Pearl Jam / Live On Ten Legs / Universal
Hard to believe as it may be, this August will mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten. The same rebellious alt-rock fans who kept those classic grunge cuts spinning endlessly throughout the eternal summers in their half-remembered high school days are now all grown up, leading the lives of the parents they once strived to rebel against. 20 years later, Pearl Jam is still touring. Have they kept that same old youthful spark and rebellious attitude?
A youthful spark is definitely something Pearl Jam still has after all these years. These 18 songs are a testament to that. But, when it comes to releasing a live album, Live on Ten Legs isn’t exactly rebellious. The songs on Ten Legs are overwhelmingly weighted towards past albums, with only four tracks off 2009’s Backspacer and no previously unreleased B-sides from those recording sessions. Deep cuts dominate the play list, and No Code is the only album from the PJ discography not represented. Highlights include sprawling seven minute versions of “Porch” and “Rearview Mirror” and perennial concert closer “Yellow Ledbetter”. Covers of songs by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros and Johnny Rotten’s Public Image Ltd. round out – while not necessarily improving – the collection.
Download: “The Fixer”, “Porch”
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