Pearl Jam - Lost Dogs (30 tracks) +Album Reviews

Amazing Compilation of Essential PJ Rarities

Calvin93 | Fort Lee, NJ United States | 11/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"30 great b-sides, rarities, and unreleased tracks to please any Pearl Jam fan. I was thrilled to hear the early b-sides (Alone, Footsteps, Dirty Frank) plus the import release of TEN closing track Wash to remember the band in its heyday, and equally enjoyed Riot Act's extra track Down - excellent. These coulda-been hits are interspersed with other cuts that either never made the studio albums or were on benefit albums (Whale Song) for a truly enjoyable selection. No, not every song is a classic (though Last Kiss is included, which was perhaps one of their biggest radio hits, as well as Yellow Ledbetter, which enjoyed some radio play in 1993 and is now a concert-closing staple). But even the eclectic songs (Black, Red, Yellow - complete with Dennis Rodman's voice, and Sweet Lew) are interesting to listen to. I marveled at the instrumental genius of Brother and the quiet intensity of Dead Man Walking. Anyone who has followed Pearl Jam this far would enjoy this collection. For a compilation of "extras", the material here is stronger than many bands' actual releases. Plus, LOST DOGS includes interesting liner notes with todbits about each song from different members of the band. What a treat!"

The greatest hits that never were...

Timothy Read | Los Angeles, CA | 12/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you've followed Pearl Jam at all, you're well aware of their habit of putting otherwise unreleased songs on singles, soundtracks, compilation/benefit albums, etc. So, someone who doesn't have the time or money to track down all these songs can miss a lot of great music. Plus, who wants to risk getting a soundtrack that sucks otherwise?For those who don't want to spend a small fortune getting all kinds of singles and other albums, Lost Dogs assembles some notables (and unknowns) in a simple, great package. Lost Dogs covers most of their career, with B-sides and from virtually every era (Vitalogy is notably absent). Some have been heard before -- the ubiquitous Yellow Ledbetter and Last Kiss, and some were previously unavailable -- Sad and Fatal, among others.What sets this compilation apart from most is that there are so many songs that you hear and wonder how they decided to cut them. It's not a collection of weak filler material. Several of these songs could have done very well on commercial radio. Most everything is really good.Of course, the double album is difficult to nail perfectly. Usually there are some dogs (pun not intended) among everything else. But the bulk of the album is great and overshadows the occasional misstep.Purists take note: Some of the songs on here may not be the original version you're familiar with. Fans have noted differences in a couple songs, but for the most part, it's nothing bad. While it may not be everyone's dream compilation (I wish they would have included State of Love and Trust), the amount of stuff that is on here is great. And some songs -- Sad, Alone, Undone, Fatal, etc. are worth the price of admission alone. If you're a fan, you owe it to yourself to check it out if you haven't already."

A mixed bag of tricks

TCompton | Alexandria, VA USA | 11/15/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From the beginning you can tell Lost Dogs is a collection of songs that either didn't make an album because they didn't make the final cut or couldn't fit on the album. For those Pearl Jam fanatics, you'll notice the re-recorded versions of "Alone" and "Wash" and the added harmonica to the same "Footsteps" recording found on the Jeremy single.The first disk is much louder than the second. Stand-outs from disk one are "Sad," "Alone," "Undone," and the concert encore "Yellow Ledbetter." Songs that don't quite impress are "Don't Give Me No Lip," and the MOM songs "Gremmie Out of Control," and "The Whale Song."Disk two is made up of rare B-sides and old Christmas singles along with an instumental version of the very rare "Brother." I'm not sure why they chose not to put the vocals on this song, but from the guitar riffs, you can tell why several die-hard fans consider this jewel a personal favorite. In general disk two flows better and has a little better collection of tunes. Disk two low points are "Sweet Lew," and the rare but uninspiring "Bee Girl."Missing from this collection are "State of Love and Trust," "Breath," and "Crazy Mary" (although "Crazy Mary" may have copyright restrictions associated with it). Overall it's a good collection of songs but not something that really feels or flows like an album. The previously unreleased songs "Sad," and "Undone" and Christmas singles "Strangest Tribe," "Driftin," and "Let Me Sleep (it's Christmas Time)" make this album special. I would recommend it to any fan of Pearl Jam. For the casual listener it's worth buying even if only to get the young Pearl Jam songs "Yellow Ledbetter" and "Alone.""

