Rock on, Eddie Vedder. With this, Pearl Jam get over the sheer aggression of their first two released, and the funky weird experimentation of Vitalogy to craft a masterpiece. Some subtle songs here, some rockers there, Pearl Jam finally came of age on this record…

It's more consistent than Ten. More diverse then Vs. More subdued and subtle than anything else in their catalogue. And that's represented from the get-go. "Sometimes" is a soft ballad that builds and builds… then the second song, "Hail Hail" begins with such ferocity, anyone who turned up the speakers for "Sometimes" could go deaf. Well, only if they REALLY turned it up so "Sometimes" was that loud… but… you know what I'm trying to get across.

And another soft one, "Who You Are" is subtle and soothing, while "In My Tree" starts slow and builds. "Smile" is relatively soft, and very bluesy (at least for Pearl Jam). And "Off He Goes" IS soft. And, like Keith Richards and Joe Perry before him, guitarist Stone Gossard even takes a try at vocals on "Mankind," a punkish anthem of sorts.

I could go on, but this record is prime Pearl Jam. "Hail, Hail" and "Lukin" blast with the aggressive power of their early material, while "Who You Are," "Sometimes" and "Present Tense" show that there's more to Pearl Jam than Eddie Vedder yelling and singing into a mic while the fans stir up a mosh pit.

If there is anything wrong with this record, it's that it is not instantly accessible. But then again, very little of Pearl Jam'a catalogue really is. That's why Nirvana gets the credit. Despite being inferior musicians to just about every other band of that era, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was very chant-able and had a catchy intro. Then again, look who's standing up on the stage these days and who's down in the ground.

Pearl Jam were at their best at this time period. I don't think any of the songs on here were major hits, but between this album and Yield, Pearl Jam solidified their status as THE "Band of the 90's." No other band had a better live show, consistent material, and continued progression of sound throughout the decade.