Slipped disc #20: Pearl Jam’s Epic finale

Pearl Jam have closed out its decade-plus association with Epic with a bang. On 11 Nov. the label issued the double-disc, three-and-a-half-hour DVD ‘Live at the Garden’, as well as a long-in-the-works double-disc rarities set, ‘Lost Dogs’. Pearl Jam fulfilled its Epic contract with the 2002 album ‘Riot Act’ and is weighing its options for a new deal.

The 31-track ‘Lost Dogs’ features 11 songs that have never been released in any form, encompassing outtakes from throughout the band’s career. Among them are potent doses of Pearl Jam’s harder-hitting side such as ‘In the Moonlight’, ‘All Night’ and ‘Hold On’, the anthemia ‘Sad’ and the slow-burning, acoustic-driven ‘Fatal’.

This double disc rarities album includes tracks compiled from across Pearl Jam’s seven studio albums dating back prior to their debut, ‘Ten’. Culled from the band’s extensive b-side archives, and using rarities from various benefit albums and soundtracks, none of the tracks included have been previously featured on any of the band’s studio albums. In fact, many haven’t ever been previously released. The tracklisting for the specially priced digipak included the ultimate rarity ‘Yellow Ledbetter’ along with fan favourite ‘Last Kiss’ and classic b-side ‘Footsteps’.

Alongside the perennial fan favourite as the aforementioned ‘Yellow Ledbetter’, there is ‘Wash’ as well as ‘Hard To Imagine’, which was recorded for potential inclusion on several Pearl Jam albums but previously only available on the 1998 ‘Chicago Cab’ soundtrack. The band’s frequent benefit album contributions are represented by ‘Leaving Here’, ‘Gremmie Out of Control’ and ‘Whale Song’, while cuts like ‘Let Me Sleep’, ‘Drifting’ and ‘Strangest Tribe’ are drawn from the annual holiday singles for members of its Ten Club fan organization.

The group’s recently penned new song, ‘Man of the Hour’, is included in the Tim Burton’s film ‘Big Fish’. Pearl Jam are taking several months off to relax and work on various side projects. The Seattle-based quintet plans to regroup in April or May, possibly to begin work on a new studio album. For a new label although we suspect they’ll be, in the best anti-business tradition they’ve demonstrated several times, deeply musing over doing it the indie or Web way.

‘Lost Dogs’ is a fine collection for the band‘s army but it will not change anybody’s mind or attract many new converts. But then, that’s never been the band’s agenda: after the tragic shooting of Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder could have become the figurehead of Grunge. He, and his cohorts, elected to remain The Clash of their generation. More than admirable at this age of megalomania.

9/10