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Rating: The passion, the fury, the love, the dissent, the family... These themes envelop the souls of those who created this album that has marked the history of rock-grunge like none we've heard in a long time. It must be said that this is the work that, after the previous "Ten," brought Pearl Jam to their true consecration.
The formula is the same as the 1st album: A more mature Eddie Vedder with an aggressive voice, but with many more smoothed edges; Mike McCready with his evident Hendrix influences offers much more virtuosic solos, thanks also to Stone Gossard who is always ready to support him with original and never monotonous accompaniments; the mix is integrated by the rhythmic support of the stallion Dave Abruzzese with his string-breaking beats that have always characterized this drummer's overwhelming and precise touch, and the bass line by Jaff Ament that moves quickly filling, alternating, the parts of rhythm guitar and drums.
The team is now complete to perform a balanced and impeccable work in its genre: the opening track is the enveloping "Go" which gives each element its expressive space, then moving to the classic rock of "Animal" which is compensated by the tender "Daughter", an intimate piece that paints a tender family portrait. Other standout tracks are "Rats" with its funky style and the splendid "Rearviewmirror", the most emphatic track of the album in a mix of forcefulness and subtle fragments of psychedelia.
To say that Vs is a historic album is limiting, but without a doubt, it is the soundtrack that accompanies the memories of a time now far away, when the "shabby rock" filled the garages across the ocean, producing works of art equal to milestones... Good times...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Go (03:12)
Oh, please, don't go out on me, don't go on me now.
Never acted up before, don't go on me now.
I swear I never took it for granted, just thought of it now.
Suppose I abused you, just passing it on.
Go...
Fuck...
Once fastened, servile.
Now you're getting sharp.
Moving oh so swiftly with such disarm.
I pulled the covers over him, should've pulled the alarm.
Turned to my nemesis, a full-on-fucking god.
No...
Time...
Suck...
My...
Please don't go on me.
Don't go on me.
Don't go on me.
Don't go on me.
Don't go on me.
Please...
Oh...
Suck...
Blood...
Touch...
Please...
Tunnel vision...
Tuck...
Time...
See...
Please, please, please...
Don't go on me.
Don't go on me.
Don't go on me.
Don't go on me.
Please, don't you want me?
Don't go on me.
Please, don't go on me.
02 Animal (02:49)
One, two, three, four, five against one.
Five, five, against one.
Said one, two, three, four, five against one.
Five, five, five, five, five against one.
Torture from you to me.
Abducted from the street.
I'd rather be...
I'd rather be with...
I'd rather be with an animal.
Why would you wanna hurt me?
Oh, so frightened of your pain.
I'd rather be...
I'd rather be with...
I'd rather be with an animal.
I'd rather be...
I'd rather be...
I'd rather be with...
I'd rather be with an animal.
I'd rather be...
I'd rather be with...
I'd rather be with an animal.
I'd rather be...
I'd rather be...
I'd rather be with...
I'd rather be with an animal.
Said one, two, three, four, five against one.
Five, five, five, five, five against one.
One, two, three, four, five against one.
Five, five, five, five, five against one.
03 Daughter (03:55)
Alone, listless, breakfast table in an otherwise empty room.
Young girl, violence, center of her own attention.
Mother reads aloud, child tries to understand it, tries to make her proud.
The shades go down inside her head.
Painted room, can't deny there's something wrong.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to.
The picture kept will remind me.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to.
The picture kept will remind me.
Don't call me...
She holds the hand that holds her down.
She will rise above.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to.
The picture kept will remind me.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to.
The picture kept will remind me.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to.
The picture kept will remind me.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to.
The picture kept will remind me.
Don't call me...
The shades go down...
The shades go down...
The shades go...
Go...
04 Glorified G (03:26)
Got a gun, fact I got two
That's O.K. man, cuz I love god
Glorified version of a pellet gun
Feels so manly, when armed
Glorified version of a pellet gun (4x)
Double think, dumb is strength
Never shot at a living thing
Glorified version of a pellet gun
Feels so manly, when armed
Glorified version of a pellet gun (3x)
Glorified version of a...
