Vitalogy reaffirms the Seattle quintet's status as the principled, proudly confused voice of a generation. On their third album, they've found their footing as a raw, forward-looking '90s rock act that fearlessly tackles the Biggest Questions.
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Lead track "Spin the Black Circle" celebrates the healing power of Eddie Vedder's LP collection, but it is overshadowed by such masterstrokes as "Immortality" (which can be read, right or wrong, as a reaction to Kurt Cobain's suicide), the Lennonesque "Tremor Christ" and a thrilling anthem for the pro-choice movement, "Whipping
With the release of Vitalogy, Pearl Jam takes on a new direction toward obscurity. After the two extremely popular, rock anthem, grunge records, "Ten" and "Vs.," Eddie Vedder and company have made a rather impressive attempt at growing beyond the grunge roots that made them what they are today. This record is amazing, and main-stream enough. But, you can feel the winds of change coming in the new material.
There are some extremely strong songs on Vitalogy. The first single off the record, called "Spin the Black Circle" was rather punk-rock, very different than most Pearl Jam. The B-Side was the better of the two tracks on the single. "Tremor Christ" ended up being the bigger radio song in the long run, as the single did not do all that well. It was strange to see what they released as singles from the record. Next was "Not For You," a rock anthem, very Pearl Jam. It's B-Side is a non-album, improv track called "Outta My Mind." The final single released was a great song called "Immortality," Its B-Side, a cover of "Rearview Mirror" from "Vs.," by a band called "The Frogs."
The strange thing about the record is the songs that weren't released as singles. "Betterman," "Corduroy," and maybe even "Nothingman" were great songs that found their way the radio even without the backing of Epic Records. They are some of the strongest songs on the LP, they could have easily done better than they did with a little marketing.
Though, it does seem, that Pearl Jam does some of this to themselves. A band, troubled for some time, with internal shake-ups, squabbles, and an ongoing battle with Ticketmaster, seemed to be allergic to the limelight. This record came out in the middle of the aforementioned strife in the band's history. But, even though all of this was going on in the life of the band, they managed to create a rather high quality piece of the work.
This record is a pivot point in the band's history. It is a must-have for any Pearl Jam fan, and a great record for anyone who likes grunge era music. Pearl Jam is one of a mere few bands who still remain and are active beyond the days of grunge. Their brilliant evolution is the only reason they have survived into the twenty-first century. This album is the beginning of said evolution.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
Ten (Deluxe Edition) (2CD/1 DVD) [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]
Ten, the debut album that sold 12 million copies and introduced the world to Pearl Jam in 1991, will be reissued in four (4) new and expanded editions on March 24, 2009. The reissue of Ten serves as the launch of a planned two-year catalogue re-release campaign leading up to the band's 20th anniversary in 2011.
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Each Ten package will include two versions of the album: the remastered version of the original album PLUS an accompanying remixed version done by the band's long-time producer, Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen,AC/DC, Audioslave).
"The band loved the original mix of Ten, but were also interested in what it would sound like if I were to deconstruct and remix it," says producer Brendan O'Brien. "The original Ten sound is what millions of people bought, dug and loved, so I was initially hesitant to mess around with that.After years of persistent nudging from the band, I was able to wrap my head around the idea of offering it as a companion piece to the original - giving a fresh take on it,a more direct sound."
Deluxe Edition (2 CD plus DVD):
Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O'Brien, plus six bonus tracks:"Brother," "Just a Girl,""State of Love and Trust," "Breath and a Scream," "2,000 Mile Blues" and "Evil Little Goat"
DVD of Pearl Jam's previously unreleased 1992 MTV Unplugged performance including never before seen bonus performance of "Oceans" with 5.1 surround sound audio remix.
Remaster the original 1991 album to perfection,add a second disc which features a great 2008 Brendan O'Brein remix that strips away the dated reverb of the original mix and makes Eddie Vedder's vocals clearer and more upfront,gives the guitars additional bite and edge and adds kick and punch to the bass and drums.Include outtakes and demos,"Brother" being the standout with the slowed-down "State Of Love And Trust" being a close second.Contain all of the 1992 "MTV Unplugged" performance (availble for the first time on DVD)and compliment it with stellar picture and sound quality.(BTW, all discs were mastered by the talented Bob Ludwig.)Finish off with a nostalgic,colorful booklet and you've got a great,entertaining package worth its high price.Bravo!
