Pearl Jam continue the revamping of their past catalog with a special release that features the band’s second album, vs., their third album, Vitalogy and the long sought after PJ fan Holy Grail, the live concert recording from the Orpheum in Boston, Mass from 1994.

The music sounds great and both studio albums have bonus discs added to them. The live disc documents a pivotal point in Pearl Jam’s career and promises to be the disc the hardcore fans will be most interested in.

After taking the rock world by storm with their debut album, Ten, Pearl Jam replaced Nirvana as King of Grunge when they set the record for the fastest selling album concerning first week sales. Pearl Jam nearly went platinum in seven days and eventually this one went multi-platinum. Eddie Vedder became a rock star and the brooding front man had to learn how to deal with being an anti-corporate hero millionaire.

The best of the bunch was the hit single “Daughter” but this album featured way more than one acoustic smash. The album opened with a rocker in “Go” and saw the band on a rampage, mixing brash guitars with down with the man lyrics in songs like “W.M.A.” “Glorified G,” “Dissident” and the bizarre “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.” Three bonus tracks have been added to the deluxe package including a never before released song titled “Creedy Stomp.”

With this release Pearl Jam took second place all time on the fastest selling first week new release sales with over 800,000 units sold. Unlike the debut and vs. this album saw the band stepping outside and experimenting with both song themes and musical ideas. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it did not. “Not For You,” “Whipping” and “Spin the Black Circle” all worked well, whereas “Pry, To,” “Bugs,” “Satan’s Bed” and “Aya Davanita” seem to miss the mark.

At the end of the day this was an angry album that saw the band fraying at the seams. Drugs, booze, rehab, band fighting and a lack of overall musical direction were a direct response to too much fame and too much money too quickly. The music reflects the angst, chaos and energy, at times adding to the overall result while other times detracting from it.

The deluxe edition comes with a real treat for the Pearl Jam faithful. Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994 was a special performance recorded near the end of the Vs. tour. The band allowed the crew to choose the set list and the result was a one of a kind concert that has gone done as one of the best moments in Pearl Jam lore. This concert has long been seen as the Holy Grail for collectors and Pearl Jam fanatics.