Pearl Jam really roared back with this one. After two somewhat lackluster and downbeat albums (the "just okay" Binaral and the dull Riot Act, which in retrospect is a pretty funny title considering how low-key the album was by Pearl Jam standards). Their self titled was a re-statement of purpose. "Life Wasted" blasts out of the speakers with Eddie Vedder testifying "I've tasted a life wasted, and I'm never going back there again." Vedder and his mates seemed re-energized here, and "World Wide Suicide" achieves the protest song gem that they had been diligently trying to write since George Bush took office. Riot Act attempted to cover this ground (it did have a fantastic cover, with the burned skeleton of a king standing in as a great metaphor for power corrupting and destroying the ruler of the village) but was to pedestrian to make much of an impact on listeners.
My favorite moment on the record is the closing "Come Back", which sounds like a cross between Tom Waits and Buddy Holly. "There's a real possibility that I may meet you in my dreams" sings Vedder. The slow, waltzy solo by Mike Mcready is a torcher and nothing like anything in the PJ catalog. It is a great concert closer (in the spirit of "Yellow Leadbetter") and is fantastic on the Pearl Jam in Italy DVD where it shows fans slow dancing in front of a castle where the band was playing. It is a good stretcher song for the band, and one I love to slow dance to with my lovely wife.
I love these guys, and it did my heart good to hear them revive on this album.
4 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment