Pearl Jam Twenty (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

This 29-song soundtrack to Cameron Crowe’s documentary Pearl Jam Twenty celebrating two decades of Seattle’s juggernaut is a generous and well-crafted collection. “Alive,” recorded at Pearl Jam’s third show ever, features the newly arrived Eddie Vedder giving the band a new depth. “Garden” is an audience recording from Switzerland. “Black” is taken from the group’s MTV Unplugged performance. “Not for You” from Manila in 1995 is raging. “Crown of Thorns,” from Pearl Jam’s 10th anniversary show, is an emotional take of a song written by the late pre-Pearl Jam/Mother Love Bone singer Andy Wood. “Let Me Sleep” features Vedder and Mike McCready sharing a moment on the road. “Walk with Me,” from 2010, is a collaboration with Neil Young on one of the strongest tracks from Young’s Le Noise album. “Say Hello 2 Heaven,” written by Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell in tribute to Andy Wood, is performed with the Pearl Jam side project Temple of the Dog, here in demo form, while other demos from band members show the group’s introspective side. The live performances closing the set provide some electric moments. It’s a must-have for fans.