Pearl Jam
Live On Two Legs

THE REVIEW

"Live on Two Legs" is the first official live album by Pearl Jam, released in 1998 by Epic Records, and recorded during the summer tour following the album "Yield". The lineup of that tour included leader Eddie Vedder on vocals (and guitar), Stone Gossard and Mike McCready on guitars, Matt Cameron on drums, and Jeff Ament on bass. It is a great live album, well-produced and well-edited, with perfect sound output. The performances are honest and sincere, without frills, without errors. The material played is drawn from the band’s first five studio albums and includes many of their best tracks, aside from a few notable omissions, such as Alive, one of Pearl Jam's most representative songs. In this live album, only distant memories of Grunge survive; it is indeed a full-fledged rock album, finally breaking free from labels, all feeling and passion, independent and without predefined boundaries. A mature rock, typically made in the U.S.A., far from Britpop (Blur, Oasis), which in those years was dominating the charts in Europe. It must be said that Grunge itself, more than a real musical genre, was a trend, an attitude, which probably had its reasons for being, but that soon dissolved with the tragic end of its most prominent figure, Kurt Cobain, leaving many of the bands that were part of it in a certain state of confusion, from which some emerged simply by returning to make music with the awareness that being confined within a territory that was too narrow entails more problems than advantages.

On stage, the band seems to be really at ease, presenting their pieces raw and uncut, focusing on playing well; excellent rhythm section and guitars in the foreground, without indulging in indulgent instrumental prolixities, few solos, but well-placed and well-executed, great respect for the audience. Thanks to a skilful alternation between slow tracks, mid-tempo, and more typically angry rock pieces, the album keeps the listener's interest alive throughout its duration without boring. It starts with "Corduroy" and then continues to the final "F*ckin' Up", an excellent Neil Young cover, a tribute to the great artist who has inspired the band so much in writing their lyrics and who had collaborated with them in the past in person. The first tracks flow nicely, with "Daughter" extended into a medley that includes Rockin' in the Free World, but from the fiery "Go" onwards, the album shows all its beauty, with the splendid "Red Mosquito" masterfully sung by a Vedder able to handle remarkable vocal nuances, confirming himself as one of the best voices in rock. The combination "Off He Goes" and "Nothingman" brings us to a romantic and melancholic atmosphere, two poignant, beautiful ballads, followed by the fiery "Do The Evolution", a powerful and very well-structured hard rock piece, a bitter critique of the flip side of the coin that often hides behind progress. "Better Man" is perhaps the audience's favorite song, evidenced by the enormous enthusiasm that shines through during its performance. There are also less known tracks, but they do not pale at all in the overall context. Sixteen tracks in total, for over 70 minutes.

If the album "Yield" had raised some doubts, with this live album, Pearl Jam proved to be one of the best rock bands around and still had a lot to say. In short, "Live on Two Legs" may not be an epochal album, but when played on a CD player, it always makes a great impression.