Customer Reviews

26/6/00 - Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To be honest, the reason I bought this particular double-CD concert recording in the first place is, first and foremost, the inclusion of "Crazy Mary" (a Victoria Williams cover originally done on the SWEET RELIEF tribute album) and "Baba O'Riley" (a Who cover). I'm incredibly glad I did, mainly because this show is the ONLY recording released from the tour that has either of those songs on it, so it's very much worth it. However, there are many reasons to check this particular one out. The sound quality is, of course, excellent, and the guys play incredibly well. There isn't a whole lot of band-to-crowd banter (there is a nice surprise before "Crazy Mary" on disc 2) on this one, but you get a solid 2 hours plus, at 26 tracks. This is a very fun show with many great crowd-favorite tracks ("Even Flow", "Daughter", "Corduroy", "Elderly Woman...", etc.) and some more obscure ones ("Smile", "Present Tense", "Faithful", their cover of "Soldier of Love", originally introduced by the band to the fans on the LAST KISS single) that will please any die-hard Pearl Jam fan, or even someone who just wants to get a great live document of how tight and rewarding these guys are in concert. Very much recommended -- plus it has "Crazy Mary" and "Baba O'Riley" on it!!

Pearl Jam is one of the few groups that can actually sound better live than in the studio. Their raw power and improvisational magic is nearly unmatched in today's prepackaged, industry driven music scene. It is exactly that mold breaking type of live virtuosity that has made it possible for a major record label like Epic to take a chance at releasing 25 live albums by one group with LITTE OR NO NEW MATERIAL. Pearl Jam is quite possibly the only group actively performing that has the kind of varied style and genre busting contrasts that might make such a release possible.

However, even a die hard Pearl Jam fan without the $300 necessary to purchase all of these live gems may wonder which one or two to purchse. Granted, approaching such a stack of "new" realeases and trying to decide which one is the one to buy is a daunting task. Many fans will look for a certain set list that includes their favorites, while others will look for content that may be rare or lesser known. Regardless of what your approach is in deciding which of these live albums to purchase, the show from Hamburg will definately fit the bill. From the opening track Breakerfall, one gets the impression that the band is particularly on. Eddie's scratchy voice is almost unearthly as he rips out those gut wrenching lyrics that PJ fans have come to love. Corduroy, arguably the bands best live song and the only one played at all 25 venues, is especially powerful. Guitarist Mike McCready's solo during Corduroy on this night is fast paced and just a bit different from the other 24. Along with staples such as MFC, RearViewMirror and Daughter, all played without too many mistakes or guitar amp outages, the set also includes some very rare songs such as Present Tense, Faithful and Baba O'Riley. In fact, this is the only show during this leg of the tour where the wildly popular Who cover Baba was even played. Perhaps the rarest of the tracks is the cover of Victoria Williams' Crazy Mary. Once again this is the only venue where this song was performed. Interestingly, Victoria Williams is lead man Eddie Vedder's wife. The song is an extremely passionate one and on this night Ed does his wife especially proud by performing perhaps his most stunning rendition of this song to date. With supporting songs like Go, Porch and the soulful Soldier of love (played only two other times on the tour), Hamburg offers the most varied and powerful set list of all the Euro Boots available. The crowd is really into the show and spurs Ed and the boys into a 130 minute whirlwind that spans 26 tracks of pure Pearl Jam evolution.

So, even though Eddie states that he'll have to speak english to the German audience because his German is less than adequate, all who hear this performance can see why Pearl Jam's music speaks volumes in any language about a reclusive rock band that is still at the top of its game. Buy this CD before any of the others, it will be the high water mark against which all of the up coming shows are to be judged.

Unless you're a die-hard Pearl Jam fan, chances are you're not going to buy all 25 of these double-live CD releases. But suppose Live On Two Legs wasn't enough, and you're looking for an additional live set from the Seattle boys. One of your choices is Hamburg, June 26, 2000.

Pearl Jam focused on newer material during their European tour, so there's no shortage of more recent tracks. The key is finding which live disc has your favorite songs on it. After sorting through the track listings on a good majority of the discs, I found Hamburg to be the best match for me. I'm an old-school Pearl Jam fan... I feel that while they've increased their creativity, they've lost their angst. For me, the old stuff is best. Hamburg deals up a healthy dose of old material. Of the 26 tracks, 9 are from the first three albums, 11 if you include the 'rareties' "Yellow Ledbetter" (from the Jeremy single) and "Crazy Mary" (from Sweet Relief). Also included is an interesting cover of "Baba O'Riley" done without keyboards. It's pretty good, but The Who's original is in no danger of being surpassed. The band blasts from song to song with force, and the overall sound quality of the recording, and indeed several of the other shows I've heard, is outstanding.

The only gripe I have about the set is that at some points, it seems rather uninspired. While they continuously rock, it leaves little time for Eddie to interact with the crowd other than some idle banter here and there. The jam during "Porch" is lacking the intensity that it used to have (like that of the MTV Unplugged show). I was also a bit disappointed with the arrangement of "Daughter". Still, these are tremendous musicians at the top of their game, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better live set.

Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. The city of Hamburg, where the Beatles were allowed to hone their chops before conquering the Earth, is still rockin' after all these years. They've got one of the most enthusiastic and energetic crowds of any of Pearl Jam's European shows, and the band returns the favor by delivering a performance of non-stop intensity. This is surely one of the highlights of the European section of the bootleg series, and is a good sampler if you're looking for an example of a heavy, no-nonsense show. Instead of starting off with a ballad as usual (to build the tension), here the band plows straight into some of their heaviest rave-ups - "Breakerfall," "Corduroy," "MFC," and "Go" - and go straight for the throat. The intensity of this performance barely lets up, even on some of the ballads. The performances on the quieter "Faithful," "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter..." and "Present Tense" are sharp and transcendent. Meanwhile, Matt Cameron delivers a muscular groove to propel an extra strong jam session in "Daughter." Even the problems are pretty good in this show. During the rare "Rival," Stone Gossard's amp dies during the second verse. This actually sounds pretty interesting, as the song accidentally takes on a sparse and dark feel. Everything was working tonight, even the technical glitches. There's an interesting moment in the encore when Eddie Vedder leads the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" for Jeff Ament, and it wasn't even his birthday. Apparently the last time they were in town, it was his birthday. Other surprises include the tour's first appearance of "Crazy Mary," which sends the surprised crowd into an emotional frenzy. This song would then appear often in America. Also, the Who's "Baba O'Riley" makes its first appearance, and Pearl Jam's rendition of this classic is flawless, right down to Mike McCready's transformation of the fidgety synthesizer lines into screaming guitar solos.

From the blasting Breakerfall to the crunching Even Flow and the wandering Daughter, it is clear that this night of the tour does not suck. I had an epiphany early in the show when they ripped through Even Flow. Like a sea bowl crashing, Matt Cameron's drums pave the way for the band. His drumming has added the final link to make Pearl Jam the best live band on the planet. During the extended Even Flow, Cameron mataches McCready's solo like a boxer during a sparring session as the others sit back and watch. One of the unsung heroes from Binaural is Rival. Raw, tight, and in Hamberg they were without a lead guitar for a section. These moments are what makes these CD's so good, its like being there -- untouched and real. The Binaural tracks have come alive on the road and are standing tall as some of Pearl Jam's best.

I applaud Pearl Jam for having the insight to know that their fans will do whatever they can to scrape up the money to buy the whole tour and the action to go through with executing on the idea. A brilliant move that has fans clamoring for the entire US tour this summer. I'll be putting in an Amazon.com alerts for that one myself.

Out of the several sets I've heard of this series, Sporthall is the overall best by far. With an excellent mix bringing up the drums and especially guitar, PJ soars through the set with an emotional drive not consistently evident in the other sets. For the first several songs, before being adjusted, McCready's guitar is downright metallic, recalling the heyday of Gemany's electronica boom of the late seventies, Kraftwerk, Bowie, Eno, Fripp, et al. The technique is put to particularly excellent use for a stunning, extended version of `Even Flow,' and jumping out of the speakers during `Faithful' and `Rival.' The style crops up again on the second disk for the best ever renditions of `Rearviewmirror,' `Evolution,' and `Once.'Other highlights are `MFC,' `Daughter,' the rarely performed cover `Crazy Mary,' and a guitar driven version of the Who's `Baba O'Reily.' When PJ are "on" they are the best, and as the owner of many live sets including several unauthorized, this is the best I've ever heard them. An absolute must have for all fans.

i bought the entire euro tour and began listening to them in order as background music mostly. while each of the proceeding sets were all very good and fun to listen to, this one came as a surprise. nearing the end of the set i was expecting the the standard yellow bedletter finish when i heard baba o' riley. i hadnt looked at the tracklist before listening to it to maintain the surprise of what comes next at concerts. it took me a few seconds to realize that i was hearing baba o riley, but when i did i darn near soiled myself in excitement. i even hollered a bit. anyway this is probably the most unique of the collection next to the one that has release on it. i dont know which that was, but if you are only half cocked pearl jam fan and are thinking of only getting one or two of these official bootlegs. i would endorse this one, lisbon, and any which they play to non-english speaking cities.

Out of 25 shows in the European Bootleg series, this one from Hamburg, Germany takes the prize (barely)from the Praha show. Everything is clicking, thundering, and even stumbling the way it's supposed to. The band and the crowd do not let technical difficulties (only a few) get in their way of having a rip-roaring good time. If you can only afford one or two of these Official Bootlegs, this is Pearl Jam at it's best.

Out of the several sets I've heard of this series, Sporthall is the overall best by far. With an excellent mix bringing up the drums and especially guitar, PJ soars through the set with an emotional drive not consistently evident in the other sets. For the first several songs, before being adjusted, McCready's guitar is downright metallic, recalling the heyday of Gemany's electronica boom of the late seventies, Kraftwerk, Bowie, Eno, Fripp, et al. The technique is put to particularly excellent use for a stunning, extended version of `Even Flow,' and jumping out of the speakers during `Faithful' and `Rival.' The style crops up again on the second disk for the best ever renditions of `Rearviewmirror,' `Evolution,' and `Once.'Other highlights are `MFC,' `Daughter,' the rarely performed cover `Crazy Mary,' and a guitar driven version of the Who's `Baba O'Reily.' When PJ are "on" they are the best, and as the owner of many live sets including several unauthorized, this is the best I've ever heard them. An absolute must have for all fans.

Ok, I was a bit nervous buying these discs, thinking the sound quality would be bad, but overall, the quality is on par with the "official" live album "Live On Two Legs". I own 2 of these discs, and I can tell you the two to buy: this one 26/6/00 and buy 20/6/00, with these two discs you get lots of concert staples, plus enough rarities yo keep you happy )especially their version of the Who's Baba O'Riley--words can't describe it). Buy these two discs and you won't be disappointed, you get Last Kiss, Alive, Wishlist, Evenflow, nothing As It seems, Soldier of Love and mant more. These discs are a phenomenol release from Pearl Jam, proving they truly love their fans.