Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam's second night in New York City features a lean 32-song set that more than makes up for the previous evening's mediocrity. Opening with a cool, confident version of "Crazy Mary," the band steers through the emotional wreckage of "Save You," "Hail Hail," and "Whipping" like a hell-bound train. Eddie Vedder rediscovers the growl that made "Even Flow" so effective and applies it to the remainder of the set like heat to a torn muscle. The group is loose and snarly on a plethora of choice covers. "I Believe in Miracles" by the Ramones is confident and rousing, while the Beatles receive a stripped-down rendition of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," featuring Vedder, an acoustic guitar, and a stadium full of voices. Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" retains all of its poignancy in the hands of Pearl Jam, and even the played-to-death "Alive" sounds alive, leaving one to wonder if grunge really is dead. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide