Last kiss (Pearl Jam) (LP 3471 - 3472)

Pearl Jam  Lost Dogs: Rarities and B-Sides (CD, Epic Records, 2003) ****  

Pearl Jam  rearviewmirror (greatest hits 1991 - 2003) (CD, Epic Records, 2004) *****  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi, Hope Collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Last Kiss (appears on both albums)

Gear costume: Spin The Black Circle (rearviewmirror)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Two compilations to wrap up the Pearl Jam-a-thon. I love their classic rock sound, and their punk-ass attitude. Take on Ticketmaster? Sure - why not! It feels right. Gotta love 'em.

Lost Dogs is a double-disc collection of their best B-sides and other released (albeit in different versions) and unreleased rarities. AllMusic rates it because: the album benefits from what it chronicles: the loosest, hardest-rocking, most relaxed, and most intimate music the band cut. I agree. It's a fun collection.

Rearviewmirror I received from Lindsay Hope. I suspect it was Ashleigh's purchase. It's a superb two CD collection of all their best bits (titling it greatest hits - lower case - is them having a laugh).

The album's two discs are both devoted to different sides of the band's catalogue: the first disc, or Up Side, contains heavier rock songs while the second disc or Down Side features the slower songs and ballads.  

Where do they all belong? Taken together both sides of the band are presented brilliantly. Right. Time for a breather and then the P's continue.

Spin the black circle (Pearl Jam) (LP 3462 - 3470)

Pearl Jam  Live in Seattle '95: Spin The Black Circle (CD, Rox Vox Records, 2015) ***  

Pearl Jam  20 6 00 arena di verona, verona italy (#19) (CD, Epic Records, 2001) ****  

Pearl Jam  Boston Massachusetts August 29 2000 (#43) (CD, Epic Records, 2001) ****

Pearl Jam  New York, NY July 9th 2003 (CD, Epic Records, 2003) ****    

Pearl Jam  Oct. 22 2003 (CD, Ten Club Records, 2004) ***    

Pearl Jam  Live at the House of Blues (CD, Immortal Records, 2012) ***

Pearl Jam  Live at Easy Street (CD, J Records, 2006) ****

Pearl Jam  Live on Two Legs (CD, Epic Records, 1998) ****

Pearl Jam  Live Rarities (CD, Mojo Magazine, 2024) ****

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Fopp, HMV, JB Hi Fi, Real Groovy Records, The Warehouse, Mojo Magazine.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Daughter (Verona, Italy) 

Gear costume: Go (Boston Massachusetts)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Pearl Jam live is a different beast to Pearl Jam in the studio. Although I like both sides of the band, in front of people there are no self-indulgent quirky bits - it's all about being honest and up front. Two guitars, a bass, drums, and one vocalist. Delivering. No overdubs. 

They love to document their live shows as well, so my collection of live albums is just the tip of a huge iceberg (the band released 72 'official bootleg' albums in 2000 to 2001 alone).

The first one in the list comes from a live in the studio radio broadcast from 1995. Vitalogy songs are prominent as that was the album they'd released a month before this show. It's a good loose jam style performance for the most part - obviously not as polished as the studio versions and with no actual audience it's a little lacking in atmosphere.

The Verona show is number 19 of those 72 official bootlegs. I appreciate the honesty in making these albums available - sums up the band aesthetic well.

The honesty extends to a warts and all approach in issuing these official bootlegs. Plus the sheer length - the band work through 30 plus songs! Including an encore go at Split Enz's I Got You!

Boston Massachusetts August 29 2000 is number 43 of the 72 official bootlegs from the Binaural tour. The set lists may be rejigged for each show, but consistent brilliance is the story of this tour. That said, Boston is an extra special concert with everyone giving their all. 

This time the covers that crop up in the encores are of Little Steven (I Am A Patriot) and Neil Young's F***** Up). It's all good fun!

The New York concert from the Riot Act 2003 tour is next - another double CD 'official bootleg', that includes 32 songs! The band certainly give value for money.

