Let’s get some business out of the way first. A blog directly linked to my files again. Which I fucking hate. Unlike the asshat douchebag that did it before the people at this blog copped up to it and removed the link right away. I’m going to chalk that one up to innocent ignorance and not prickery. I’m also not really mad at them because it’s a great blog with an awesome name: The Music Slut. Check out sometime, it has a good balance of news, MP3s and random funny shit.
Pearl Jam – Live At The Academy New Year’s Eve 1992
It’s funny, Pearl Jam is by far my favorite band in the world but I’ve only posted tracks by them three times. How much do I like Pearl Jam? I have every single one of their studio albums, almost all of their singles on CD and vinyl, the import version of Ten with bonus tracks, three of their albums on vinyl, and over 30 of their “official bootlegs” most of which I bought from the Ten Club fan site store, which I am a member of. I have also seen them live five times, and three of those concerts were over the course of two weeks. So yeah, I’m a bit of a fan.
The real funny thing is that I wasn’t that big a Pearl Jam fan until about 2000. I owned most of their studio album (if you were a teenager when Ten came out I believe you were issued it along with a pair of Doc Martens and a flannel) but I lost interest in the band around the same time everyone else did. Then I bought one of their live albums on a fluke and the next thing I knew I was hooked. I can’t even explain it, but there’s something about Pearl Jam’s live music that gets under my skin and makes me believe that rock and roll can really change the world.
Anyways, now I’m rambling. This live record was a gift to fan club members who pre-ordered their excellent self-titled album last year. It’s a fun artifact from the time period, and includes some tracks that the band rarely plays live anymore, such as ‘Oceans’ and a really bizarre almost punk version of ‘Wash.’ There’s also a hysterical rant by Eddie in which he bashes Marky Mark for not being a real artist! Also worth mentioning is the inclusion of the ultimate Pearl Jam B-side ‘Dirty Frank,’ which is the best funk song about a serial killer bus driver you’re ever likely to hear.
Enjoy this classic live set. Hopefully I’ll be putting up more Pearl Jam in the future…I only have 2275 Pearl Jam songs in my MP3 collection.
Speed Wash
Sonic Reducer
Why Go
Even Flow
Alone
Garden
Daughter
Dirty Frank
Oceans
Alive
Leash
Porch
By the way, Pearl Jam just released the excellent 7-disc, three-concert collection Live At The Gorge. Even if you’re just a casual fan of the band I suggest it because it serves as a great introduction course to some of the magic you might experience at a Pearl Jam concert.