deal with Epic Records. The guys have to figure out how big they think it should be.”Ĭurtis also confirms that Pearl Jam are without a record contract. “The band is looking at different versions of songs that didn’t make the albums. “We have all of the Christmas singles, B sides and benefit-album tracks,” says manager Kelly Curtis. The album is hardly an essential for the hardcore Pearl Jam fan but would be a welcome addition to the casual fans collection.Pearl Jam have pulled more than fifty rare and previously unissued tracks from their vaults for a retrospective album tentatively set for release this year. In spite of the odd choice of opener and the throw away cover of “Public Image” the album achieves its goal of providing a mini Pearl Jam live experience for the casual fan. The song actually works as a delightful, low-key bridge between the two sections the calm before the storm. “The Fixer” follows soon after and with this being a great up-tempo pop rock song it has no problems brushing shoulders with “Rearviewmirror” and “Nothing as it Seems.” “Just Breathe” ends the mid-tempo section of the cd before the album heads into class, sing-along terrain. This is due to “Unthought Known’s” soaring melody and steady, tense build. Near the beginning of the mid tempo section of the album lays “Unthought Known”, which actually succeeds in upstaging “I Am Mine” which precedes it. “Got Some” is the first newer song to feature and takes its place amongst the early upbeat tracks on the album, sandwiched between “Animal” and “State of Love and Trust.” It is unsurprisingly impossible for the song to overcome such illustrious company but the song holds its own bravely and does not let the side down. There are four cuts from the aforementioned Backspacer and each fits seamlessly into its designated place. The two pleasant surprises the album has in store for the listener are how well the new material from 2009’s “Backspacer” sits next to the classics and the muscular production, which is streets ahead of the quality of the official bootlegs. After the raucous opening songs the album heads into mid tempo territory with a cover before reaching the finale complete with classic sing-along’s “Alive” and “Jeremy” before finishing up with perennial set closer “Yellow Ledbetter”. Other than this, the album chugs along ably as a microcosm of an actual Pearl Jam gig. The opener sounds out of place and I imagine will be skipped by most listeners on repeat listens. As it is, the album only kicks off at the second track “Worldwide Suicide” from their 2006 self-titled album. Surely, it would have been more in their interest to open the set with a slow burner from their extensive back catalogue as they do live instead of a cover of an only half-decent song. If this was Pearl Jam’s intention while tracking this album it makes it baffling that they chose to open the lp with a cover of late punk legend Joe Strummer’s “Arms Aloft”. Why then would you want to release a compilation of your shows from the last seven years? Surely, the only plausible reason for doing this is to appeal to the casual fan who may be a little daunted by the hundreds of bootlegs to choose from. Over the last ten years, your band has released nearly every one of your concerts as an official bootleg.
Imagine you are a member of one of the most renowned live acts in the world. Review Summary: A welcome addition to the casual fan's collection.
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