Pearl Jam
Yield

THE REVIEW

In 1991, a band was officially born that many consider, along with their "rivals" Nirvana, the spearhead of the new musical and cultural movement, grunge. Instead, four Hard Rock musicians, with an amazing vocalist and "universal" guitarist, were giving life to what I believe is the last great rock band on the planet; after them, nothing better recognizable as a rock band has "emerged." Ten (1991), Vs (1993), Vitalogy (1994) are three absolute gems, then comes No Code (1996), which in some ways serves as a watershed between the band's initial grunge side (but for me more Hard Rock) and a new, more universal, and perhaps more genuine style that their music would adopt from here on. Yield (1998) is the first production from the "new" PJ and is one of the albums I personally prefer. Brain of J., Do the Evolution are powerful hard rock tracks with excellent guitar interventions, including those from vocalist Vedder who has now become a regular third guitarist in the band; Pilate, for me one of the most beautiful tracks of the lot, Faithfull, and Given to Fly are rock with blues undertones, with Vedder proving to be a hypnotizing singer like we haven't heard since the days of Morrison. Low Light, Wishlist, and In Hiding are splendid semi-acoustic ballads, the first two folk, and the other more psychedelic and rarefied. All Those Yesterdays and the hidden track Hummus (beautiful) encompass all the band's versatility by blending rock, blues, folk, and psychedelia, which is not bad for a "grunge" group. After Yield, PJ will continue down this path by releasing great albums, but perhaps without reaching the heights of this work.