Rearviewmirror - Greatest Hits 1991-2003

iTunes Review

Pearl Jam turned out to be the most versatile hard rock band from the 1990s. Their first three albums, Ten, Vs. and Vitalogy, formed a molten core of hard rock anthems (“Alive,” “Rearviewmirror,” “Not for You”) and stirring ballads (“Black,” “Immortality”) that established the group as the dominant force on radio, MTV and in the arenas. However, even in these earliest times, the group stopped making videos and began pursuing their own aggressive experimental side, losing the casual fans and emboldening their base. This collection contains several remixes by the band’s main producer Brendan O’Brien that strip the songs of their initial gloss and serve as a well-selected overview of their first twelve years. Rockers and ballads are separated into two sets. Overall, one can still hear the band’s evolution album to album as each set follows chronologically. Thankfully several important non-LP cuts (either singles or soundtrack contributions) like “State of Love and Trust” and “Last Kiss,” are included alongside quirky tracks such as “Yellow Ledbetter” and “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town,” and band staples like “Jeremy,” “Daughter,” and “Even Flow.”