Pearl Jam; The Rise and Fall of

The early 90's. They were the best of times, they were the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was an epoch of belief and incredulity, it was the era most of us affectionately call 'Grunge'. So many good bands sprouted up in this era - Silverchair, Soundgarden, Nirvana, and, of course, Pearl Jam.

To me, Pearl Jam's first three albums, Ten, Versus and Vitalogy, are staples of the genre. Do you remember the first time you heard Even Flow? Sure, it's been played and played again on every rock radio in the U.S. - and probably around the rest of the world, too. It's been played so often that I sometimes forget to listen to it. I've heard it so many times that I no longer acknowledge how vibrant the recording is and how youthful Eddie Vedder and company sound. They were violent, energetic, and angry at the world. Pearl Jam was a force to be reckoned with in those early years.

A few years later, the guys from Pearl Jam released another good record, Yield. Grunge was dead or dying - the band was forced to adapt. Yield was a triumph in may respects. Pearl Jam managed to bridge the gap, becoming one of the most excellent alternative rock acts of the decade. Even more surprising, though - they were still together! Few other grunge bands could make that claim in 1998.

Then the proverbial shit hit the hypothetical fan. I don't know what changed, but Pearl Jam started to feel old. Something about their music seemed stodgy. It sounded forced, muddled, boring. Binaural was absolutely forgettable; Riot Act was just plain bad.

Now we have a new album from these aging rockers. It's self-titled. The cover art is among the lamest I've ever seen. Yes, that's an avocado. And playing the thing is like listening to five guys crush empty cardboard boxes with baseball bats. It just sounds bad.

There's not a single memorable riff on the entire album. Eddie Vedder's once distinctive, quavering cry has turned into a mangled, unintelligable whine. They're trying to market this album as a 'comeback' album. Unfortunately, I don't see it. I don't agree with any of the mainstream reviewers who like this disc. It might be Pearl Jam, but it's not the Pearl Jam I want to hear. This album makes me want to go back to 1993 and listen to Versus a few more times. It honestly makes me sad - these guys just can't do it any more.

I'm sure this album will get just enough acclaim to keep the band going steady for a few more years. I wish they'd just stop. I'm sure they'll sell a billion copies, too, to all the same nostalgic Gen-X'ers that miss the old Pearl Jam. And I'm sure a lot of you will like this album... I just wish I could listen to it without cringing, you know?