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Rating: Few voices in the world can move me, and one of them is surely that of Eddie Vedder.
With his unique timbre, recognizable from the very first syllables, warm, and full enough to fill all the air in whatever space he is in, whether it's a small room or a huge stadium, sweet, yet capable of roughening and rippling to offer moments of anger alternating with the calm of a sea of oil at sunset.
The notes don't stop at the "mask," but rise from the nasal cavities and reach to vibrate every hair and every single neuron. Vocal intensity like Vedder's is rarely found.
His fellow adventurers are no less: each is master of their own instrument, Gossard always weaves perfect guitar tapestries; he's the hidden genius of this band, the hidden and deliberately shadowed mind. McCready always unleashes alcoholic solos worthy of praise, and the two communicate perfectly in making their guitars converse.
Ament, the little sprite with a bass in hand, always present, performs his duty impeccably and with his lines, he has always given the right direction to the rhythm section, which over the years has seen various percussion virtuosos alternate (the last and now permanently settled, as you all well know, the great Matt Cameron - immediately recruited).
In this performance, released by Pearl Jam at the Kaufman Astoria Studios, Queens, NY, on March 16, 1992, Dave Abruzzese joins them on their journey, a great drummer in my opinion, (in a comment I had read that among the many who followed, he remained the ideal one for the band), characteristic for the use of the splash cymbal and a good speed with the single kick drum. The only flaw attributed to him was too much force in striking the skins, which can be noticed especially in this acoustic performance, where the drums tend to overshadow the rest of the instruments a bit.
The intro is entrusted to the evocative "Oceans," accompanied by soft bass lines and cymbal crashes, subdued guitars, and Vedder drawing almost tangible vocal lines in the air. The splendid "State of Love and Trust," a track composed for the soundtrack of "Singles," (1) immediately raises the stakes with a beautiful guitar riff and Abruzzese delights us with a superb performance, while Vedder roughens the tone and leaves us surprised by the transport and intensity of the execution.
"Alive" needs no commentary, it's possibly the most famous track, the evocative masterpiece par excellence of the band, here faithfully reproduced to the original, especially in the guitar solos, which, although executed perfectly, lose a bit of intensity, perhaps due to the slightly low sounds of the two instruments. Vedder, truly in outstanding form given his young age, leads the group into an emotional "Black," in which the only flaw, in my opinion, is found in the slightly slower and less convincing execution.
Everything is smoothed out with "Jeremy," the usual and unique Vedder gives us yet another vocal gem, and the guitars manage to rise above the drum sound, also thanks to more incisive and confident strumming. This is particularly noticeable in the subsequent "Porch," the most vigorous piece of this Unplugged, the rhythm and solo are impeccable, followed next by a frenzied Abruzzese. Here, space is given to improvisation in the middle, where everything calms down a bit, only to pick up at a frantic pace to the end.
The acoustic version of "Even Flow" is curious to listen to, it loses some of its evocative power, its primitiveness, to transform into a pleasant and compelling blues rock with strong tones, united with sweetness in the chorus, with a grand guitar interlude, also here softened with the volumes, before the explosion at the end.
A fantastic "Rockin’ in the Free World," a cover of Eddie's spiritual father, Mr. Neil Young, duly closes this acoustic performance, not as famous as that of Nirvana and Alice in Chains, but equally praiseworthy.
(1) 1992 film by Cameron Crowe, which encapsulates the atmosphere breathed in Seattle during its peak, with Matt Dillon, Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick. You can catch glimpses of Pearl Jam themselves appearing as actors, Chris Cornell, who also performs the beautiful "Birth Ritual" with Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains who play "It Ain't Like That" and "Would." Cornell had also tried, unsuccessfully, for the lead role, which was then given to Dillon.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Alive (05:23)
Son, she said, have I got a little story for you
What you thought was your daddy was nothin' but a
While you were sittin' home alone at age thirteen
Your real daddy was dyin'
Sorry you didn't see him
But I'm glad we talked
Oh I, oh, I'm still alive
Hey, I, oh, I'm still alive
Hey I, oh, I'm still alive
Hey, oh
Oh, she walks slowly, across a young man's room
She said I'm ready for you
I can't remember anything to this very day
'Cept the look, the look
Oh, you know where
Now I can't see, I just stare
I, I'm still alive
Hey I, but, I'm still alive
Hey I, boy, I'm still alive
Hey I, I, I'm still alive, yeah
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, oh
Is something wrong, she said
Well of course there is
You're still alive, she said
Oh, and do I deserve to be
Is that the question
And if so, if so, who answers, who answers
I, oh, I'm still alive
Hey I, oh, I'm still alive
Hey I, but, I'm still alive
Yeah I, oh, I'm still alive
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh huh
Yeah, uh huh
Uh huh
Yeah, uh huh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
02 Dirty Frank (05:38)
agh woo eats meat eats meat hahaha look out
Dirty Frank Dahmer he's a gourmet cook, yeah.
