Pearl Jam
Vitalogy 2LP vinyl

VITALOGY was nominated for 1996 Grammys for Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album. Wider in scope than any 70mm film, VITALOGY is the album on which Pearl Jam demands that the pigeonholing cease and desist once and for all. Whether by throwing meatless bones at some blindly zealous fans, or by moving their sound out of the grunge-land that they once called home, Vedder & Co. present this 55-minute tour de force as a treatise to win over the alternative non-believers and drop the excess baggage of fame. There's nothing fancy to VITALOGY: no ACHTUNG BABY or OUT OF TIME-like transformations, no post-modern gimmickry, no Steve Albini sound. Nevertheless, VITALOGY is revolutionary by Pearl Jam standards because it presents a collection of actually crafted songs, and succeeds in spotlighting the band's growing diversity. The proof is all over the place: "Corduroy" is an honest-to-goodness pop song, disguised in Seattle garb; "Not For You" brings the band's Crazy Horse fetish to the forefront, combining a folky melody with a ripping, electric arrangement; while "Bugs," "Aye Davanita," and "Hey Foxymophandlemama" are, respectively, an accordion-driven stomp, a raga-like instrumental, and a feedback-laden sound collage. All are delivered with such taste and assurance, that rather than sounding unnatural and forced, they only further illuminate Pearl Jam's artistic strides. Each helps make VITALOGY a proud notch on the band's growing musical belt.

NEW / Released in 1994 / Reissue 2016

Tracklist:

Division One

A1 Last Exit

A2 Spin The Black Circle

A3 Not For You

A4 Tremor Christ

Division Two

B1 Nothingman

B2 Whipping

B3 Pry, To

B4 Corduroy

Division Three

C1 Bugs

C2 Satan's Bed

C3 Better Man

C4 Aye Davanita

Division Four

D1 Immortality

D2 Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me