 "Amazing & Heartfelt" | 2008-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By carlachris |
There are some great, full reviews of this cd already so I'll keep my comments brief.
I'm sure every Pearl Jam fan is aware that they have released many concert cds. What makes this one special for me is the intimacy of the setting. Benaroya Hall is a small venue and the acoustics are outstanding. Eddie's vocals are just terrific, full of warmth and expression. Many of the songs are acoustic and most of the selections showcase Pearl Jam's softer, more introspective side. Even so, the songs cover a wide range of moods, moving from the lovely and wistful "Thumbing my way" to the powerful, angry cover version of Dylan's "Masters of War." Although a lot of my favorite PJ songs are not on this cd, in a way that is even a plus as it got me listening to some lesser known (but still great) songs. This performance was actually a benefit concert for an organization that helps at-risk kids in the Seattle area. I don't know if any of the money from sales of this cd go to that organization or not, but if it does, that would be just one more reason to buy this great, highly enjoyable cd.
|
| |
| "Amazing Heartfelt" | 2008-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By carlachris |
| There are some great, full reviews of this cd already so I'll keep my comments brief.br /I'm sure every Pearl Jam fan is aware that they have released many concert cds. What makes this one special for me is the intimacy of the setting. Benaroya Hall is a small venue and the acoustics are outstanding. Eddie's vocals are just terrific, full of warmth and expression. Many of the songs are acoustic and most of the selections showcase Pearl Jam's softer, more introspective side. Even so, the songs cover a wide range of moods, moving from the lovely and wistful "Thumbing my way" to the powerful, angry cover version of Dylan's "Masters of War." Although a lot of my favorite PJ songs are not on this cd, in a way that is even a plus as it got me listening to some lesser known (but still great) songs. This performance was actually a benefit concert for an organization that helps at-risk kids in the Seattle area. I don't know if any of the money from sales of this cd go to that organization or not, but if it does, that would be just one more reason to buy this great, highly enjoyable cd.br / |
| |
 "A Pleasant Surprise" | 2007-09-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A37Q98RI58R91C |
| This is the first Pearl Jam CD that I have purchased, having only listed to them on the radio for the past years. It is primarily an acoustic CD recorded live and it is amazing how this band rocks even when they are non-electric. It also sounds much better than one would expect a live recording to sound. I have a new appreciation for just how talented this band is and highly recommend this CD. |
| |
 "So-so performance" | 2007-08-08 |
| - Reviewed By tpw1127 |
After reading some of the reviews, I wonder if I listened to the same CD as the reviewers. Live at Benaroya Hall had some good songs on it like like Immortality, Nothing As It Seems and Black. However, I didn't hear anything great and Pearl Jam's unplugged CD pales in comparison to Eric Clapton, Nirvana and Korn's Unplugged CDs.
I enjoyed Man of the Hour.
My issue with the CD is Pearl Jam played their soft (downsides) songs acoustically - big deal! Daughter's soft anyway. I would have been more impressed to hear an unplugged version of Go, Alive, Dissident, Once. Mix it up. That's what makes a great unplugged CD.
This is not their best CD. Nothing Pearl Jam will ever do will compare to Ten. Pearl Jam peaked on their first CD.
I have a question. How many live / acoustic CD's does Pearl Jam need to make??? Live on Two Legs was very good. Do we need 30 more live CDs? I saw them once, and I was kind of disappointed, but that's unrelated to a review of this CD. |
| |
| "Keep coming back for more" | 2007-01-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: AIRC9YJOASKH8 |
| I've been listening to Pearl Jam ever since their first album. In the past few years, however, I didn't own any new Pearl Jam record, until I've decided to buy this live performance. What an amazing treat. Not only the new songs are as good as the original, but the live performance ads a whole new feeling to the music and the lyrics. One of the reasons I love Pearl Jam (yes, I used the word Love), is because of their originality and most of all, their stand above the commercial vice. Where too many groups had fallen victim of commercialism, spitting out meaningless records and videos, Peal Jam took a strong stand in the beginning and refused to be audited by the likes of MTV. Their music is powerful, meaningful and most of all, human. So here, more than a decade after "Ten" I am able to listen to a live show and enjoy it more than any group currently on the market, singing while I drive the favorites from past albums as well as some of the newer songs I haven't heard before. I highly recommend this CD to any Peral Jam fan or anyone who is just starting to feel their beautiful music. |
| |
| "Pearl Jam is the ultimate Rock band" | 2007-01-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A37KIIWJIE6L27 |
| Well, this live album is very good and it shows that Pearl Jam is still the No. 1 rock band in the world. |
| |
| "Best Live PJ album!" | 2006-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By zylderb |
| Simply put...buy this album. There is no better live Pearl Jam album. |
| |
| "Diverse and sometimes powerful acoustic live CD" | 2006-04-03 |
| - Reviewed By the_regulator |
Disclaimer: I give the sound quality and musicianship FIVE stars on this album. The set list and the way some of the non-pj songs seem disconnected from the overall feel of the album is what brings it to an overall of three stars, though still recommended.
As an avid Pearl Jam fan who's listened to nearly everything they've ever published in the recorded music realm, I again couldn't wait to get my hands on this Live acoustical album...sometimes simply known in musical circles as "unplugged".
