Pearl Jam - Yield
This is the fifth studio album from the Seattle outfit, and last of the surviving “grunge” bands. They have now outgrown the “grunge” term and continue to be the last defenders of the faith. The album represents a change in direction from “No Code”, as it is more produced and polished with a more rocky approach.
Starting off with the punk rock of “Brain of J” it is a miss leading opening for what is to come, although it is a good song its style is out of keeping with the more commercial rock that is the main stay of the record. “Faithful” starts off with a fragile guitar sung over, then the rest of the band kick in to create a song that sticks in the mind and sums up what is to follow. While “No way” is a dark song that has a definite drum beat over which a guitar is played, later that bas joins in to create a dark, brooding song. During this song Vedder chants “I’ve stopped trying to make a difference…No way” draw from this what will, have they decided to stop be a pain in the butt? The anthemic “Given to fly” proves that they can still write a killer tune that the radio will play. Similar in style to “In my tree” from the previous album, but more refined is a soaring song that shows off what they can do. One of the best songs they have written as a band, although it has been criticised for sounding more than a little similar to Led Zep’s “Going to California”. “Wishlist is a delicate song that is beautifully constructed, and turns out to be a series of wishes that lead singer Eddie Vedder has. “Do the evolution” is one of the most memorable songs from the album as it is the least Pearl Jam like of anything here. Sounding a bit alike Fungazi, it storms along taking a swipe at modern arrogance, and the ‘civilised world’. “In hiding” is another Pearl Jam classic, again similar to
dissident and kin it is an anthem that builds, and builds in a crescendo of sound.
The album ends with a Beatles sound a like in “All those yesterdays” which rounds it off nicely, they have always been a band which knows the best order of songs on an album. An album that saw people recognises them again as a great band.