Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003
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Free Music Notes for Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003
Free Music Review: THIS is what a Greatest Hits album should be
Hit: 5 Stars
Pearl Jam are a funny old band; despite their experimentation and deliberately anti-commercial stance, they still managed to turn out a large number of successful singles over the years. And 'rearviewmirror' does an excellent job of collecting not only the big FM radio hits, but also lesser known singles and fan favourites from this period.
The collection is a very comprehensive 2-CD set. The first CD showcases the band's heavier side ('Alive', 'Jeremy', 'Even Flow', 'Spin The Black Circle', Do The Evolution'..), and the second CD contains the more mellow, reflective tracks ('Daughter', 'Elderly Woman...', 'Better Man', 'Given To Fly', 'Last Kiss', 'I Am Mine'..). Both CDs are presented in chronological order, allowing listeners to follow the band's increasing ambition and experimentation. And both are dominated by the band's first three albums; 'No Code' and 'Yield' are given only three songs each out of the 33 here, and 'Binaural' and 'Riot Act' only two each. I suppose that's fair enough, given the success of 'Ten', 'Vs' and 'Vitalogy' compared to the others.
This really is what a Greatest Hits collection should be. Yes, it includes all the big hits for casual fans, but by making this a double-disc set, 'rearviewmirror' can really branch out and showcase just how versatile Pearl Jam were (folk rock, Eastern-tinged rock, psychadelia, art rock). It invites those casual fans who thought Pearl Jam were just another bunch of dreary post-grunge moaners to explore the many different sides of the band. A single CD set containing only the FM radio hits wouldn't have done this. And there's also something here for die-hard fans who don't need any convincing; in particular the various non-album and soundtrack singles. It's good to get most of these collected in one place.
So 'rearviewmirror' provides plenty of new and challenging material for casual fans, while still giving them all the hits they love. And it includes enough fodder to entice the die-hards as well. See how good a Greatest Hits album can be when a band actually cares about what the fans might want!
Five stars.
Free Music Review: A Best Of meant for me
Hit: 5 Stars
This compilation is, essentially, who everyone says it is meant for...the casual or returning fan. I loved the band when they came out in '91 and was a huge fan through Vitalogy. I remember picking up Vs. when it came out at midnight on the day of release (since I almost hit a deer driving home and I had snuck out and took my parents car...just about had a heart-attack).
Starting with No Code and continuing with their subsequent releases, I lost interest and moved on. Even now I am more likely to play something by their Seattle-based bretheren Death Cab for Cutie. But this compilation is fantastic.
The remixed songs off of Ten sound like they have had a lot of the reverb pulled out. The songs are drier and more true to Pearl Jam's sound on subsequent records. I could quibble about absences like "Release" and "Indifference", but I'm not going to. The song selections for the first three records are pretty solid. And, unlike others it seems, I am really happy about the inclusion of "Nothingman". It is one of my favorite songs on Vitalogy.
This Best Of also, thankfully, compiles fantastic non-album tracks like "State of Love and Trust", "Breath", "Yellow Ledbetter", and "I Got Id".
Lastly, the songs from their later albums are good choices for returning fans such as myself. Even though I never cared for Binaural, I did like "Light Years". The same could be said for many of the other selections. I admired Pearl Jam's growth, but the later albums never really appealed to me on the whole. Finally, "Last Kiss" could be flushed...that song makes me cringe. But I understand why it is there.
This is a great compilation. I am, personally, thrilled with it. I own the first three albums, so I can forgive the omissions, and I'm looking forward to listening to the later songs I am less familiar with. It would have been nice to get more credits and info about the songs and albums in general, and I found it odd all of PJ's other drummers are not listed at all, but oh well. This is fantastic.
Free Music Review: My Favorite Band, My Favorite Songs.
