Bootleg Country: Eddie Vedder - Live in Berkeley (4/7/08) - Page 2

Still I went out and got a copy of this solo show from Vedder. I dig it a lot. For the most part it is  just Eddie on an acoustic guitar, or banjo playing a wide variety of songs. The great part of a solo album, or show is that the artist is able go out on a limb, to perform songs that the band would never play. Or to play them in a complete different manner.

Here Eddie plays songs from many of Pearl Jam's albums, stuff from Into the Wild, and cover songs ranging from James Taylor to Cat Stevens to Bruce Springsteen. I've always thought Eddie has a great voice and he uses it well here with both his original tunes and the covers.

I especially like his cover of Cat Steven's "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" which is just a joy to listen to. Having only recently discovered this song (and the wonderful film, Harold and Maude to which it belongs) it makes me giddy-happy to crank it up and sing out.

For the most part he keeps the songs simple, sticking to their original arrangements, which works well as I don't think Eddie is an accomplished enough picker to really create something new with just him and his guitar. He plays well and the songs sound good, and that's really all we need.

The sound quality is not quite excellent. It is a nice recording, and perfectly listenable, but it is just a little muddled. This stands out when Eddie chats between songs and I found it difficult to understand what he was saying. In fact the first few listens to this recording were made in my car and I completely misunderstood his intent during several of his monologues. I was prepared to call him out as a pretentious bastard in this article, but then I listened with my headphones and found that what I thought was pretentiousness was actually just Eddie joking around with his fans.

Lead singers going solo is a risking thing. All too often instead of venturing out into new ground they simply show how much they need the rest of their band mates. It is nice to see Vedder getting out on his own and proving how vital he is to the band and as a musician all his own.

Download a zip file of Disk 1, Disk 2

Article Author: Mat Brewster

Mat Brewster is a periodic ex-pat wondering if he'll ever find a home. You can find him musing on pop culture, and obsessing over concert bootlegs at The Midnight Cafe.

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