Riot Act Oxford MS

Riot Act

Pearl Jam

Columbia, 2002

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/16/2005

The best thing about this band is that they do it their way, toquote Frank Sinatra.

Perhaps Pearl Jam's strong fan base is due in part to the band'susual refusal to make videos and heavily promote their music. Fansof the band feel Eddie Vedder and co. care about them and makemusic for them. When they could have made another Ten, they released Vs., and when they could have followed up thatmillion-seller, they released Vitalogy.

The trouble is, much of the Jam's music after 1994 started tosound alike. Granted, this is not a bad thing, since the lyricsmean something, the music is well-played and the production isusually warm and mellow. And while Riot Act has its share of good moments, it sounds more likeit chronologically belongs next to No Code.

If you like the band's hard rock, then "Save You" is thehighlight, with powerful vocals by Eddie and a drum/bass fest atthe end. "You Are" is an acid-drenched rocker, one of the band'sbest, while "Get Right" has a slight punk feel to it, morelate-Green Day than Ramones (a big band influence). "Green Disease"and "Help Help" recall the band's mid-'90s work, back when theywere embroiled in a controversy with Ticketmaster.