Always keep it loaded (3x)
Kindred to be an American...
Life comes...I can feel your heart...
Ooh...life comes...I can feel your heart through your neck...
Life comes...I can feel your heart through your neck...
Like some...I can steal your heart form your neck...
Glorified...glorified...
05 Dissident (03:35)
She nursed him there, ooh, over a night.
I wasn't so sure she wanted him to stay.
What to say?
What to say?
But soon she was down.
Soon he was low.
At a quarter past, a holy no.
She had to turn around.
When she couldn't hold, oh, she folded.
A dissident is here.
Escape is never the safest path.
Oh, a dissidence.
A dissident is here.
And to this day she's glided on.
Always home but so far away.
Like a word misplaced.
Nothing said, what a waste.
But when she had contact with the conflict.
There was meaning but she sold him to the state.
She had to turn around.
When she couldn't hold, she folded.
A dissident is here.
Escape is never the safest path.
Oh, a dissidence.
A dissident is here.
Oh, oh, oh.
She gave him away when she couldn't hold.
No, she folded.
A dissident is here.
Escape is never the safest path.
Oh, a dissident, a dissident is here.
Oh, couldn't hold on.
She couldn't hold.
No, she folded.
A dissident is here.
Escape is never the safest place.
Oh, A dissident is here.
06 W.M.A. (05:59)
He won the lottery when he was born.
Took his mother's white breast to his tongue.
Trained like dogs, color and smell.
Walks by me to get to him.
Police man, police man.
He won the lottery by being born.
Big hand slapped a white male American.
Do no wrong, so clean cut.
Dirty his hands, it comes right off.
Police man, police man.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police man, police man.
Jesus greets me, looks just like me.
Do no wrong, so clean cut.
Dirty his hands, it comes right off.
Police man.
Police man.
Police man.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police man, police man.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police stopped my brother again.
Police man.
Police man.
Police man.
All my pieces set me free...
Human devices set me free...
All my pieces set me free...
All my pieces set me free...
Human devices set me free...
Human devices set me free...
All my pieces set me free...
All my pieces set me free...
Human devices set me free...
Human devices set me free...
07 Blood (02:50)
Spin me round.
Roll me over.
Fucking circus.
Stab it down.
One way needle.
Pulled so slowly.
Drains and spills.
Soaks the pages.
Fills their sponges.
It's my blood.
It's my blood.
Paint Ed big.
Turn Ed into one of his enemies.
It's my blood.
It's my blood.
It's my blood.
Stab it down.
Fill the pages.
Suck my blood dry.
Maker of my enemies.
Take my...
Why, why, why, why, why, why?
Rats.
08 Rearviewmirror (04:44)
I took a drive today.
Time to emancipate.
I guess it was the beatings, made me wise.
But I’m not about to give thanks, or apologize
I couldn’t breathe, holding me down.
Hand on my face, pushed to the ground.
Enmity gauged, united by fear.
Forced to endure what I could not forgive.
I seem to look away.
Wounds in the mirror waved.
It wasn’t my surface most defiled.
Head at your feet, fool to your crown.
Fist on my plate, swallowed it down.
Enmity gauged, united by fear.
Tried to endure what I could not forgive.
Saw things...
Saw things...
Saw things...
Saw things...
Clearer...
Clearer...
Once you were in my rear view mirror.
I gather speed from you, fucking with me.
Once and for all, I'm far away.
I hardly believe, finally the shades are raised.
Hey, yeah.
Saw things so much clearer.
Once you, once you...
Rear view mirror.
Saw things so much clearer.
Once you, once you...
Rear view mirror.
Saw things so much clearer.
Once you, once you...
Rear view mirror.
Saw things so much clearer.
Once you...
Oh yeah...
09 Rats (04:15)
They don't eat, don't sleep, they don't feed, they don't seethe.
Bare their gums when they moan and squeak.
Lick the dirt off a larger one's feet.
They don't push, don't crowd.
Congregate until they're much too loud.