The album features a few of their classics like "Of the Girl" and "Daughter" as well as many covers, like Dylan's "Masters of War". With an unplugged CD like this, you get to hear the band in almost more of a true folk/spiritual sounding set as opposed to an arena rocker. The venue, Benaroya Hall, from what I can "hear" of this album, is a superb place to record a live performance (especially an acoustic one, Vedder's voice almost echoes, but doesn't, it's just enough to give it more of a far reaching "boom" as opposed to falling flat through the crowd which can sometimes happen at a recording such as this. Thankfully, this is not the case; it's the one of the best sounding LIVE albums I've ever heard!
Because I love the sounds, and could tell that whatever this place was is obviously the place to be when recording an "unplugged" album, I did some research on it. I'll give you the basics in a short but informative way.
1) Benaroya Hall opened up in 1998 as Seattle's state-of-the-art performance hall. It is home to the Seattle Symphony.
2) The State of the art facility is designed with the music in mind of course. As I mentioned before, Vedder's voice really comes through clear and strong. The hall is made with a multitude of angles as well as panels and nooks that disperse and diffuse the pitch of sound as it travels as a wavelength. The physics of this of course, gives us much more quality music...it's enhanced a million times better than if say, they were playing on a stage in the middle of a basketball gymnasium.
Now that you are familiar with how great the SOUND is and the SCIENCE behind it, it's time to move on to my opinion of this album.
First off, the set list. When I first listened to it I was enthralled at hearing some of my favorite songs. For an acoustical album it still felt like powerful music, and Vedder and the crew really do sound like, as usual, they are putting their heart and soul into playing their instruments and delivering the message or theme the song portrays. As I went later on into the album, I started to feel a little lost. Several songs I had never heard of seemed to suck some of the energetic feel that I had from their classics right outta the air!
Was it the song, the way they played the song or their attitude in general? I think the latter does not apply, but the former mentioned rings true. Some of these songs may seem like something the band should play (like "Masters of War" and "I believe in miracles") however, to often I felt like the band wasn't in Benaroya hall anymore, they were on a regular stage singing cover songs. The band to me simply does not seem to evoke the same energy or spirit that they do with their own music. Now, in saying that, maybe because their music is just that, something that came from their heart, mind, and soul, and not someone else's, that is why I feel somewhat disenfranchised from the non-PJ songs on this album.
In continuing to be objective, I would have liked to see a couple more of their own songs, whether they were hits or lesser known tunes, on each disk. I think to me it would have made it a little more Pearl Jam. However, as a fan, I ultimately still enjoy this album, and am impressed at the quality of sound that The Hall they play in presents.
There are still parts of this CD that are simply amazing, like the way your heart will feel heavier when hearing the song "Low Life" and "Of the girl". These are tracks I never get tired of hearing so I may be biased there, but taking the electronics and electric guitars out of the picture never seems to strip down the bands talent but unveil a stronger, richer sound all it's own!
The interaction with the crowd of course is more subtle than playing say, at some place like Miami or Houston in front of 50,000 people. The feeling from the crowd is appreciative, but also a special kind considering that they are doing the album (from what I can gather from Vedders intermittent speeches) for a youth benefit charity. Pearl Jam will never be called sellouts or greedy rock stars, as they are often known participate in things to help their community, the world, and fellow man.
"Sleight of Hand" is also a gem on here and comes deep from Eddie's now usual soothing, almost reaching out sorrow and serious toned vocals. It uses the usual theme of one person vs. themselves and others, invoking sad tones of regret and memory. There seems to be some electronic things going on here and there, so I am assuming unplugged means that the lead guitarists are playing acoustics, or perhaps someone is using a pedal machine via acoustic banks. Regardless, overall it's the sound quality of the hall that makes up for some of the songs I don't put up on a pedestal. There are other PJ sources of live music; however, I don't think you can really go wrong with this album. With 24 tracks performed at a great venue by one of the greatest American Rock bands of all time, how could you go wrong?
|
| |
| "Now that's a ass whooping..." | 2006-01-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: ADXW0046R1OYO |
Ohh dear this album is simply so great that I find it difficult to understand that I first got my hands on it in 2006. It contains everything good about Pearl Jam, great lyrics, talented music, high energy and powerfull rock ballads. This album is mostly unplugged and the depth of the band really shows on songs like: "Fatal", "Immortality", and "Off He Goes". The semi electric songs are arguably even better. The versions of "Daughter", "Black", "Crazy Mary", "Nothing As It Seems" and "All Or None" are each easily worth the prize of the album by them self.
A parade of great instrumental and electric songs - I wished I had been there at the concert because it must have been a night to remember. |
| |
| "One Of Their Best" | 2005-08-24 |
| - Reviewed By amnesiac_kid |
| I gotta admit, this is the one I keep coming back to out of all the bootlegs I own. It just has a great mood, and except for one small screw up (early in Thin Air), it's completely solid. Vedder's voice is in great condition, and the rest of the band is also in fine form. I recommend this one if you want to hear Pearl Jam play most of their softer songs in a live setting. No, it is not an acoustic performance in the traditional sense (as the electric guitar is played appropriately), but it is a very nice addition to the catalog nonetheless. |
| |
Expedited Available
