A different sort of playlist this week. On our lazy spring break, I roared through the Pearl Jam Twenty book that was released as a companion to the documentary of the same name a few years back. When I picked it up at the library, I expected it to be just a collection of photos and other memories of the band’s career, layered with little anecdotes from the band the the people around them.
While the book is loaded with visuals, it also has a much deeper written history of the band than I expected. I thought it would be a book I flipped through casually. Instead it became one that I read maniacally for hours at a time. Especially in the period from 1991-1998, it’s a fantastic read.
As I read, I dove back into the PJ catalog. My plan was to listen to all their albums, front-to-back. Sadly my reading out-paced the music, so I finished the book while still having to get through the 2000’s albums. That’s a project for the weekend.
Anyway…while listening to Vs., I was reminded at how great the last three songs on the album are. If you want to list the best three-song sequence of the band’s career, this trio has to be near the top. I go back-and-forth as to whether Vs. or Vitalogy is the band’s best album. This section is a solid argument for their second album over their third.