Album: Yield Release Date: 2/3/1998 Length: 48:39 Label: Sony/Columbia Rating: 6.2 |
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| Track Listing | |
| 1. Brain of J. (2:59) | |
2. Faithfull (4:18)  |
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| 3. No Way (4:19) | |
| 4. Given to Fly (4:00) | |
| 5. Wishlist (3:26) | |
| 6. Pilate (3:00) | |
| 7. Do the Evolution (3:53) |
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8.  (1:06)  |
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| 9. Mfc (2:27) | |
| 10. Low Light (3:46) | |
| 11. In Hiding (4:59) | |
| 12. Push Me, Pull Me (2:27) |
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| 13. All Those Yesterdays (7:47) | |
| Review | |
| I enjoyed the grunge era of the early ninties. Well, that is not entirely true. When it began, I was about six years old, and probably still considered artists such as Raffi to be the epitome of songwriting excellence. However, I imagine that I would have enjoyed the grunge era, to a certain extent, had I been old enough to understand what it was. | |
| But that period in music history is now just that -- history. Nirvana is gone, thanks to an ill-fated decision by Kurt Cobain. Soundgarden is gone, split up and currently pursuing other projects. Alice in Chains is gone because.....well, who knows what they are up to. The only primary player of the grunge craze still going relatively strong is Pearl Jam, led by incumbent frontman Eddie Vedder. | |
| While still somewhat influenced by their roots, Pearl Jam has slowly progressed musically with the release of each of their new records. The raw and driving hard-rock feel of their 1991 debut album, Ten, has been all but forgotten on Yield, released in 1998. | |
| There are still plenty of signs of their former sound present on Yield, however, as in "Brain of J." and "Do the Evolution", it seems that Vedder and company are aiming for a more frenzied, roller-coaster pace, with a pinch of comic relief to be found within the lyrics ("I'm ahead / I'm a man / I am the first mammal to wear pants, yeah", Vedder howls during the opening minute of "Do the Evolution). Not that that is a bad thing. Au contraire, as the French say. These two tracks, led by hard and heavy guitar riffs and Vedder's raspy growl, provide the album with some attitude, and prove to be two of the better songs on the CD. | |
| Variety is a key aspect in Yield though. The pair of aforementioned hard rockers are joined by the slow ballads ("Wishlist, "Low Light"), the odd tracks ("", "Push Me, Pull Me"), the laid-back jams ("No Way", "Pilate"), the guitar-driven epics ("Faithfull", "In Hiding") and the obligatory Led Zeppelin rip-off ("Given to Fly"). There is something for everyone packed into Yield's fifty minutes of play time. |
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| While Yield lacks any one truly great track, "Faithfull" (there are two l's, it's not a typo), "No Way", "Do the Evolution", "Mfc", and "In Hiding" are all quite well-written and fun to listen to. Most of them would never receive very much radio airplay, but their hooks are enough to keep you coming back for more. As far as the lyrics go, Vedder shows once again that there is a fine line between serious and sarcastic, such as in "Mfc" (Many Fast Cars), where he points out "They said that timing was everything / Made him want to be everywhere / There's a lot to be said for nowhere." | |
| This album also has its share of lowlights - no pun intended - in the form of songs such as "Given to Fly", which I think I would have received better if I had not heard it before, when it was called "Going to California" on Led Zeppelin IV. "Wishlist", another disappointment, is too mellow for its own good, and is filled with lyrics like "I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on the Christmas tree / I wish I was the star that went on top." Meanwhile, "" ("Red Dot"? "The Colour Red"? "Record"? Take your pick) and "Push Me, Pull Me" are too off-the-wall to warrant many repeat listens. Other tracks, namely "All Those Yesterdays" and "Low Light", are mildly enjoyable, though, at the same time, very mediocre. |
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| Overall, Yield is a good rock album. Nothing more and nothing less. While a bit of a disappointment from a band as talented as Pearl Jam has proven themselves to be in the past, it is still worth listening to. However, if I could go back in time, I probably would not throw down twenty dollars for this one again. | |
| Rating: 6.2 | |
| - Luke Adams |
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