PEARL JAM Vinyl & CDs

Review: Give Way has all the hallmarks of a collector's item. Originally intended to be given away for free with copies of Pear Jam's 1998 documentary, Single Video Theory, neither label nor band cleared the promotion and so it all went down the drain, with 50,000 copies destroyed a day before the flick hit in one of those How Much Money Did They Have? kind of moments.
25 years on and fans can finally see what they've been missing out on. The record itself is a snapshot of a date at Melbourne Park in Australia, a stop off on the Yield Tour, cutting down the original 25 track show to a shorter playlist, ensuring it can fit on the release. In terms of standards, this gives a strong nod to a peak period in the legacy of this US grunge rock behemoth, and should appease even the most demanding fans.

Review: The eleventh studio album by prolific American rock band Pearl Jam, Gigaton was originally released in March 2020 and sold out almost instantly. Now getting a re-run on US label Monkeywrench, fans have a second chance at adding this standout release to their collection. Typical of Pearl Jam this release features inventive instrumentation such as the 1850s-era pump organ originally played by Vedder on the 2015 demo of 'River Cross'. Featuring popular singles 'Dance of the Clairvoyants', 'Superblood Wolfmoon' and 'Quick Escape', Gigaton was undoubtedly well worth the six and half year wait. Definitely one you'll need to grab before it's gone.

Review: There's a clear statement of intent when a band puts out a retrospective compilation subtitled Volume 1. Pearl Jam are unarguably an outfit that can back up that hinted threat with genuine goods, too, ranking among the most influential US alternative rock bands of the 1990s. As such we're already chomping at the bit with anticipation for the sequel.

Sticking with this one, though, there's plenty here to introduce newcomers to exactly why the act that gave us landmark LPs like Ten warrant revisiting and celebrating. Tracks like 'Alive' and 'Even Flow', and 'Once' still sound as powerful and inimitable (no that many haven't tried) as they did when said album landed, with a slew of other material here proving just how many new ideas came from the team in their formative years.

Review: Surely everyone had at least some period in their younger years where they were fully signed up fans of Eddie Vedder and his Pearl Jam? Well, if that's you, relive your youth with this bumper collection of their great hist from arguably their best period - the early nineties on to the turn of the millennium. Rearviewmirror comes in two volumes which really speaks to the number of big tunes the American band put out in their time. This first one has the likes of 'I Am Mine,' 'Daughter' and personal favourite 'Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town.'

Review: As the title suggests, this Under The Covers album is a collection of tunes the legendary band played at their live gigs, but which they hadn't actually written themselves. There are many glorious overs here, all of which are very much done in true Pearl Jam fashion - with passion and energy. The collection also demonstrates quite how wild and eclectic the band's taste must have been. As such the collection tells you plenty about their enormous knowledge and love of music past and present. There is plenty to love here, so dig yourself in deep and lap it up.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The story behind No Code is one of resilience, rights, and division. First released in 1996, it arrived at a point in time when the band were still reeling from their troubled Vitalogy tour, in which they took a stand against Ticketmaster by boycotting the company, giving a sneak preview of the problematic relationship between bands, fans and ticketing platforms that would grow more visible in the following decade.

Once again, Pearl Jam struck it big here, with the record landing at number one in the Billboard 200 charts, making for the group's third consecutive number one album. However, the success was short-lived. Combining the alternative and grunge rock they were known for with elements of garage, experimental balladry and worldbeat, it's easily their most diverse, but that didn't suit everyone back then. Hit play today, though, and we're not sure anyone could argue against the depth and innovation at play.