Finally, after decades of calming down into a sensitive quiet band of pleasant goodness, Pearl Jam finally whip out the Jam and ROCK!!!! (guitar: "Biddle-aaaaaaah!!!!! CRANG! CRANG! CRANG! Diddle-DEE! Doo-DIDDLY-DIDDLY-DIDDLY-DOO!!!!!). Oh sure, there are still some quieter, non-rocking songs on here but they tend towards the depressing and dark, a fine complement to the songs on the album that ROCK!!!!! (guitar: "BWEE! BWEE! BWEE!!! NEEEEEEOOWWWWWWW WHOO! WOO-WOO! WOO-WOO!).

But don't be getting the wrong idea from my words, phrases and underwear. I'm not talking about that messy, screamy early crap rocking like "Drop the leash, Drop the leash, Get out of my goshdarned face!" they did on the first couple records. This rock is TIGHT guitar rock with disciplined playing and controlled non-ear-harming soundy tones, chord-driven but with lots of nice counter-lead lines brought into the mix for the intellectuals. And Eddie does NOT scream. He sings. And he still has a great voice, if you think he has a great voice (if you hate his voice, his voice still SUCKS SHIT OFF THE HAIRS OF A GUY WHO WIPES HIS BUTT WITH HIS BALLS). Lots of times on here, I'm so struck by the fuzzed and toned-to-perfection guitar sounds and dramatic riffage that I feel like I'm listening to a late-period Soundgarden album (but without that screaming Muppet whose career has gone places). But it's not Soundgarden because grunge is dead!

Which brings up another point -- Pearl Jam were NEVER a grunge band, but if Congress ever asks you for evidence that this fact is an untruth, this is the album you want to give Tom Daschle. None of their previous albums feature anything close to this level of rockin', distorted low fuzzy guitar riffing. "You Are" should be a radio hit RIGHT THIS SECOND. It sounds like something Blue Oyster Cult would have done 25 years ago! And "Get Right" with its busy bass line! "1/2 Full" with its lopey-dopey Black Crowes Southern Rockin'ism! And best of all, others with their this-and-that!

With such a basic electric/acoustic straightforward rock music approach, Pearl Jam will always run the risk of turning into a lousy band (what happens when they can't think of any new chord sequences to play around with?). But so far, they've managed to stay on the good side of Music for five albums straight (like I said, I could give or take their first couple LPs) -- and Riot Actmay very well be my favorite one yet. There's only one bad song!!!! "Thumbing My Way" is peaceful hippy music for boring people. But every other song -- just great great stuff! And it's ROCK! CREATIVE YET INFECTIOUS ROCK MUSIC WITH MELODIES YOU WANT TO HEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN! The riffs are NOT completely predictable (they always throw in a note or chord you're NOT expecting) and, topping off the day with a blueberry, the mix is FULL. FULL of rhythm guitars, active bass lines and lead guitar counterpoints - with ol' Mr. Smoothie Eddie Vedder riding the Crest Gel to a Modern Classic Rock Classic!

Or at least I would hope so, and would probably be disappointed.