Along the way, they play their versions of The Beatles' You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Clash (Know Your Rights) and Neil Young again (Rockin' In The Free World).

Oct.22 2003 is another double live album. It was an acoustic concert recorded on October 22, 2003 at Benaroya Hall, Seattle. It was a benefit for YouthCare, a non-profit charity in Seattle. It's another strong set, and the semi acoustic stance (Mike McCready is on his superb electric guitar) is a fresh approach.

Live at the House of Blues was recorded in Orlando Florida, 2003. It's nice to have but not essential - that would be the New York set above. It's a bit laid back - Eddie stuffs up his version of You've Got To Hide Your Love Away. Too much wine according to him.

Live at Easy Street is a live EP of their surprise in-store performance at Easy Street Records in April 2005. The EP contains covers of the Avengers' American in Me, the Dead Kennedys' Bleed for Me, and X's The New World, the latter of which features X's John Doe.

Rolling Stone's David Fricke: "Here's a good reason why cool bricks-and-mortar record shops still matter: seven songs cut live and hot in front of fans and customers at Easy Street Records in Pearl Jam's hometown of Seattle, then released through indie stores and priced to move".

Live On Two Legs is the first official live album by Pearl Jam. It consists of live performances of songs from different shows of the band's summer 1998 North American tour. Consequently, it lacks the whole worts and all gig experience of those official bootleg offerings.

Finally in this gig-a-thon comes another compilation of live recordings that Mojo Magazine used as a free giveaway covermount CD.

The ten songs range from 2000 to 2018, so it's a cool collection showing the band's development over time. 

Apart from Thumbing My Way, the other nine songs are ones that don't feature on the set lists on the albums listed above, and the best thing about it is the fact it features live items post 2006.

That's it for the live albums. Having listened to all of them over the last few weeks, I'm impressed by their consistency as a band, and how melodic and memorable many of these songs are.

Where do they all belong? Okay, nearly there with the Pearl Jam collection. Only a few odds and sods to feature in the next post.

Thumbing my way (Pearl Jam) (LP 3457 - 3461)

Pearl Jam  Binaural (CD, Epic Records, 2000) ****  

Pearl Jam  Riot Act (CD, Epic Records, 2002) *****  

Pearl Jam  Pearl Jam (CD, J Records, 2006) ****

Pearl Jam  Backspacer (CD, Monkeywrench Records, 2009) ****  

Pearl Jam  Lightning Bolt (CD, Monkeywrench/Repulblic Records, 2013) ****   

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Are (Riot Act)

Gear costume: The Fixer (Backspacer)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: New decade, but same great rock sound from Pearl Jam. Musical fashions come and go, but Pearl Jam just keep true to their vision. There were refinements along the way (Matt Cameron took over from Jack Irons on drums and I like both of them), but essentially the Pearl Jam sound is like no other band.

Binaural continued the thrust from Yield to great effect. There are still the quirky moments (here it's Eddie and a ukelele), but essentially, they are a rock band doing what they do on Binaural.

 

Riot Act is a better album for my money. The guitars bite more and the attack is more focused, plus Eddie's voice is recorded brilliantly. Lots of career highlights on Riot Act: a good commercial track like I Am Mine, and I especially like Bu$hleaguer for its spoken delivery approach. They are still willing to try new things on Riot Act which is great. 

Pearl Jam signals a kind of reappraisal. Bands tend to aim for a rejig with eponymous titles. In this case it's a return to basic rock principles without any of the experimentation that featured from Vs. to Riot Act. 

I actually like a lot of those quirky side roads but a whole album of full-on Pearl Jam is also a welcome thing. Pearl Jam does a good job in rebooting their classic sound. This approach continued with their final album of the decade - Backspacer. 

The cover kind of hints at a lighter approach and the music inside delivers. They sound like they are having fun again! By this stage I pretty much know what I'm going to get with a Pearl Jam album. The guys deliver on this short sharp album (the shortest in their catalogue).

