To me, Pearl Jam always played a more conventional second fiddle to Nirvana’s artistic brilliance throughout the alt-rock period of the early ‘90s. When I first heard Nirvana, they seemed like a slicker version of the underground stuff I’d been listening to for a while—Pixies, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, Replacements, and more. When I first heard Pearl Jam, they felt like the opposite—a slightly grungier version of the mainstream rock I’d mostly left behind.
So I’ve never loved Pearl Jam, although I’ve certainly loved some of their songs, and I’ve found quite a lot in their music to like. They are earnest, yet not cloyingly so, and they’re unafraid to tackle serious topics from an outsider’s point of view, without truly seeming like outsiders themselves. They are a band that seems to me to have their hearts and minds in the right place. And it’s hard to deny that they’ve got some powerfully good stuff.
Playlist 1
Playlist One concentrates on material released in and around their first two albums, the grunge-rock classic Ten (1991) and follow-up Vs. (1993). Top-notch mainstream alt-rock, I’d say.
Playlist 2
Playlist Two focuses on their edgiest (possibly best) release, Vitalogy (1994).
More Pearl Jam
I pretty much lost touch with Pearl Jam’s releases mid-’90s and forward, to be honest, but they have continued to put out solid albums. Discs like No Code (1996), Yield (1998), Pearl Jam (2006), Backspacer (2009), and Lightning Bolt (2013) have all earned plenty of critical praise and commercial success. At some point, I’ll update this post with some more current Pearl Jam; until then, you’ve got most of the essentials.
Cover Art:
- Ten (front cover) and Vs. (inner gatefold): Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
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