Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
Music: Global Rhythm Presents: Edge of the World
Bombs Away [CD-single] [Import]
Bottle Rocket [CD-single] [Import]
Complete Mickie Most Recordings: To Sir With Love [Import]
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Stone Gossard's first solo album proves that Eddie Vedder isn't the only talent in Pearl Jam. If you think that by picking up this 10-song CD you'll be getting another dose of grunge, however, you're in for a big surprise. Gossard's uncanny wit and melodic music are showcased here. While he wears his wide influences on his sleeve, at some point he imbues these songs with imagination and a raw, authentic sound. "Bore Me" is muscular psychedelia that recalls the Small Faces circa Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. Gossard jumps into even deeper waters with "Pigeon," a misogynistic take on a relationship in decline that would make Mick Jagger proud ("I'm outta here/ I'm not through sleeping around"). Gossard flirts with the dark side in "Fits," as he slips comfortably into a vocal that recalls Jim Morrison or a midcareer Iggy Pop and pulls off anxious guitar licks that degenerate into pure fuzz as the ghostly chorus fades. The title track owes too great a debt to Neil Young, what with its extended guitar play and atonal vocals. But Bayleaf is a strong sampler of Stone Gossard's range and interests, and a delicious portent of what's ahead. --Jaan Uhelszki