Vs.

by

Pearl Jam

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Vs. is a rock album. As far as I'm concerned, Pearl Jam made only two true rock albums. Ten, and Vs. The others are more expermimental with punk, pop, and folk. Every song on this album is excellent. The guitar, drums, and vocals are at their best here. It is just a pure masterpiece.

Go-9.5/10- What a way to open up an album. This is just one hell of a rock song. Eddie's vocals tear through the song, and a strong bass line backs it all up.

Animal-10/10- Absolutely amazing rock song. The vocals are just primal. There's a sense of funk in this one. There's a great guitar solo in here that shouldn't be passed up.

Daughter-10/10- We've all heard this song. The first acoustic song Pearl Jam ever did. Great lyrics about child abuse and the solo really takes the cake. This song also has a great outro.

Glorified G-9/10- Another song with an almost funky sense. Interesting guitar riff. Great tongue in cheek lyrics about gun control.

Dissident-10/10- Easily one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs ever. Eddie's lyrics and vocals are just captivating. There's a great lead riff and rythym riff in this song that perfectly blend to create a beautiful combination of power and melody. Almost perfect.

WMA-8/10- This is the album's only rough spot. The song is too tribal and never gets going. The only thing that really saves it is Eddie's mesmorizing vocal performance. Overall though, I can't say anything too bad about this one, the lyrics are really great.

Blood-9/10- This is one hell of a rock song. The vocals are just awesome. Easily the hardest song on the album. The huge scream after the second chorus really jacks this one up. Interesting guitar too!

Rearviewmirror-10/10- An absolutely excellent song. Starts off as just a simple guitar riff and slowly grows into the mournful outro. The vocals are just perfect. Only Eddie Vedder can deliver a performance like that. Great lyrics that paint a picture of someone leaving an abusive situation and finally being free of the shackles. The guitar during the choruses and outro is just excellent. This song is perfection.

Rats-8.5/10- Cool song. Tough act to follow though. The lyrics are very cool, comparing the human race to rats. Ed's vocals during the verses are cool, a really low growl. Another cool guitar solo!

Elderly Woman-10/10- Beautiful and simple song. Most people think of it as a song about meeting someone you remember, but I almost see it as a reflection of growing old and wishing you could be as free as you used to be. Led by an acoustic riff by the way!

Leash-10/10- A thrilling song. This is a seriously hard rock song. I don't suppose it's perfect but I love the uplifting vibe.

Indifference-10/10- This song never quite jumped out at me until I really listened to it. It's now one of my favorite songs on this album. Great calm vibe and lyrics about struggling to go on. Beautiful.

Pearl Jam would never repeat this album's excellence. It is just a near work of perfection. EXCELLENCE!

Ardent Pearl Jam fans will not like this review, so they should not bother to read further. Casual fans and fans of rock and roll in general should know that "Vs" is the disappointing follow up to their classic debut "Ten." It is only about half as good with only the great single "Daughter" and maybe "Animal" up to the high standards of the first record. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town," despite the awkward title, is a tuneful accoustic tune and "Dissident" is also a decent enough mid tempo song. Most of the rest is either actively bad like "Rats" or just plain forgettable. After "Ten" most of Pearl Jam's career has been maddeningly inconsistent. "Vs" is no exception to that rule.