The Pitt News

http://www.pittnews.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/11/30/41abe08ed18f6

By IAN REED
Staff Writer
November 30, 2004

Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991-2003)
Pearl Jam
Epic
2.5
out of 4


This month, Pearl Jam released a two-disc, 33-track, greatest-hits album, titled Rearviewmirror. This release, coupled with the recent release of Lost Dogs (a rarities set), represents Pearl Jam's effort to clean out its closet of tracks before severing ties with its long-time label Epic. Because this greatest-hits collection samples from each Pearl Jam release, it provides an excellent opportunity to summarize the band's career until this point.

The early '90s presented a great collection of bands and music that has not since been matched. At the time, bands such as Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails and Green Day popularized rock music in a way that is sorely needed today. Some of the aforementioned bands (as well as Radiohead and Outkast) have been fortunate enough to celebrate their 10th anniversaries. Pearl Jam has become one of those bands, but in the process, it has gone from immense popularity to relative obscurity.

In many ways, Pearl Jam's popularity was something that the band never handled very well. This is most evident in the 1995 attempt to circumvent the giant Ticketmaster, which, in the end, alienated many fans by making the band even more difficult to see live. Coincidentally (or not), this also happened to be the point when Pearl Jam peaked musically. It was during this time that Pearl Jam released Vitalogy (1994), Merkinball (1995) and No Code (1996) -- collections so outstanding that a double-CD release of these albums would constitute an admirable greatest-hits album.

This brings me to the most inherent and notable flaw of the present greatest-hits collection: It fails to showcase the very thing that has kept Pearl Jam together for so long. It fails to show the evolution of the band. Not one song in Pearl Jam's catalog can be taken from its album and placed on another album. As a result, the current release is merely a collection of songs -- a collection of songs that do not tell the story that needs to be told.

There are many other crimes committed in addition to the one above. This collection fails to show that the music that Pearl Jam has created continually reflected the current struggles of the band. It fails to show the many ways in which Pearl Jam has used music as sublimation throughout the years. It fails to show how their music has changed as a result of their popularity. As a singular release, it fails to tell a story.

Arguably, the most important failure of the current release is its relative lack of songs penned by Eddie Vedder. In the beginning, Pearl Jam was Stone Gossard's band. From Vitalogy on, Pearl Jam has been Eddie Vedder's band. Undoubtedly, Vedder is the reason that the band is still making relevant music. Vedder is also the reason that Pearl Jam's more recent releases have been so frustratingly inconsistent. It is because Vedder is light years beyond his band mates in terms of song writing. An album of songs written by Vedder alone would constitute an amazing release.

In the end, the current release disappoints because of its effortless assembly. Pearl Jam's catalog is one to be handled with care -- this release was not. Pearl Jam is a band with a collection of brilliant songs that have not been heard. I, for one, would have liked a release that challenged listeners to look deeper within the catalog of one of the greatest songwriter in music today.

"It was during this time that Pearl Jam released Vitalogy (1994), Merkinball (1995) and No Code (1996) -- collections so outstanding that a double-CD release of these albums would constitute an admirable greatest-hits album."

I would agree.

intelligent review indeed. but the guy is forgetting one thing...this was a GREATEST HITS release. he says "I, for one, would have liked a release that challenged listeners to look deeper within the catalog of one of the greatest songwriter in music today."
I would have liked that too, but unfortunately songs like sometimes and push me pull me weren't greatest hits, so they were sort of just stuck with what was out there already