Final album in this edition is Lightning Bolt. Another excellent Pearl Jam recording. I can't find a weak album in their catalogue. My least favourite album of theirs would be No Code and it's certainly no dud.

Where do they all belong? I have yet to catch up with their last two studio albums - Gigaton and Dark Matter. Both were well reviewed but I just haven't got around to them yet. Mainly, I think, because I've moved well away from buying CDs, and gone back to records exclusively. Live Pearl Jam albums are next.

Release (Pearl Jam) (LP 3452 - 3456)

Pearl Jam  Ten (CD, Epic Records, 1991) ****  

Pearl Jam  Vs (CD, Epic Records, 1993) *****  

Pearl Jam  Vitalogy (CD, Epic Records, 1993) ****

Pearl Jam  No Code (CD, Epic Records, 1996) ***  

Pearl Jam  Yield (CD, Epic Records, 1998) ****  

Genre: Rock, Grunge

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, a music club (Vitalogy), JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Even Flow (Ten)

Gear costume: Animal (Vs.); Given To Fly (Yield)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Pearl Jam are a band that a lot of my friends regard as 'their band'. Plus, they've been around long enough for my son Adam, and his wife (both in their late thirties) to form a deep attachment to Eddie Vedder and his mates.

Same with me. I started with Ten, back in 1991, and I have a large enough number of their albums that I need to divide my collection into four: two posts on the studio albums, one for live albums and finally an odds and sods section.

Let's crack on and launch into their nineties origins.

Ten was unavoidable back in 1991. It was huge! As was their sound and their hair. I bet they look back on that MTV Unplugged session and smile.

The songs sound big - they'd not ever go for this rich sound again, but this was 1991 and key members had been in seminal grunge bands (Mother Love Bone, Green River) before uniting as Pearl Jam at the start of the decade.

The songs on Ten benefit from Eddie Vedder's lyrics and his singing blends superbly with the twin guitars of Stone Gossard and Mike McCready.

Vs. is for me, a five star classic - in that there are no dud tracks. It covers a range of new sounds, has a superior drum sound to Ten, and exhibits a real confidence in their future - this is the rawer, more aggressive sound they are all about as a band.

Third album, Vitalogy continues that almost punk attitude with two blasts of brilliantly uncompromising sound on Last Exit/ Spin The Black Circle before heading into more eclectic styles, that even includes ballads like Nothingman and Corduroy. Bugs and a few of the stranger items I can do without but hey - its Pearl Jam.

No Code is a new direction for the band, away from the direct assault of Vs. and Vitalogy, and a slight move away from the quirkiness of Vitalogy. Instead, the band reaches into new territory, working with droning, mantra-like riffs and vocals, layered exotic percussion, and a newfound subtlety. Although it's still cool and all, it's not one of my favourite Pearl Jam albums.

Yield is though. They seem really comfortable inside their own Pearl Jam skin on Yield. Vedder's lyrics are brilliant, the band are goosey loosey and it's also a lot of fun. It's probably their most mainstream album but I like that about it.

Where do they all belong? Up next - the studio albums continued.

Strollin' (Peg Leg Sam) (LP 3451)

Peg Leg Sam (Jackson) featuring Louisiana Red  Going Train Blues (Vinyl, Ode Records, 1975) ***  

Genre: Blues

Places I remember: Spellbound Wax Company

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: John Henry

Gear costume: Going Train Blues 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Peg Leg Sam (real name Arthur Jackson) was an American country blues harmonica player, and singer. He was joined on this set (recorded two years before he passed away) by Louisiana Red (real name Iverson Minter) - a blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer. He passed away in 2012.

Their album together is full of traditional blues songs done sparsely and successfully for the most part. The harmonica/guitar combo is a situation I love and this is an enjoyable album of country blues. Sonny and Brownie continue to own this space however!

Where do they all belong? A good addition to the blues genre and harmonica blues sub genre.