Lost Dogs from Seattle

E. Callaway | Grand Rapids, MI USA | 01/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection has some of the greatest b-sides and rarities available. I had heard a great deal of it as I spent a fortune in the early 90's buying the European Maxi-singles that harbored many of the great b-sides. It surprises me that some of these songs never made it to any of the records themselves. . . Pearl Jam does not have notoriously long albums, so there is room for more, and much of this would have been worthy of being included. In my opinion there really was not anything missing that I had heard and loved. (except "Crazy Mary" but I have it on a dozen of the "Official Bootlegs")Highlights are many in this ragtag group of 30 tracks that span more than a decade's body of work. Staples like "Yellow Ledbetter" and "Footsteps"(which has been altered to include a harmonica, very nice!) are present and sound as good as they ever have. It is interesting that a great deal of the B-sides have aged a better than the records. The first two Pearl Jam records while classic, have a distinct "fuzzy grunge" style in their instrumentation. This makes them sound time specific as many artists of the time used similar effects. It is nice that some of said effects have been removed from the album tracks in the live performance and they no longer sound dated. The early B-sides are less "finished" than the albums were, so they lack some of the slight overproduction of the early albums.The inclusion of some of the tracks from the annual fanclub Christmas singles was a great choice. I am really happy that I now have a copy of "Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time)" that doesn't sound like it was recorded in a tin can under water. Several others from the Christmas Singles include "Last Kiss," "Strangest Tribe," and "Drifting." All great songs. I was not all that impressed with the version of "wash" that was used. The one from the single was better, but it is always nice to hear something different. "Alone" was a solid version but again, different from the "Go" b-side.I would have to say that "Fatal" is the gem of the records. It is one of the finest songs in Pearl Jam's history. Simple and melodic, it has an amazing amount of feeling. There are songs on Lost Dogs that I do not care all that much for, but there are so many that are great that I could not imagine giving this less than five stars. It is a definitive collection of Pearl Jam's unreleased material.epc"

Lost Dogs; a fitting title.

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 11/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the peak of the 90s alt-rock scene, Pearl Jam was the biggest band in the world. Nirvana may have kick-started their fame, but "Ten" climbed the charts quicker and higher than "Nevermind" ever has, selling over 12 million copies (as of 2003). Pearl Jam wasn't about to compromise their music for fame and glamour, which is clear when examining their career. Although Pearl Jam had created the sound of an entire decade, they continued to duck the spotlight, by making very few videos, giving very few interviews, then enduring a long battle against Ticketmaster, that lowered their popularity a few more notches. After releasing "Vs." in 1993, each Pearl Jam album that followed played to a smaller audience. Ultimately, Pearl Jam went from being the biggest band in the world, to being the biggest cult band in the world, by choice.

Due to the way Pearl Jam has gone about making albums in the past, their are several "Lost Dogs" included here. Since each album plays to a small audience, and includes an underlying theme, several songs that were officially released were shelved if they did not fit in with the rest of the material, and never made it to a proper Pearl Jam album. This is why "Lost Dogs" is necessary, a compilation of their best B-sides, stray singles, and compilation tracks, laid out in non-chronological sequence.

The variety of material is very desirable. This is Pearl Jam at their most experimental, their hardest rocking, most relaxed and most intimate in their career. "Lost Dogs" captures what the band sounded like at their peak, capturing their true passion. This proves that they had what it took to release another "Ten" album, but wisely chose not to.

Some standouts on the first disc include "All Night," "Sad," "Down," "Undone," and the concert favorite "Yellow Ledbetter". In my opinion, the second disc is much better. It's more relaxed and chilled out. They experiment with harmonica, and other sorts of production. Standouts include "Fatal," "Other Side," "Footsteps," "Dead Man Walking," my personal favorite "Drifting," "Sweet Lew," and the concert favorite "Last Kiss".

All in all, B-side and rarities compilations aren't supposed to be this good. B-sides by definition, are good and familiar, but not as good as what made the album. Pearl Jam shatters this definition, leaving the common listener in awe. I personally believe that this album is better than most of their studio albums; how refreshing."

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