I got a recipe for anglo-saxin soup, yeah.
Wanted a pass. So she relaxed. Now the little groupie's getting chopped up in the back.
I got a cupboard full of fleshy fresh ingredients
A very careful at the same time quite expedient.
Eats meat. A release.
Bus driving's harder on your head than on your feet.
Dirty frank. A Dirty frank yeah
A Dirty frank ooh
A Dirty frank yea oh
Keeps it clean. a keeps it copaseptic
A little boys and girls their heads are all collected.
A not crazy. a per se
Just a little strange when he gets hungry.
City state your town he will continue.
A stadiums tiny clubs every venue.
A his bus. a your trust.
There goes another turned into crust.
Dirty frank a Dirty Frank yeah. A Dirty frank. oh a Dirty Frank.
Yeah, oh, watch it! now
Why that dirty Frank was a bad mother... Shut your mouth! Hey man, I'm just talking about dirty Frank.
Oh wa-ha a yea cookoo there fucking crazy these kids are driving me crazy
Oh, middle of the night we're stopped the freeway shoulder.
A frank's shoveling to bury the leftovers.
A they're sunk. He's drunk.
Now he's gonna drive I'm hiding in my bunk. Oh.
The band all knows. We're too afraid to mention.
A Don't want to be part of Frank's luncheon.
A lose weight. A be safe. Where's Mike McCready? My god he's been ate!
Dirty frank. A Dirty Frank, yeah.
A Dirty frank. Oh, a Dirty Frank, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dirty frank frank frank frank a Dirty frank yea
Dirty frank oh a dirty frank a yea yea yea
Wa yea a yea yea yea yea oh he's gone fruit loops it's the perfect job
Cook 'em just to see the look on their face. I cook 'em just to see the look on their face. [x10]
Mommy mommy I'll just sing mommy no no ahh Why
Why that dirty Frank was a bad mother... Shut your mouth! Hey man, I'm just talking about dirty Frank. Yeah.
Dirty Frank wow a Dirty Frank a dirty frank yeah
Why that dirty Frank was a bad mother... Shut your mouth! Hey man, I'm just talking about dirty Frank. Woo.
A Dirty Frank. Yeah, a dirty frank. [x2]
Dirty frank. [x8]
Wo Ok I think that's enough
03 Black (05:29)
Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay,
Her legs spread out before me as her body was still.
All five horizons revolved around her soul as the Earth to the Sun.
Now the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn.
Ooh, and all I taught her was everything.
Ooh, I know she gave me all that she wore.
And now my bitter hands shake beneath the clouds of what was everything.
All the pictures have all been washed in black,
Tattooed everything...
I take a walk outside,
I'm surrounded by some kids at play.
I can feel their laughter, so why do I sear?
And twisted thoughts that spin round my head,
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning...
How quick the sun can drop away,
And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass of what was everything.
All the pictures have all been washed in black,
Tattooed everything...
All the love gone bad turned my world to black,
Tattooed all I see, all that I am, all I'll be, yeah.
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life,
I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky,
But why, why, why can't it be, why can't it be mine?
05 Oceans (02:41)
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
Glide me towards...
You know something's left
And we're all allowed
To dream of the next
Oh, ohh the next, time we touch...
Oooh...
Oooh...
Oooh...
Oooh...
You don't have to stray
Tho oceans away
Waves roll in my thoughts
Hold tight the ring...
The sea will rise...
Please stand by the shore...
Oh, oh, oh, I will be...
I will be there once more...
Oooh...
Oooh...
Oooh...
Oooh...
Uh huh, oh yeah...
Uh huh, oh yeah...
06 Deep (04:39)
On the edge windowsill
Ponders his maker
Ponders his will
To the street below
He just ain't nothin'
But he's got a great view
And he sinks a needle deep
Can't touch the bottom
In too deep
Can't touch the bottom
On the edge of a
Know-nothing town
Feeling quite superior
The aged come
To the sky above
He just ain't nothin'
But he's got a great view
And he sinks a burning knife deep
Can't touch the bottom
In too deep
Can't touch the bottom
In too deep
On the edge of a
Christmas clean love
Young virgin from heaven visiting
To the man above her
She just ain't nothing
She doesn't like the view
Doesn't like the view
Doesn't like the view
But he sinks himself deep
Can't touch the bottom
In too deep
Can't touch the bottom
Can't touch the bottom
Deep
07 Jeremy (05:08)
At home, drawing pictures
Of mountain tops
With him on top
Lemon yellow sun
Arms raised in a V
And the dead lay in
Pools of maroon below
Daddy didn't give attention
Oh, to the fact
That mommy didn't care
King Jeremy the wicked
Oh ruled his world
Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today
Clearly I remember
Picking on the boy
Seemed a harmless little fuck
Oh, but we unleashed a lion
Gnashed his teeth and
Bit the recess lady's breast
How could I forget?
