Live at Benaroya Hall Oct. 22, 2003 [Digipak] - Pearl Jam (CD 2004)

Disclaimer: I give the sound quality and musicianship FIVE stars on this album. The set list and the way some of the non-pj songs seem disconnected from the overall feel of the album is what brings it to an overall of three stars, though still recommended.

As an avid Pearl Jam fan who's listened to nearly everything they've ever published in the recorded music realm, I again couldn't wait to get my hands on this Live acoustical album...sometimes simply known in musical circles as "unplugged".

The album features a few of their classics like "Of the Girl" and "Daughter" as well as many covers, like Dylan s "Masters of War". With an unplugged CD like this, you get to hear the band in almost more of a true folk/spiritual sounding set as opposed to an arena rocker. The venue, Benaroya Hall, from what I can "hear" of this album, is a superb place to record a live performance (especially an acoustic one, Vedder's voice almost echoes, but doesn't, it's just enough to give it more of a far reaching "boom" as opposed to falling flat through the crowd which can sometimes happen at a recording such as this. Thankfully, this is not the case; it's the one of the best sounding LIVE albums I've ever heard!

Because I love the sounds, and could tell that whatever this place was is obviously the place to be when recording an "unplugged" album, I did some research on it. I'll give you the basics in a short but informative way.

1) Benaroya Hall opened up in 1998 as Seattle's state-of-the-art performance hall. It is home to the Seattle Symphony.

2) The State of the art facility is designed with the music in mind of course. As I mentioned before, Vedder's voice really comes through clear and strong. The hall is made with a multitude of angles as well as panels and nooks that disperse and diffuse the pitch of sound as it travels as a wavelength. The physics of this of course, gives us much more quality music...it's enhanced a million times better than if say, they were playing on a stage in the middle of a basketball gymnasium.

Now that you are familiar with how great the SOUND is and the SCIENCE behind it, it s time to move on to my opinion of this album.

First off, the set list. When I first listened to it I was enthralled at hearing some of my favorite songs. For an acoustical album it still felt like powerful music, and Vedder and the crew really do sound like, as usual, they are putting their heart and soul into playing their instruments and delivering the message or theme the song portrays. As I went later on into the album, I started to feel a little lost. Several songs I had never heard of seemed to suck some of the energetic feel that I had from their classics right outta the air!

Was it the song, the way they played the song or their attitude in general? I think the latter does not apply, but the former mentioned rings true. Some of these songs may seem like something the band should play (like "Masters of War" and "I believe in miracles") however, to often I felt like the band wasn't in Benaroya hall anymore, they were on a regular stage singing cover songs. The band to me simply does not seem to evoke the same energy or spirit that they do with their own music. Now, in saying that, maybe because their music is just that, something that came from their heart, mind, and soul, and not someone else s, that is why I feel somewhat disenfranchised from the non-PJ songs on this album.

In continuing to be objective, I would have liked to see a couple more of their own songs, whether they were hits or lesser known tunes, on each disk. I think to me it would have made it a little more Pearl Jam. However, as a fan, I ultimately still enjoy this album, and am impressed at the quality of sound that The Hall they play in presents.

There are still parts of this CD that are simply amazing, like the way your heart will feel heavier when hearing the song "Low Life" and "Of the girl". These are tracks I never get tired of hearing so I may be biased there, but taking the electronics and electric guitars out of the picture never seems to strip down the bands talent but unveil a stronger, richer sound all it's own!

The interaction with the crowd of course is more subtle than playing say, at some place like Miami or Houston in front of 50,000 people. The feeling from the crowd is appreciative, but also a special kind considering that they are doing the album (from what I can gather from Vedders intermittent speeches) for a youth benefit charity. Pearl Jam will never be called sellouts or greedy rock stars, as they are often known participate in things to help their community, the world, and fellow man.

"Sleight of Hand" is also a gem on here and comes deep from Eddie's now usual soothing, almost reaching out sorrow and serious toned vocals. It uses the usual theme of one person vs. themselves and others, invoking sad tones of regret and memory. There seems to be some electronic things going on here and there, so I am assuming unplugged means that the lead guitarists are playing acoustics, or perhaps someone is using a pedal machine via acoustic banks. Regardless, overall it's the sound quality of the hall that makes up for some of the songs I don't put up on a pedestal. There are other PJ sources of live music; however, I don't think you can really go wrong with this album. With 24 tracks performed at a great venue by one of the greatest American Rock bands of all time, how could you go wrong?