Rating: NNN
Pearl Jam’s second record was easily the most-anticipated release of 1993. Nobody knew what to expect, since back then there were no such things as preview samples, leaked tracks or any of the buzz-building efforts bands make today to hype an album. Everyone wanted another Ten, but Eddie Vedder had, quickly and somewhat unreasonably, become disenchanted with the spotlight, and the band was thoroughly unhappy with the grunge tag. Nevertheless, they delivered what would turn out to be their second-best album.
To mark PJ’s 20th anniversary, both Vs. and its successful follow-up, Vitalogy, are getting the “remastered and expanded” treatment, and in this case there’s a Vedder acoustic demo called Hold On that probably could have been a standout track if fleshed out with the band Cready Stomp, a Mike McCready guitar throwdown no one ever needed to hear and a quaint Victoria Williams cover called Crazy Mary. Hardcore PJ heads will skip this pedestrian CD and go for the deluxe vinyl package released on Record Store Day.
Top track: Animal