And he hit me
With a surprise left
My jaw left hurting
Oooh dropped wide open
Just like the day
Oh like the day I heard
Daddy didn't give affection, no
And the boy was something
That mommy wouldn't wear
King Jeremy the wicked
Oh, ruled his world
Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today
Whoa... (x15)
Try to forget this
(Try) to forget this
(Try) to erase this
From the black board
Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in, spoke in...
Jeremy spoke in, spoke in...
Jeremy spoke in class today
Whoa (x25)
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
yeah yeah!
08 Porch (05:20)
what the fuck is this world
Running to, you didn't
leave a message at least I
could have heard your voice one last time.
daily minefield, this could
be my time, by you?
would you hit me?
would you hit me?.......ohhhhhhhh oh oh
all the bills go by, and
initiatives are taken up
by the middle, there ain't gonna be any middle any more
and the cross i'm bearing home
ain't indicative of my place
left the porch
left the porch......ohhhhh oh
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
walk beside me
I just need to say...
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I could not take a-just one day
I know that i would not ever touch you
hold you
feel you
ever hold...........
never again never again hey hey yeah
11 State Of Love And Trust (03:58)
Oh...
State of love and trust as I busted down the pretext
Sin still plays and preaches, but to have an empty court, uh huh
And the signs are passin', grip the wheel, can't read it
Sacrifice receiving the smell that's on my hands...hands...yeah
And I listen for the voice inside my head
Nothin', I'll do this one myself
Lay her down as priest does, should the Lord be a countin'
Will be in my honour, make it pain, painfully quick, uh huh
Promises are whispered in the age of darkness
Want to be enlightened like I want to be told the end, end, yeah...
And the barrel shakes, aimed, a-directly at my head
Oh, help me, help me from myself
And I listen, for the voice inside my head
Nothin', I'll do this one myself
Uh huh, huh, oh...
Myself...myself...
Yeah, yeah...
Hey, na, na, na, na, hey, that's something (3x)
Wanna back, back it away, yeah, huh, uh
And I listen, oh, for the voice inside my head.
Nothin', I'll do this one myself
Oh, ah, and the barrel waits, trigger shakes, aimed right at my head
Won't you help me, help me from myself
Hmm...State of love and trust, and a...
State of love and trust, and a... (2x)
State of love and...yeah...
12 Wash (03:35)
Oh please let it rain today. This city's so filthy. Like my mind in ways.
Oh it was the time. Like a clean new taste.
Smiling eyes before me and tears from my face.
Wash my love. Wash my love. Wash my love, yeah.
Sin for sale. Buying just a need. Just who planted all the devils seeds?
And what's the truth? And the truth that lies at home.
It's on the inside and I can't get it off. Yeah.
Wash my love. Wash my love. Wash my love, yeah.
What's clean is pure. But hey, I'm white on the outside. Though I stray.
What she don't know today might kill us both tomorrow. Bring it back someday.
Bring it back, bring it back. Back to, to the clean form. To the pure form.
Wash my love. [x8]
Ooh...
13 Once (03:12)
I admit it -- what's to say? Yeah...
I'll relive it without pain...
Backstreet lover on the side of the road,
I got a bomb in my temple that is gonna explode.
I got a sixteen gauge buried under my clothes, I play...
Once upon a time, I could control myself.
Ooh, once upon a time, I could lose myself, yeah...
Oh, try and mimic what's insane -- ooh, yeah...
I am in it -- where do I stand?
Oh, Indian summer and I hate the heat,
I got a backstreet lover on the passenger seat.
I got my hand in my pocket, so determined, discreet...
I pray...
Once upon a time I could control myself.
Ooh, once upon a time I could lose myself, yeah, yeah...
You think I got my eyes closed,
But I'm lookin' at you the whole fuckin' time...
Ooh, once upon a time I could control myself, yeah...
Once upon a time I could lose myself, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Once, upon a time I could love myself, yeah...
Once upon a time I could love you, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Once, once, once, once...
Yeah...once, once...yeah, yeah...
Yeah...yeah, yeah...yeah, yeah...
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