Fuck to procreate till they are dead.
Drink the blood of their so-called best friend.
They don't scurry when something bigger comes their way.
Don't pack themselves together and run as one.
Don't shit where they're not supposed to.
Don't take what's not theirs, they don't compare.
They don't scam, don't fight.
Don't oppress an equals given rights.
Starve the poor so they can be well-fed.
Line their holes with the dead one's bread.
They don't scurry when something bigger comes their way.
Don't pack themselves together and run as one.
Don't shit where they're not supposed to.
Don't take what's not theirs, they don't compare.
They don't scurry when something bigger comes their way.
Don't pack themselves together and run as one.
Don't shit where they're not supposed to.
Don't take what's not theirs, they don't compare.
Rats... they don't compare.
Rats... they don't compare.
Ben, the two of us need look no more.
Ben, the two of us need look no more.
Ben, the two of us need look no more.
Ben, the two of us need look no more.
Ben, the two of us need look no more.
Ben, the two of us need look no more.
10 Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (03:15)
I seem to recognize your face.
Haunting, familiar, yet I can't seem to place it.
Cannot find the candle of thought to light your name.
Lifetimes are catching up with me.
All these changes taking place,
I wish I'd seen the place, but no one's ever taken me.
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
I swear I recognize your breath.
Memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.
Me you wouldn't recall, for I'm not my former.
It's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf.
I changed by not changing at all, small town predicts my fate.
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see.
I just wanna scream hello.
My god, it's been so long, never dreamed you'd return.
But now here you are, and here I am.
Hearts and thoughts they fade away.
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
Hearts and thoughts they fade away...
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
Hearts and thoughts they fade...
11 Leash (03:09)
Troubled souls unite, we got ourselves tonight.
I am fuel, you are friends, we got the means to make amends.
I am lost, I'm no guide, but I'm by your side.
I am right by your side.
Young lover, I stand.
It was their idea, I proved to be a man.
Take my fucking hand.
It was their idea, I proved to be a man.
Will myself to find a home, a home within myself.
We will find a way, we will find our place.
Drop the leash, drop the leash...
Get outta' my fuckin' face.
Drop the leash, drop the leash...
Get outta' my fuckin' face.
Drop the leash, drop the leash
Get outta' my fucking face.
Drop the leash, we are young.
Drop the leash, drop the leash.
Oh, get outta' my fuckin' face...
Drop the leash, drop the leash...
Get outta' my, my...
Delight, delight, delight in our youth...
Get outta' my fuckin' face...
12 Indifference (05:02)
I will light a match this morning so I won't be alone.
Watch as she lies silent for soon light will be gone.
Oh, I will stand arms outstretched, pretend I'm free to roam.
Oh, I will make my way through one more day in Hell.
How much difference does it make?
How much difference does it make?
I will hold the candle until it burns up my arm.
Oh, I'll keep taking punches until their will grows tired.
Oh, I will stare the sun down until my eyes go blind.
Hey, I won't change direction and I won't change my mind.
How much difference does it make?
How much difference does it make?
I'll swallow poison until I grow immune.
I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room.
How much difference?
How much difference?
How much difference does it make?
How much difference does it make?
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Other reviews
By donzaucher
"Vs. is, in every respect, the first REAL Pearl Jam album understood as a group."
If you like rock music YOU CANNOT NOT HAVE THIS CD.
By joe strummer
"Here one is content with good old Rock n’ Roll tinged with Punk; it’s no novelty, but it remains a highly enjoyable and energetic work."
"Pearl Jam abandon the sounds of their debut and venture into sounds that didn’t seem natural to them; the result is more than satisfactory, with truly memorable episodes."
By FabbioAW
What continually draws me to "Vs" is how it’s still enveloped in that warm and profound breath that characterizes many grunge albums.
"Indifference," ineffable, moving, and "W.M.A." (White Man American), a primitive and tribal mantra inspired by an episode of racism.
By Mr.Black
"In this album, every song has a reason to exist."
"'Small Town'... a song that cannot be described because of how perfect it is in its simplicity."
