No Code - Pearl Jam (CD 1996)

Forget most of what you've heard about this disc and simply run out and buy it. If you read typical music reviews about 1996's No Code, you'll wind up thinking this album is a waste of time. The majority of reviews by music critics I've seen on this thing suggest it's full of off-kilter instrumentation, "world beat" influences, confusing symbolism and vague references to religion. Also, I've read how the disc is difficult, self-indulgent to a fault and too complex to figure out without listening to it time and time again.

Sound like an album you'd want to buy? No? Imagine that!

In truth, No Code is a very enjoyable disc which stands as evidence that the members of Pearl Jam were maturing. That's an important thing to keep in mind because the ability the band members had to change and mature have, in my opinion, allowed Pearl Jam to keep going when a lot of other "grunge" bands died years ago.

Think about the short-lived popularity of grunge (a genre which I still believe was ill-defined, at best). Pearl Jam was on top of the world after the release of 1991's Ten, but Pearl Jam and other bands slapped with the generic "grunge" label were starting to lose the public's interest by the time No Code was issued. Looking back now, a lot of grunge bands started sounding the same, what with "mouth full of marbles" vocals, guitars which sounded tuned-down a step or two, warm distortion and etc.

Pearl Jam, however, broke away from the pack on No Code in the only way the band could -- through recording classic rock-based tunes and putting a more current "spin" on them. Pearl Jam always did sound like a band that would have been comfortable in the 1975 (or thereabouts) hard rock scene, but lacked the swagger and knot-headed lyrics of many of the bands from that time.

On No Code, we find the band sticking with classic rock again, but throwing the listener a few curve balls. Take "Who You Are," for example. That track was the "big single" from the disc, but lacked the fury and fire of the big singles off of Ten (such as "Jeremy" and "Alive") which folks just expected from Pearl Jam. "Who You Are" is a very laid-back, easy-going and rambling track with stripped-down instrumentation, a simple, catchy guitar track and even some strings thrown in for good measure. The lyrics are typical Pearl Jam -- wandering, cryptic words which don't make a hell of a lot of sense on paper, but sound perfect when matched with the music. And the music on that one? Very serene which sounds like the product of someone at peace with the world. See? It's not exactly what you'd expect in a Pearl Jam single if you were a fan of Ten.

Now, that's not to say the disc is all mellow. You've got some blistering tracks, to be sure, and that group of songs is best represented by "Hail, Hail," a rather angry track all about troubled relationships. The buzzsaw guitars, tons of distorted slide guitar and fast pace of the track is one of those "fist-pumping, let's all drive our cars fast" types of things that is just a good ol' rocker. Hell, there's nothing wrong with that.

I have only two real complaints about this disc. First, the opening track, "Sometimes," rather stinks in that you've got some guitar noodling and vocals from Eddie Vedder which sound like the noise a cat makes when stepped on in the middle of the night. The song starts out as a quiet affair, but builds up to the point where Vedder starts belting out his "stomped cat" lyrics. It's just downright terrible.

Also, Stone Gossard gets the lead vocals on a few tracks here. While there's nothing wrong with Gossard's voice, I can't help but think he ought to stick to playing guitar and letting Vedder handle the vocals. A Pearl Jam song without Vedder's lead vocals sounds quite out of place, after all.

All in all, this is a fine disc which reveals a maturing, reflective side of Pearl Jam. The slower numbers are all about introspection and play very well late at night when folks are prone to consider such things. People expecting another Ten out of Pearl Jam were likely disappointed by No Code as the album is very different. While Ten (still Pearl Jam's finest disc, in my estimation) was all about anger and isolation, No Code is much more serene and reflective. Still, I count this as one of the true gems in the catalog of a fantastic band.