Far north coast (Mel Parsons) (LP 3450)

Mel Parsons  Drylands (CD, Border Music, 2015) ****  

Genre: NZ Music, alt-country, indie-folk 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Alberta Sun

Gear costume: Far Away

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Mel Parsons is a NZ singer/songwriter from the west coast of the South Island. This is Mel's third album. It's a stripped back affair which allows her beautiful voice to prosper. It's a beautiful sounding album that works for me best in the twilight after a busy day.

The songs centre on travel themes - good and bad (a car crash she survived is behind Get Out Alive). There is plenty of space in the songs which suits her west coast background and the sounds she leans towards. It's a beautiful record.

Where do they all belong? Keen to get more Mel.

Pot pourri (Van Dyke Parks) (LP 3445 - 3449)

Van Dyke Parks  Song Cycle (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 1967) ****  

Van Dyke Parks  Discover America (Vinyl, Edsel Records, 1972) *****  

Van Dyke Parks  Clang of the Yankee Reaper (Vinyl, Edsel Records, 1976) ***  

Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks  Orange Crate Art (CD and Vinyl, Warner Bros. Records, 1995) *****  

Van Dyke Parks  Songs Cycled (CD, Bella Union Records, 2013) ***  

Genre: Art pop, orchestral pop 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Record fair in New Plymouth (Discover America), Southbound records customer (Yankee Reaper)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: G Man Hoover (Discover America)

Gear costume: Sailin' Shoes (Discover America)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: He is an interesting character. Thanks to his association with Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys (see Orange Crate Art below) he is well known outside of his culty fringe status as a solo artist, and he's also a bit Zelig-like - turning up in the credits of plenty of my favourite albums.

Song Cycle was his debut album in 1967. A heady year! It's a bizarre kind of autobiographical concept album centred on Hollywood and southern California. It's genre blending takes in orchestral pop with elements of Tin Pan Alley songwriting, bluegrass, ragtime, and musique concrète.

VDP: I wanted to capture the sense of California as a Garden of Eden and land of opportunity. It was a very big deal to me: What was this place? What has it become? What will it become? And what does it mean to be here? ... [I wanted Song Cycle to be] relevant to its time and part of the free press of its time, as a watchword to the errant youth that was showing up here in droves.

His second album, Discover America, is a work of genius in my humble opinion. All the songs are covers but Parks adds his customary orchestral touches superbly, so that they all sound like his songs.

It's an eclectic collection - calypso songs, as well as songs by Allen Toussaint, Little Feat (Sailin' Shoes), even a snippet of John Philip Sousa (Stars and Stripes Forever). Its quirky brilliance is all Van Dyke Parks, though. 

There is an emotional heart at the base of this album that I don't feel is present on Song Cycle, and the steel band/Trinidad approach is inspired, hence this being my favourite album from him.

Clang of the Yankee Reaper, his third album, continued to explore and use calypso music as its inspiration. It also continued to feature mostly cover versions. AllMusic sums the album by stating that it 'explores more arcane Americana on an album that ranges from New Orleans to the islands to the classics'. 

It doesn't hold together as well as his previous two and the man himself later called it 'brain dead'. Ouch.

 

His eighties albums don't do it for me, so we next find him in 1995 with Brian Wilson providing the inspired lead vocals on Orange Crate Art (I've written about that one previously).

The final album in this list is Songs Cycled from 2013. It was his first since Orange Crate Art but the music is nothing like that album.

The title is a deliberate echo of his debut and he has indicated it's likely to be his last, so he's come full circle.

VDP - "in both cases, there’s a maverick on the loose, with a highly personal set of tunes and instrumentals. All of them reveal an iconoclast tilting at windmills, railing at tyrants, barking at masters of war, and celebrating a shameless commitment to the very definition of ‘Americana’."  

Where do they all belong? That's it for Van Dyke Parks, but he's bound to crop up on the credits of other albums I buy in the future.