Hit: 5 Stars
Pearl Jam's musical genious, ability to rock the F-ing house down, compatibility and poignancy hasn't diminished one smigeon in their years together. I've boughten each album, nearly every single, DVD, whatever they deserve it all. I always knew that they weren't in it for the money and if you don't believe me look into it. They have enough charities and concerts giving away all proceeds to make them look like the innovators of the medium. I love Pearl Jam unabashedly, I have even since "TEN" came out in '91 when I was only nine years of age. They are the longest running favorite of mine, when anyone asks what type of music I love or listen to, I cannot say anything else but: "Pearl Jam." They embody so much of what I have felt through these years on this earth. I've cried so many times to "Black" that I'm surprised each time I listen to it, it still gives me the chills! I don't base other bands weight off of theirs, they are a distinction, a catagory a genre all their own, they defy distinction. If you want to chill or rock out or meditate or seriously knock a wall down you can usually go through all these emotions on any one of their albums. They constantly change it up on you but there's always that jammin' style that we've almost grown to expect, they don't have to be so generous with their talents, they just are and they are simply huge because of it. They've never sold any one of their songs for anything but maybe the poor of this and other nations, and that's not selling, that's giving. They were rock legends at their inception and that hasn't changed at all. Who else packs amphitheaters with devotees each year with the same excitement? I've never been more excited for a live show than for Pearl Jam, because their recorded sound is live. They make music, organically...I know I'm rambling, but that's what this band does to me, they defy my own praise by just being who they are, something the artists of today should sincerely aspire for. Thank you boys for all the years of awesome music, you've inspired me to make music my life.Free Music Review: Essential collection of songs.
Hit: 5 Stars
First off, I hope that "Ten" will get the Legacy Edition the same as Jeff Buckley's "Grace" did. 1 remastered CD. 1 CD of rarities. 1 DVD of the promo videos. It definitely deserves it.
"Lost Dogs" and the acoustic live CD they recently put out are also "must-owns".
As far as this CD goes, I truly love it. It's a trip down memory lane in a big way. Even though it's not entirely chronological, it does start off with "Ten" and works its way to "Man of the Hour" from the "Big Fish" soundtrack, but does deviate along the way.
"Last Kiss" and "Yellow Ledbetter" are the only ones that came over from "Lost Dogs". For me, the songs I missed on this were "Release", "Crazy Mary", "The Long Road" and "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". I also think that they should've recorded "Crown Of Thorns" for it.
I think this will be especially great for people who gave up on Pearl Jam sometime in the mid 90s. I have no doubt whatsoever that this will renew their interest in Pearl Jam again. Warning: you'll have a hard time taking this one out of your CD player because you'll start listening to it more than once.
The only complaints I have are that the packaging could have been better, and like John Mellencamp's "Words and Music" (which only has 5 videos even though John's done almost 40), should have included their promo videos because there are few of them,although there is no shortage of live footage from over the years.
Even though this CD signals the end of their time with Epic, it doesn't sound like they're "cashing in". The song selection does sound handpicked by the band and the amount of songs they put on there is pretty hefty, none of which are filler, and even put a song that they didn't have to put on there (Man of the Hour) that was recorded after their contract was up, but did.
A band to be experienced live. Enjoy this in the meantime.
Free Music Review: The greatest of our time
Hit: 5 Stars
Neil Young seemed to enjoy playing with the band on the 1995 album Mirrorball. Ironic that Pearl Jam has released their greatest hits on the same day as Neil Young's first ever Greatest Hits (Decades was a boxed set).
Pearl Jam's two-disc greatest hits collection is a flawless production of the band's talents. The concept is both discs reflecting the band's fast-paced rock songs on the Upside and mildly slower rock songs on the Downside.
And if I am not mistaken, many of the songs appear to have been rerecorded for the collection or remixed. This impressed me the most. All of the tracks on the upside still have the grunge feel but they are cleaner and sharper. The downside is by no means the downside either. The opening track Black, perhaps their best song, sets the tone and pace for the rest of the second disc.
And the band continues their tradition of no jewel cases on the album with an insert of black and white pictures of the band recording and playing.
By far some of the best music to come around in the last 20 or so years. Lets hope these guys stick around for a while.
Up Side:
1 Once
2 Alive
3 Even Flow
4 Jeremy
5 State of Love and Trust
6 Animal
7 Go
8 Dissident
9 rearviewmirror
10 Spin the Black Circle
11 Corduroy
12 Not For You
13 I Got ID
14 Hail Hail
15 Do the Evolution
16 Save You
Down Side
1 Black
2 Breath
3 Daughter
4 Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
5 Immortality
6 Betterman
7 Nothingman
8 Who You Are
9 Off He Goes
10 Given To Fly
11 Wishlist
12 Last Kiss
13 Nothing as it Seems
14 Light Years
15 I am Mine
16 Man of the Hour
17 Yellow Ledbetter