Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003 [Digipak]

Performer: Pearl Jam
Engineer: Brendan O'Brien; Adam Kasper; Brett Eliason; Dave Hillis; Don Gilmore; Kevin Scott; Andrew Samuels; Ashley Stubbert; John Burton; Adrian Moore; Matt Bayles; Nick DiDia; Rick Parashar; Sam Hofstedt; Trina Shoemaker; Caram Costanzo
Producer: Pearl Jam; Brendan O'Brien; Adam Kasper; Brett Eliason; Tchad Blake; Rick Parashar; Pearl Jam; Brendan O'Brien; Adam Kasper; Brett Eliason; Tchad Blake
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Pearl Jam: Eddie Vedder (vocals); Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard. Audio Mixers: Brendan O'Brien; Brett Eliason; Tchad Blake; Nick DiDia; Tim Palmer. Audio Remixer: Brendan O'Brien. Photographers: Jeff Ament; Lance Mercer. Unquestionably one of the biggest rock bands of the 1990s, Pearl Jam, in many ways, were the star students of the grunge class. Though they didn't have the defiant, punk attitude of Nirvana nor the we-love-Sabbath metal edge of Soundgarden, the quintet found a huge audience for their relatively straightforward rock, thanks, in large part, to frontman Eddie Vedder's intense persona and distinctive vocals. As the band grew to resent their success, their music became intentionally less accessible (and often more intriguing), and while their peers folded, Pearl Jam found themselves with a smaller, but still loyal, fanbase by the first years of the 21st century. Although this two-disc set draws from the first 12 years of Pearl Jam's history, its focus is clearly on the group's heyday, with more than 20 of the 33 tracks dating from 1991-'95. The collection is cleverly divided into an "up side" and a "down side." The former features PJ's more rocked-out songs (the ominous "Once," the joyous "State of Love and Trust," the scathing "Not for You"), while the latter presents the ensemble's mellower tunes (the jangly "Daughter," the Eastern-tinged "Who Are You," the '50s ballad "Last Kiss"). Though fans may bemoan certain omissions, REARVIEWMIRROR shines the spotlight on underrated songs (the fierce "I Got ID" and the gorgeous "Off He Goes") and offers an excellent overview of this formidable band.

Rolling Stone (p.162) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Pearl Jam turned out increasingly graceful tunes that explored the warmth in Vedder's handsome baritone." Uncut (p.91) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[Their] rethinks of classic rock can still grip." Mojo (Publisher) (p.115) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[T]hey were a brutal heavy blues band..."

Pearl Jam strode the middle of the neo-hard rock road manfully with their angst-ridden anthemic tunes bearing echoes of 1970s riff-rock. They arrived as part of Seattle's grunge explosion, with a sound less "punk" than Nirvana and less "metal" than Soundgarden. Radio, MTV, and fans responded accordingly, making them one of the biggest bands of the 1990s. Eddie Vedder's intense, impassioned style marks him as one of the most affecting vocalists in modern rock, and the group's battles against corporate giants like Ticketmaster have shown them to be a true "people's band."

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