Customer Reviews

18/6/00 - Salzburg City Square, Salzburg, Austria

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yesterday I bought this set along with the one from Milan. Although the Milan one is better due to the energetic crowd, this one is amazing too. The guitar on the whole album, especially on Even Flow, is some of the best I've heard. The set list is practically a greatest-hits album from Pearl Jam, containing Even Flow, Black, Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, Go, Animal, Wish List, Better Man, Do the Evolution, and some great newer songs (my favorite being Nothing as it Seems). I also like the Daughter/Another Brick in the Wall/W.M.A. medley (listed only as Daughter on the back of the CD). You should definitely buy this!!!

Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. This bootleg from Austria is a tough one to figure. The musical aspects of this bootleg are very good, but don't listen to the politics. The performance by the band is solid and energetic, with Mike McCready having an especially wild night. Mike shines in his personal showcases "State of Love and Trust" and a rare "Present Tense," while adding predictably superhuman solos to "Even Flow" and "Black." The band is flawless in the heavy rockers "Gods' Dice" and "Animal," and they're focused and majestic in "Nothing As It Seems," "Alive," and Daughter."

Unfortunately, there is trouble in the stage talk department. While Eddie Vedder is pretty un-talkative tonight, he does make a reference to Austria's recent election of a neo-Nazi president. Eddie clearly disagrees with this, and that's cool, but this was a free, democratic election. Thus, the English-speaking members of the crowd get to listen to a guy who doesn't understand their situation but thinks he does. The band tries to make a sly statement by closing the show with Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World," but this is arrogant at best. This song can be inspirational in troublesome places like Poland; or a powerful statement in political centers like Washington DC. However, in Austria it merely becomes a ham-handed swipe at a political process that an American rock group doesn't agree with.

I'm from Austria and I saw the gig. When I heard that PJ will release a CD from every European concert I went really mad! To see the gig (the first time PJ played in Austria) was a dream come true but to keep the event forever on CD is unbelievable. I will sure buy some more gigs to cover more of the songs, although the setlist in Salzburg was brilliant.

Musically, this show is one of the best of the European Series. Everyone is firing on all cylinders, the crowd is happy and appreciative, and the atmosphere (a European city square at night)must have been wonderful. And then...politics rears it's ugly head. Playing in Austria for the fans in the face of the somewhat ugly national elections was a noble gesture on the band's part. Unfortunately Eddie Vedder undoes a great deal of good will by voicing his (and presumably the band's) disapproval of the election's outcome in a juvenile manner more befitting a junior high school student rather than a man in his mid 30's. A sour note in an other wise great performance. If you can ignore the rant, however, the playing is worth the money.

Pretty good album. The usual crowd pleasers like Corduroy and Alive rock, but they also throw in a few treats like Leatherman, Lukin, and Not For You. Eddie Vedder goes on to tell the crowd why they went along and played in Austria, despite the dislike for the governmental situation going on over there. It's not as good as Paris or Milan, but it's damn close. This album stands on its two legs just fine.

Pearl Jam is unmistakenly at its peak with this group of live performances and this is not an exception. Pearl jam takes on Austria!!!!

but I will sure buy it cause I've been there an it was the best concert I have ever seen. Maybe there are better recordings because of louder crowds but the setlist was brilliant and I was in the pit for 2 1/2 hours going crazy. Thanks to PJ for this "prestent" for all fans - will sure buy also some other shows.